The sunlight coming through the window curtains slowly woke Celine's consciousness. Her eyelids moved slowly before finally opening. Her vision blurred for a moment, but then caught the shadow of Nico sitting beside her bed. "Celine?" Nico called out softly, noticing the change on her face. "You're awake?" Celine blinked a few times, adjusting her gaze. The first look she gave Nico was neither grateful nor relieved, but cold and full of tension. "What are you doing here?" her voice was hoarse, almost a whisper. Nico was silent for a moment, trying to swallow the pain that came with the question. "I... I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Before Nico could continue, Calvin's small voice broke the silence. "Mommy! Mommy's awake!" Calvin ran over to the bed, hugging his mother's arm tightly. His face was beaming with happiness. "Mommy, I really miss you! Daddy and I wait for Mommy to wake up every day." Celine looked at Calvin and smiled slightly. However, the smile f
That morning at the hospitalNico stood at the door of the hospital room with a face full of doubt. His suitcase was already in the car, the plane ticket was in his hand. It was only a matter of time before he left to leave everything behind, including Celine and Calvin. But there was something he had to do first. He knocked lightly on the door, then opened it. Inside, Calvin was drawing at a small table, while Celine sat leaning back on the bed, her face looking more refreshed although her gaze was still cold. "Can I come in?" Nico asked softly, his voice almost a whisper. Celine didn't answer, just gave him a glance before looking away again. Calvin, on the other hand, immediately smiled widely. "Daddy!" he exclaimed happily as he jumped up from his chair and ran towards Nico. Nico lifted the boy into his arms, kissing his forehead gently. "Hi, Calvin. Did you eat breakfast?" "I did, Daddy," Calvin replied excitedly. "But why has Daddy been absent for so long? I miss you!"
Celine looked at Nico with a look in her eyes that was hard to interpret. Calvin had already fallen asleep in his small bed after being tired of crying. Now there were only the two of them in the room, and the atmosphere was heavy. "I want to clarify something," Celine finally opened her voice. Her tone was cold, different from before. Nico, who was standing by the window, turned his head. "What is it, Celine?" Celine took a deep breath. "What I said earlier, about forgiving you... it's not entirely true." Nico looked at her, his forehead furrowed. "What do you mean?" "I only said that for Calvin's sake." Celine looked directly into Nico's eyes, her tone firm. "I don't want him to feel even more devastated. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten everything you did." Nico was silent. He didn't try to defend himself, nor did he show anger. He just nodded slowly, as if he had expected the answer. "I understand," he said finally, his voice low. "I know I deserve that." Celin
"So what if Calvin asks that we don't live in the same house?" Nico asked later. "Well, we still live in the same house. We'll pretend to be married. Later, I'll find a new Daddy if it's suitable, then get divorced."Nico was stunned to hear that statement. Celine looked at him without hesitation, as if the sentence she had just said was the most logical solution that could be taken. "We live in the same house?" Nico repeated, making sure he hadn't heard wrong. Celine nodded, her face remaining cold. "Yes. For Calvin's sake. He doesn't need to know what's really going on between us. We pretend to be married, living like a normal family in front of him. If I find someone suitable, we can divorce gracefully." Nico felt something hit his chest. He wanted to refuse, wanted to say that it wasn't fair, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat. "Are you serious, Celine?" he asked in a trembling voice. "Seriously," Celine replied firmly. "I don't care how you feel about this
Calvin sat on the edge of the bed, hugging his favorite doll with a sour face. He looked up at his mother with eyes that were almost brimming with tears. "Mommy, where's Daddy? Why isn't Daddy here?" he whined in a small voice full of confusion. Celine, who was folding the blanket at the end of the bed, tried to put on a gentle smile. "Daddy went away for a while, dear. He bought some fruit for you. Calvin likes apples and oranges, doesn't he?" "But it took so long!" Calvin snorted. "I want Daddy now!" Celine came over, sat beside Calvin, and gently smoothed her son's hair. "Be patient, honey. Daddy will come back. Now, how about Calvin draw a picture first? Daddy will see the picture when he gets home." Calvin gave a small nod, though his face was still sullen. "But Mommy said Daddy won't leave again." Celine was silent for a moment. She knew this little lie wasn't a good solution, but she also didn't know how to explain the situation to Calvin. "Daddy's only gone for a l
At Nico's apartmentNico's cell phone vibrated on the small table in front of him. He immediately grabbed it when he saw Celine's name on the screen. "Hello?" "Nico," Celine's voice sounded firm, though a little hurried. "Can you go to the hospital now? Calvin keeps looking for you. He's starting to run a fever again, probably from too much stress." Nico stood up immediately. "I'll be there now." Before he could grab his jacket, his mother sitting on the sofa gave him a sharp look. "Wait a minute, Nico." "I don't have time, Mom," Nico replied quickly, but his mother was already standing and blocking his way. "This is your chance," his mother said in a low, stressful voice. "Celine asked you to go there. She needs you. Use this to make her see that you can still be her savior." Nico sighed loudly, frustrated. "This isn't about me or Celine, Mom. This is about Calvin. That boy is sick!" "Exactly," his mother replied quickly, her eyes narrowing. "And who's there for Calvin?
In the Hospital CorridorAfter making sure Calvin was fast asleep, Nico and Celine stood facing each other outside the room. The corridor was quiet, only the sound of the hospital staff's steps could be heard occasionally passing by. "Celine," Nico began, his voice low, almost a whisper. "I want to talk about something important." Celine looked at him with a flat expression. "What else, Nico?" Nico bowed his head, trying to string together the right words. "I know I'm nothing now. Everything I used to have, it's all gone. I lost everything, including you. And it's my fault." Celine remained silent, waiting for what Nico would say next. "But I don't want to continue like this," Nico continued, his voice starting to sound more determined. "I want to get back on my feet, Celine. I want to work, build my career from scratch. I want to be able to stand on my own feet, without having to rely on anyone." "So?" asked Celine briefly, her eyes narrowed, trying to read Nico's intenti
Morning at the HospitalAll night, Celine couldn't sleep. Nico's words kept ringing in her mind. She knew Nico had made many mistakes in the past, but his earnestness that night felt different. There was an honesty in the man's gaze that she found hard to ignore. As the sun began to rise, Celine finally decided on something. She picked up her cell phone and typed a short message to Devano. [Meet me at the office this morning. We need to talk]-Celine's Office Devano knocked politely on Celine's office door, then entered after being invited. The man wore a neat suit as usual, his face calm yet thoughtful. "Is there anything I need to do, ma'am?" asked Devano, sitting in the chair in front of Celine's desk. Celine looked at her faithful assistant, then sighed softly. "I need you to open access for Nico." Devano raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised. "Open access? By that you mean, removing his name from the blacklist of companies in this city?" Celine nodded. "Yes. She s
The long-awaited day had finally arrived. The inauguration of the Calco Group took place grandly in the company's new building in the city center. Invitations from all walks of life, from entrepreneurs and business partners to family and close friends, attended the event. On the main stage, Nico stood proudly in his black suit, while beside him, Celine looked elegant in a navy blue dress. Between them, Calvin stood excitedly, ready to carry out his important duties today. An MC took the stage and began to speak, "Dear audience, today is a historic moment for Calco Group. After a long journey, the company is finally firmly established and ready to enter a new era. To inaugurate this company, we will witness the ribbon cutting by the first son of our CEO, Calvin!" The audience applauded loudly. Nico squatted towards Calvin, handing him a small golden scissors. "Come on, son. It's time for you to be part of history." Calvin nodded confidently. With both hands, he grasped the sc
One month has passed since the tense incident at the hospital. Now, the twins were healthy and at home with their families. The mansion felt more alive with the cries and laughter of the babies filling the room. Celine sat on the living room sofa, holding their baby girl, now named Aurora, on her lap. Meanwhile, Nico held their baby boy, named Alva. Calvin, their older brother, sat next to Celine, occasionally stroking Aurora's head gently. "Mommy, why is Aurora so small?" Calvin asked with curious eyes. Celine smiled, kissing her son's forehead. "Because she was born earlier than she should have been, dear. But look, she's healthy and strong now, right?" Calvin nodded firmly. "I promise I'll take care of them both, Mommy. I'm a big brother!" Nico chuckled, patting Calvin's head proudly. "That's Daddy's boy! Big Brother should always love the younger siblings, right?" "Of course!" Calvin patted his chest, acting gallant. "If anyone bothers Aurora or Alva, I'll go first!"
"Celine! Wake up! Don't joke around like this, wake up!" Nico shook his wife's body violently, his voice hoarse from shouting too much. His tears fell relentlessly. "I can't live without you! You promised you would always be by my side! Don't leave me!" Maria, who was standing in the corner of the room, finally couldn't take it anymore. She covered her mouth, turned around, and walked out with tears in her eyes. Seeing her son like this was too painful. Meanwhile, Nico was still in place, his hand grasping Celine's cold hand tightly. "Honey... please... if this is my punishment, I accept it. But don't leave. I beg you, don't leave me alone..." Suddenly, Celine's fingers moved slowly. Nico gasped. His breath caught in his throat. He looked at his wife's hand, then frantically felt his wrist. There was a pulse! There was still a heartbeat! Nico's eyes widened, he brought his face closer to Celine's chest and heard a weak heartbeat. "Celine?! Can you hear me?!" There was no r
Nico stood as soon as the doctor came out of the operating room. He held his breath, waiting for the news to come out of the doctor's mouth. "How is my wife, Doc?" he asked in a hoarse voice. The doctor removed his mask, his face looking exhausted. "We managed to save your twins, Mr. Nico. Although premature, they are in stable condition, but will have to stay in the incubator for some time." Nico breathed a sigh of relief for a moment. However, he saw the doctor's expression turn tense. "And... Celine?" his voice weakened. The doctor looked down for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry, sir... We tried our best. But Mrs. Celine lost too much blood... She didn't survive." The world seemed to stop spinning. The doctor's voice echoed in her head, but her brain refused to understand. "No... It's impossible," she whispered, her body faltering. Maria covered her mouth, her tears falling instantly. "Oh my God... Celine..." Nico stepped forward, gripping the collar of the doc
That morning, the smell of cooking filled the entire mansion. Maria was busy in the kitchen, stirring the warm soup while checking on some side dishes she was frying in the pan. The servants could only stand at the side of the kitchen, looking at her in confusion. "Madam, let us do the cooking," one of the servants said politely. Maria smiled, but her hands remained busy stirring the dishes. "No need. I haven't cooked for the family in a long time. Besides, Calvin would love his grandmother's cooking." Celine who had just come down from the room immediately approached, surprised to see Maria in the kitchen. "Mommy, why are you cooking alone? There are servants." Maria glanced over with a smile. "Mommy wants to cook for you once in a while. It's been a long time since I've cooked for the kids." Celine sighed while holding her growing belly. "But Mommy should just rest. Let the servants take care of it." Maria chuckled. "Celine, when you get older and have grandchildren, you
Three months passed quickly. The company Nico had built, Calco Group, was finally firmly established. The building was magnificent, his team was ready to work, and some projects were already well underway. Nico looked at his company logo displayed in front of the building with pride. All his hard work had finally paid off. Leo stood beside him, also gazing at the building in awe. "Finally, everything is ready. Just waiting for the right time to launch," he said, glancing at Nico. Nico nodded. "Yes. I want everything to run smoothly first before it's announced to the public. And most importantly, I want Celine to give birth first. I don't want her to be stressed because of this." Leo chuckled. "You're really protective of your wife, huh." Nico glanced at him with a flat expression. "What's wrong?" Leo raised his hands in surrender. "No, not wrong. In fact, it's good. Celine is a great woman, but she still needs support. Especially now that she's pregnant with twins." Nico t
Leo returned to Nico's room with a serious expression. He closed the door slowly before placing a file on the table. "We have a problem." Nico gave Leo a sharp look. "How big?" Leo took a breath before explaining, "The company we want to work with has outstanding debts to several large vendors. They look stable on the outside, but their finances are actually in trouble. If we continue to work with them, we might be dragged down if they go bankrupt." Nico sighed, then opened the file Leo had given him. His eyes quickly scanned the reports attached to it. "So they're covering all this up with organized financial statements?" "Right," Leo nodded. "They diverted funds from one project to another to make it look healthy. But as I investigated further, there were some transactions that didn't make sense." Nico clenched his fists on the table. "If we're not careful, we could get into big trouble." Leo sat opposite Nico, leaning back in his chair. "What do you want to do?" N
That morning, Nico woke up earlier than usual. He looked at Celine who was still sleeping beside Calvin, smiling at how peaceful his wife's face was. Carefully, he got out of bed, arranged the blankets for them, then hurried to take a shower and get ready. As he finished putting on his white shirt and suit, Celine began to squirm, her eyes opening slightly. "Are you ready to go?" asked Celine in a hoarse voice from just waking up. Nico approached her and sat on the edge of the bed, gently rubbing his wife's cheek. "Yes, sweetheart. You just go back to sleep. I don't want to disturb your rest." Celine smiled slightly. "Be careful." Nico kissed her forehead. "Always." Celine nodded, then closed her eyes again. Nico smiled a little, then got up and walked out of the room. Once he reached the garage, he got into his car and drove straight to the construction site. Today was an important day, as he wanted to see the progress firsthand and make sure everything was going accord
The grand room was filled with classy guests who came in their finest attire. Crystal chandeliers hung beautifully from the ceiling, illuminating the neatly arranged tables with sumptuous dishes. Tonight, Nico and Celine's family were hosting a special banquet to celebrate Celine's fourth month of pregnancy. Celine stands beside Nico, wearing an elegant light blue dress that falls gracefully on her body. Although her belly wasn't too big yet, there was happiness clearly on her face. "Good evening everyone," Nico's voice was firm as he stood before the guests. "Thank you for coming to celebrate our happiness. Tonight, Celine and I would like to share some exciting news..." The guests began to whisper curiously. Nico turned to his wife with a loving gaze. "According to the results of the last ultrasound, we're not just going to have one child... but two." The room immediately erupted in applause. Celine smiled happily, while Nico wrapped his arms around his wife's waist. "Wo