Miranda hurriedly walked carrying her blue branded bag, through the hospital corridors until she arrived at the ward where Tiffany and her baby were. She entered promptly, furrowing her brows as she saw a man sitting on the sofa holding the baby while her daughter looked at her in surprise."Is this real?" the question escaped her lips."Mom..." Tiffany immediately became flustered, remembering her mother recognizing Leo as her friend and having worked together to trap Maelie into attending her wedding anniversary with Erland."Why is this man here? Wasn't he supposed to be dead along with that damn woman? And why is he holding your baby?" She wondered with astonishment.Leo stood up promptly."I wasn't in the car during the accident... I caused her and her sister to crash while I quickly got out of the car and hid," he explained.Miranda fell silent, furrowing her brows."Is what he's saying true... Besides, it wouldn't make sense for him to fake his death when we paid him handsomel
After Leo had truly left the room, Miranda approached Tiffany."Mom...""You stupid!" she yelled, immediately slapping her daughter's face with her right hand while holding her grandchild with her left.Tiffany couldn't avoid the harsh and hot slap, immediately holding her cheek with her left hand, and looking fearfully at her mother."You've just dug your own grave!" Miranda exclaimed sternly."What do you mean?" Tiffany asked sorrowfully."This baby..." Miranda immediately handed the baby to Tiffany's lap. "Do you think she'll make Erland yours forever? She won't!" She emphasized."Instead, she'll bring you into a huge problem that won't ever be resolved, forever!""What?" Tiffany blinked in confusion."It's true that she prevented Erland from divorcing you, then you killed his second wife... that was a spectacular move because no one knew about it, even the police couldn't uncover it... But keeping this baby born is a big problem for you!" Miranda exclaimed again, pointing at the b
Leo walked into an abandoned building, which looked like a former showroom, and looked very messy with broken glass walls so that cars could enter the room, including Miranda's car which was waiting for him with a man.'She's with someone else, I'm sure there's a trap behind all this,' he thought warily, then smiled faintly when he was in front of them, 10 meters away."I want my money now," he said."Of course," Miranda replied, immediately turning to the man beside her. "Kevin, give him the money."The man named Kevin, who looked dashing in a black suit and brown leather jacket, immediately took a bag from the car and then threw it at Leo.Leo let the bag stop in front of him, then immediately took the gun he had provided under his black hoodie, then pointed it at them."Don't think I'm stupid!" he exclaimed."For me, money is very insignificant so I won't cause problems with you just because of money," Miranda replied with a cynical look.Leo crouched down to open the bag with his
Two years have passed...Amanda sat in an outdoor restaurant on the upper floor, accompanied by Leo sitting across from her. The beautiful girl devoured her taco hungrily as if she were starved, perhaps because she had just come home from work, still wearing her black and white uniform with some of her hair clipped back."I don't want you to work anymore," Leo said."Why?""Because I will always provide for you, your sister, and the twins... Everything."Amanda smiled faintly, looking at Leo sitting across from her, looking so neat and formal in his grey suit, his hair impeccably combed."I know you've been successful with your textile business, but I won't let you be the backbone of my family," she said."Your family is my family too," Leo replied."I know... We've been like family all this time, but I won't let you keep working so hard for us. I can't stay idle... I like working.""But I can't bear to see you exhausted like this.""Don't worry... Next year, I'll work as a lawyer. Ri
"So, all this time you haven't trusted me? You think everything I did for you and your sister was just a trick so you would accept me?" Leo wondered with disappointment in his eyes. "Do you think so down of me? Can't you just see the positive side of my efforts?"Amanda remained silent, continuing to avert her gaze."Just because I befriended someone who hates your sister doesn't mean I'm always bad... Can't things change?" Leo asked again.Amanda bit her lower lip, thinking about what if she accepted Leo. Too many consequences, especially concerning Tiffany, who might find out about them, feel betrayed, and seek revenge again. Accepting Leo would be like opening a new problem that ultimately unravels the old issues between her sister and Tiffany."Amanda," Leo whispered.Amanda immediately looked at him. "Sorry, I can't!""But why?"Amanda just stayed silent, continuing to walk towards the spacious but deserted basement main door.With an ambitious gaze and feelings of disappointment
Early in the morning, Maelie, along with Amanda, took Aiden and Ava to the airport because they were scheduled to fly to California soon. They were determined to leave Alaska without Leo's knowledge, fearing they would constantly feel indebted to him, especially since he had begun to act rudely towards Amanda.At the airport, Maelie felt nervous, sensing something that made her hesitate to leave but knew they had to because Amanda was truly uncomfortable with Leo's behavior. She sat in the waiting area, holding her son while her daughter was with her sister."Mommy... Ugh..."Aiden suddenly vomited, staining both his and his mother's clothes."Oh my God..." Maelie quickly lifted Aiden from her lap, then released her hold and placed him on the seat."What's wrong? Does he have a fever?" Amanda asked anxiously, staying seated as it was so comfortable to have Ava sleeping in her arms."No, but maybe he's not adjusting well to the air here... It's his first time at the airport," Maelie an
Already arrived in Sacramento, precisely at 10 in the morning. Maelie, along with the others, was immediately picked up by her uncle and taken to his house not far from her old rented house."I'm glad you guys decided to come back," muttered Teddy as he drove."Yeah... We thought it's pointless to keep hiding, we shouldn't let fear dictate our lives and rob us of the beauty of living freely," replied Amanda wearily, resting her head on the front seat while holding Ava who was asleep, while Maelie sat in the back with Aiden on her lap. "If we get any trouble because of Tiffany or Erland again, we just need to be prepared...""Don't worry, I can't protect you all."'He won't know me again, he won't come near me again,' thought Maelie as she glanced at them chatting. She still couldn't shake off the shock of her encounter with Erland, it was unplanned and unexpected, and his condition truly worried her.'He looked in so much pain. Has he been sick all this time? Not just unable to rememb
Two days have passed...Maelie was in a salon, just finished changing her hairstyle to look different and less recognizable than before. They agreed not to appear together in public so that no one would recognize them except for their closest people whom they could trust.The woman entered the car where Amanda was already waiting with the twins."Wow... You look younger with that style," Amanda said with a smile, looking at Maelie who appeared fresher with her reddish curly hair and fake mole near her eye."I don't think it changed anything," Maelie replied anxiously, looking uncomfortable with her appearance."Come on... They've been waiting for you since earlier, you need to breastfeed them one by one!" Amanda exclaimed, turning to Aiden and Ava sleeping in the back seat with a special baby seat.Maelie immediately took Ava from the seat, then closed the door and switched seats to the front, immediately breastfeeding her while Amanda started driving."I think I should buy diapers,"
Several months passed...The situation improved, and Erland tried to forgive himself, rise from his despair, and was, of course, supported by Maelie, who always understood him, and he also received help from a psychiatrist.Despite this, he still often worried about Tiffany, wondering if she could be happy with the guilt of having aborted their child. And he still often saw Alaina from a distance at school.The man still felt something was missing, but he didn't want to have high expectations and chose to live his life as it was. Naturally, he focused on Maelie, the woman who was always there for him and accepted him despite the suffering he had caused her....Tonight, on their 6th wedding anniversary, the man took his wife to a hotel. He invited her to dine on the terrace balcony, with a view of the night lit by stars and the lights of vehicles and skyscrapers, and of course, the most beautiful sight was his wife, looking stunning in a long red dress with bare shoulders and her hair
At 10:00 PM, Maelie was pacing back and forth on the porch, waiting for Erland who had not come home yet and was ignoring her calls and messages.Amanda felt bored and genuinely sad seeing her sister so worried. Luckily, Teddy and Jane had returned to Sacramento and did not witness this chaos."Why don't you just act normal... Doesn't he usually come home late too?" she asked with a displeased look."For me, this is unusual... I feel like he doesn't want to see me anymore," Maelie replied anxiously, glancing towards the gate and seeing the security guard hurriedly opening it as a black car entered the yard."Tommy..."Realizing it was Tommy's car, Maelie immediately approached him as soon as he stopped in the yard. Amanda also walked over as the man got out of the car."Mae," greeted Tommy."Do you know where Erland is? Did you manage to investigate him today?" Maelie asked eagerly.Tommy nodded with a worried look. "Yes... I was with him all day, but I didn't learn much about what's
Thomas entered Erland's room and saw him sleeping on the sofa, with a lot of files that needed to be reviewed on the table."How could he neglect his work?" he grumbled as he approached his son, intending to wake him up, but his attention was diverted to Tommy, who had just arrived."Mr. Gerald," called Tommy.Thomas turned to Tommy, noticing he was carrying a file."Is there a problem?""No, there's good news," Tommy replied with a smile, handing the file to Thomas. "Carlos' diamond company is willing to collaborate with our company, all the terms are in there," he continued, glancing at the file.Thomas looked at the file with a frown, realizing there was a lot to read, then he remembered Erland and closed the file again."Since yesterday, Erland hasn't done any of his tasks," he said, turning back to Tommy. "And now he's fallen asleep. This is very unusual for him, do you know what he does at home that makes him still need rest at the office?""Um..." Tommy bit his lower lip, glanc
With unsteady steps, Erland climbed the stairs to the upper floor, arriving at the room and finding Maelie standing by the window. She turned towards him as soon as she sensed his presence."Erland..."Maelie immediately greeted Erland with a worried look."You're drunk again!" She grabbed his arm, looking at his dull face, the smell of alcohol from his breath making her wince. "Oh my God ... You stink!"Erland stared deeply at Maelie and then smiled."You are so beautiful!" he exclaimed lazily.Ignoring Erland's compliment, Maelie led him to the bed, laying his body on the edge. She took off his shoes and placed them near the foot of the bed."Why are you always like this? What exactly are you dealing with?" she wondered as she unbuttoned his shirt, which was damp and reeked of alcohol, imagining him spilling drinks on himself.Before she finished unbuttoning his shirt, he suddenly pulled her down onto his chest, then rolled over, making her lie beneath him."Erland...." She gasped i
Erland stopped his car in the driveway of the Billy Johnson family mansion, got out quickly, and saw Alaina just getting out of the car with Tiffany. He smiled at the little girl who was pouting at him from a distance, then took a package from his car."That's not my dad," Alaina muttered with a serious look."Why is he here? I thought everything was over," Tiffany mused, watching Erland walk toward them with a rather large pink paper bag."Hey..." Erland sighed as he reached them. "I... I brought this for her." He lifted the paper bag slightly."This feels strange after what you did," Tiffany said flatly.Erland smiled thinly."This isn't strange... She used to be my daughter, so I still love her and want to see her," he replied casually, then squatted in front of Alaina with a smile. "Sweetie... Daddy missed you so much."Alaina remained silent with a pout, clearly displeased with Erland's presence."Daddy bought LEGO for you; we can build a Barbie house together," Erland said, hand
Leo stood near the gate of an elite school, watching Alaina as she exited the building with her friends, looking around as if searching for someone. He entered the grounds and approached his daughter with a smile."You ..." Alaina squinted at Leo, slowing her small steps."Sweetheart ..." Leo crouched in front of Alaina and briefly touched her cheek. "I've come to pick you up.""Tony is supposed to pick me up," Alaina said, frowning. "Grandma said I'm not allowed to go home with strangers, so I have to wait for Tony here!" she continued, then ran toward a waiting bench near the security post.Leo exhaled sharply, stood back up, and looked at Alaina, who looked so cute and pretty with her long brown hair, wearing pink pants, a white shirt, and a red bag.'I can't waste this opportunity,' he thought, glancing around until his gaze fell on a luxury car stopping in front of the gate."Damn, she's here!" he said, clenching his fists, seeing Tiffany hurriedly exit the car and approach Alain
The next day...Maelie had just woken up after crying herself to sleep the night before. She glanced around the quiet room and saw Erland standing in front of the dresser, getting dressed. She quickly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.When she returned to the bedroom, she saw her husband sitting on the sofa, putting on his shoes. She felt a desire to approach him but felt awkward after their fight last night.Her attention shifted to his injured hand, which was unbandaged and looked terrible. She walked to the small cot, opened the drawer, took out the first aid kit, and approached him.She sat beside him, took his right hand, and placed it on her lap, examining the wound."A wound like this needs to be treated and covered with a bandage," she said."You always know how to heal wounds, but this time, I'm not so sure," Erland replied flatly.Maelie swallowed hard, sensing the deeper meaning behind Erland's words, perhaps referring to the caus
"Why isn't your husband home yet at this hour?" Teddy asked as he saw Maelie and Jane exit the twins' room. "It's already late," he added, glancing at his watch, which showed 10 PM.Maelie swallowed hard and walked to the sofa."Maybe he's busy," she said."But I think it's unusual for a boss to work this late," replied Teddy, frowning and glancing at Jane, who immediately sat next to him."You don't know how busy he is... you don't understand his job, so you should stay quiet," Jane said with a displeased look.Teddy exhaled harshly. "I just don't want him to treat Maelie the way he treated his first wife. I don't want him to get bored, start leaving her often, and then fall in love with a new girl...""Teddy!" Jane interrupted in a soft voice. "You shouldn't say that. You'll ruin your niece's mood!"Teddy remained silent, turning his face away as Maelie quickly stood up."I need to go to my room now," Maelie said.Jane nodded, letting Maelie walk towards the stairs. She then turned
Erland stopped his car at the side of the road, near a bridge where Tiffany was standing with Benjamin. He quickly got out and approached his ex-wife with a serious look."What are you doing here?" he asked."Waiting for you," Tiffany replied flatly.Erland frowned, feeling odd about Tiffany’s attitude. After staying away from him for so long, she suddenly wanted to meet again."He won’t hurt you, no gun or anything dangerous," Benjamin said flatly.Erland stayed silent."We need to talk. I'll be waiting in the car," Tiffany said, then walked towards her car.Curious, Erland followed Tiffany and got into her car, sitting beside her uncomfortably. He looked around, making sure there were no paparazzi or anyone who could take their pictures, which could cause trouble or gossip if their meeting became public."How are you?" Tiffany asked, looking at Erland, who looked dashing in his gray suit but with a beard that was too thick and hair that was too long, unlike his usual self. "You look