Maelie exited the examination room with Erland and was immediately greeted by Amanda while Leo remained on the sofa."What did the doctor say, is everything okay?" Amanda asked with a worried look.Erland smiled and hugged Maelie from the side."Nothing bad, but actually, we got some good news," he said, then kissed Maelie's temple. "We're having twins... And it turns out she's already about 16 weeks pregnant."Suddenly Leo choked and coughed upon hearing the announcement, causing them to look at him in surprise."Leo, you okay?" Amanda inquired.Leo nodded with a sheepish smile. "I'm just surprised she's having twins. That's amazing, and the babies are going to be adorable!" he said with a grin.Amanda smiled and looked back at her sister."Congratulations... Don't worry, I'll help you take care of them," she said, embracing Maelie after Erland stepped away to give them space.Maelie remained silent, smiling thinly as if still uncomfortable."You should rest in the room, don't overth
Erland arrived at Reno and was immediately greeted by Thomas before entering his room. Somewhat nervously, he faced his father, fearing he would be interrogated about what he did last night."Actually, I know you left Tiffany alone here last night," Thomas said with a flat gaze. "Where did you actually go? How important was your business outside compared to your wife who needed you?"Erland remained silent with anxiety, wanting to express what he truly felt but remembering his promise to Maelie to be fair for the sake of peace."What could be more important than your wife?" Thomas asked again."Nothing..." Erland shook his head, then glanced in a random direction and leaned against the wall. "I just wanted to find peace.""I thought your peace came from your wife.""No... Not.""What do you mean?" Thomas asked with a serious look, studying Erland who seemed reluctant to speak.Erland sighed, feeling suffocated like he wanted to burst."Tell me!" Thomas insisted."I don't love her anym
At home, Maelie felt so lonely that she chose to relax on the side terrace while playing with her phone, and watching funny videos about twin babies."Ma'am."The voice diverted her attention. She turned, seeing Sussane approaching with a tray carrying a glass of juice."I made avocado juice for you," Sussane said with a smile, placing the juice on the table next to Maelie. "Some people say it's good for pregnancy," she added."Thank you," Maelie replied, immediately taking a sip of the juice. "Mmm, this is delicious."Sussane just smiled, slightly nodding her head."Sit down, maybe we can talk," Maelie said.Shyly, Sussane sat in the chair across from Maelie. She fell silent, observing her employer's slightly bulging belly, especially now wearing a tight nightgown with open sleeves that looked sexy and elegant."I heard from your conversation with your sister... You're going to have twins," she said."Yes, that's right." Maelie smiled."It's truly amazing news. I'm so happy for you."
Several days passed...Nights at precisely 10 o'clock, Erland saw Tiffany already asleep, so he took advantage of the opportunity to contact Maelie. The man rose from the bed slowly, then walked out of the room and into the study.He locked the door, then retrieved his phone from beneath the cabinet and brought it to the black sofa."Huh, finally..." He sighed, sitting back on the sofa while activating his phone."Tomorrow I'll return without telling her," he said to himself, imagining Maelie's beautiful face and immediately contacting her once his phone was successfully activated."Hello?"Erland smiled warmly upon hearing his second wife's voice."Hey, Baby. Are you okay now? What are you doing there?" he immediately inquired."I'm fine," Maelie replied, sounding calm. "Seems like you're enjoying your time there so much that...""I hate it here, and honestly, I feel tortured!" Erland interjected before Maelie could finish her sentence. He quickly switched the call to a video call an
At 9 in the morning...As usual, Maelie went through her morning routine by doing yoga, following an instructor on her laptop, and listening to music echoing in the sports room. She looked hot and maternal, wearing shorts and a gray half-tank top that revealed her slightly bulging belly, then tied up all her hair."Okay, take a deep breath and exhale slowly," she said, sitting cross-legged, staring at the mirror until her gaze fell on a figure standing at the doorway."Erland!" She immediately turned, finding Erland smiling at her, then approaching her.With some difficulty, she stood up to greet her husband, who hugged her right away and then kissed her cheek."Oh my God... are you kidding me!" She released her husband's embrace and looked at him in astonishment."What?" Erland smiled, furrowing his brow."How did you get here?" Maelie asked, recalling the long flight from New York to Sacramento, about 5 hours."Last night after we talked, I immediately asked my private jet crew to a
"My uncle came here a few days ago," said Maelie as she straightened her legs while lounging on the couch, then turned on the AC."What did he say?" Erland asked, furrowing his brow, recalling Teddy's threat to take Maelie with him. "Is he planning to take you away with him?""Yes, he was very angry," Maelie replied.Erland immediately sat on another sofa, looking at her seriously."What made him angry, is it because I wasn't here?" he asked anxiously.Maelie sighed. "He found out what happened at the party. Like a movie... From his wife's phone, he knew what happened at the party because his wife's friend was live streaming... his wife's friend was one of the guests at the party," she explained.Erland was stunned."My uncle was very angry and didn't accept what I experienced there. He insisted on taking me away from here but I refused... I was a bit harsh on him," Maelie said, her face slightly downturned, regret evident. "He just wants what's best for me... But I can't leave you,"
"so what you mean is, instead of me paying the criminal, it's better for me to ask you to get rid of that cursed woman?" Tiffany asked, sounding sarcastic."Yes... That's better!""Hmm... It sounds strange because earlier you refused. It seems unlikely that you would obey me just to protect me from a criminal who would only extort me...""I'm doing this so that I can provide for my child someday... It's not just because of you," Leo said curtly, imagining Tiffany with disdain. "If you don't want me to do it, that's fine, but never blame me if you struggle because of this. Maybe your parents can cover up your crimes, but then they'll only see you as a wicked and shameful daughter. You won't feel comfortable in your family circle, or worse, if the criminal also extorts your family, if he knows that your family owns a gold mine... I can't imagine he'll use you as his bank!" He continued firmly.Tiffany remained silent.Leo glanced at the figure and could clearly see Amanda from the glass
At 5:00 in the afternoon.Ben stopped the car on the side track of the airfield, Erland and Maelie immediately got out of the car and were faced with a multitude of airplanes of various sizes neatly lined up."Oh my God..." Maelie squinted her eyes, occasionally fixing her messy hair due to the gentle breeze."Let's go over there," Erland said, pointing to a private one ready to accept passengers. He wrapped his arm around his wife's waist from the side and then led her there until they arrived at the stairs where there was a red carpet sprinkled with roses, then one of the flight attendants immediately gave a large bouquet of roses to his wife.Maelie took the flowers with a shy smile."Is this yours?" She looked at Erland."It's yours too," Erland said with a smile.Maelie fell silent with a touched feeling, remembering how she had known Erland before, poor and simple but turned out to be rich, even owning a private jet. It hurt her too much, but she was also happy because, in reali
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