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CHAPTER 60: The Permission
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Secret Island CHAPTER 61: Meeting Celine’s Parents
So, are we really back together? Celine was difficult to understand, and Martin didn’t want to conclude what she said was just a joke. He assumed she was serious. That was possible. He thought of this confusion the whole evening. In terms of risk management, he was used to assuming the worst case. Thinking the worse allowed him to mentally prepare for mistakes and let downs. He couldn’t be all optimistic and handle the disappointment. He thought it was reasonable to assume the worst case like this. He didn’t want surprises. Hence, Martin concluded that we were not back together. But one thing that he didn’t understand was that kiss. What was that about? Only thinking of that one moment, he felt the heat on his face… Martin thought of that evening with Celine… “Celine, are you still mad at me? Are we back together?” While she was still in his arms, he asked nervously. “And what do you think?” She asked him while ca
The Secret Island CHAPTER 62: He Had Changed
Click! In the middle of the night, a small sound of a door being unlocked echoed throughout the office. At the end of this sound, everything was in absolute silence. A tall figure in black entered the room and looked around. The person was on a mission to find the missing material. It was important that everything in this room was thoroughly searched—every drawer, every shelf, even the small spaces between furniture. The sources informed what was needed was hidden in an object. Luckily, the night was long enough for a detailed search of every item.****** “Martin! Stop making that face! What right do you have to make me feel this way? That was so embarrassing! Oh no, my parents will tease me for the whole next week! Martin! You are mad. Mad. Mad. You are mad!” Celine looked into Martin’s teasing eyes and smirked, and continued her barraging him. “So you want me to stop smiling? That’s not going to happen. I’m just way too happy.” He smiled at her no
The Secret Island CHAPTER 63: His Perfect Day
The Martin from that island in Italy that Celine remembered was a confident man. Martin from four years ago was cold, and his face rarely showed any expression, but she could tell that he was a proud man and knew that he was better than anyone he was talking to. He was also kind and polite at times. Those were the characters of the Martin in her memory. But this Martin, the man who asked her permission in everything, no matter if it was just holding hands or just having dinner together—he asked in a tone that already assumed she would say no—that was when she sensed something was not right. “Celine, can I order red wine?” A small smile emerged on his handsome face. It was not the bright smile she once witnessed. “You don’t have to ask me all the time about something small like this, Martin.” “Right…” and he then ordered red wine from the drink menu. Today he asked her out for dinner at a fancy restaurant near his place. Martin said he didn’
The Secret Island CHAPTER 64 : The Persistence of Memory
That is heavy… Celine woke up with the feeling of something heavy on her chest. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised at the sight of Martin snuggling her close as if she was his favorite pillow.Martin...When she turned to look at the sleeping man sleeping next to her, his head rested firmly on her shoulder, and one of his arms rested on her stomach. She found herself unable to move with him pretty much hugging her. It was as if he didn’t want her to go anywhere. But when she saw his peaceful sleeping face, she could smile at that. It was she who hugged him back.It was a funny feeling to see Martin like this, vulnerable and dependent on her. She felt relieved knowing that he could sleep well—at least she didn’t have a nightmare. At least he had a chance to rest fully.His stress-free sleeping face reminded Celine of that day… that day when we were together. Just the two of us. Suddenly, Celine felt as if the time had turned back to that period in time when a
The Secret Island CHAPTER 65: A Gift
Memories are difficult to control. Images and events in the past often pop up in Martin’s head as a movie that plays over and over again without any permission. But those memories stubbornly kept coming to him with only the slightest tricker or recurrent in a dream. For Martin... the only thing that could stop those bad memories was just a normal woman. The woman he had the courage to say he loved and hoped to give everything he had, even though she didn't request anything from him. Every time we held hands, every time our eyes met, every time he heard or felt the warmth of her body, his heart started to melt little by little... Martin used to think it was practically impossible for him to reintegrate himself into normal society. He couldn’t possibly bring back the old him, that stellar young man that everyone wanted to talk to. Being alone steals all of his life experience away, but it reduces the risks of being exposed to all the negative triggers
The Secret Island CHAPTER 66: On Her Table
Martin was truly dumbfounded. He didn’t know what to say. He loved her too much that he didn’t dare to challenge her or contradict her in any way. Still, he couldn’t help thinking that our relationship was rather strange… From his basic understanding of dating, he understood his role as a man and someone who initiated the courtship (he didn’t know how to make it sounds more ‘modernized’) to be the one doing everything in his power to pursue the woman of his desire. Shouldn’t he be the one buying gift, giving her his time, doing everything to please her, and everything she asks is his command? He was the one pursuing her after all, but recently he found himself being taken care of by Celine. She didn’t want his gift. It was she who surprised him with a gift. What was this all about? He wondered what she truly wanted. Was there something more that he didn’t realize? He had never had anyone care for him like that before. She helped him back to his room in such an embarr
The Secret Island CHAPTER 67: Defying the Past
“You bastard! You are worthless! Your life is worthless!”“Hahaha. Yes, he is just trash, just a service dog for those rich folks.” “Yes, yes, yes. It doesn’t matter if he dies. He is just trash.”“Oh… death is too easy…”Arghhhh!Martin was abruptly woken up. He opened her eyes in the darkness. His body was sweating, and his heart was beating fast. He didn't realize where this place was. It took him some time to realize that he was no longer lying on the hard bed in prison, and he was no longer an inmate. This was a soft luxurious bed of an apartment in the heart of London. He looked at the clock on the bedside table. He found that it was only past five in the morning.As soon as he rubbed his face to try to wake up, he found himself crying again. Crying...to the memoryThe past is past. She just had to memorize that everything was over, and he was just obliged to forget it. He had to try. But deep down, Martin knew he couldn't do it.His photographic memory is a two-edged sword. Ev
The Secret Island Chapter 68: While in the car
Martin asked her to go out for a trip. But still, it was Celine who drove them both there. Celine turned to the man sitting in her front car seat. He was observing the view through the window. If she was not mistaken, he was enjoying himself like a kid on a field trip. We were going to Brighton just as she initially thought she would invite him. She hadn’t had a trip to see the Seven Sisters for years. She tried to finish all her work, but she couldn’t do it. The tasks of a CEO are endless. So she brought her laptop with her. Martin didn’t mind. He was happy, just her saying she got time to go on the trip with him. Since she took on this position, Celine has always been busy. She worked throughout the holidays. And she didn’t really have any need to go out or take a break until. Celine turned to look at Martin as she thought that. He was looking at an empty field and trees on the side roads. The views were not particularly exciting. Celin
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The Secret Island CHAPTER 96: Any Worry?
“Celine, why are you so quiet tonight? Talk to me, will you?” Martin spoke out, breaking the silence. They were back to his room after dinner with her friends. And she couldn’t find words to say anything. She could only sneak a peak at him. Instead of saying anything, she walked to hug him. “What is this all about?” He chuckled and hugged her back. She decided to sleep over at his place tonight. Soon, he will move to a condo she helped him choose, a new property he will buy. It took a while for the deal to go through. Martin wasn’t the bossy one. To Celine, when it came to big purchases, he seemed to be too casual about it. She saw through the deals and negotiated the price for him. It was also not a coincidence that the condo that Martin bought was precisely in the design and style that Celine loved. “I just do what I want to do.” She replied, referring to her hold on him. She wouldn’t let go so easily. Martin chuckled at her strange action and kissed her f
The Secret Island CHAPTER 95: Her Friends
When Celine and Martin sat at the table with Celine’s friends surrounding them, she knew the source of her nervousness. The CEO sat still and observed the conversation exchanged between Martin and her friends. Her friends shot him question after question, but Martin was no longer a man of few words. He smiled and put on all his charms. He got to know her friend one by one. There was Jessica, a hotel heiress, that Martin expertly discussed the business of the F&B industry with. Kimberly, an up-and-coming model, with whom Martin got into an intense debate over the trend of fast fashion ethics. And then there was Marie, a real estate heiress and socialite that seemed to like Martin a bit too much. She just kept looking at him when he told her what he knew about the real estate market. Before coming here, her friends teased her that they would question him to the point that he might run away or be afraid to have dinner with Celine’s friend group again. That didn’t see
The Secret Island CHAPTER 94: The Recovery
Celine had worked with countless executives and talented individuals, and she found out that after working with different types of people, there were people who were considered great workers because they knew how to work smart. Another type is people who are naturally gifted, and then there is Martin. He deserves his own category. Celine knew prior to deciding to partner with him that he was a capable man in every sense of the word. But after one month from the day that he agreed to sign the contract with her, everything happened so fast. Everything that Martin did exceed her expectation. Since that day, he asked to spend two weeks traveling to her factories, met her designers, and called in a marketing consultant. He even flew to Paris and then Japan and also Dubai to meet up with retailers and suppliers. He studied the market and came up with a plan for business expansion as well as product ideas that would fit different markets. He reviewed all of the company’s
The Secret Island CHAPTER 93: The Business Partner
“Oh, c’mon, we have taken our relationship to this point. We shouldn’t have anything to hide from each other. Just tell me, Martin.” Celine stared at the man in front of her. He was visibly nervous and clearly in search of the right words. But there was no right word. She knew he might not tell her anything at all. “Martin, please. I deserve to know.” Her voice was soft. She didn’t force him. She was just pleading for the truth. Martin hesitated. But in the end, he relented. “I…I am afraid I will mess it all up.” He confessed. And she frowned. “Messing, what up?” “Everything. Everything here…” He looked around the room. Martin was worried and refused to look at her. “What do you mean? Like messing up the business? You will singlehandedly bankrupt me? Is that something on your mind?” Celine tried to elaborate. She wanted to say that that was utter nonsense but reserved her words. “Yes, exactly that. This is your dream. This
The Secret Island CHAPTER 92: The Interview
Martin was looking at the white wall and the decorations inside his ‘interview room’ for today. He smiled at what he saw. How could he not like the room when it was he who designed it on a piece of paper and handed it to her that day on the island? The idea materialized into reality because of Celine. He thought of his life as he waited for Celine to finish her online meeting. He didn’t know what his life would become without her. She had always been caring and prioritized his issues as if they were her own. He really didn’t know what he would become without her. Even though this aspect of his life he thought would never overlap with her, his career, she still offered to help him with it.He gave her an answer yesterday. And today, Martin intended to do the same.He had every intention of denying her generous offer.Yes… yesterday, he denied her offer. But Celine being as stubborn as she was, asked him to at least go through an interview, to really talk through the details and let h
The Secret Island CHAPTER 91: Our Collective Dreams
“Do you think Celine would know if we are spying on them?” Celine’s parents were lurking in the corner of the room, observing their daughter and her boyfriend from a distance. From this angle, it perfectly gave them a clear view of the couple. It was also a rare occasion for Celine to be in the kitchen at all. They knew that she was a terrible cook. No matter how many compliments they had given to her burnt toast in the past, they knew in their heart that her being in the kitchen was also a risk of a fire that could break out at any time. “I think she knows, but she doesn’t care. You know how she is. She does whatever she wants.” Celine’s father, who pretended to read the news on his tablet in case his daughter looked his way, said. He knew Celine well. She never cares much about others’ opinions if she sets her mind on something. It didn’t take long for their small chitchat and spying that Celine’s mother yelped in excitement after seeing someth
The Secret Island Chapter 90: Cooking Session
After Martin stood still for a while and let Celine hug him, she let go of him and helped out with other jobs of this cooking task. Martin was quite dumbfounded when it came to the matter of cooking. He hadn’t cooked good food for himself for years, so it was not surprising that it took him longer than expected to prepare the ingredients. He did look up the recipe on the internet and tried to go slow. But he completely lost his confidence when it came to performing a task that produced an outcome. He felt totally out of place and even felt weird holding the pot and pan, and utensils. Celine was always by his side and helped him. She was no great chef, and she admitted it, but Celine still enjoyed the process, definitely a lot more than he did. The pasta was something Martin thought was the easiest menu to make, but even so, he overcooked the pasta, boiling it too long that it became too soft. He just could not time it right. We had to redo the whole thing again. It was strang
The Secret Island Chapter 89: Casual Supper
Celine came back to Martin’s place around 7 PM. Once she arrived, the first thing she asked of him was for him to shower and dress well because she was taking him outside. She told him that she wanted to take him somewhere. She didn’t tell him where no matter how many times he asked. Celine smiled at him tiredly. She must have a lot of work and responsibility to handle. He felt guilty for making her worried this morning, and the whole incident took some time out of her days. He really wanted her to rest a bit more. Once Martin got in the car, he saw several bags in the backseat. He was a bit curious about its content but thought to pass it. His curiosity didn’t matter. He kept quiet and asked about other things. “How’s your day? A lot of work to handle? Are you tired?” He turned to see that the woman in the driver's seat was smiling in answer. “Seeing you are looking so contented today, I am not the least bit tired,” Celine answered him. That smile
The Secret Island CHAPTER 88: Because You Are, I Am
Martin was on the balcony of his condo and staring into the bright blue sky that was considered rare for London. Once he got a chance to confess what happened and explain everything that he faced in life, he felt as if the grey clouds that surrounded him were disappearing.Celine told him she wanted to spend time with him all day, but her business was expanding, and she had meeting after meeting and not to mention the documents she had to review. Even though he wanted her to stay with him all day, he was the one that asked her to go to work as initially planned. He had no business disturbing her work schedule. Celine was an executive and had responsibilities to take care of. She had no time for this. Martin was still confused over what had just happened. His brain returned to the event that took place earlier this morning. His hand kept massaging his temple and his eyes fixated on the vast blue sky.Martin abruptly ceased all movement when he finally realized that he had told Celin
