"I thought when you knew I was sick, you had the intention of coming home last night," Alexander immediately confronted Cesilia with sarcasm as he saw her entering the room.It was 9:00 in the morning, which was not the time Cesilia had promised him. Last night, if he remembered correctly, when Alexander informed her that he couldn't be disturbed for a few hours, Cesilia had replied that she would be back before ten o'clock.However, she showed up right at 9:00, looking disheveled as if she had just woken up, and the bags under her eyes looked even worse. It was unlike Cesilia, who usually took great care of her appearance when leaving the house.Now, Cesilia appeared more disheveled, like a woman completely uncared for. How busy could she be? Alexander wondered in his heart."Sorry, I had some impromptu photo shoots that I couldn't leave," Cesilia forced a smile and sat on the edge of the bed, checking Alexander's forehead."The fever has subsided, thank goodness. Frans always gives
“I can’t.” Alexander handed the bottle back to Frans.“Why can’t you?” Robert interjected.“I love Cesilia deeply; I don’t want to betray her. And...”“Well, you love Cesilia deeply, but she doesn’t.” Robert interrupted.“A faithful husband while his wife is cheating. The husband is kneeling like this. Oh, it’s very sad for the husband.” Frans added his opinion.With Frans and Robert bothering him like this, it’s certain that Alexander would be left feeling helpless.“Before trying this drink, I suggest you find out who this Maxime really is. If Maxime isn’t Cesilia’s cousin, then it means your wife has taken further steps.”“Instead of questioning about Maxime, which will only hurt you more and break your heart, it’s better to try opening your heart to Casandra. So that when Cesilia really leaves you, there’s already someone else in your heart, and the wounds won’t be too heavy because I don’t believe that a man and a woman can have such a close relationship without any feelings invo
"Don't smile like that. Hurry up and pack your things, I'll wait for you in the car!" Alexander commanded, sitting beside his mother. "Mom, I'm going to take Casandra out for a few hours, and Frans will come along. If you don't have work at the hospital, you can be our driver for Casandra and me. How does that sound?"His mother joined in enjoying the snacks on the table. "Sure, it's fine. I just got back from out of town yesterday, so I won't be working at the hospital until next Monday. Let me drive you because it's not possible for someone slightly unwell like me to drive. Otherwise, you might end up dumping Casandra on the road.""Whatever you say, but I'm still grateful that you're willing to drive me.""Do you plan to take Casandra somewhere in this scorching heat?" Meri expressed a bit of concern for Casandra."Maybe to a water park or a zoo, and...""To meet Cesilia, Ma. There are a few things I need to confirm with her." Alexander interrupted before his mother could hope for
"Maxime, please. Just this once, give me ten minutes to talk to her. Besides, it's not like Alexander came here with Casandra. I'm sure he's here with his mom or his friends, enjoying the water park. There's no harm in him greeting his employer himself.""Yes, but...""Please, just this once. Consider my wish, and show some respect for everything I've done. It's not that difficult to fulfill this one request, especially when you forbid me from talking to Alexander too much. This is Casandra, not Alexander." Cesilia emphasized once again, and Zayn finally allowed her to go."Ten minutes, no more than that. If not, you'll see the consequences.""Fine." Cesilia walked away, quickly catching up to Casandra, who was quite far ahead. "Who did you come here with? Mama?" Cesilia asked quickly because she only had ten minutes."With Sir. He's waiting for Madam in the parking lot. Let's go, he said he has some questions to ask Madam." Casandra immediately took Cesilia's hand and led her towards
Casandra and Frans eagerly boarded the roller coaster. Casandra held on tightly to the side handlebars, and her face turned flushed with excitement. Frans, on the other hand, tried to put on a brave face despite his hidden fear of roller coasters.As the ride started and the roller coaster climbed up the tracks, Casandra let out a joyous scream, feeling the adrenaline rush through her veins. Frans couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm, but he also couldn't shake off his own nervousness.The roller coaster then plunged down a steep slope, and Casandra's scream turned into a mix of thrill and fear. Frans, still trying to maintain his composure, let out a small yell as well. The twists, turns, and loops of the ride brought a mix of emotions to both of them – excitement, fear, and an indescribable feeling of liberation.As the roller coaster came to a stop, Casandra jumped off with a wide grin on her face. "That was amazing! Let's do it again!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with exh
As Alexander and Casandra descended from the ferris wheel, Alexander noticed Cesilia walking hand-in-hand with Maxime. They seemed more like a couple than an employer and employee, with Maxime possessively holding Cesilia's hand.Alexander felt a surge of anger and jealousy, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't confront Maxime or Cesilia in public, as it would only lead to more problems, especially if Cesilia was indeed having feelings for another man. He decided to observe from a distance for now, unsure of what to do next.They continued to explore the water park, but Alexander couldn't fully enjoy the experience. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Cesilia and Maxime. Casandra noticed his change in demeanor and tried to distract him with the various attractions, but she could tell something was bothering him.After a while, Casandra suggested heading back home, knowing that Alexander needed rest. Reluctantly, he agreed, and they made their way to the exit
Cecilia tried hard to hold back her tears. If Maxime wasn’t by her side, she would have surely shed all the tears she had. It was the first time she saw her husband walking side by side with another girl, doing so many activities together.Throughout her marriage to Alexander, Cecilia had never done what he was doing with Casandra. Playing at the water park, going on various rides, experiencing thrilling adventures, and she could clearly see how much Alexander was enjoying it.Where had she been all this time that she never made time for vacations like what he was doing now?Cecilia realized that ever since she decided to pursue a career as a model and chase after her dreams and aspirations, she never once invited Alexander to spend more time with him. She vividly remembered that they only went abroad during their honeymoon. After that, there was never any time for Alexander, just occasional moments to relax like what Casandra was giving him.She also acknowledged that her time was co
Casandra shifted her attention elsewhere, feeling flustered after experiencing such an intimate moment for the first time in her life. Her lips had been kissed by a man, even though Alexander was her legitimate husband. Despite this, Casandra couldn't help but feel nervous and awkward. Being so close to a man, especially someone like Alexander who had always despised her, was quite overwhelming."I'm sorry," mumbled Alexander, feeling embarrassed for accidentally doing that to Casandra. He had let himself be carried away by the atmosphere, and unconsciously planted a brief kiss on Casandra's lips.Both Casandra and Alexander couldn't understand why he had dared to do such a thing. On one hand, Alexander justified it because Casandra was his lawful wife. No one could forbid or scold him for what he had done. However, Casandra couldn't refuse it either, as she believed it was her duty as a wife, right? But Alexander was still too proud to admit that Casandra was his wife, and he hadn't
Alexander didn't expect that his morning decision to stay at home was a sign from the universe for him to be there to support Casandra before giving birth. However, Casandra refused his offer, fearing that his work might be disrupted because of her. And now, Casandra was crying in fear of facing childbirth alone, only accompanied by Yasmin and Frans.While Yasmin was trying to comfort Casandra, she found herself reluctant to leave the house due to her persistent headaches in recent days. Feeling irritable, she didn't even want to face anyone, including Frans. Luckily, her understanding husband didn't make a fuss about it, and he was now accompanying Casandra, although not in the delivery room. He was waiting outside, also trying to contact Alexander to inquire about his whereabouts.In the delivery room, Yasmin continued to grumble at Casandra, not being pleased that she had to be the one accompanying her sister. Yasmin's bad mood even extended to Frans, and she was making a scene in
Despite feeling a slight pang of pity for his father in his heart, Maxime tried to strengthen himself to not give in just because of his father's tears. Even though the investigation results indicated that his father was manipulated by his secretary and there was no true intention to eliminate him, Maxime was still disappointed. His father chose to follow his secretary's desires instead of fighting for his own son's life, to give him the push to survive. This anger fueled Maxime's determination, and he refused to forgive Tomas or withdraw the charges. He proceeded through numerous court sessions, awaiting the verdict that would determine how long Tomas would spend in prison for his actions.Nevertheless, Maxime continued with his wedding plans with Cesilia after she obtained a new status from William. In the eyes of others, Cesilia might be a widow twice over, but in Maxime's eyes, she was still his for the first time.Cesilia and Maxime's wedding took place simultaneously with the we
"It's been quite a while, and I can see there's been no progress at all. Even the health reports give me a headache," Tomas said, tossing the documents that Cesilia handed him.The documents contained numerous lies to make Tomas believe that Maxime's condition hadn't changed at all."Yes, what can I do? Maxime has been treated with whatever funds I could spare from my limited savings. Naturally, that's the best result we can achieve. But at least I'm fighting for Maxime's life, even though I don't have the ability for it. You should be ashamed that you can't fight for your own son and instead hope he dies at such a young age," Cesilia jabbed at Tomas, who persisted in wanting to end Maxime's life despite Cesilia's efforts to save him."Rather than struggling like this, it's better to live your life with William. Your life would be much better and peaceful. You don't need to care for an ailing man like my son.""Your son, you say, yet you've never once given me a chance to live after w
If only Robert hadn't met Cesilia and Tiara a few days ago, he would have been genuinely shocked now as Frans and Alexander suddenly invited him to a meeting room that was usually used for discussing business agreements.But here they were, sitting face to face, Robert appearing to sigh heavily several times, as if he was attending a trial about his life. He had a feeling today marked the end of any chance he had with Yasmin. Today, he had to let go of all his dreams, which were now being taken over by Frans."We don't need to beat around the bush or prolong this. I want to discuss something that our friend has been keeping from us," Alexander started the conversation."This is quite surprising, but that's the reality. The relationship you've been yearning for has actually been happening between Frans and Yasmin," Alexander carefully conveyed the news, but soon his eyebrows furrowed as he observed Robert's response.Robert remained silent, his expression flat, and he tapped his finger
Before meeting Alexander at his office, Frans managed to have lunch with Yasmin at a cafe near her campus. After lunch, he proceeded to Cesilia's residence to check on Maxime's condition.Maxime's progress had been quite remarkable, even though he couldn't engage in too much physical activity yet. Cesilia was already grateful for Maxime's current condition. He could sit up and move his limbs, although he still felt weak and experienced some discomfort when moving.Despite his condition, Cesilia was thankful that she could hold Maxime in her arms again. However, every time Tomas visited, Maxime would lie down as if only his eyelids could move. Several times, Tomas tried to persuade Cesilia to let Maxime go and seriously consider marrying William.But Cesilia remained adamant against Tomas's suggestion and would often berate him for even suggesting such a thing. She accused him of being heartless, willing to sacrifice their son's life for a sum of money that would be spent within a few
Casandra folded her arms across her chest and stared at Yasmin from head to toe. Naturally, Yasmin didn't understand what to do or say after Casandra had suddenly asked her to talk, especially since she and Frans had just finished kissing. She was now haunted by fear."Now tell me, what kind of relationship do you have with Frans?" Casandra asked once her emotions had calmed a bit."There's nothing between me and Frans, sis.""Are you sure there's absolutely nothing between you and Frans?"Yasmin attempted to maintain her composure, even though her head felt heavy as she did so. But to hide her relationship with Frans, she still went along with it."If there really is nothing between you and Frans, then whether you like it or not, you'll have to accept Robert's proposal."Casandra averted her gaze elsewhere, anywhere but at Yasmin."Why all of a sudden, sis? Asking me to accept Robert's proposal. What's going on? Didn't I already tell you I would never accept that guy's proposal?""It
Perhaps about two weeks had passed since Frans accompanied Yasmin for shopping. Yasmin had also started attending classes. An unusual feeling began to arise in Alexander and Cassandra's hearts. Why? Because Yasmin always returned home with Frans. Their excuse was that they accidentally bumped into each other on the street, even though as far as Alexander knew, the hospital where Frans worked was in the opposite direction from Yasmin's campus. Even their visits to Maxime's house had this same pattern. The oddness intensified when Alexander checked his bank account transactions. He looked at the dates and times when Yasmin went shopping with Frans. Alexander clearly remembered that on that day, Yasmin came home with a lot of shopping bags, but when he looked at his bank account, there was no expenditure recorded for that day. This meant Yasmin didn't use the debit card he had given her. So, whose money did Yasmin use for shopping?Placing his phone on the nightstand, Alexander glanced
Frans immediately reached out his hand to the woman and kissed the back of her hand."Mother, let me introduce you to Yasmin, my girlfriend.""Girlfriend?" the middle-aged woman repeated, observing Yasmin from head to toe. "Frans, you're not joking, right? Is this really your girlfriend? Whose niece did you pay to pretend to be your girlfriend?""Mother...," Frans interjected. "Please don't let your teasing strain our relationship.""Well, come on, she's so young and beautiful, she surely wouldn't be interested in a widower like you.""Mom," Frans cautioned again, and the middle-aged woman rubbed her temple."Get to know Mother first. My name is Tiara, Frans' mother.""Yasmin." She extended her hand to introduce herself, not forgetting to kiss the back of the middle-aged woman's hand."Don't listen to Mother. It's all just playful banter," Frans said, lightening the mood.However, Yasmin was already too scared to face the woman. Sensing Yasmin's nervousness, Tiara immediately embraced
"Where are we going first, to find clothes or books?" Frans parked his car in the mall parking lot."Let's look for books first, Frans. So that later we can just focus on finding clothes. I think I don't need many clothes; I still have so many in my closet. The first time I came here, my sister suggested online shopping.""Alright, books it is then." Frans helped Yasmin unfasten her seatbelt, and they both got out of the car together. Just like usual, they walked side by side, holding hands, as they explored the various stores in the mall.Yasmin seemed enthusiastic about choosing all the supplies she would need for her upcoming college. Patiently, Frans followed behind, observing Yasmin as she carefully selected each item."Which one is better?" Yasmin asked, handing over two larger-sized books."Which one?" Frans asked, puzzled, as he didn't see anything particularly special about those books. To him, a book was used for writing, and there was no difference."Isn't the cover nice? D