"Daddy, are you still busy with work?"Alexander looked at his phone screen, checking who was calling. Yasmin. But the mention of "Daddy" made him reevaluate the voice on the other end of the call."It's me, Dad. My phone is out of battery, so I borrowed Yasmin's phone to call. She happened to be here, delivering juice. So, how's it going? Are you still busy?"Alexander sighed. "Who did you think it was?" He glanced at the watch on his wrist. "Kind of busy, dear. There's also Robert's event later. So, let me finish up, alright? I'm worried it won't be done by then, and this needs to…"Alexander paused. He stared at the lit screen of his phone. The call had been disconnected unilaterally, which meant he was in big trouble.He hurriedly shut his laptop down, aware that a heated argument with Casandra would take up a lot of time, and he needed to postpone work with a tight deadline."Sweetheart, I'm here." Trying to remain calm and summon all the patience he had, Alexander lay down besid
Alexander cleared his throat softly, breaking the silence that had emerged as their conversation had stalled on Robert's mother's side, without finding a resolution. This time, Alexander intended to take over the conversation."After hearing everything Mom said here, I understand that Robert and Yasmin can either get engaged and then marry, or they can engage later when Yasmin prepares her thesis. Does that mean the gap between engagement and marriage would be close?"The middle-aged woman nodded. "Exactly, it feels a bit difficult to let Robert marry a girl who wants to pursue her ambitions as well. As you know, Alex, Robert still has two younger sisters, both girls. You must understand the expenses they incur for their education. We, as parents, have worked hard to educate Robert so he can be a support in the family, so our burden won't be too heavy in old age."Alexander nodded his head. "So Robert would be responsible for all the household finances?""Exactly. So, if Robert and Ya
"Here, Lex." Casandra tried hard to reach the itchy spot on her back, wanting Alexander to know where the uncomfortable feeling was bothering her."Is it here?" Unable to locate the exact spot Casandra was referring to, he cautiously rubbed her entire back to ensure he didn't miss the mark."Yes, that's it, Lex. A bit higher. Towards the hook.""Here?""A bit to the side. Toward the bed.""Here?""Lower.""Here?""Finally, that's it..." Alexander finally found the spot Casandra was talking about. She began to close her eyes as the itchiness started to subside.It was a routine Alexander had become accustomed to before Casandra went to sleep. He would touch her back, trying to find the spot that was causing the unbearable itch. Once he found it and relieved her discomfort, Casandra would lie down. She would lift her nightgown to reveal her pregnant belly, and Alexander would gently caress it until she fell asleep.Sometimes they would play around first, if Casandra requested it. Why di
"Eh, why are you both dressed up so nicely this early in the morning? Where are you going?" Frans looked at Alexander and Casandra from head to toe. "You're not going to the mall to shop for baby supplies, right? Remember, Casandra isn't quite strong enough for that. He plopped himself down on the sofa.Frans looked quite refreshed this morning, even though he had worked hard last night, taking on some of his colleagues' work to distract himself from Yasmin and Gerry's engagement. If he had known that the engagement was eventually called off last night, he wouldn't have had to pretend like he did yesterday."Not to the mall. Since when does my wife want to spend a long time at the mall? We're going there to shop for necessities and then return home right away. Casandra isn't the type of woman who likes to waste time." Alexander pinched Casandra's not very pointed nose. "We want to attend Cesilia and William's wedding.""Cesilia and William?" Frans furrowed his brows."Finally, Cesilia
Struggling to hold back her nervousness, Yasmin occasionally stole glances at Frans, who was now driving for them. It was a difficult trial she had to endure so that no one would know she had fallen in love with him. Upon arriving at Cesilia's wedding reception, the four of them walked together towards the stage. Later, they would offer their congratulations on the wedding. Even though it was a fake marriage, not everyone knew that it was all just a drama. Many still believed that the wedding between William and Cesilia was real, especially since Tomas confirmed that they were arranged for business purposes. This all came about because Cesilia was a famous model and brought positive impact to the company. For those who didn't know, it was believable. After all, Tomas had tried to dismiss rumors that Cesilia was pregnant out of wedlock and that the biological father of the baby was Maxime, his youngest son. Some believed Tomas' statement, while others didn't. However, with Tomas' mon
Frans had been driving his car in silence for a while, completely ignoring Yasmin sitting beside him. He was preoccupied with thoughts of where to take Yasmin for a stroll. Going to the shopping center seemed too mainstream, as it's where everyone ends up visiting whenever they come to the city. It's not really strolling, more like shopping. Frans worried that at the mall, Yasmin might decline his offer to treat her, even though he didn't mind at all if she were to spend her savings.Eliminating the mall from their list of destinations, Frans began considering water attractions. He thought about the place where he and Alexander had met Cesilia yesterday. He glanced at Yasmin, who seemed focused on looking out the window. He was sure Yasmin wouldn't be interested in water attractions, as her mind seemed to be in disarray, and she'd likely be reluctant to engage in activities just for fun.Removing water attractions from the list as well, he spotted a sign pointing towards Puncak, Bogor
"Can we talk for a moment, Cesilia?" William approached Cesilia, who was still sitting in front of her vanity table. She had been cleaning up her makeup for a while but was reluctant to move from there. Her thoughts were wandering, and everything became even more chaotic after seeing Alexander's arrival earlier.He seemed to have become a better person since they separated, which meant that Alexander's decision to leave her was the right one."What else is there to talk about?" Cesilia turned her head, looking at William standing at the bedroom doorway."Let's talk in Daddy's office. He's the one who wants to talk to us. He mentioned that there's a new job for you that could boost our stock price and elevate your career again. Just as Daddy promised when you decided to marry me, he would help restore your career to its former glory.""Can't we discuss it here?""We would have preferred it here, but Daddy wants you to come to his office. Come on, the sooner we get there, the sooner we
Frans parked his car, with no intention of getting out or waking up Yasmin who was still fast asleep. He would wait for her to wake up on her own to avoid surprising her or making her angry for disturbing her sleep.He understands that someone who's tired and forcefully woken up can feel uncomfortable and sometimes end up with a headache. As the car stopped moving, Yasmin began to blink her eyes open and slightly squirmed, looking around to see if they had arrived yet."Where are we, Frans?" she asked upon noticing the surrounding trees."We've reached the summit. Come on, let's get out and put on this jacket." Frans took off his jacket and handed it to Yasmin. The cooler temperature in Puncak compared to Jakarta means Yasmin's dress wouldn't be sufficient to shield her from the cold.Without much questioning, Yasmin put on the jacket. Not out of fear or anything, but from where she was seated, Yasmin could see that no other visitors were dressed like her. They were all wearing covere