I felt dizzy.David held my body tightly, so that I did not fall to the floor. In fact, I knew, he himself was having trouble controlling his emotions."We will continue to monitor his progress," said Dr. Noelle Reese. "So far all his organs are functioning well and there are no internal injuries. We will monitor his progress again after he regains consciousness.""What about his head, doc?" asked David nervously."Looking at the surface it was due to a collision or maybe a fall, causing a lump, but I will ask for a more complete head scan after the patient regains consciousness. For now, everything is still safe," answered Dr. Noelle patiently. "Let's wait a little longer."I slumped onto the sofa after Dr. Noelle left the room where Shane was being treated and couldn't help but sob while covering my face.David hugged me tightly to his chest, as if he wanted to take all my tears and sadness. He rocked me slowly while whispering soft, soothing words."Dave, why did all this happen to
David PoVI still couldn't believe what I heard from Shane.He asked me to introduce him to Veronika, the person who kidnapped him and said strange things about the crazy woman."Dave, you should hear what Shane said about Veronika," Loreine said. "He pitied her. He said that Veronika didn't hurt him, even when her friends bullied them, Veronika beat them up. Veronika was nice to them.""Bullsh*t!" I almost shouted and immediately regretted it when I saw the shocked look on Loreine's face. "I'm sorry."Loreine sighed. "I told you that Veronika didn't do the kidnapping for money. You also heard that your father had given her a large amount of money, but that wasn't her goal. She was seeking attention, not only from your father, but also from you, her brothers.""She's not my sister! I never acknowledged her as my sister. Why are you still insisting on that?" I snapped in annoyance.I didn't understand why Loreine was so stubborn about this. She wasn't usually like this. In fact, Shane
"I'm sorry, son, I'm sorry. You must be in so much pain. I am so sorry."Shane held Veronika's hand tightly and smiled. "The doctor said I'm fine and I'll go home tomorrow. You don't have to worry, Aunty."Veronika's face was full of tears. She had been crying since she arrived, followed by David, Dwayne, and Abigail, as well as two policewomen who were escorting her.Shane was very happy when he saw Veronika's arrival and somehow, I felt happy too because it seemed like my decision to let them meet was also right."How are you, Aunty? Are you eating well? They say that people are not given food in the police station," Shane said anxiously. "Look, you've become so pale."Veronika laughed weakly. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Instead, you should eat a lot and follow the doctor's instructions so that you can recover quickly."I watched their interaction and felt it was safe to leave Shane alone. I motioned for David to leave the room."What happened?" I asked David and Dwayne, as we
I slept between Shane and Shery, hugging them tightly with guilt. I felt that since returning to Los Angeles, then being busy with company preparations, I had spent more time without them.Shery clung to Shane and followed him everywhere all day after Shane returned to the villa.Towards dawn I woke up with sore hands from supporting Shane's head for too long.I walked out of the twin's room slowly, so as not to wake them up. There were only me, David, and the twins in this villa.Dwayne's family decided to stay at their parents' house, while Jake's family had returned to Italy this morning.I was stunned when I passed the living room. David was asleep on the long sofa, without pillows and blankets and the television was still on, broadcasting a celebrity talk show.I approached the sofa and studied David. His handsome face looked thinner and there were dark circles under his eyes. His hair was messy and it looked like it was time for a shave.I sat on the carpet on the floor, next to
My days went by quickly after Shane returned home. Work at the office began to pile up and I was busy arranging this and that.I haven't put the twins in formal school yet, because I don't know what will happen later, after my six-month work contract ends. I still want to consider many things.Petra volunteered to teach them and Damian helped us get special permission from the local education department to organize home schooling for the twins.Although initially disagreeing, David accepted my consideration and gave permission, on the condition that we had to move to his house in the city center.I thought that it was a good idea, because besides being closer to my office, Petra was also closer to David's house because while not yet married, Petra still lived with Damian and his boyfriend. She was also willing to accompany the twins while I was at the office, while teaching them.Besides, I didn't feel the need to hide from the Hart family anymore, after Jameson's grandfather's birthd
"Well, Loreine, how about you put them in a daycare? Just temporarily, until things get back to normal," Wendy said after thinking for a while."A daycare?" I asked, wincing. I hadn't thought about it at all."Yes. I have a friend who runs a daycare. Her house is not too far from yours and she's experienced. If you want, I can contact her," Wendy said.She looked at the couch, where Shery and Shane were sleeping on opposite sides of each other so their legs were tangled together. Their position looked very uncomfortable."Poor thing," Wendy muttered. "When they wake up, their bodies will be sore."I sighed. It had been three days since I brought Shane and Shery to the office with me because there was no one to look after them at home after Petra went back to Italy.On their first day, they were excited to get out of the house and get a new atmosphere. They explored the office and were excited to see everything. The staff and employees also welcomed them happily.The second day they ha
"Damian and Petra had to go back to Italy because their father was shot and in critical condition. I had to handle the whole situation by myself. I had to keep working, with double the workload that I had to complete and also take care of the children so that they were not alone at home. What else do you think I could do besides taking them to the office?"I almost screamed when I said that, when David protested me taking the children to the office."You can ask Mom to take care of them," David replied."You asked me to drive in the morning to your mother's house, then go to the office? In the afternoon I drive there again to pick them up? Do you think my time will not be wasted on the road and I will be even more bothered with all the back and forth trips? Do you think your mother's house is close?" I snapped in annoyance.David seemed at a loss for words to argue with me again. He just kept quiet and wrung his hands with a tight face. I didn't like this attitude of his. A side that
"What happened?" asked Abigail, after Shery and I arrived home. "Why did she get sick like that?Abigail seemed to have heard that Shery was sick from David. She rushed to the house, two hours after Shery came home.Meanwhile David had gone back to the office straight from the hospital, because his secretary kept calling him."It's okay, Aunty," I said while serving her hot tea. "According to the doctor, she caught a cold and her stomach was shocked, after eating late, then being crammed with a lot of food at once.""Oh? It's not usual for her to be late to eat?" asked Abigail in surprise."I had a client come in and we talked a lot because he was interested in working with my company. I was late ordering dinner for the kids," I explained."Ordering? Usually, no matter how busy you are, you always make time to cook for them, even if it's just sausages and eggs. Could it be that Shery has a stomachache because the food you ordered wasn't clean enough?""Actually, I've been taking them
"Too busy with the pattern.""The material is hot and stiff.""Ugh, the color makes me look pale like a living corpse.""Ooh... I don't like the model, it's too revealing."Petra, Marisa, and Erika, sighed together. They slumped on the sofa and leaned against each other. I glanced and grinned at them.I was still choosing a dress from the many wedding dresses hanging, with a frown and pursed lips. I started to feel annoyed because none of the dresses felt right for me.A very pale light blue dress, tucked between several white lace dresses caught my eye. I pulled the dress off the hanger and immediately fell in love.The dress had a cheongsam-like style, with a high collar, sleeveless, heel-length, and a high slit to mid-thigh.The beautiful silver peacock motif on the smooth pale blue satin material, would sparkle when the wearer moved."I want this dress," I said, to the three exhausted women on the couch, my future in-laws.Marisa stood up quickly. "Loreine, honey, it's too plain."
"Oh my God, this is really amazing," Wendy said with tears in her eyes. "I've been anxious for days. I don't know what I'm going to do if you guys go back to Italy and I have to work with new people."I laughed and hugged Wendy tightly. Damian patted her shoulder gently. The results of the assessment from the head office had been announced. Damian and I were asked to continue leading the Los Angeles branch because we were considered to have achieved a lot. Several big clients who worked with us, were proven to increase the company's turnover with a fairly profitable value.There was a debate, seeing our good work, Damian and I, several higher-ups at the head office wanted us to be transferred to the London branch to fix the chaotic situation there.However, more people opposed the idea and thought that the London branch might be fixed if Damian and I were sent there, but the risk of the Los Angeles branch experiencing a decline in performance if it was not handled by Damian and I worr
I felt restless. Since morning my mood had been messed up and I couldn't focus on anything."Calm down, baby, I'm sure you'll get through it just fine. You've worked hard all this time and the results you've gotten are also amazing," David said, trying to calm me down with his gentle words and his hand stroking my hair.I took a deep breath, convincing myself that what he said was true. But, I still felt nervous.The assessors from the head office had arrived last night and today they would assess me and Damian after lunch.I took a deep breath several times before getting out of the car in front of the office. David smiled and squeezed my hand gently."Dave, you want to pray for me today, right?" I asked while looking at him."Of course, baby, I always pray for you without you asking me to," David replied softly.I reached out and hugged his neck tightly, trying to absorb all the good energy and enthusiasm from David to face the examiners from the head office soon.Damian greeted me
"Here's the plan," Abigail said, pushing a light blue folder in front of me and David. "Everything is written down in detail, complete with a cost breakdown and a backup plan.""But don't mind the numbers, because we've got it all covered. This is just to let you know that this is what we're trying to do for your wedding," my mother said quickly."I don't think we should have included any numbers at all," Abigail muttered."I told you before," snapped my mom.I nudged David's arm and he took the folder and opened it. I leaned in to read the contents.David held his breath and looked at me, then turned to my mother and his mother who were sitting side by side in front of us, waiting for our reactions."Mom, this is too... Uh, grand?" David said hesitantly."Of course not!" my mother quickly denied. "It was the simplest concept I could have chosen among the many other luxurious wedding options your mother offered, David. You'd be surprised if you saw the other options she offered me bef
"We're going home, mom, to my apartment," I said while combing my mother's hair which had grown longer than before, when I first visited her.At first the doctor was optimistic that my mother could go home sooner because of the progress she had made during the treatment.But, it seemed that the divorce process between her and Alexander had a big impact, even though it was what she wanted, so her condition worsened again.Now, after being tested several times, the doctor said she was ready to go home. I've talked to David, I picked her up myself and took her shopping before going back to my apartment."Why to the apartment?" David asked last night before going home. "You guys should go back home, your mom too. Just leave the apartment. My home is your home, baby."I smiled and reached out, brushing away the hair that had fallen onto David's forehead."I'll take the kids and my mom there, but after we get married. I need to be sure first," I said softly."You're still mad at me," David
Hailey's funeral procession was solemn. Quite a lot of mourners came, including grandpa Jameson, Alexander, and Liam.The Arshen family, not only Abigail and Gregory, but also several other relatives. The Reiner family, Jared was not there, all gathered in the hall of the Adam family's house, to release Hailey together.David and I brought the twins to attend the funeral. They looked a little confused but enthusiastic, seeing the process and atmosphere of the funeral. This was something new for them."Mom, does everyone here know each other?" Shery asked in a whisper.I shook my head. "I don't think so. I don't know some of the women in the corner over there, but all of these people are connected by one thing in common.""Hm? What is that?" Shery asked seriously."They all know Hailey and gathered together to release her to her final place," I answered.Shery nodded and then she whispered to Shane who seemed to be listening seriously. I turned to David, who was looking at me with a ra
"I remember everything."David, Leroy, and I exchanged glances. Hailey's voice was soft and slow, but we could hear her clearly and what she said surprised us all."W-what do you remember, honey?" Leroy asked nervously.David held Leroy's shoulder. "Leroy, you should call a doctor first, to check Hailey's condition. Loreine and I will guard here."Leroy looked nervous and confused after Hailey opened her eyes. He looked like he could go hysterical at any moment, so David tried to take control.However, after hearing David's words, Hailey pressed my hand which she had still been holding since she opened her eyes five minutes ago."No, don't call a doctor," Hailey said in a hoarse voice. "I don't need a doctor. I want you guys to just listen to me for a moment."I rubbed Hailey's hand. "You need to be checked, Hailey."Hailey shook her head stubbornly. "No need. Loreine, David, I just need to apologize to you for what I've done to you all this time. I know that you two will never be apa
"I don't like him," David grumbled for the umpteenth time. "He looks like a playboy."I sighed, for the umpteenth time too. David continued to nag about Warren even after the man and Dwight had left and we were on our way to the hospital.Leroy Adam had let me visit Hailey at the hospital and David had come to pick me up when he bumped into Warren who was about to come back into my room after coming back from the bathroom.They bumped into each other in front of my room door and got suspicious of each other until they argued. Dwight and I could only shake our heads at their behavior."David, you're being unreasonable," I said in a tone of annoyance that I deliberately made audible. "Warren and I just met today. When you bumped into him at the door, he had only been in for about ten minutes and asked to go to the bathroom. He was with my client, Dwight.""He seemed very attentive to you, for only being in for ten minutes," David said. His voice was a little softer. Maybe because he sen
"Can I visit her?"David looked at me. He seemed hesitant. I, myself, said that spontaneously, responding to David's story about Hailey being treated in the hospital because her condition suddenly declined, last night."I'll ask Leroy, I mean, Hailey's father. I have no right to decide because it's not my authority," David replied after a while."You didn't get enough sleep," I said while wiping under David's eyes with my thumb."Yes. Leroy doesn't want me to leave. He said he wasn't sure he could support himself if something happened to Hailey. I stayed with him until this morning," David responded in a tired tone. "I could only leave after I said I had to attend a meeting with a client."I adjusted my sitting position and turned David's body so that his back was to me and then started massaging his shoulders.David groaned softly, as I touched his stiff muscles. "Oh God, I really want all of this to end soon," David said. "But, do you know, baby, that kind of thinking makes me feel