Fernando looked at her with intense hatred. “You're not my father,” he said firmly, then turned around, striding quickly towards the hospital, leaving Sefia and Bayu rooted to the spot, drowning in mixed feelings and confusion.
Sefia felt her heart getting crushed. The extent of the secret she was hiding now threatened to destroy her relationship with her son, and all that she had once considered family. “Fernando...” she whispered, almost pleadingly. However, his son no longer turned his head. Only the sound of his footsteps sounded farther and farther away.
Suddenly Joen arrived with two ice creams in his hand. Without knowing what was happening, Joen laughed, “Brother Fernando, you only have chocolate ice cream left and Uncle Mando is taking his car to-”
Realizing Fernando wasn't there, Joen looked at the two people in front of him in confusion. “Where's Fernando?”
Joen recognized Sefia as Fernando's moth
Outside, the sun began to set, and the long shadows of the hospital buildings slowly disappeared in the distance. They took Joen away, not knowing how long this lie could last.“What are you up to, Bayu?” asked Sefia hesitantly. She realized that they were committing a crime.“Don't you want Nayla? How can you lure her if not by baiting her?” Bayu drove the car slowly to the outskirts of the city.“Only with the right bait will the fish bite. Don't forget your promise, darling!”***The long journey made little Joen sleepy and fell asleep in the car, while Fernando drove around just to look for his brother.“Have you seen Joen?” asked Fernando innocently as he entered the patient room while Zavier was practicing his upward hand movements with Nayla's help.Nayla shook her head, “didn't he come with you earlier?”“Where's Mando?” asked Zavier. His personal b
“You'll find it, dear. Why don't we search together one more time?” the child's mother asked confidently and enthusiastically.Nayla nodded her head and they searched the hospital and its surroundings together, along with some security guards. Two security guards stayed behind to check the CCTV footage.Nayla was happy with the help. However, in her heart, she knew there was something more than just this lost incident. Her instincts told her there was a hidden threat stalking them all.As Nayla hurriedly searched the hospital corridors, she didn't see anyone emerge from the corner of the room. In her panic, she bumped into someone's body quite hard. Instantly, her body staggered backwards.“Look out!” exclaimed a male voice in a firm yet soothing tone.Before Nayla could fall, the man swiftly caught her. The man's sturdy hands wrapped around her waist, keeping her from falling. Nayla looked up, her eyes meeting a pair of sha
Nayla nodded, trying to calm herself down. However, in her heart, she knew that this problem was much bigger than just a missing child.Sefia and Bayu couldn't just show up for no reason. There was something they were planning, and it made Nayla feel uncomfortable.“I have to find Joen as soon as possible,” Nayla said in a firm voice. “Whatever they want, I won't let them harm my son.”With trembling hands, Nayla immediately contacted Sefia, but her call went unanswered. Sefia deliberately ignored the call.Nayla grew increasingly panicked, trying once more, but there was still no answer.“Connected?” asked Bram sympathetically.Nayla shook her head languidly. “I'll try one more time.”Doctor Bram, seeing Nayla's anxiety, immediately volunteered. “Let me try,” he said as he reached out for Nayla's cell phone. “Maybe she'll be more interested in answering calls from numb
“But... it's about Joen,” Nayla stammered, torn between fear and the desire to save her son. “I can't wait any longer.”“We can't involve the police, I-”Bram took Nayla's hand gently, his eyes sharp and determined. “Don't you need a driver, Mrs. Nayla?” he said with a faint smile, trying to calm the tension that surrounded them both.Nayla felt momentarily calmed by Bram's light tone. “Yes, but this could be dangerous. I don't want to involve you...”“We don't know either, it's just-”Bram laughed softly, interrupting Nayla's words, “Mrs. Nayla, I'm a doctor, used to dealing with emergency situations. And besides, you need help. I won't let you face this alone.”Nayla sighed, finally nodding in agreement. “Alright, but we should get going. I don't want to waste time.”Bram nodded, “Wait here, I'll get the car.”Not long
The two of them walked into the hut cautiously. As her eyes began to adjust to the dim light in the room, Nayla saw Sefia sitting casually on a rickety chair, a sardonic smile gracing her face.“Gee, poor Zavier,” Sefia quipped in a mocking tone. “He's paralyzed, and you were so quick to replace him with a handsome young doctor,” she continued as she shot Bram a mocking look.“Perhaps...” Sefia ruffled his hair and tossed it gently back, “you've been having an affair for quite some time.”“Ahh, that stupid guy, always looking at your innocent-looking but rotten self!” she continued with a chuckle.Nayla felt the anger suddenly heat up inside her. “Don't twist the truth, Sefia. And cut down on your unnecessary talk. I'm here for Joen. Where is he?!” Her tone was firm and demanding, her eyes never leaving Sefia's face.Sefia chuckled, then stood up and folded her arms across her
“You can't just hold Joen as a bargaining chip,” he said in a trembling, yet determined voice.Sefia smiled sarcastically. “I can do anything to achieve my goals, Nayla. So, if you want Joen to return safely, I suggest you comply with my request.”Nayla felt her heart in her throat, the uncertainty and anxiety making it difficult for her to think clearly. But she knew one thing: she couldn't let Sefia win this way.“If I have to say that to see Joen, I will. But remember, Sefia, what I say in front of the camera won't change what I feel in my heart,” he said with determination.“Yes... only you need to know that. Zavier only needs to know what you said through this video.”Nayla swallowed her saliva and held back her anger, for Joen's sake.“You know, I want a perfect life with Zavier. To be his girlfriend for a long time and this is the result? You come out of nowhere and get married whi
“When can I see Joen?” he asked in a voice trembling violently, with a tone full of hope and curiosity.Sefia laughed softly. “You'll get the hint soon enough. But for now, let's make sure everything stays under control. I'll tell you the next step,” she said while looking at the recording. Checking that there weren't any mistakes.Nayla stood anxiously and frustrated, hoping and praying that Joen would return to her soon without having to go through more dangerous games from Sefia.Sefia, still with a sly smile on her face, took out a water bottle from her bag. “Now, Nayla, drink this,” she said as she held out the bottle.“Obey, and I will take you to see Joen.”Nayla looked doubtfully at the bottle. “What did you put in this water?” she asked, her voice trembling with fear.Sefia just laughed lightly. “Oh, nothing dangerous. Just something that will make you feel more... re
Sefia laughed in a low, triumphant tone and threw a match onto a pile of straw that had been set up not far from where Nayla and Joen lay.As the flames began to lick at the weathered walls of the hut. Thick smoke soon filled the air, covering their vision with a suffocating blanket of darkness.Bayu was startled and immediately returned to the hut. Bayu struggled against panic, his body tense as he tried to drag Joen and Nayla away from the fire, out of harm's way.“You're crazy, Sefia!” shouted Bayu again, his voice hoarse from the smoke and mounting anger. A semi-conscious Joen coughed, trying to understand what was happening.Sefia just looked at Bayu with a cold stare. “I did what had to be done,” she said firmly. “We can't keep waiting, Bayu. It's the only way to make sure they won't hunt us down.”Bayu gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to retaliate against Sefia with just as much anger. “This isn
***Happy ending***Zavier smiled coldly, his gaze calculating. “They conspired,” he replied in a low but firm tone. “They stole Nayla's identity and made my wife suffer through memory loss. They played with her life, erasing the precious memories we once had. If they think they can get away with it, they're sadly mistaken.”His assistant remained calm on the other end of the line, waiting for further instructions. “What is your plan, sir?”Zavier stared far ahead, his eyes filled with determination. “Reclaim her face,” he said meaningfully, ”and let the fake forget her memory. Make her feel what Nayla experienced. If they dare to take my wife's life, then I will take back what they stole. The face they created, the memories they formed... let it all crumble and perish.”His assistant nodded on the other end of the line, understanding what Zavier meant. “Yes, sir. I will arrange everything.
Sefia gasped and turned her head quickly, her eyes showing obvious shock. “Oh, Zavier... I just... had some sudden business,” she stammered. “You don't need to worry. It's just a short meeting.”However, Zavier did not simply believe her. There was something in the woman's demeanor that made him suspicious, and his desire to find out more surfaced strongly.Without saying anything else, he let Sefia go first, but not long after, Zavier got into his car and started following behind.Zavier kept his distance, making sure that Sefia did not notice his presence. He drove slowly, following Sefia's car carefully. Every turn the woman took further emphasized Zavier's suspicions. “What is she really hiding?” he muttered to himself.“She doesn't look like the Nayla that belongs to me, her eyes, her voice are different, and her height. Why did I never realize that?&rdq
“Sara, a-I'll give you an extra fee... for... for what happened last night.”Hearing that, Sara's eyes rounded and a pile of tears began to gather rapidly.Those words pierced Sara's heart. It was as if everything that happened between them was just a transaction, not something that had meaning.Her face that had been full of love turned into unbearable anger. “Pay?” she snarled in a sharp voice, her eyes looking at Bram with disappointment.“So, you think I'm just a servant who can be bought? What happened last night is just something you can pay me to erase?”Bram was silent, not expecting Sara's reaction to be that harsh. He opened his mouth, trying to find words to defuse the situation, but Sara continued before he could speak.“I'm not something you can bargain with, honorable Mr. Bram! Whatever happened last nig
His ears seemed to be deaf to the words Sara threw out. To him, in that drunken state, Sara was Nayla coming back to him, and this was a chance to embrace the woman he had been longing for.“Don't leave again, Nayla... please...” she whispered desperately, holding Sara's body on the bed. Tearing off the clothes she was wearing and starting to nuzzle Sara's slender neck.Sara tried to push Bram away, trying to snap him out of his drunken stupor. “Mr. Bram, this is not Nayla! You're drunk! Let go of me!” she said in a loud and trembling voice. However, her efforts were not strong enough to sober Bram up.Feelings of fear and confusion mixed in Sara's mind. She knew that this man was obsessed with Nayla, but she never expected to be in this situation.In a last ditch effort, she gathered all the strength she had and managed to break free from Bram's grip, roll off the bed, and escape out of the room as quickly as possible, leaving Bra
Nadia's face-or Nayla, as it often crossed his mind-was so similar to the one he remembered as the wife he loved. Not just in terms of physical appearance, but also in the way she spoke, her gentle smile, and the way she looked at Zavier as if recognizing the deepest part of his soul. Every glance, every body movement, felt like an inexplicable déjà vu.Her lips and her kiss.However, the woman now in his home-who he had always believed to be Nayla-felt different.It was as if something was missing, something unseen but felt. Her gaze was empty and distant, her touch no longer providing the warmth they once shared.“Have I been blinded by my desperation to get my wife back? Is that woman really Nayla?” Zavier thought.Zavier clasped his head with both hands, trying to calm the turmoil of his feelings. If this Nadia was the real Nayla, then who was the wo
Zavier immediately turned to Nayla, who was now sitting upright on the sofa with her hair tousled and her eyes half open. He knew that the situation could get ugly if he didn't get things under control soon.“Nayla, calm down,” he said in a soothing tone on his cell phone. “I'm helping someone who needs help. There's nothing for you to worry about.”However, those words were not enough to calm Sefia down. “Helping someone? In the middle of the night like this? And that woman's voice, why is she with you?” Sefia was getting more and more agitated, her voice portraying a burning anger and jealousy.Zavier let out a long breath, realizing that a simple explanation would not be enough to ease the anger of the woman who claimed to be his wife.“Nadia is facing a complicated situation, and I can't just leave her. Believe me, I didn't do anything wrong,” she r
Zavier looked at her deeply, as if trying to find the answer behind Nadia's eyes. “Maybe there's something in you that's more than just a similar face to Nayla. Maybe, somehow, we once had more of a connection than we realized.”“Or... are you the real Nayla?” asked Zavier, but the question was more to himself as Nadia just looked at him with a sad face.They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the warmth that still remained from that moment. Although there was a lot of confusion and questions still hanging in the air, both of them felt a strange but real bond, as if fate had brought them back together after a long time apart.The rain began to fall heavily outside, droplets soaking the windows and a soft, soothing rhythm could be heard.Zavier looked out for a moment before turning back to Nayla. Without saying much, he led her to the living room. They walked slowly, feeling the silence filled only by the sound of the rain drippi
Zavier took another step towards Nayla and said, “You rest inside and I'll take Joen home first. After that, I'll come and bring some food for you, okay?”Nayla nodded obediently and gave a warm smile and waved goodbye to Joen.They got back into the car, and Zavier drove Joen home.Along the way, his mind was spinning, thinking of the steps to take. Who exactly was the woman he brought to the empty house? Was she really the real Nayla, or just the result of Bram's crazy obsession with creating a clone?The questions kept swirling in his mind, and Zavier knew that the answers he would find might change everything.After ensuring Joen's safe return, Zavier quickly returned to the empty house. He had to talk to the woman, find out who she really was, and what was really going on. In his heart, Zavier hoped that the truth, no matter how hard it was, would come out so that everyone involved could find the peace that had been taken from thei
Having run out of steam to vent his anger, Bram shuffled towards his room. The door slammed loudly behind him, signaling that he didn't want to be disturbed.Sara stood at the door, while several servants began to organize to clean up the broken glass scattered in the living room.Moments later, there was the sound of a bottle being opened and the smell of alcohol spreading from behind the door. Bram took a rough swig of liquor, trying to shake off the deep frustration and emptiness.He felt like he had done everything-transforming Sefia into Nayla's likeness, and thinking he could slowly possess Nayla-but in reality, the real Nayla still eluded him.In that dark room, Bram felt completely defeated. No matter how much he tried to control the situation, reality always made him feel like he was chasing a shadow that he could never reach.The man occasionally shouted, startling Sara. However, the woman remained faithful and behind the door of the room