"Has Mr. Aiden been missing Madam since they parted ways?" teased one of the executives sitting beside Aiden. The question caused Aiden to blink his eyes a few times."That's impossible.""Ahaha... No need to lie, sir. We know what it's like to be newlyweds. Every second, every minute, you want to be with your wife," the man teased again. Everyone chuckled at the jest."Of course, my daughter-in-law is very beautiful. He must not be able to take his eyes off her," Kusuma replied, followed by laughter from everyone. His staff's statement was indeed accurate if it were a normal marriage. Unfortunately, Dea and Aiden had only entered into a contract marriage with no chemistry between them. Kusuma and Rita smiled at their son's awkwardness."Darn, why am I the subject of jokes like this?" he muttered to himself. "Dea is indeed beautiful. But what's the use if she's a crazy, sickly woman?" His mind couldn't stop negatively commenting about his wife."What are your plans for having grandchi
At the doorway stood Aiden and Elvaro, their eyes widening as they witnessed the heated scene before them. Aiden's eyes turned red, his brows furrowing deeply. He glared fiercely at Dea. His steps quickened as he approached the two women."What's going on, Dea!?" Aiden shouted, pushing Dea's body without realizing it. Dea, weaker than Aiden and caught off guard, immediately sat down on the sofa. The difference in strength and her lack of preparedness left her stunned. She never expected Aiden to touch her, let alone resort to violence. Her eyebrows furrowed, indicating the rising anger within her. Her previously heated temper was now boiling.Bella, who was beside them, also widened her eyes at the scene. The secretary tried to assist Dea but was halted as the person she wanted to help resisted.Aiden continued to stare at his wife with intensity. Wendy, being the cunning woman she was, wouldn't waste this golden opportunity. She acted as if she were a helpless victim. She quickly app
Dea's body was hit by the passenger seat as soon as Aiden got into the car. The man fastened her seat belt forcefully. Dea could see Toni approaching her with a worried face."Let me go home alone!" Dea struggled, trying to remove the seat belt. However, Aiden immediately closed the door and moved to the driver's seat. Toni managed to block Aiden but failed. The woman hit the car window several times trying to get help from the driver who was outside. The man knocked on the car window trying to help his employer but was stopped because Aiden drove the car away from the JagadRaya Corporate office."Unlucky!" Toni was annoyed and immediately ran towards his car which was parked not far from where he was standing. Dea turned her head to look at Toni, she hoped to get out of this hell soon. Her chest was pounding fast, cold sweat began to wet her palms, she took a deep breath trying to control himself. Her hands squeezed each other and unconsciously her nails dug into her skin, drawing fr
Toni, who had just arrived, entered the house in search of her employer. Her heart raced as she walked. She looked left and right, but there were no signs of anyone."Where's Madam?" he asked. "Mr. Aiden's car is out front, but why is the house so quiet?"Finally, Toni decided to go to Dea's room and opted to take the elevator.Asih's body was trembling; she observed Aiden's actions, fear gnawing at her heart. Unconsciously, she twisted her fingers tightly.Aiden let out a rough sigh, making Asih swallow hard."Mr..." she called softly, but Aiden didn't respond. Instead, he entered the room, leaving the head servant standing there bewildered and afraid. As Aiden moved away, the elevator door opened. There stood Toni, looking puzzled. Asih rushed towards her."What's actually going on between the two of them? Madam looks like she's in pain and very pale," Asih asked.Toni clenched her fists tightly, her jaw locked. "I don't know either. Where is Madam?""In her room."The man stood at
Aiden and Asih immediately entered the car. With full speed, Lastro maneuvered through the busy city streets. Aiden's heart raced as he observed his wife's unconscious condition."I could die if Mom and Dad find out!" he murmured."I will contact Mr. and Mrs.," Asih said, taking out her phone and calling Rita. Aiden tried to stop her, but it was too late as the call had already connected."Good evening, Mrs. Rita. Madam Dea is unwell, and we are taking her to the hospital," Aiden's breath caught as he heard Asih's voice. "Mr. Aiden is with us. Alright, Mrs."There was concern evident in Asih's expression. She immediately turned to Aiden."Mrs. Rita and Mr. Gito will be joining you shortly, it seems Oma will also come," the woman said, her eyes welling up. Her job was on the line now; she could lose her position as head servant for failing to take care of Dea properly."Ah..." Aiden sighed in resignation. Meanwhile, Lastro drove the car even faster.The situation was chaotic now. When
After receiving news from Asih, Aiden's family quickly headed to the hospital. Adira, Aiden's grandmother who was resting, was shocked to hear the news from her daughter Rita. Her son-in-law, Gito, tried to comfort her wholeheartedly."Mom... everything will be okay. Please calm down," Gito said gently. Adira shook her head several times, unable to follow her son-in-law's command."Mom... if you get sick too, Dea will feel guilty. Our focus right now is on Mr. Wijaya's daughter," the man continued. "Please cooperate, Mom.""Yes," finally, the elderly woman agreed. Adira was afraid that their future would be ruined, especially the trust of Wijaya, Dea's biological father. Her responsibility as Dea's protector was the top priority for this family. Moreover, Wijaya had always been a selfless figure in helping their family. Adira and her family didn't want to disappoint Wijaya.When Adira, Rita, and Gito arrived at the hospital, Asih was already waiting for them in the lobby with an anxio
In the dark and gloomy night, Aiden felt his jaw clenched as he had to remove his belt and shirt. With a sense of anxiety and tension, he tossed the clothing towards Gito, who calmly approached him, holding a tie in his hand.With precision, Gito tied Aiden's hands with the tie, rendering him unable to move. Aiden felt desperate as he found himself seated on the very dusty floor.The dark sky bore silent witness to this horrifying event. Gito approached him, tightly securing his hands with the tie. Then he seated Aiden on the very dusty floor, and the dark sky would bear witness to the events of this night.Gito took Aiden's belt, approaching Aiden. Aiden's ears trembled as he heard the metallic sound of Gito's belt being drawn closer to his body. His eyes widened as Gito came closer."Is Dad going to whip me?" Aiden wondered in his heart. "No, right?" Aiden thought.Cplashh!! The sound of the first lash resounded on Aiden's back, and it felt like burning flames.Plashh! The second wh
Asih, who was standing behind her two employers, sighed and watched them with a vacant expression."It's so calming to see Mr. and Mrs. like this. Usually, they argue for hours. But today, they're like a husband and wife. Their interaction is too cold to be considered as a husband and wife, yet today I can feel the warmth between them," Asih chuckled to herself.Aiden continued to gaze at his wife with a melancholic expression, noticing the furrowed brows on Dea's forehead."It seems like she's having a bad dream," he thought, gently stroking her forehead.Once Dea's expression appeared calmer, she immediately reached for her phone. There was a message from Triyo, and the wall clock showed it was 9:38 PM."I'll be out for a moment, please watch over her," Aiden instructed Asih. He glanced briefly at his wife before opening the door. His curiosity about Dea, who had saved him earlier, still lingered in his mind. However, he chose to suppress his questions. There were other matters he n
Aiden answered his wife's question with a nod. Aiden nodded slowly, leaving Dea silent in confusion. Behind the seemingly simple nod, there was a deep seriousness in the man's gaze as if he had carefully considered the answer for a long time."Yes, I agree," Aiden answered without hesitation, his calm voice containing a certainty that could not be ignored. “If that's what you want, I can consider it.”Dea was stunned, not expecting this response to come so easily from Aiden. He stared at the man in front of him, trying to look for signs that this was just a game or a trick. However, Aiden's eyes seemed sincere, implying something deeper than just words."Are you serious?" Dea repeated, her voice shaking, half in disbelief. “You… don't mind if child custody falls to me?”Aiden stared at him for a moment longer before answering. "Yes, Dee. Maybe all this time I have been too fixated on the idea that a child must be the heir who maintains the family name. But,” he paused as if searching
Aiden thought to himself, his conscience seemed dead when he heard Dea's words. Aiden only wants an heir to inherit from his parents. He couldn't deny it, but his pride felt tarnished. The man chose to leave the room to calm himself. Asih, who had worked for Aiden's family for a long time, watched her employer with a caring gaze. He had watched the man since childhood, and to him, Aiden was like his own son. With calm steps, he approached and placed a tray with a cup of warm coffee on the small table beside his mistress."Please, sir," said Asih in a soft but authoritative voice. "Warm coffee can help calm the mind."Aiden looked at Asih for a moment, then nodded and said thank you without saying much. Asih noticed something different in the expressions of her foster children. The feeling of anxiety and confusion that was rarely seen in Aiden disturbed him.Asih dared to ask, "Sorry if I'm being presumptuous, Mr. Aiden. There's something on your mind, sir, isn't it?"Aiden was silent
That morning, sunlight seeped through the curtains, warming the room with its golden rays. Dea and Aiden lay in the same bed after a night filled with complexity. The air between them felt heavy with awkwardness, and neither spoke for a moment, both avoiding each other's gaze.Dea opened her eyes, sensing the tension. She glanced at Aiden lying beside her, his face calm, though her own heart was racing. Quickly, she pulled the blanket over herself, feeling a bit self-conscious about the situation.“Good morning,” Aiden said softly, his voice barely audible. Dea just nodded, too unsure to reply. The discomfort between them was palpable, like an invisible wall separating them despite their physical closeness.Aiden searched for words to break the silence. “Last night… uh, that didn’t go exactly as planned, did it?” he asked hesitantly, trying to keep the conversation light, though his heart was pounding.Dea managed a faint smile, still uncomfortable. “Yeah, you could say that,” she res
A few days later, Dea was as healthy as ever. Rara had taken great care of her employer, which had a significant impact on her recovery."Is there anything you need, Madam?" Rara asked after checking her blood pressure.Dea shook her head."Alright. In that case, Madam, you can rest."The servant closed the bedroom door softly. She didn't want to disturb her employer with any noise pollution. However, just as the door was about to close completely, Aiden barged in. Rara quickly lowered her body, but Aiden paid no attention to her."There's something important we need to discuss," Aiden said to his wife without preamble. Dea simply stared at him without responding."My parents have given me a condition to remain their primary heir," the man paused for a moment. His pupils trembled slightly as he looked at Dea. "The condition is a grandchild. They want a grandchild from us. What do you think?" Aiden quickly swallowed the saliva that had gathered in his mouth.Dea remained silent for a w
Asih carefully chose one of the new servants to approach. The two women stared at each other for a moment, and eventually, the one standing on the right took three steps forward and began to speak, "Mr. Aiden, allow me to introduce myself."The man addressed by the woman nodded coldly."I'm Rara, 24 years old, assigned as both a servant and personal nurse to Madam Dea. I graduated from the health academy three years ago with 2 years of work experience in the National Medicane hospital in the capital. In-""Enough," Aiden interrupted, not wanting to waste more time. Asih quickly called another servant to step forward."Mr. Aiden, allow me to introduce myself." Again, Aiden only nodded."Nina, 25 years old. Here, I serve as a personal servant and nutritionist for Madam Dea. I graduated from National Louis University three years ago with 1 year of work experience at Camberg Office.""Yes. Please leave."Aiden concluded the introduction session for the new staff in his house. He immediate
The sweet nickname made Elvaro smile. If before, he stomped his feet to walk, now the steps of his shoes felt softer and rhythmic, reflecting the user's feelings. He approached the woman sitting at her desk with a gaze full of love. The presence of the woman felt like a blessing in the chaos of the company."Since when have you been here, Bae?" Elvaro asked as he approached Wendy. Yes, it was Wendy, Aiden's girlfriend.The woman pursed her lips as sweetly as possible. "Since a while ago. I've been waiting for you for 30 minutes. But you didn't show up." Wendy began to put her arm around the man's shoulders. She slowly inhaled the gentle scent of his cologne. Elvaro could feel Wendy's breath on him. He immediately put his arm around her waist."Sorry, Bae. I was in Aiden's office earlier. We had a lot of reports to review."Wendy raised both of her eyebrows. "Is Aiden at the office today?""Yes. Do you want to go there?"Wendy fell silent but eventually answered, "No. Today, I want to
Because she was accustomed to seeing the old house deserted, discovering a foreign car parked haphazardly made Dea wonder who was visiting her father."Madam, we'd better go inside together. Let me park first," Toni cautioned, sensing a foreboding creeping into his heart. Dea agreed with her friend's suggestion.'For some reason, I feel that something bad is about to happen,' Dea thought, her hand clenched. Sweat moistened her palms, and her anxiety was so strong that it triggered a stress response within her body.When the car was neatly parked in the front yard, Toni quickly opened the door for his employer. Dea slowly walked towards Hando's house. Faintly, she could hear commotion inside, and she heard Devano's voice several times."Calm down, Ma," Devano exclaimed in frustration. Dea could clearly see the man's face. Unfortunately, Devano didn't notice Dea's presence. Hando, who appeared to be in good health, could only heave a sigh for a moment, but his eyes were fixed when he sa
Getting caught by her husband made Toni confused about what to say. Dea asked him to hide today's events, while Aiden was now in an angry mood."I'm sorry, Sir, I can't answer that. You can ask Madam directly. However, Non Dea's condition is likely dropping again because she didn't have breakfast and didn't take her medicine," Toni explained with slightly trembling fingers.Aiden stared sharply at his wife's driver. "So, where were you earlier?""At Madam's friend's house.""Was it a man or a woman?" Aiden probed."Both men and women.""Are you keeping something from me?"Toni remained silent, reluctant to speak up."Great!" Aiden nodded. "It turns out you're conspiring with Dea."Toni could only swallow his saliva."Now you can rest, leave.""Am I fired, Sir?" Toni was shocked by the word 'leave' that came out of his employer's mouth."No, just take a break. You've been with Dea all day," Aiden expl
Last night's conversation left Aiden deep in thought this mor