Aiden took a moment to think after hearing Max's question. The woman had captured his attention. In the end, he replied, "Yes. I just want to talk to someone over there.""Alright, I'll wait there," Max replied, pointing to the security room next to the golden gate behind him.Aiden nodded and left Max immediately. Approaching the woman, when he was close enough, Aiden gently pulled her arm, causing her to turn to face him. The woman's eyes widened, surprised by the sudden touch on her arm."Wendy?" Aiden called."Who are you? It's quite audacious to touch a woman without permission," the woman said, promptly releasing Aiden's grip on her arm and jerking it away roughly."Her voice is different, I've got the wrong person," Aiden thought."Ah, I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else. I apologize for my rudeness, Miss," Aiden said. The woman didn't acknowledge Aiden's apology; she simply left without saying a word.Aiden let out a sigh, realizing that he deserved to be ignored like th
Aiden stepped out to answer a call that made his phone vibrate intensely. He looked at the smartphone screen, which displayed the name Bella."Yes, Bella?" Aiden said when he answered the call from his secretary."Good morning, Mr. Aiden," greeted the voice on the other end of the phone."Yes, good morning," Aiden replied."I want to confirm your schedule for today, Sir. There's a meeting scheduled for 10 o'clock," Bella's voice was cut off as Aiden interrupted her."Please clear my schedule for today, Bella," Aiden instructed."But, Sir..." Once again, Bella's words were cut off."No 'buts,' Bella. My wife is sick. Please inform the deputy to take my place in the meeting, and don't forget to record all the discussions during the meeting. If Wendy comes to the office, just tell her I'm out of town. I'm going to hang up now," Aiden said, immediately disconnecting the call with Bella. Aiden intentionally cleared his work schedule to acc
Inside the message, Bad was questioning their failed meeting to Dea. He even sent multiple messages, inquiring about her well-being.[I'll contact you when I'm feeling better] Dea replied and immediately turned off her phone. Then she remembered her father and sent a message to Toni.[Visit Mr. Hando and tell him that I won't be able to visit for a few days. Don't forget the gift.]Dea remembered that she had bought a gift for her father, and during their recent meetings, she had forgotten to give it to him. This was the perfect time to do so, as well as an apology for not being able to visit him."Sigh... for the next few days, I'll focus on healing myself. There are many things I need to uncover. Before doing so, I need to ensure that my body is in good condition for a more effective plan."She was still curious about the mastermind behind several recent horrific incidents: the hostage situation, the butcher's ho
"I choose Dea, Dad," Aiden replied, a bit choked up. His heart felt heavy, but he couldn't resist. "But, Dad..." He stammered in response to his father's statement."Give me until tomorrow to break up with Wendy, or I'll remove you from JagadRaya Corporation!" his father threatened.Aiden wanted to get angry, but he couldn't do anything. His father hadn't officially handed over the company to him yet. He was only tasked with managing the business his parents had built.It would be a great loss if Aiden had to step down from his position now. Even though he had some small businesses of his own, they didn't compare to his position in his father's company.With a heavy heart, Aiden nodded, indicating that he would comply with his father's command. Kusuma and Rita exchanged glances. Both corners of their mouths turned upward, satisfied with his response. Kusuma's threat was effective in taming the lion before them."Dad, wait for the news as soon as po
"But why, Dea?" Aiden asked, puzzled. Devano lowered his head. "I don't know, Den. The moment I saw Dea, my heart started racing, especially the look in her eyes.""What's with the look in her eyes?" Aiden asked, curious."Sincerity, sadness, ahhh...! I don't know, but I like the look in her eyes," Devano said with a smile on his lips. This was the first time Aiden had seen Devano's expression like this."Sorry, I shouldn't be talking like this to you. But since you and Dea are just in a contract marriage, I still have a chance, right?" Devano asked, looking into Aiden's eyes. Silence. Aiden was taken aback by Devano's statement."Ahem..." Aiden cleared his throat to break the silence. "Well... there is a chance.""Yes!" Devano exclaimed joyfully, clenching his fists in excitement. Aiden couldn't say anything. There were so many unexpected things happening lately. His mind was blank, not knowing what to do."Umm... I'll wait until your matte
Aiden woke up and saw that Dea was still sleeping next to him. When he shifted his gaze to the ceiling of the room, Dea's voice surprised him."Are you awake?" Dea asked with her eyes closed. Aiden was startled by the question."Yes, I am. Aren't you sleeping?""No, I've already slept for a while.""Uh, okay." Aiden felt incredibly awkward being in the same bed as Dea after learning about Devano's feelings."Reflect on yourself, Aiden, don't make your parents worry," Dea said, still with her eyes closed.Aiden pondered over Dea's words."Love cannot be forced, but also consider your parents. Happiness is not just about women," Dea continued with her eyes still closed.Aiden stared at the ceiling of his room with his mouth shut."From the beginning, you had a choice. You could have declined this marriage to pursue your love. But you chose to marry me. So, how much do you love Wendy?"'How much do I love Wendy?' Aid
Hearing Papa's offer left Aiden feeling dizzy. He had no idea that his parents were secretly starting a new company. However, the conditions Papa presented seemed utterly insane. How could he give his grandchild to his parents? Especially when it was clearly stated in the marriage contract that it wouldn't happen."So, Aiden, do you accept this offer?" Kusuma asked."Uhh... Aiden hasn't thought about it, Pa. Give me some time to decide," he replied."It's okay, boy. No problem. You need to persuade Dea to give Papa a grandchild soon.""Emm... I'm not sure," Aiden hesitated."Papa is eagerly waiting for a grandchild from you. You're Papa's only hope."Kusuma gently patted Aiden's chest and walked away. Aiden immediately let out a sigh. It was an incredibly crazy offer. He couldn't even bring himself to discuss it with Dea.Aiden could only stand still, given all the recent events. He needed a lot of time to digest everything. When he r
Last night's conversation left Aiden deep in thought this mor
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