Chapter: Don’t Touch My WifeEDWARD“Make sure your wife doesn’t act so carelessly again.”“Yes, ma’am.”Erika gave me a brief hug and patted my shoulder.“Take care of yourself, darling.”I nodded, watching her walk away down the corridor until her footsteps faded. For a moment, I reached for my phone again, which had started ringing.“Yes,” I answered shortly, not even checking the name on the screen.“The investor meeting has been moved up by an hour, sir. They’re requesting confirmation today.”“I already said earlier,” I replied flatly. “Don’t change the schedule without coordinating with me first.”There was a hesitant pause on the other end, but I didn’t wait for an explanation.“Just follow the last instructions.”I ended the call and slipped the phone back into my suit pocket.Erika’s footsteps were still echoing faintly down the corridor, growing more distant.At this hour, I should have been in the office. But because of Elena, I was stuck in a hospital instead. Situations like this shouldn’t be disrup
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-06
Chapter: When Family Feels Like a CageELENAThe pain in my ankle hadn’t fully gone away, even after the nurse left the room a while ago.I stared silently at the hospital ceiling. The familiar scent of antiseptic immediately filled my senses. The only sounds were the faint beeping of a machine beside my bed and distant footsteps outside the door.Edward had been standing not far from me the entire time. Not to take care of me, but rather, he was busy with his phone.“I already told you, move that meeting to tomorrow,” Edward’s voice came through the phone, flat and indifferent. He walked a few steps away from my bed. “I don’t care about the reason. Just get it done.”I tried to move slightly, but a sharp pain immediately shot through my ankle. Instinctively, I covered my mouth to stop myself from making a sound. Only then did I realize how dry my throat was—it felt like I hadn’t had water in hours.“I’ll send the revisions tonight,” Edward continued. “Don’t disturb me unless it’s important.”I bit my lip, then called softl
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-04
Chapter: An Uncomfortable TruthCEDRIC“What exactly were you doing to end up like this?”Edward stormed into the treatment room and went straight to Elena’s bedside. His gaze dropped to her bandaged ankle. Instead of looking relieved, his jaw tightened.“How did you even manage to get hit by a car?” he continued sharply. “You’re so careless. You can’t even take care of yourself. How are you supposed to take care of your baby?”Elena immediately lowered her head.“I’m sorry. I was just—”“You’re pregnant, Elena!”His voice remained low. Yet somehow, that only made the atmosphere more oppressive.“The doctor already told you to be more careful. But you were walking around outside the hospital alone? Have you lost your mind?”“Edward, I’m sorry. I was trying to find a taxi to get home. Then the car suddenly hit me.”“Then why was Cedric here?”I looked at Edward without much expression.“It was a coincidence. I brought my secretary to the hospital earlier. When I was leaving, I happened to see Elena fall outside and b
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-03
Chapter: The Fear in Her EyesCEDRIC“I told you to stop drinking so much coffee if you don’t want your GERD acting up again. And now look at you.”“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Gavin grimaced, one hand pressed against his upper abdomen. “Could you stop lecturing me? You're starting to sound like my grandmother.”I flicked his forehead for what felt like the hundredth time before he could continue complaining.My secretary had always been stubborn when it came to coffee. So it wasn't exactly surprising that after downing a large Americano at the office earlier, he suddenly started clutching his stomach and turning pale.And sure enough, after I dragged him to the nearest emergency room, the doctor confirmed that his acid reflux had flared up again.“You’re staying here for observation for now,” I said, slipping my wallet back into my pocket after finishing the paperwork at the ER reception desk. “The doctor wants to monitor your stomach for a few hours.”Gavin, slumped in a waiting chair, clicked his tongue.“It’s just GE
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-02
Chapter: Between Hope and GuiltELENAThe afternoon sky hung heavy with clouds when the car I was riding in pulled up outside Marianne Hospital. I sat still for a few seconds before finally opening the door and stepping out.The familiar scent of antiseptic greeted me the moment I entered the lobby. This place felt far too familiar. Maybe even more familiar than my own home.For nearly two years now, I had been coming back and forth here, accompanying Mom through her treatments. Clutching my bag tightly against my stomach, I made my way toward the elevator. My head still felt crowded with thoughts from earlier.Cedric.The butterfly hair clip. And the way his gaze had become increasingly difficult to avoid. The more I thought about it, the more it felt as though everything was beginning to move in a direction that terrified me.The elevator doors slid open on the inpatient floor. I had barely stepped out when a soft voice I knew all too well brought me to an immediate stop.“Elena?”I turned at once.Lilian was sitt
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-02
Chapter: What If It's Her?CEDRIC“Mr. Ashford?”The voice of one of the directors snapped me back to the meeting room.I slowly lifted my gaze.The presentation screen still displayed Veridian’s digital distribution performance for the last quarter. Several people around the conference table were waiting for my response, while Gavin, seated to my right, shot me a subtle glance.Only then did I realize I’d been silent for far too long.“Go on,” I said, leaning back in my chair.The director resumed his presentation, but somehow his voice now sounded like distant static in my ears. My eyes drifted down to the report in front of me, yet my mind was nowhere near this room.Instead, Elena’s face appeared once again, completely uninvited. I slowly spun a pen between my fingers and exhaled.Damn.The meeting had been running for more than twenty minutes, and I had barely heard a single thing being discussed. Normally, I’d be the first person to interrupt a presentation this dull.“If this new distribution strategy is
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-01
Chapter: CHAPTER 175: ENDINGEMELYA soft cry pulled me from sleep earlier than usual. I blinked slowly, still half-conscious, before reaching for the small body beside me. Chloe stirred restlessly in my arms, her face flushed, her lips pursed as if searching for something.“I’m here… I’m here, sweetheart,” I murmured.With practiced ease, I adjusted her position and began to nurse her. The moment she found what she was looking for, she calmed. Her cries faded into soft, rhythmic suckling.Leaning back against the headboard, I let my body relax. The morning was still too quiet. Sunlight hadn’t fully filled the room yet. All I could hear was Chloe’s breathing and the steady ticking of the clock on the wall.For a while, I simply watched her in silence.Her tiny face looked so peaceful. Unaware of anything. Unaware of the chaos that had once swallowed my life whole. Unaware of fear, betrayal, or the wounds I had carried.And maybe… that’s how it should be.My hand moved gently along her back. A flicker of guilt cro
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-25
Chapter: CHAPTER 174: The Feeling He Can’t DenySTEVENI rarely lose focus when I’m driving. At least, that’s what I’ve always believed.But this afternoon, for the first time in a long while, my mind isn’t truly on the road. My hands remain steady on the wheel, my eyes fixed ahead, yet my awareness… it’s still back on that park bench.In the moment Emely hugged me without hesitation. In the second her cheeks flushed and she pulled away so quickly. And in that instant when she stumbled into my arms, so close I could feel the warmth of her breath.I let out a quiet breath. The memory is too vivid. Too real.I glance sideways at the passenger seat. Emely sits there, looking out the window. Her hair falls softly along her cheek, brushed by the afternoon light streaming through the glass. She looks calm, much calmer than she was before. And somehow, that makes my chest feel even heavier.Without realizing it, the corner of my lips lifts slightly. Damn it. I didn’t expect my feelings to grow this far. At first, it was simple. I just wan
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-25
Chapter: CHAPTER 173: A New Beginning Between UsEMELYThe moment my eyes met Alexander’s, I felt my hand being gently pulled—then quietly clasped by Steven. For a heartbeat, my pulse quickened. Strangely, though, I didn’t pull away. Not even when I saw the wounded look in Alexander’s eyes. If anything, there was a faint, guilty flicker of satisfaction deep in my chest.“Let’s go,” Steven said softly.I gave a small nod. As I turned and walked toward the exit, my steps felt oddly light. As if something heavy had finally slipped off my shoulders… yet at the same time, it left behind a hollow space I didn’t quite know how to fill.The courthouse doors opened behind us, the noise inside fading into the calm of the outside air. A gentle breeze brushed against my face the moment I stepped into the courtyard. I paused, drawing in a slow breath.The air felt different today fresher, lighter. After everything, after all the waiting and enduring… this day had finally come. Alexander had been sentenced. Lorian too.I’d be lying if I said I di
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: CHAPTER 172: LateALEXANDERTime moves strangely in this place. It doesn’t feel fast, but it isn’t truly slow either. Days pass without meaning, one blending into the next. Hearing after hearing unfolds like a forced routine—sit, listen, deny, and return to the same suffocating room.At first, I treated all of this like a game. A flaw in the system that would eventually be corrected. I had money. I had connections. I had ways out. At least, that’s what I believed. But as time dragged on, those things began to crumble, one by one. The evidence kept piling up, too neat, too precise to deny. Recorded voices. Transaction trails. And worst of all, Lorian’s confession, painfully honest. Her name echoes in my head like a sound that refuses to fade. That woman dragged me here. Or maybe we dragged each other. I’m not sure anymore.Today, the courtroom feels different. There are more people than usual. Some faces I don’t recognize, others I’ve seen so often they’ve become dull. But this time, no one is really sp
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: CHAPTER 171: The Moment of BetrayalALEXANDERCold.The first thing I registered when my consciousness finally returned wasn’t pain—but the cold creeping slowly from my feet into my bones. The metal chair beneath me felt hard, unforgiving. My wrists were bound, slightly numb, slightly sore.I opened my eyes.A harsh white light glared down from directly above, stabbing into my vision. Instinctively, I squinted. It took a few seconds before my sight adjusted to the cramped room around me. One of them leaned back casually, arms crossed over his chest. The other stood straight, watching me as if I weren’t human at all, just an object under observation.I drew a slow breath. My throat felt dry.“You’re finally awake.”I didn’t answer right away. I just looked at them in turn, then shifted my shoulder slightly, trying to ignore the pain radiating from my right leg.Damn it. The gunshot wound hadn’t been properly treated.“Do you know where you are?” the other one asked.I gave a small shake of my head. “If this is a hotel, t
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: CHAPTER 170: Loving in SilenceSTEVENThe faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air as I slowly opened my eyes. The white hospital ceiling came into view, strangely both foreign and familiar at the same time. My body still felt heavy, but not as bad as yesterday.Something had changed.My chest rose and fell slowly. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. It spilled across the side of my bed, creating a calm, almost too calm atmosphere for a situation like this.Without meaning to, my thoughts drifted back to last night.To that moment with Emely. The kiss. My heartbeat stuttered, then picked up again, faster than before. Her face flashed in my mind. The warmth of her touch. The kiss that shouldn’t have happened, and yet it did. My jaw tightened slightly.Strangely, guilt wasn’t the first thing that surfaced. It was something more unsettling. My heart had lost its rhythm for a moment, only to return beating in a way that felt dangerously alive.I exhaled slowly
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-23
Chapter: CHAPTER 57But Cedric didn’t care—not even a little. He only grew more savage, thrusting into her again and again like a massive hammer pounding without mercy. Each brutal impact jolted Renata’s body violently, her breasts bouncing painfully with the force. He sank his teeth deep into her neck, sharp and unrelenting, leaving angry red marks that would bloom into dark bruises by morning. His left hand squeezed her breast with cruel brutality, fingers pinching her nipple so hard she screamed louder, the pain shooting straight through her like a blade to the bone.“This is your punishment, Ren,” he hissed against her ear, his breath hot and heavy, thick with hellish heat. “You like it rough, don’t you? Just like you did with my father. You’re nothing but a cheap slut who craves a big cock, aren’t you?”Renata sobbed without end, tears soaking the crumpled pillow until it was drenched. Her body tried weakly to resist, hips twisting away on instinct, but Cedric was too strong, too merciless. With a r
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-01-05
Chapter: CHAPTER 56Her legs unsteady, Renata felt like a broken doll being dragged mercilessly by Cedric. The cold night air bit into her skin as they stepped out of the apartment building, sharp enough to pierce bone, but it was nothing compared to the icy dread that had frozen her heart solid. She didn’t dare scream—the thought of Selly hearing, of dragging her best friend deeper into this nightmare, sealed her lips shut. Cedric’s grip on her wrist felt like a burning iron shackle: no visible bruises, but it seared straight into her soul, making every second feel like eternal torment. She tried tugging her hand away, gently at first, but he only tightened his hold, his dark eyes flashing a silent, chilling warning that made her tremble.Cedric’s car—a sleek black sedan that still carried the sharp scent of new leather—waited in the dimly lit, damp underground garage. The stench of engine oil and exhaust fumes stung Renata’s nose until she thought she might be sick, but fear clamped everything down. He
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-01-05
Chapter: CHAPTER 55That morning, the campus café they usually went to felt colder than usual. Not because of the air conditioning, but because of the uneasy tension hanging thick in the air. Selly sat at a corner table by the window, her back straight but her shoulders tight, one hand wrapped around a cup of coffee that had long since lost its warmth. She had deliberately chosen a quieter spot—far enough from the crowd, yet still within view of others.For safety.So there would be witnesses if Cedric decided to lose control.Cedric arrived right on time, as always. He looked worn down, his eyes red and sunken, as if he hadn’t slept at all the night before. He took the seat across from Selly and offered the familiar faint smile that used to melt her heart every time. But now she knew better—that smile was hollow, stripped of sincerity.“Hey, Sel,” he greeted softly, reaching out as if to take her hand across the table. “Are you okay? I was really worried last night when you just walked away like that.”
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-01-04
Chapter: CHAPTER 54That morning, Selly couldn’t wait any longer.She woke with red, swollen eyes from lack of sleep. Her body was exhausted, but her resolve was firm. After what had happened the night before—the lipstick stain on Cedric’s shirt, the familiar scent of Renata’s perfume clinging to him, and the lies that had been far too obvious—Selly knew she needed the truth. And she needed it directly from Renata.She didn’t text. She didn’t call.She showered quickly, changed her clothes, grabbed her bag, and ordered a ride to Renata’s apartment. It was barely eight in the morning, but Selly didn’t care.When she reached Renata’s door, Selly knocked softly but firmly. No answer.She knocked again, louder this time.“Ren… I know you’re inside. Open the door. We need to talk.”A few seconds later, the door opened slowly.Renata stood there with a face drained of color, her eyes badly swollen, her hair a mess. She was still wearing the same loose clothes as yesterday. The marks on her neck were even clear
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-01-03
Chapter: CHAPTER 53Selly sat in the passenger seat of Cedric’s car, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her eyes fixed on the dark road stretching ahead. The car rolled slowly toward their favorite twenty-four-hour café, but something had shifted since the last red light. The air between them felt heavier, as if an invisible wall had suddenly risen, quietly but unmistakably, dividing the space they once shared so easily.The smear of red lipstick on Cedric’s shirt collar lingered in Selly’s mind. Not her shade. Not a color Cedric ever wore when he met Aunt Helena or his mother. And that perfume—too familiar, far too similar to the one Renata had been wearing lately. Selly remembered it clearly. Renata had just bought a new bottle last week, a sweet but sharp scent she’d said made her feel confident.Selly drew a slow breath, trying to steady herself. But suspicion had already taken root, a small spark beginning to grow, quietly scorching every tender memory she had with Cedric.Cedric turned the radio o
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-12-31
Chapter: CHAPTER 52That night, true to his word, Dominic showed up at Renata’s apartment again. But what stopped him dead in his tracks wasn’t the sight of her opening the door—it was the faint, unmistakable sound of a woman crying softly behind the bathroom door. He knew exactly who it was. Who else could it be but Renata?She stood there in the doorway, face pale, eyes swollen and red, wearing an oversized shirt that hung loosely on her frame. The moment she saw him, she reached back and quickly pulled the bathroom door shut behind her, as if trying to hide something. Dominic didn’t speak right away. He just looked at her for a long moment, his chest tightening at how fragile she seemed—the girl who had been unraveling his heart for far too long.“Ren,” he said softly, voice low and thick with worry. He stepped inside and closed the apartment door carefully behind him. “I heard you crying.”Renata dropped her gaze, fists clenched at her sides, shoulders still trembling. “I’m… I’m fine, Daddy,” she lie
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-12-30
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