Chapter: chapter 120Back home, after the serene whirlwind of the honeymoon and the quiet strength it had restored in him, Adrian made a decision that would ripple through the Drake family and beyond—he finally agreed to take over the family business.The announcement was made during a quiet family dinner at the Drakes’ grand estate. The table went still for a moment when Adrian, with Rita’s hand gently resting over his, looked up at his father and said, “I’m ready to carry on the legacy.”His mother gasped softly, tears immediately brimming in her eyes. She had prayed, waited, and hoped for this day—not for power or pride, but because she wanted her son to know his worth and own it.Mr. Drake, a man not easily moved, leaned back, visibly shaken by joy. “You’re not doing this for anyone else, right?” he asked, voice steady but low.Adrian nodded. “I’m doing it because I now know who I am. And I’m not afraid to lead.”The room erupted with joy. Champagne was opened, glasses clinked, and hugs passed around.
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-04-29
Chapter: chapter 120Back home, after the serene whirlwind of the honeymoon and the quiet strength it had restored in him, Adrian made a decision that would ripple through the Drake family and beyond—he finally agreed to take over the family business.The announcement was made during a quiet family dinner at the Drakes’ grand estate. The table went still for a moment when Adrian, with Rita’s hand gently resting over his, looked up at his father and said, “I’m ready to carry on the legacy.”His mother gasped softly, tears immediately brimming in her eyes. She had prayed, waited, and hoped for this day—not for power or pride, but because she wanted her son to know his worth and own it.Mr. Drake, a man not easily moved, leaned back, visibly shaken by joy. “You’re not doing this for anyone else, right?” he asked, voice steady but low.Adrian nodded. “I’m doing it because I now know who I am. And I’m not afraid to lead.”The room erupted with joy. Champagne was opened, glasses clinked, and hugs passed around.
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-04-29
Chapter: chapter 119Indeed, with envy came fascination—and fascination brought admiration that turned into unexpected blessings. What started as whispered jealousy soon transformed into public celebration of their love stories. The resort staff, charmed by the couples’ grace and gratitude, nominated them for the "Golden Hearts Getaway Contest"—an exclusive island-wide event recognizing the most inspiring lovebirds.And they won.The news was announced at a special dinner under a massive banyan tree draped in twinkling lights. As the host read their names, Rita and Adrian, along with Lydia and Ethan, stood stunned amid thunderous applause and camera flashes."For showing the island that true love not only exists but glows," the emcee beamed, "we award these couples an extended stay at the honeymoon suite, full spa access, and a private yacht tour of the secret coves."The crowd clapped wildly—some with genuine excitement, others masking their envy behind polite smiles.The rewards kept flowing.At breakfa
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-04-29
Chapter: chapter 118As the wedding festivities continued to wind down, the excitement of the day lingered in the air. Adrian and Rita, now officially husband and wife, sat together at their table, holding hands and discussing the next chapter of their lives. Their laughter and whispered words were filled with relief, happiness, and the warmth of a love that had stood the test of time and adversities.Rita leaned in, her eyes sparkling. “So, where do you think we should go?”Adrian smirked, his eyes softening as he thought for a moment. “I’m thinking somewhere quiet, away from the chaos. Somewhere we can really relax, just the two of us. No phones, no cameras—just peace.”They turned to Lydia and Ethan, who were seated across from them, both of them grinning ear to ear, still riding the wave of their own engagement. Ethan caught Lydia’s eye and squeezed her hand before joining in the conversation.“It’s hard to believe it’s finally our turn,” Lydia said, her voice warm with emotion. “After everything we’v
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-04-29
Chapter: chapter 117As Linet’s cries faded beyond the estate gates, a hush lingered — a strange blend of relief, awe, and stunned silence. But amid it all, Rita walked back down the path with the elegance of a queen who had just conquered her fiercest storm.Adrian stood at the altar, watching her with a soft, steady gaze. The way he looked at her — as if the entire world disappeared and only she remained — calmed every heartbeat around them.Rita took her place beside him, her hands slipping into his.The priest, having witnessed the chaos and the calm, nodded solemnly. “Shall we continue?”Adrian didn’t wait.He took a deep breath, lifting Rita’s hand to his lips.“Rita… you are the reason I know what peace feels like. When the world doubted, you believed. When enemies schemed, you stood by me. When I lost myself, your love reminded me who I am. I promise to never let you feel alone again. I promise to protect you, honor you, and choose you — every single day.”A murmur of soft emotion swept through th
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-04-29
Chapter: chapter 116The grand courtyard of the Drake estate shimmered in white and gold, the soft strains of violin lifting gently through the spring air. Rows upon rows of elegantly dressed guests rose to their feet as the soft chime of the wedding march began to play.And then, she appeared.Rita.Her dress — custom silk organza with hand-sewn beads that shimmered like morning dew — flowed behind her like a cascade of light. A delicate lace veil framed her glowing face, and in her arms was a bouquet of white peonies, tied with a ribbon that matched Adrian’s pocket square.The crowd gasped softly — not just at her beauty, but at the serenity and grace that clung to her like a second skin.Rita held her father’s arm, her other hand gently curled around her bouquet. Her heart raced with every step. Not out of fear — she hadn’t sensed the danger — but from the overwhelming joy of the moment. Her eyes were fixed ahead.Adrian stood waiting.He looked regal, composed, but only those who knew him well could s
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-04-29
Chapter: chapter 93They left the city two days after the wedding.Not for a resort designed to photograph well. Benjamin had booked a small house on a quiet stretch of the coast — white walls, a kitchen that opened onto a narrow terrace, the sound of the water close enough to enter the rooms at night. Amara stayed with his mother, having extracted formal promises of postcards and a detailed verbal report on any marine life sighted. The arrangement left Cathrene and Benjamin alone in a way their ordinary days, however good, rarely allowed.The first evening they cooked without ambition, ate on the terrace as the light went, and sat afterward with their chairs angled toward the darkening horizon rather than toward each other. Conversation came in easy stretches and comfortable gaps. At one point Benjamin reached across the small table and ran his thumb over the band on her finger, as if confirming it was still real in this different air.“No one calling,” he said.“No one who matters,” Cathrene answered.
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-13
Chapter: Chapter 92The photographs reached him the way most damaging truths now did — sideways, through people who still treated his interest in Cathrene as residual rather than raw.A former colleague’s wife posted a short album from a weekend event with the caption *Beautiful morning for a beautiful couple*. She tagged no one Gregory followed closely. The algorithm, indifferent to the wreckage of his household, showed it to him anyway while he sat in the study with the DNA reports still closed on the desk and the mansion quiet in the particular way of a house that no longer knew what to call him.He almost scrolled past.Then he saw Cathrene’s face.Not the composed public face from the old marriage. Not the careful neutrality of the divorce period. The face in the first image was turned slightly toward a man in a simple dark suit, laughing at something that had happened outside the frame. Behind them, a small stretch of garden and pale stone. A child in a yellow dress stood close enough to touch them
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-13
Chapter: chapter 91They kept it exactly as small as they had promised.A Saturday morning in a restored garden room on the edge of the city — pale stone, open arches, light falling across a handful of chairs rather than rows. No program booklet. No staged processional music designed to impress people who had not earned a seat. Benjamin’s mother sat in the front with a handkerchief she tried not to need. Amara stood beside her father in a yellow dress she had chosen herself, holding a small bunch of flowers with the solemnity of a person entrusted with critical infrastructure. Two of Benjamin’s oldest friends. Evelyn from Cathrene’s office, who had cried once in the bathroom beforehand and then arrived composed. A minister who understood that some ceremonies were not performances but thresholds.Cathrene wore a simple ivory dress and the same ring she had accepted months earlier. She walked the short distance to Benjamin without spectacle, and when she reached him Amara whispered, loud enough for the fro
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-12
Chapter: chapter 90The wedding conversation did not begin with pressure. It began with a quiet evening and a question that had already been answered months earlier in a smaller room, with a simpler ring and a clearer heart.Cathrene sat on the balcony of her apartment with Benjamin beside her, Amara asleep inside after a long afternoon of ocean rankings and negotiation over bedtime. The city moved below them in ordinary light. For a time neither of them spoke. They had learned that silence, with each other, did not need to be filled.“I’ve been thinking about dates,” Benjamin said eventually.Cathrene turned her head. “Dates.”“For a ceremony. Something small. My mother, Amara, a few people who have actually earned the right to be in the room. No performance for families that only arrive to measure us.” He glanced at her. “Only if you still want that. The yes you gave me still stands on my side. I need to know it still stands on yours.”She looked down at the ring on her hand — the same simple band he
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-12
Chapter: CHAPTER 89The second packet arrived three days later, at 7:03 a.m.Gregory had not slept in any meaningful sense since the first zeros. He had moved through the house like a man in a borrowed building, speaking only when necessary, avoiding the boys’ eyes, sleeping in broken intervals on the study sofa. Dorcas had kept the children in a parallel routine of school, meals, and careful silence. The mansion had become a set of rooms connected by unfinished conversations.When the clinic notification lit his phone, he already knew. The body registered it before the mind opened the file.**Paternity Test Report — Supplemental Issuance** **Child: Hope Naliaka** **Alleged Father: Gregory Thornton** **Combined Paternity Index: 0** **Probability of Paternity: 0.00%**Zero.Again.The infant. The one certainty he had clung to when the boys’ results demolished the rest. The child whose breathing had steadied him in the nursery when every other claim was failing. Not his. The report said so with t
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: CHAPTER 88The message arrived at 9:17 a.m. on a Monday.Gregory was in the study with the door locked, the folder open, the blood type printout already soft at the edges from being handled too many times. His phone lit with the clinic’s encrypted notification. For a second he did not touch it. The room held the kind of silence that comes before a verdict. Then he entered the access code and opened the document.**Paternity Test Report — Preliminary Issuance** **Child: Caleb Naliaka** **Alleged Father: Gregory Thornton** **Combined Paternity Index: 0** **Probability of Paternity: 0.00%**The zero did not blur. It sat in the center of the screen with bureaucratic calm, framed by columns of markers and alleles that meant nothing to him except in aggregate. Not low probability. Not inconclusive. Zero. The science had not softened the landing.He scrolled further.**Child: Josiah Naliaka** **Alleged Father: Gregory Thornton** **Combined Paternity Index: 0** **Probability of Paternity:
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: chapter 70The Williams estate had never looked so magnificent. Golden lanterns lined the garden pathways, casting a warm glow as the grand celebration unfolded. A cool evening breeze carried the scent of fresh roses and jasmine, blending with the melodies of a live orchestra playing in the background. Guests dressed in the finest attire mingled, their glasses clinking in joyous toasts.This was a night of celebration—not just for wealth and success, but for truth, redemption, and love.At the heart of the event, Mr. William stood beside Grace, his eyes gleaming with pride as he raised a glass to address the guests.“Tonight, we honor not just a lost daughter, but a strong woman who fought for her place in this family. Grace, my child, welcome home.”Applause erupted. Grace swallowed the lump in her throat, overwhelmed by the acceptance she had craved all her life. She glanced at Adrian, who gave her an encouraging nod, his hand firmly holding hers.She stepped forward, her voice steady but emot
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-07
Chapter: chapter 69As the night continued, laughter and celebration filled the air. Grace basked in the warmth of her newfound family, unaware of the danger lurking just outside the estate.Diana stood in the shadows, her eyes never leaving Grace. She held the USB drive tightly in her palm, her mind racing through her plan. She had spent weeks gathering fabricated evidence, working with her accomplice to create a scandal that would ruin Grace’s image before she could fully settle into her new life.Beside her, the mysterious man smirked. “Are you sure you want to do this now? She’s got a lot of support.”Diana’s lips curled into a sinister grin. “That’s exactly why we have to do it now. The higher she climbs, the harder she’ll fall.”Inside the grand ballroom, Grace felt a vibration against her palm. She glanced down at her phone and saw an unknown number flashing on the screen.Frowning, she excused herself from the crowd and stepped onto the balcony, pressing the phone to her ear.“Hello?”A deep voic
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-07
Chapter: chapter 68The night was eerily silent as Adrian and Grace arrived at the old estate. The grand mansion, once filled with warmth and laughter, now stood as a dark shadow of its past. The wind howled through the broken windows, sending an unsettling chill down Grace’s spine.Adrian squeezed her hand. “Stay close to me. If anything seems off, we leave.”Grace nodded, her heart pounding. She had spent so long uncovering the truth, and now, she was moments away from facing the woman who had tormented her family.They pushed open the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside. The grand hall was dimly lit by flickering chandeliers, their light barely piercing the darkness. At the far end, a lone figure stood—Margret.She turned slowly, a wicked smile playing on her lips. “You actually came. I knew you would.”Adrian took a step forward, his eyes locked on her. “Cut the games, Margret. You wanted us here. Now talk.”Margret let out a low chuckle, her eyes gleaming with malice. “You think you’ve won, don’t
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-07
Chapter: chapter 67As the night of celebration came to an end, Grace and Adrian returned home, unaware of the dark clouds gathering around them. Grace, exhausted from the whirlwind of emotions, settled into Adrian’s arms."Tonight was perfect," she murmured, running her fingers through his hair.Adrian smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It was, but we both know peace never lasts long with people like Benson and Margret lurking around."Grace sighed. "I just wish, for once, they’d let us live our lives."Adrian tightened his hold around her. "Whatever they’re planning, we’ll face it together."Meanwhile, Benson was far from done. He stormed into Margret’s suite, his jaw tight with frustration."What the hell were you thinking, siding with those men? Do you even realize the mess you’re dragging me into?"Margret remained calm, sipping her wine. "I know exactly what I’m doing, Benson. You’re the one who doesn’t understand the game."Benson’s eyes darkened. "You still think you can outsmart Adrian an
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-07
Chapter: chapter 66That evening, Grace arrived at the dimly lit café where Brenda had asked to meet her. The air was thick with the scent of freshly brewed coffee, but Grace had no appetite for it—her instincts screamed that something was off.Brenda was already seated in a corner booth, her hands wrapped around a cup of tea. When she saw Grace, her lips curled into a smile, but her eyes held something unreadable."You actually came," Brenda murmured, gesturing for Grace to sit.Grace slid into the seat, keeping her posture guarded. "You said you had something to tell me."Brenda sighed dramatically. "Oh, Grace, you have no idea what’s been happening behind your back. Your so-called family? They were never looking for you. They were looking for someone they could control. That’s why I—"She stopped abruptly, catching herself.Grace narrowed her eyes. "You what, Brenda?"Brenda leaned forward, her expression suddenly desperate. "I was supposed to be the one. I was supposed to be their daughter, Grace. Bu
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-07
Chapter: chapter 65As the glamorous gala continued, the hall was filled with laughter, music, and celebration. Grace had finally found her true place—with a family that cherished her, a husband who adored her, and a life free of the deception that had tried to tear her down.But not everyone was happy.From the far end of the hall, a pair of eyes burned with resentment, watching Grace bask in her newfound happiness.The woman who had pretended to be the lost Lennox daughter—Clara—had been exposed, humiliated, and dragged away by the police just days before. However, her hatred for Grace had only intensified behind bars.And she wasn't the only one.At the back of the estate, where the celebration lights barely reached, a black car was parked discreetly. Inside, a figure sat in the driver's seat, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently."She’s glowing like a damn queen," he muttered, watching Grace through a pair of binoculars. His face twisted with hatred. "That should have been Clara
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-07
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