133

133

"If you don't mind, I will try to get you back to college. It's such a waste that you stopped halfway when Mr. Aditama said your GPA was very high."

Alesya shook her head.

"If you refuse, it means you no longer want to be friends with me."

"I don't want to bother you, Nik. My life is ruined, and there's nothing I can fix."

"It's not ruined, just in the wrong place and time." Nicholas took a deep breath. "If only I was allowed to pay off all those debts, I would have done it even if I had to sell the restaurant in Bandung. But I wasn't allowed to intervene. I couldn't even break into the office secrets."

"I don't know how to repay all of this."

"It's easy, Al."

"How?"

"Accompany me to eat grilled bananas over there. I've wanted to eat at that roadside stall for a long time, but I felt awkward because my girlfriend is a man. If I invite you, then I'll be just like them, dating the opposite sex."

Not answering yes or no, Alesya just remained silent, watching Nicholas. Nicholas's words were completely opposite to what he had said when he was talking to Viska earlier.

Initially, Nicholas claimed that all the accusations against him were mere rumors. But now, Nicholas was confirming it all. Alesya was truly confused about which facts were true about Nicholas.

Even though she was close to Nicholas, Alesya still couldn't clearly judge who the real Nicholas was.

Two servings of chocolate cheese grilled bananas were already arranged on the table, accompanied by warm caramel chocolate. It was truly a menu pairing that delighted the palate.

Seeing Nicholas eating so eagerly, Alesya could already guess that this was Nicholas's favorite food.

"Nik, how about we eat at home? It's about to rain," Alesya looked up, staring at the sky as drizzles began to fall. If they stayed any longer, they might both turn into water.

"Alright. But I want to order more."

"No, you might not be able to eat at home later. It's not good to eat too much sweet food like this," Alesya pointed to the food in front of Nicholas.

Alesya didn't dislike or forbid Nicholas here, but she was concerned about his health. Nicholas was already lazy to eat, and he ended up consuming a lot of sweet food. It might fill him up, but it provided no nutrition at all.

"Obey or I'll leave you here," Alesya threatened, reaching for the car keys.

"Yes, yes, I'm done. Let's go home!" he said, following Alesya's orders. Although Nicholas knew Alesya would never leave him there.

However, to show respect to Alesya, Nicholas acted as if he were genuinely afraid of being left there. It was simple and didn't make much sense, but it was enough to bring a smile to Alesya's lips and bring happiness to her heart.

Just as Nicholas was about to get into the car, his face, which had been bright, immediately turned sour after receiving a text message on his phone. Nicholas also threw his phone onto the car dashboard in frustration.

Alesya, sitting next to Nicholas, pretended not to see it. She pretended not to hear the sound of the bitten apple logo phone hitting the dashboard. She didn't want Nicholas to think she was nosy, even though their relationship was just that of sister and brother-in-law.

However, Alesya wouldn't mind if Nicholas came to her later and wanted to talk about it. She would gladly be a good listener.

"Go straight to your room when we get home, okay? It seems I have an uninvited guest."

After sulking throughout the journey, Nicholas became even more sullen when he saw a luxury car parked in front of the house.

"Yes," Alesya replied briefly. In her heart, she guessed who might have come. "Is it Viska?" she mumbled to herself.

However, Alesya's guess was wrong. The owner of the car was not Viska but a man she knew very well. They had been close friends, and he had suddenly disappeared after getting married. Recently, they had met again after her father's funeral.

"Gibran," Alesya muttered softly, rushing over to Gibran who was sitting in the living room.

Both Gibran and Nicholas were startled at the same time. Nicholas, who had been prepared to kick Gibran out, swallowed his words.

"Gibran, what are you doing here? Do you have any news about my father? About everything? Has your father been honest about..."

"Sorry, Al. I came here to see Nicholas... not you."

"Nicholas? You two..."

"Nicholas is my friend," Gibran replied, and Nicholas responded with a thin smile.

"No friend devours another." Nicholas handed his bag and glasses to Alesya. "You go upstairs first. When I'm done dealing with him, I'll ask about your father's issue."

Alesya wanted to protest, but she couldn't because Nicholas looked completely different now. There was no more warmth in his gaze, let alone a smile. To be safe, Alesya hurriedly left him alone with Gibran.

"Nik..."

"I refuse to go back to a woman who has carved a wound in my heart. Let alone make her my companion after she's become a traitor like you. What you both did wasn't a mistake." Nicholas raised his hand, showing two fingers. "Two years, two pregnancies and miscarriages, and she comes back again, did she miscarry again?"

Gibran remained silent. There was nothing wrong with Nicholas's statement just now. Two years of marriage with Viska, three miscarriages, it wasn't a mistake. It was a trap or intentional.

"No need to answer. I already know your purpose for coming here is to talk about Viska. I've already answered and provided assurance to you, so please leave from here. Whatever relationship exists between you and Alesya, I can assure you that I will convey your regards to her." Nicholas walked toward the door, ushering Gibran to leave his house.

Gibran, who understood Nicholas's attitude very well, naturally complied. However, he would still try to get closer again. Whenever that might be, the important thing was to find the right moment to talk.

Nicholas had just sighed in relief because Gibran finally went home without discussing Viska. However, he was presented with an unpleasant sight.

From where he stood, Nicholas saw Bryan and Shabila had just returned, with many shopping bags in their hands. Nicholas could guess that after leaving the hospital, the husband and wife went shopping, spending the savings Bryan had painstakingly accumulated.

There was no influence on his bank account; Nicholas ignored it. He hurried to the bedroom before Shabila realized he was at the top of the stairs. Rather than arguing with the lioness, Nicholas preferred to disturb Alesya in her room.

As for Bryan, he felt like swearing as much as he could. Shabila had truly emptied his bank account today, indulging her desire to shop here and there.

"Honey, I'm tired," Shabila complained when Bryan hugged her and left wet kisses on her neck. She was asking for affection as a reward for today's shopping.

"Just a bit more." Bryan didn't want to hear it. He moved from Shabila's slim waist to her well-rounded assets.

Instead of servicing him, Shabila turned around and pushed Bryan away.

"Do you even know what tired means? Please hold on for a bit, I'm tired, Yan! Can't it wait until tomorrow morning?"

"Fine, if that's what you want." Bryan was irritated. He had already been tempted by Shabila's revealing outfit, and now he was being rejected outright. His money had also been spent on shopping.

Brakk!!

Bryan, annoyed, slammed the bedroom door before leaving. Did he care? Not at all. Shabila sulked into the bathroom to clean up before bedtime. Meanwhile, Bryan sat on the back porch to cool his heated brain due to Shabila's antics.