Evangeline Rutherford once loved a man with all her heart-and he destroyed her without hesitation. Three years of cold, hurtful marriage ended in cruel humiliation. She was kicked out for nothing, unilaterally divorced, and abandoned as if she'd never mattered. But Eva didn't choose to be destroyed. She buried her past and rose as Pearl Oceanna, a respected fashion icon. The world now knows her as an untouchable woman-perfect on the outside, but building a high wall around her heart. Only one man has ever dared to breach her defenses: Maximilian Von Ziegler. Max was the only one who believed in Eva when the world belittled her. He saw her broken heart, reached out, and rebuilt her confidence. But even though Max loved her with all his heart, Eva never really let him in. The wounds of the past are too deep, and she's afraid that loving means giving herself a chance to be hurt again. However, things go awry when Roderick Langley, the man who once destroyed her, returns to her life. With a face full of regret, Rick tries to win her back. At the same time, Max extends his hand-not to ask, but to remind Eva that she deserves to be loved sincerely. Eva knows she has to choose. But this time, it is not a man who will decide her destiny - but herself.
Lihat lebih banyakI don't know if this is my last day in this house or just the beginning of a longer suffering. However, one thing was certain, Roderick Langley no longer wanted to see my face in this house, in the house that I once thought could be my refuge.
I winced in pain. My hair was grabbed with a force that knew no mercy. I staggered, my hand reflexively gripping the man's arm-my husband-Roderick Langley. But instead of easing, his grip tightened, as if to remind me that I was nothing more than an unwanted intruder.
“Rick... it hurts... please let go,” I whispered weakly, hoping that there was a shred of kindness left in his heart. But all I found was a hateful gaze, something that had been lingering in his eyes for so long whenever he looked at me.
“How many times have I told you, Eva! Get out of this house!” his voice thundered, echoing throughout the room, making the cold marble walls seem to absorb his anger. I could only swallow, holding my body from falling as he pushed me. I almost bumped into the corner of the table, but my steps were quick to balance my body. Even so, the pain on my scalp from his grab still throbbed, as if a reminder of how I never really had a place here.
I shivered with fear, but I smiled anyway. Not out of happiness, but out of hope. The foolish hope I'd been pinning in my heart, the belief that maybe, just maybe, this man who became my husband still cared about me even a little.
I prepared his favorite cake today, something he always liked in the past. I thought, after the death of Sebastian Langley-his father, the only reason this marriage is still standing-he would have mellowed out a bit. But I was wrong. I was too naive.
“My tolerance limit is up, Eva!” Rick looked at me sharply, as if my presence was an insult to him. I didn't dare to look into his eyes for too long, afraid of discovering even deeper hatred.
Rick no longer had any reason to defend me. His father was gone. The man who had been my shield of protection, the only reason I was still in this house, had succumbed to the disease that was eating away at his body. Now, without Sebastian Langley, I was just a burden, a mistake that Rick wanted to erase from his life.
“Maria!” his voice boomed, making me flinch. Maria, the head butler of this house, rushed in, her face filled with anxiety. I could tell that she sympathized with me. I could see it in her sad eyes. However, she was too afraid to defy Rick.
“Y-yes, sir,” Maria replied in a trembling voice.
“Clean up this woman's clothes! I don't want to see her wandering around my house again.”
I gasped. My heart sank. I looked at Rick with a pleading gaze. “Rick, please. Don't kick me out. I... I have nowhere else to go. I'm guilty, I know. Whatever you want, I'll do. Punish me if it will satisfy you, but don't throw me out.”
I reached for her leg, grasping it tightly, hoping she would even slightly consider my plea. However, all I got was a hard kick to my arm, sending me crashing to the floor. I could feel the pain spreading from where he kicked me, but it hurt even more the humiliation he had just inflicted on me.
Rick looked at me with disgust. “Your biggest mistake was coming into my life, Eva. And even more stupidly, you accepted my father's offer five years ago.”
I lifted my face, looking at him with tears beginning to blur my vision. Five years ago, I accepted this marriage in the hope that time would make Rick accept my existence. I thought, love could grow between us. I thought that if I was patient enough, if I was kind enough, he would see me as someone who deserved a place in his heart. But now, it all feels like foolishness.
Rick stepped closer, looking at me with a cold gaze that made my blood freeze. “I've been waiting for this moment, Eva. When I can finally divorce you without anyone holding me back. My father is gone. There's nothing standing in my way anymore. And you know what's even better than this? I can finally marry the woman who should have been Mrs. Langley from the start.”
I swallowed, my body shaking even more at the sound of her name.
“Isadora Kensington,” Rick said the name with pride. “There's only one woman worthy of being Mrs. Langley, and it's not you, Eva. You should have known that from the start.”
I felt my world crumble. I had heard her name so many times from the gossip circulating among the socialites. Isadora-the woman who had always been by Rick's side, the woman who had been my shadow, who had always been superior to me in every way. But still, hearing it directly from my husband's mouth made the wound in my heart deepen.
My eyes began to tear up, but I couldn't cry any more. I'd cried over Rick too many times, and I knew it wouldn't change anything. I knew, I had already lost.
“Before my patience runs out, Eva, leave.” The grip of his hand on my cheek felt even more pressing. I could feel his rough fingers digging into my skin, but I remained silent. “I don't want to see you in this house again.”
I wanted to retort, wanted to ask if I really meant nothing to him during these five years. But I knew the answer. I never meant anything to him. I was just a barrier, a small obstacle that he could now easily remove.
I took a deep breath, trying to gather the remnants of my shattered self-esteem. With a trembling voice, I said, “Give me three days to pack, Rick. Please.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, then exhaled harshly. When he looked back at me, his eyes were full of burning anger. His index finger pointed right at my face, making me reflexively move away.
“One day, Eva. I don't want to see you here any longer.”
And with that, he walked away, leaving me in painful silence. I remained still on the floor, my body trembling, my heart and soul shattered into pieces. I didn't know where I should go. I didn't know if I could survive after this.
But one thing I knew for sure: I was no longer part of the Langley family.
“You don't need to complain like that, Isa,” Samantha laughed in response to all the chatter from the woman she could rely on. She didn't expect Isa's move to be so smooth and flawless, and that it had been carefully considered. She placed the cup of tea she had made especially for the woman in front of her. ”Drink this so you can calm down.”“How can I calm down?” Isa sighed irritably. ‘I believed I could influence Ursula. But it turns out she's just like Giselle. I have to retaliate for what Ursula did to me yesterday.”Samantha laughed. ’Do you really want to be friends with them?”Isa sighed softly. “You know that if I'm in their group, I can have much more influence. What's the point of that if not to enjoy it together?”The woman who owned Sams Group laughed even harder. ”You really take advantage of everything within your grasp, don't you? You've really thought through what you want to do.”Isa grinned. She slowly sipped the tea made especially for her. “I should have done this
“Why do you look upset, Isa?“ Rick asked, glancing at the woman sitting next to him. Since the press conference, which he had also attended, his wife had only smiled slightly and said little.“I don't know,” Isa sighed deeply. “Maybe I'm tired because work at Sams is quite demanding.”Rick furrowed his brow, a bit surprised by Isa's words. “You've only been working for two days. And I think you've been out of the office since lunch today.”The woman chuckled. ”You're right. I intentionally took some time off to pick up Ursula because I felt she's been helping us a lot at Unique, right?”Rick nodded.“But if this latest choice is really the best, I think we should welcome Eva properly.”Rick chose not to speak. He focused on the road ahead, which was no longer as empty as usual. The crucial hour had trapped them in traffic, and they had to be patient to reach their destination: Dominique's residence.“Are you happy to meet Eva, dear?”The man glanced at her with a sneer. “What do you m
“Are they here yet?” asked Rick, checking the watch on his left wrist. It had been almost an hour since Max had confirmed their arrival time.“Just a moment, sir. Their car has entered the lobby and is being directed to the upper floor to avoid the reporters. They are all after a story about Miss Eva.”Rick quickened his pace toward the meeting room. At least he had to entertain the guests properly; he couldn't afford to tarnish his image further. And he couldn't afford to lose focus either.“Mrs. Isa is also on her way to the office, sir.”Rick's steps slowed. “For what?”“She wants to meet Unique's new icon. It seems like Mrs. Isa is giving her full attention to sales. I've seen her discussing things with Mr. Jacob a lot over the past few days. With Mrs. Samantha, of course.”Rick chose to keep that information to himself and wait for the right time to talk to his wife. Since the investor in Milan had caused problems, his concentration had been quite disturbed. He didn't have much t
Rick's anger was pent up, his hands clenched, and he had cursed countless times, but the result was still the same. It wasn't getting done quickly. Indeed, checking several parts took time. But still, as long as Unique was in his hands, and as long as he was under his father's supervision, there had never been a problem like this before.To make matters worse, there was the new project he had recently been assigned. He had already warned the staff involved to focus more, as the production target was far higher than the previous year. There was trust, but also hard work to prove they could deliver.“No word from Gustav yet?” Rick asked, sitting down roughly in his chair. It had been two days since the bad news reached him via email. He couldn't take it lightly at that time. He immediately took action, one of which was to ask Gustav to check it out directly.He didn't know what his trusted employee was doing in Jazeran, but what was clear was that the distance between Milan and Jazeran
“How's it going?” Samantha asked, a little excited. They were enjoying some time together during what was actually a pretty busy day. But for Samantha, being here with her favorite cup of coffee and some snacks to go with it was no problem. After all, Sams Group had started to take off since the woman in front of her got involved.That's also why Samantha wasn't going to let go of the woman who was now part of her family.“I've already tried to convince Rick,” Isa sighed softly. ‘But it seems like my persuasion isn't working yet. He just said he'd think about it.”“Did you give him the most convincing reason?’ Samantha asked with a soft laugh. ”Usually, when you give that reason, a man as stubborn as Rick can't resist it.”“I did.” Isa's shoulders slumped weakly. ‘But it's okay. I'll wait patiently for his decision. I'm sure he won't be able to refuse me easily.”Samantha nodded confidently. ’No problem. I would be helped if I had an assistant, but since this position is meant for you
“According to sources that Mommy can trust, there is indeed a bit of debate regarding the marketing that has been going on. Although some of Unique's top brass know who you are, Eva, because this is outside of Unique, you are considered someone who works where you can bring them certain benefits.”Rita's explanation to Eva and Max made sense.“But this is too much of a coincidence, isn't it?” Eva asked, sighing softly. ”Maybe if they were targeting Giselle or Harvey, I wouldn't be so suspicious.”Rita nodded, understanding the concerns of the woman in front of her. When the car carrying them stopped at one of the tall buildings in the center of Yazeran, the person Rita didn't want to see greeted them. With a mischievous grin and an overly casual demeanor.Despite knowing him for quite some time, the memory of their conversation that night—when they had accidentally met at Eva's house—still made Rita's heart race with irritation. And that irritation only grew as the man's childish beha
“Thank you for helping me,” said Rita with a slight smile. ”And your cookies are getting better and better.”Danisa pouted. “I went to all that trouble to go straight to the kitchen. Why does it still feel like something's missing?” But then she laughed. “I guess the kitchen just isn't my thing.”“You're right.” Rita laughed along with her friend. “Tell Eva I said hi. I wonder when we'll get to try her cooking.”Rita gently rubbed Danisa's shoulder. “You're not the only one who feels that way, Danisa. I feel the same.”“Especially you, Rita.” Danisa smiled faintly. “Are you really okay with what happened? You know, not talking to you has been torturous for me. That woman really went too far in how she treated her own mother-in-law.”“I never considered her part of the Dominique family.” Rita giggled. ‘Don't worry, I can still hold myself together. As long as my silence is seen as stupidity and helplessness in Isa's eyes, I don't mind. Just know that I consider you more than a friend.”
“Thank you for helping me,” said Rita with a slight smile. ”And your cookies are getting better and better.”Danisa pouted. “I went to all that trouble to go straight to the kitchen. Why does it still feel like something's missing?” But then she laughed. “I guess the kitchen just isn't my thing.”“You're right.” Rita laughed along with her friend. “Tell Eva I said hi. I wonder when we'll get to try her cooking.”Rita gently rubbed Danisa's shoulder. “You're not the only one who feels that way, Danisa. I feel the same.”“Especially you, Rita.” Danisa smiled faintly. “Are you really okay with what happened? You know, not talking to you has been torturous for me. That woman really went too far in how she treated her own mother-in-law.”“I never considered her part of the Dominique family.” Rita giggled. ‘Don't worry, I can still hold myself together. As long as my silence is seen as stupidity and helplessness in Isa's eyes, I don't mind. Just know that I consider you more than a friend.”
Eva sat comfortably on the long sofa right next to the large glass window. The view she could enjoy was of Yazeran at night. The first time she came to this partly sandy and quite hot place, Eva fell in love. She was captivated by the ethnic patterns on the clothing and the ornaments found on almost every public building there.And because of that, most of the souvenirs she brought back from Yazeran were woven fabrics with unique characteristics, serving as a sign that the fabric was a souvenir from that desert region. Under Giselle's creative hands, the fabric became a comfortable dress that made Eva feel close to Yazeran.That dress was also what she wore for dinner with Max this time. It wasn't unusual for Eva to hear compliments from the man. And his annoying behavior, almost to the point of being infuriating, but Eva couldn't just brush him off. There was always something he did to make Eva end up under his control again.Including now. Where Eva was staying in the famous Paradis
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