"I don't want to be pregnant! I'm not ready to have a child!" Gwen exclaimed, her voice rising as she glared at Dominic. "I should never have agreed to this contract marriage."
"Wait, don't get emotional like this. We can talk about it calmly," Dominic replied, stopping Gwen as she walked away from him.
"What's there to talk about? I don't want to be pregnant with your child!"
"Who said anything about getting you pregnant? I don't plan on having a child with anyone. So don't overreact like this," Dominic responded, his words stabbing at Gwen's heart, causing her to cry.
Seeing her cry, Dominic turned his face away. He couldn't bear to see Gwen cry, especially because of him. Gwen continued walking to her room while Dominic could only watch her back, knowing she would soon be his wife.
As the night wore on, Dominic couldn't sleep, thinking about the wedding ceremony that would take place the next morning. He felt a mix of emotions, anxious about his future with Gwen, compounded by the conditions his grandfather had imposed, which weighed heavily on her.
Similarly, Gwen, who would soon be the wife of her boss, was restless. Her mother, noticing her unease, stepped in to comfort her. "Sleep, dear. Don't worry about unnecessary things. You need to look your best tomorrow morning," she advised. "Go to sleep."
Gwen then walked to her bed, lay down, and struggled to fall asleep. Half an hour later, she finally drifted into a deep sleep.
Morning came quickly, and the bride and groom were now being prepared in separate rooms. Gwen's makeup perfectly complemented her beautiful face, making Mr. Charles's investment in an expensive makeup artist worthwhile. Dominic was also getting ready.
"Relax, everything will go smoothly," Mr. Charles said, patting his grandson's shoulder. Dominic had never felt this nervous before; he was usually calm even when meeting influential businessmen. His grandfather's encouraging words somewhat soothed the long-haired man.
Time flew by, and now Dominic was seated opposite the officiant. All the documents were ready. "Are you ready?" the officiant asked.
Dominic nodded, his strong hand meeting the officiant's outstretched one. The officiant, representing Gwen's father, recited the marriage vows. The handsome man responded as expected.
"Yeay!!"
All the guests attending Dominic and Gwen's wedding ceremony echoed the same word. Dominic was now officially Gwen's husband. He bowed his head, his heart pounding, feeling relieved, anxious, and experiencing a new sensation he had never felt before.
Especially when Gwen was called to sit beside him. They signed several marriage documents and their marriage certificate. "Congratulations to both of you; you are now officially husband and wife. Be a happy couple."
Both Gwen and Dominic reacted similarly, with faint smiles. Neither of them was truly happy to hear those well-wishes. They both felt a gloomy future, especially Gwen, who was already crafting various excuses for when Mr. Charles would ask about her pregnancy.
The wedding concluded after all the guests had enjoyed their lunch. "Since there's no wedding reception, you can rest. I'm kind enough to give you both time to prepare for a beautiful first night. Give me a grandchild," said the grandfather.
"Maybe now is not the right time for a wedding celebration, but I assure you we will celebrate someday," Dominic said. It was unclear why he said that to his grandfather. Perhaps it was a form of protest because Mr. Charles hadn't organized a reception after their vows. "Come on, Gwen, let's change clothes."
Gwen followed her new husband's footsteps. They walked to Dominic's room at the end of the corridor. Upon reaching the room, Gwen immediately spoke. "So, who will sleep in this room and who will sleep outside?"
"I will," Dominic replied briefly. This naturally confused Gwen. "I mean, I'll sleep outside. It's not difficult to rent another room in this hotel."
"Alright then, please leave now because I want to change clothes."
"Miss Gwen, please think before you speak. We just became a couple; how can you send me out?"
"But if you see me changing clothes, your grandfather or your family might get suspicious. So–"
"So you want me to stay here and watch you change? What if you get–"
Now it was Dominic's turn to cut off his new wife. "Don't worry, I won't be interested in you even if you wear nothing in front of me," Dominic said, then he entered the bathroom and didn't come out until Gwen had finished changing and removed her makeup.
"You can come out now," Gwen said, knocking on the bathroom door. She felt uneasy, remembering that Dominic was her boss at work. Shortly after, Dominic opened the bathroom door and stepped out.
"Now it's my turn to change."
"Go ahead, I'll cover my face with a pillow," Gwen responded. The beautiful woman took a pillow and covered her head with it. She also turned her back to Dominic.
But for some reason, curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked at Dominic. She clearly saw the muscular back of the man who was now her husband.
Dominic wasn't big and bulky, but he had muscles. Behind his handsome face and long hair, he was just like any other man. After changing, Dominic left the room without saying anything to Gwen.
"He can leave without saying a word," Gwen muttered as she lay down on the bed.
As she was relaxing, there was a knock on her door. She quickly got up and opened it. Mr. Charles stood in front of her with an expression she couldn't decipher.
"What have you two been up to? Have you gotten to know each other?" he asked. "Or have you planned anything for tonight?"
Gwen quickly shook her head. "Not yet, Grandpa, we haven't done anything."
"What is this?" the old man responded irritably. "Where is Dominic? Tell him to come see me."
Gwen widened her eyes, unsure of what to say. Dominic had left without telling her where he was going. Seeing Gwen's confusion, the old man suspected something was going on between them.
"So Dominic isn't with you now? Where did he go?"
The echoing gunshot came from Victor. In an instant, he fired several rapid shots that struck Rachel's men lurking behind the door, causing their bodies to collapse immediately.Wayne breathed a sigh of relief while peeking into the now-silent hallway. “How did you know they were there?”Victor put on a sharp expression and smirked briefly, “I’m always ready for unexpected attacks. Don’t lose focus; we still have other tasks.”Pierre, who had been hiding behind the wall, took a deep breath. “If it weren't for you, Victor, we might have been easy targets.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking a bit shaky. “Are we really safe now?”“Don’t feel too relieved, Pierre,” Wayne said, patting his partner’s shoulder. “It’s not over until we’re really out of here.”Victor's m
Victor stepped out of the building, approaching the white car waiting in the parking lot. Inside, two of his trained subordinates, Pierre and Wayne, were ready, their faces showing determination and seriousness. The car gleamed under the streetlights, as if ready to plunge into the darkness of the night.The car sped quickly down the empty nighttime streets, the tense atmosphere haunting every second of the journey. Victor stared ahead, his mind racing. He wasn’t just carrying a well-crafted plan, but also holding the hope of realizing a long-awaited ambition. I must not fail,” he whispered to himself. Every detail of this plan had to be executed perfectly.Upon arriving at the location believed to be Rachel's new house, Victor felt adrenaline coursing through his veins. Before stepping out of the car, he instructed his men to stay alert. As soon as they got out, they noticed that the surroundings of the house appeared calm. Howe
Theo looked surprised but quickly realized that Victor knew more than he had suspected. “That’s right, Miss Gwen just wanted to make sure everything was alright,” he replied, trying to keep his tone calm.Victor continued, staring intensely into Theo’s eyes. “You need to know that Mr. Charles and I are planning something very secretive to deal with the challenge from Rachel. We can't let this situation get out of control.”Hearing that, Theo's attention was immediately focused. “What do you mean, what plan?”“What do you mean, what plan?” Theo asked again, his curiosity piqued despite knowing the risks involved.Victor nodded, realizing that Theo was the right person to enlist for help, but he also needed to be reminded of the importance of secrecy. “We’re preparing a strategy to deal with her, but this isn’t somethin
Victor stared at Dominic for a moment before averting his gaze, as if trying to avoid Dominic’s intense stare. “I’m sorry, Mr. Dominic,” he replied quietly but firmly. “I’m just doing what Mr. Charles asked. What they talked about… that’s not my place to explain.”Dominic frowned, dissatisfied with the answer. “So you’re just following Grandpa’s orders? Rachel comes to this house late at night, and you don’t feel the slightest need to tell me?”Victor took a breath before responding calmly. “This is all with Mr. Charles’s knowledge, Dominic. I’m just carrying out my duties as instructed by him, and he has the authority to decide what should be shared.”Dominic sighed, feeling frustrated by the overly formal response. “Victor, you’ve been working here for a long time. Is there really nothing you can tel
Theo shook his head, his face filled with concern. "I don't know Rachel's exact intentions. But from the moves she's making, it seems she's getting ready to open the option for 'open warfare.' This is not a usual occurrence; she might be sending a warning or, worse, a direct threat."Dominic looked at Gwen with eyes that reflected his worry. His concern for their Grandpa's safety made him react immediately. He grabbed his phone and, without hesitation, called Christ. There was a long ring before Christ's firm voice answered."Dominic?" Christ asked, his tone attentive.Dominic spoke quickly, his voice filled with urgency. "Christ, we just got word that Rachel is at Grandpa's house. I don't know what her plan is, but I need your help. Send your men there now to secure Grandpa's house. Don't let her cause any trouble."Christ didn't ask many questions, understanding the urgency in Dominic's voice. "Got
Dominic explained about Theo's plan to follow the car that was suspected to belong to Rachel, which had been speeding toward the hospital, and how they arrived without news from the second team. Ethan's expression suddenly turned serious. "You guys need to be careful when you head back.""We'll be fine," Theo interjected, trying to reassure them. "I'll personally ensure Dominic and Gwen's safety.""Then you should leave before it gets too late."Gwen agreed with her brother-in-law's statement, and they said their goodbyes to Ethan. Dominic entrusted his brother to Daniel. "Please take care of my mischievous brother, the situation is getting out of control, and Rachel is getting bolder with us.""Yes, sir. I will take care of Mr. Ethan as best as I can."Dominic and Gwen returned home under tight escort from Theo, even sharing the same car. The atmosphere inside the vehicle was qu