Mag-log inJavier returned home that night with one simple hope: that Nora might already be there. Throughout the journey, he kept trying to contact his wife. But none of his calls were answered. The messages he sent received no response either.
“Nora, answer my call.”
He tried once again.
Still, there was no answer.
The longer it went on, the worry began to replace the anger and guilt that had filled his mind until then. Javier did not know where Nora had gone af
One of the security guards immediately stepped forward and stopped him before he could enter.“I’m sorry, sir. The boutique is closed.”“I’m her husband.”“I know, sir. But Mrs. Nora is not receiving visitors tonight.”Javier frowned. “I’m not here to cause trouble. I just want to talk to her.”“I’m sorry, sir. We have been instructed not to let anyone in.”“I just want to see her.”Javier’s voice was lower, but it sounded even more firm. He had gone too long without getting any answer from Nora. After everything that had happened tonight, he could not bear to go home and pretend that everything would be fine. He wanted to apologize, wanted to explain, even though he himself knew that there was no explanation that could erase what he had done.The security guard remained standing in front of him.“Please come back
Javier returned home that night with one simple hope: that Nora might already be there. Throughout the journey, he kept trying to contact his wife. But none of his calls were answered. The messages he sent received no response either.“Nora, answer my call.”He tried once again.Still, there was no answer.The longer it went on, the worry began to replace the anger and guilt that had filled his mind until then. Javier did not know where Nora had gone after leaving Alistar’s house. He did not even know whether his wife had reached somewhere safe.Finally, he contacted Clara.But Clara did not answer either.Javier stared at his phone screen in frustration. He tried calling once more, but the result was the same. There was no answer from Nora. No answer from Clara. It was as though everyone had deliberately closed the door on him.As soon as he arrived home, Javier went inside and looked for Nora. His steps were
Javier was still standing in the living room of Alistar’s house after Nora left. The door Nora had just walked through was already closed, but his thoughts remained there. He wanted to chase after his wife, but Nora’s earlier words made him afraid to move. He simply stood there with a stricken expression, while the people in the room looked at him with disappointment they no longer tried to hide.Alistar finally spoke. “Javier.”Javier turned.The old man stared at him for a long time. There was none of the warmth he usually showed him as his granddaughter’s husband. All that remained was the disappointment of a grandfather who had watched his granddaughter be betrayed by the man he had trusted all this time.“I never thought you would do this to Nora.”Javier lowered his head.“Grandfather, I’m sorry.”“Sorry?”Alistar’s tone remained calm, but that
Nora thought for a moment. Then the corners of her lips lifted slightly.“That sounds good.”Clara immediately called Elena, while Nora looked out the window again. Not long afterward, the car stopped at an intersection. Clara would return to the house to get Nora’s things, while Nora continued on to a hotel not far from Virelle Maison. After making sure everything was settled, they finally went their separate ways.When she arrived at the hotel, Nora went straight to the room Clara had booked. She only had a few belongings with her. For the time being, she did not want to think about anything involving the house, Javier, or what would happen after tonight. Yet even after the door to the room closed, her mind was still not truly at ease. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly ahead, then slowly rubbed her face. Only now, when there were no Laurent or Beaumont family members surrounding her anymore, did everything that had happened that
On the way, Clara glanced several times at Nora, who sat silently in the back seat. Since leaving the Laurent residence, the woman had barely said a word. Her face remained calm, but every now and then, her hands would clasp together on her lap before slowly releasing again. There were no tears. No anger. Yet Clara could see that the calmness did not mean Nora was fine.“Mrs. Nora, how are you feeling?”Nora was silent for a moment before finally letting out a small laugh. But there was no happiness in her laughter. Only a bitterness that was difficult to hide.“What do you expect, Clara?”She turned her face toward the window. The city lights moved past her view, but her thoughts were still left behind at the Laurent residence. On Javier’s face when he admitted to the affair. On Kate standing before everyone while announcing her pregnancy. On the simple question she had asked her husband, and on Javier’s silence, which
Kate’s gaze slowly changed. She waited for the next sentence, but it never came.Javier did not say that he would leave Nora. He did not say that he would marry Kate. He did not even give the slightest hope that their relationship would return to the way it had been before. He only spoke about his responsibility as a father.And that was precisely what made Kate grip his hand tightly again. She had gotten his acknowledgment of the child, but not the Javier she had wanted all this time.Nora slowly raised her face. All this time, she had only been listening, allowing everyone to speak without trying to interrupt. But now, her question made everyone’s attention in the room turn back to Javier.“And me?”Her voice was so soft that Javier was left speechless.He looked at Nora.There was no demand on his wife’s face. No anger demanding an explanation. No tears forcing him to defend himself. Only one simple qu







