MasukThe Don of the Falcieri family was assassinated by a rival family, leaving behind his widowed wife, Livia. His younger brother, my husband Caius, took his place as Don. With the title came a duty: to secure the Falcieri bloodline by putting a child in his brother's widow. "Alessia's been barren for years. It falls to Livia to do what she couldn't. The Falcieri family cannot be without an heir." The Madre's voice dripped with scorn. Caius held me close, whispering promises. "As soon as Livia is pregnant, I swear I'll never touch her again." "Alessia, you're the only one I love." Three months, and he hasn't set foot in our bedroom. After he ignored me in front of everyone, choosing Livia time and time again, I finally left. I took what was mine and left one thing behind: a DNA test. It was my final gift to Caius.
Lihat lebih banyak"Saya terima nikahnya Atika Ramadani binti Ismail Huda dengan mahar tersebut tunai." Lantang suara Mas Ifan mengucapkan ijab kabul dengan satu tarikan napas. Membuat dadaku bergemuruh. Ada rasa haru menyeruak di dalam hati.
"Saah! " ucap saksi dan saat itu pula kurasakan ada butiran bening membasahi pipiku.Kucium punggung tangan pria yang kucintai ini, dengan penuh rasa syukur. Kemudian lanjut mencium tangan Ayah dan Ibu mertua, serta Ayah dan Ibuku. Namun, saat berhadapan langsung dengan seorang wanita yang tak lain adalah istri pertama Mas Ifan, air mata pun tumpah. Sama sekali tak terfikir, wanita ini menepati janji yang pernah dia ucapkan secara tak sengaja beberapa tahun silam. Dia benar-benar menikahkan aku, dengan laki-laki yang aku cintai, meski laki-laki itu adalah suaminga sendiri."Mbak." Aku tak mampu melanjutkan. Kupeluk erat tubuh kurusnya sambil menangis."Selamat, Tika. Langgeng, ya," ucap Mbak Riska dengan suara bergetar, karena saat itu kami sama-sama sedang menangis.Malam ini tepat ba'da magrib Aku dan Mas Ifan melangsungkan ijab kabul di masjid dekat rumah Mas Ifan, pria yang menjadi cinta pertama dan in shaa Allah akan menjadi cinta terakhirku. Pria tampan dengan perawakan tinggi besar, berkulit sawo matang yang kucintai sejak lima tahun yang lalu.Kami bertemu saat dia sedang ada proyek di kampung halamanku. Lima tahun lalu, kami dekat kemudian tumbuh benih-benih cinta di antara kami. Kami resmi berpacaran, kurang lebih enam bulan, sampai akhirnya Mas Ifan harus kembali ke tempat asalnya dengan mengucap satu janji. Bahwa ia akan datang kembali. Ia meminta janji yang sama dariku, yaitu tetap menunggunya datang kembali untuk meminangku menjadi istrinya. Aku yang sudah terlanjur cinta dan membuat janji, akhirnya tetap menjaga perasaan ini untuknya.Tiga tahun terlewati Mas Ifan tak kunjung datang. Dengan masih menyimpan rasa yang sama, kuputuskan untuk meninggalkan kampung halaman untuk mencari pekerjaan di Ibukota. Di sini, aku bertemu seorang teman seperjuangan yang sering kupanggil dengan sebutan, Mbak Riska. Wanita tinggi langsing dengan kulit hitam manis dan pembawaannya yang ramah, membuat kami cepat akrab.Bahkan lebih dari itu, dia sudah seperti kakakku sendiri, karena memang usianya yang dua tahun lebih tua membuatnya menjadi tempat nyaman untuk curhat. Dia rela melakukan apa saja untukku. Di saat-saat tersulit, dia selalu menjadi orang pertama yang menolong, bahkan untuk urusan jodoh pun, dia selalu rempong seperti emak -emak."Tika! Tik ...!" Pagi-pagi udah berisik. Siapa lagi kalau bukan Mbak Riska."Iya, Mbak," jawabku sambil berjalan ke depan pintu kosan."Lihat ini, Nduk. Cakep nggak?" tanyanya sambil menunjuk ke layar ponselnya.Seorang pria tampan berkulit putih, dengan lesung pipit terpampang di sana. Pasti nyomot dari halaman F******k lagi. Nggak jelas! Hi hi hi."Biasa aja," jawabku cuek, karena pasti ini kandidat berikutnya yang akan dicomblangin ke aku."Hmm, kamu, nih, ya. Semuanya dibilang biasa aja, kayak Mas Ifanmu aja yang paling cakep di dunia ini." Ngomel, deh, dia."Lagian, ini orang dari mana sih? Emangnya Mbak kenal? ""Ya, nggak kenal sih, tapi kan kita bisa kenalan. Mbak rasa dia cocok sama kamu.""Nggak ah! Aku maunya sama, Mas Ifan.""Iiih ... kayaknya kamu memang benar-benar gagal move on.""Pastinya, Mbak. Weeek!" ledekku sambil berlari ke arah kamar."Mau sampai kapan kamu nungguin dia, Tik? " tanyanya lagi."Sampai dia sendiri yang minta sama aku, untuk berhenti nungguin dia, Mbakk,” jawabku sambil ngintip di pintu kamar."Gimana bisa? Kamu aja nggak tahu dia ada di mana sekarang.""Karena itu, aku berharap bisa bertemu lagi dengannya, dan mendengar apa keputusannya," jawabku lagi."Oalah, Nduk. Capek, ah, ngomong sama kamu. Mbak doakan deh secepatnya ketemu, biar kamu bisa melanjutkan hidupmu," ucapnya sambil berjalan menuju ke arahku."Iiiih ... makaciih Mbakku sayang, bantu doa, ya," ujarku sambil memeluknya."Kasian kamu, Tik. Sepertinya kamu memang sangat mencintainya. Andai Mbak bisa, Mbak akan bantu kamu untuk bisa bertemu atau bahkan menikah dengannya he he he.""Aamiin makasih suport-nya.""Sama-sama, Nduk."Itu menjadi percakapan terakhir kami. Setelah setahun ini, kami ngekos bareng. Susah senang sama-sama. Sebelum akhirnya Mbak Riska harus pulang ke tanah kelahirannya. Karena penyakit yang dideritanya, keluarganya ingin Mbak Riska tinggal berdekatan.Hasil pemeriksaan, Mbak Riska terserang kanker otak stadium empat. Inilah kenapa beberapa bulan terakhir dia jadi sering sakit kepala, berat badannya pun turun drastis.Setahun kemudian ....Tepatnya seminggu yang lalu, saat berada di sebuah pusat perbelanjaan, aku melihat sosok yang tak asing. Jantungku berdegub kencang rasa tak percaya melihat seseorang yang selama ini kunanti ada di depan mata.Lama kupandangi pria yang sedang berdiri di depan toilet umum. Berkali-kali kukedipkan mata agar semakin yakin kalau aku tak salah lihat. Sambil terus memindai dari ujung kaki hingga kepalanya, tak sadar aku mulai berjalan mendekatinya. Sampai berdiri tepat di sampingnya, aku kini benar-benar yakin kalau dia adalah Mas Ifan."Mas Ifan!" sontak aku menjerit."Atika!" Mas Ifan terlihat kaget.Tak sadar sedang berada di pusat keramaian, aku langsung memeluknya penuh haru. Saat itu juga aku tumpahkan semua rasa yang bertahun-tahun kusimpan. Air mataku tumpah karena tak kuasa menahan kerinduan pada laki-laki yang sudah bertahun-tahun mengisi hatiku. Dan belum tergantikan oleh siapapun juga hingga detik ini.Mas Ifan diam tak bergerak. Aku tersadar dia pasti terkejut mendapat perlakuan seperti ini, di tengah keramaian, lalu buru-buru melepaskan pelukan saat tiba-tiba sebuah suara mengagetkanku."Sayang!"Aku melepaskan pelukan dan menoleh ke arah suara. Seorang wanita yang juga tak asing, sedang duduk di atas kursi roda yang didorongnya perlahan ke arahku dan Mas ifan."Mbak Riska?" panggilku kaget."Atika!" panggilnya, sama sepertiku suara itu terdengar kaget.Ya Allah bahagianya aku, dua orang yang sangat kurindukan ada di sini, pikirku sambil berlari lalu memeluknya. Kami menangis saling mencium pipi satu sama lain."Kamu sehat, Tika?" tanyanya sambil memegang kedua pipiku."Sehat, Mbak, alhamdulillah. Gimana kabar, Mbak?""Beginilah, Tik. Mbak harus pake kursi roda sekarang," jawabnya.Aku perhatikan banyak yang berubah darinya, lebih kurus, matanya terlihat sayu, dan sekarang Mbak Riska sudah berhijab. Masyaa Allah, dia terlihat tambah cantik walau banyak perubahan pada fisiknya."Oh ya, Tik. Kenalin, ini Mas Ifan, suami M-Mbak," ucapnya terbata, kemudian jidatnya berkerut.Deg!"Suami?" Aku kaget sambil menatap Mbak Riska dan Mas Ifan bergantian."Atika?" panggil Mbak Riska dengan mata berkaca-kaca."A-apa ini Mas Ifanmu?" tanyanya lagi. Kulihat butiran bening menetes dari sudut matanya, tapi tetesan itu tak sederas air mataku yang kini tak dapat kutahan lagi.***BersambungCaius pushed through the crowd and walked toward the steps.All the reporters' cameras swiveled to him."Don Falcieri! How do you respond to these allegations?""Are you really abandoning your own child?""Is the Falcieri family facing a succession crisis?"Caius ignored all of them.He walked straight up to Livia and looked down at her."Enough."His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced the entire crowd."Are you done with this performance?"Livia clutched the baby tighter, fear flashing in her eyes."Caius, I'm just trying to get our son what he deserves…""What he deserves?" Caius sneered. "A child you sired with Silas Romano. Tell me, what claim does his bastard have on my name?"The crowd erupted in a wave of gasps and murmurs.Reporters frantically snapped photos.The Madre's face went pale."Caius! What are you saying?""I'm telling the truth, Madre," Caius turned to her. "This woman fooled us all.""The baby's father is Silas Romano, our former CFO.""I have the DNA report. I hav
Caius's hand moved slowly to the gun at his waist.The metal was cold and unforgiving."Caius!" The Madre cried out in terror. "What are you doing?""What I should have done a long time ago."His voice was terrifyingly calm.Livia saw the movement, and her face went chalk-white."You wouldn't dare! I have evidence on the entire Falcieri family!""You think I care about evidence?" Caius laughed, a dead, hollow sound. "Alessia is gone. There's nothing left to lose."Just then, Tony burst into the room."Don! A convoy of FBI vehicles is approaching the estate!"Caius's hand froze.He looked at Livia's triumphant smirk and slowly withdrew his hand."You've won," he said. "But it won't last.""Take her away," he ordered the guards. "Give her some money and get her the hell out of New York.""And make sure I never see her again."Livia, clutching the child, was escorted out of the estate.Before she left, she looked back at Caius."You'll regret this.""I'm already living with regret," Caius
Meanwhile, I had already bailed out moments before the plane went down, landing safely in a whole new world.Night was falling over Antwerp's diamond district.I sat in my new studio, holding a flawless blue diamond."Lady Ares," my assistant, Henri, came in. "Your first piece is complete."He set down an exquisite jewelry box.Inside lay a platinum necklace with a pendant in the shape of a phoenix with its wings spread wide.It was crafted from the very rubies I had taken from the Falcieri estate."Excellent," I said, stroking the necklace. "Reborn from the ashes.""Also," Henri handed me a check, "a collector in London is very interested in your designs. This is the deposit."One million euros.My new identity, my new career—they were thriving. I fused the ancient techniques of my grandmother with modern precision, creating pieces the world had never seen.In my hands, every diamond was given new life; every piece told a story of freedom regained.Henri hesitated for a moment."Ma'am
Caius shot out of his chair, the sound he made less a word than a roar. "What the hell did you say?"He lunged at Tony, grabbing him by the collar."You're lying!"The bodyguard trembled. "We just got the call from ATC. Alessia's plane went down over the mountains. Hit severe turbulence... they said the fuselage just disintegrated. Search and rescue is heading out, but the crash site is in rugged terrain. Sir... the plane fell from three thousand feet. There's almost no chance of survival."Caius's grip went slack, and he collapsed back into his chair.The world spun, his vision tunneling to black. "No… Alessia!"It was his fault.He had let her go alone.On her birthday.He scrambled to his feet and bolted for the door."Caius!" The Madre rushed in, Livia trailing behind her. "You can't leave! This is obviously a plot by a rival family!""Don't you dare go! This is her own damn fault. Running off alone. What do you expect from a soldier's daughter? All steel, no sense. A woman running
Livia slowly took Caius's hand and pressed it gently against her swollen abdomen."Feel that.""Our little one just gave me a kick. I wonder if he's unhappy about something."Caius's eyes widened, his whole body tensing with excitement. "He's moving! My son, he's responding to me!""Our future Don h
The next morning, before the sun had fully bathed the estate in light, I heard a sharp knock on my door."The Madre requests your presence in the living room. Immediately," a guard said, his tone leaving no room for refusal.I had just stepped out of the shower, my hair still dripping.But the matri
The silence of the night shattered—a frantic pounding on the door, a guard's deep shout."Don! It's an emergency!"Livia's name cut through the commotion.Caius shot up from the bed."What is it?" He threw on a shirt and yanked open the heavy oak door."It's Livia, Don!" The guard's voice was tight
At the grand Falcieri Derby, my husband Caius held his brother’s widow, Livia, nestled against him. Her swollen belly carried the heir he was commanded to give her—the product of nights spent in her bed, not mine.The air was thick with the scent of leather and whiskey. A few of Caius's men stood a






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