Lyyana looked at Petra with a smile on her face. "Why stay silent? Answer, Lyyana?""I'm confused about which question to answer first," Lyyana replied with a smile.Petra squirmed, hiding in Lyyana's flat stomach as he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "Can I be selfish? I just want to hear a yes."Lyyana chuckled, "Maybe I used to enjoy being friends with you because I didn't know who you were. But now, I feel like I don't deserve to stand by your side anymore, Petra.""Who says that?" Petra tightened his embrace."You're a successful, wealthy man, while me? I'm an unemployed woman who almost became an entertainer."Petra shook his head in his embrace. "I don't care about your wealth or status. I'm comfortable and happy around you. Please don't leave me, no matter what happens." Petra lifted his head and looked at Lyyana hopefully.
"Anything, I'm in. As long as it's made by you and..." Petra paused and distanced herself from Lyyana, gazing at her intensely and saying, "accompanied by you."Upon hearing Petra's words, Lyyana's cheeks flushed instantly. To cover her embarrassment, Lyyana gently patted Petra's shoulder and said, "Petra!""Dad, let's go‼ We'll be late for noon!" Garret diverted Petra and Lyyana's attention.They smiled and turned towards Garret, who was already waiting with a sulky expression. "Yeah, let's go." Petra then turned to Lyyana, smiling at the woman who had managed to bring her back to her usual self. "Shall we leave?""Just a moment," the woman said as she got up from the bed and headed towards the bathroom. Shortly after, Petra and Garret heard the sound of running water. And within minutes, the bathroom door opened again, revealing Lyyana with a wet face, looking fresher than before. "Let's go!""Mom coming?" Lyyana shook her head in response to Garret's question. "Then?""Mom will dro
Lyyana began to look panicked, afraid that a villain might enter the house. She reached for anything nearby. Her slender fingers managed to grasp the kitchen knife right next to her left side. She grabbed it and aimed it towards the hand covering her eyes."Whoa! Relax, darling! It's me!" the man exclaimed as he removed his hand covering Lyyana's eyes.Lyyana turned her body to see the figure of the man standing right in front of her. "Petra!" Lyyana exclaimed, reflexively tapping Petra's arm softly as she wiped the tears that had wet her cheeks."Sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry," Petra regretted, helping Lyyana wipe her tears. "I saw you so focused on cooking earlier, and because I was feeling playful, I intended to tease you. I didn't expect you to be that scared. I'm sorry... forgive me."Lyyana lowered her head, making Petra feel even more guilty and uneasy. He only meant to surprise Lyyana; there was no intention to frighten her. "Sorry, I guess I went too far with my joke,"
"From the smell and appearance, it definitely is," Petra replied on behalf of Garret, who only nodded in agreement to Petra's words.Lyyana smiled, silently expressing her gratitude. They began to enjoy their meal with cheerful and happy faces. This breakfast felt more enjoyable because Garret kept chatting about his morning adventures. He talked about meeting farms, plantations, and people who were friendly to him and Petra."Garret is really happy, Mom! Dad, can we go out again tomorrow?" Garret requested with his mouth full."Sweetheart, finish chewing first," Lyyana cleaned up the rice that fell as Garret spoke.They truly looked like a happy little family. Lyyana and Petra seemed to genuinely cherish Garret, and Garret was happy to receive their love. He no longer needed to throw tantrums or create trouble just to get Petra's attention; now he had it all."After this, Garret will take a bath with Dad, okay?" Lyyana asked as she tidied up the dirty plates."Yes, Mom," Garret repli
"What does it mean that we failed?" Lyyana asked, standing behind Petra's chair.Robert, Olive, and Petra looked at Lyyana with indescribable expressions. "Sit down, Lyyana," Olive said weakly.With a sigh, Lyyana sat on one of the sofas from her standing position, able to gaze at Petra, Robert, and Olive simultaneously. She looked at each of their tense faces, and asked, "So what actually happened?"Robert and Petra exchanged glances upon hearing Lyyana's question, while Olive chose to remain silent, bowing her head deeply. "Did we fail?" Lyyana continued, trying to guess what might have happened."We..." Robert paused, staring intently at Lyyana."Succeeded," Petra interrupted eagerly, unable to hold back the truth any longer.Lyyana furrowed her brow, looking at Petra and Robert alternately as if seeking confirmation from Robert regarding Petra's statement
"Hahaha, I was just kidding. I already knew, you know. Oh, by the way, when are we heading home?" Robert asked, diverting Petra's attention from their earlier intense conversation."We're planning to leave tomorrow morning, how's that?" Petra replied, seeking approval from the others.Robert glanced at Olive, seeking an answer from his wife. Olive seemed to ponder for a moment, then nodded with a smile. "We agree," Robert said, nodding in agreement, indicating his approval of Petra's plan."Oh, to celebrate our success and our company's collaboration, how about we have lunch out this afternoon?" Olive suggested with a happy smile on her face.Initially, Lyyana wanted to refuse, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Especially when she saw Olive's joyful expression and remembered their sacrifices to save her and Laura. "Lyyana, just come along, Auntie."Upon hearing Lyyana's response, Robert and Olive turned to Petra for her decision. Petra fell silent, glancing at Lyyana, who simp
"Alright.""Is there anything else I can assist you with, sir?" she offered politely.Robert and the others shook their heads simultaneously. "If you have any questions, you can press this button, and my colleague will come to assist you. Excuse me," she said, nodding her head and moving away from Robert's table.Robert then handed the phone to Olive so that she could input the food they wanted to order. Olive looked serious as she examined the menu list on her phone, and Lyyana accessed the menu there too. She discussed with Petra what he would like to eat."Anything, I'll eat whatever you think is good," Petra replied, still playing with his phone.Lyyana pouted, Petra and Garret always followed Lyyana's choices, even though Lyyana didn't know exactly what kind of food they liked. "Laura, what do you want to order?" Olive asked, looking at Laura, who was looking at the menu on
Laura looked silent, all eyes staring at her, asking for an explanation of what she had said earlier. "What's wrong, Laura?" Lyyana repeated once again, still curious about her sister's intentions in their conversation.Laura shook her head with her head bowed, "no, it's nothing. Just forget it.""Really?" Lyyana asked, making sure of her sister's answer.Laura nodded. "So, what's the decision, Laura?" Olive asked, steering the conversation back to its original topic."Laura will continue school." Lyyana and the others smiled happily to hear Laura's wise decision.Lyyana actually knew what Laura meant earlier; she just wanted to encourage her sister to express her opinion, but unfortunately, her sister was still too afraid to do so. "Well then, let us find the best school for you, Laura.""Uncle, can I ask for something?" Laura asked cautiously."Of course, go ahead. Don't hesitate."Laura glanced at Olive and Robert alternately and then said, "I want to go to school and live near my