LOGINHow far would you go to repay the so-called debt of gratitude your family demands of you? Ever since she found out she wasn’t the real daughter of the Lopez family, her life changed. She is Eloise Jane—the girl everyone believed to be the one and only true daughter of the Lopezes. But once the truth was revealed, she was cast aside. And to repay the Lopez family's care for her all those years, she’s forced to marry a wealthy man. Cozmo Dominguez—the sole heir of the richest family in the city. Yet despite all he has, there’s one thing he cannot do—walk. Will Jane be able to help him? Or will he ever learn to accept Jane into his life?
View MoreMalam sudah larut, pukul sepuluh malam, Chu Nan baru saja keluar dari kantornya.
Dia menatap ke atas, melihat langit yang gelap pekat dan mobil-mobil di sekitarnya. Jalanan yang terang benderang namun sepi, suasana itu semakin membuatnya merasa tertekan. Ekspresinya menunjukkan senyum yang seakan-akan tidak tulus, penuh keputusasaan dan kesedihan. Kota Huacheng, meskipun tidak sebanding dengan Kota Modu, tingkat konsumsi dan harga barang di sini hampir tidak ada bedanya. Di kota besar seperti ini, seseorang merasa begitu kecil, seperti semut yang berjuang sekuat tenaga untuk bertahan hidup di tengah tekanan kota ini. Tak berdaya dan penuh keputusasaan. Saat kuliah dulu, dia punya harapan indah tentang dunia, dan yakin bisa menunjukkan kemampuannya di kota ini, mewujudkan impian-impian besarnya. Namun kenyataan keras di dunia kerja menghancurkan semangat itu. Aturan di universitas dan dunia nyata sangat berbeda. Begitu masuk dunia kerja, Chu Nan bukan lagi seorang pahlawan, seperti yang dia rasakan saat menjadi siswa populer yang dikejar-kejar oleh para gadis di kampus. Namun sekarang, di kota Huacheng ini, dia hanya bisa bertahan hidup dengan susah payah. Tanpa latar belakang, tanpa uang, tanpa status, bahkan jika dia sangat berbakat, untuk bangkit kembali hampir mustahil. Beberapa orang lahir sebagai anak orang kaya, sudah berada di posisi puncak yang dianggap titik akhir bagi orang biasa. Namun titik akhir mereka justru menjadi titik awal bagi orang lain. Artinya, tanpa latar belakang, kekuatan, atau status, di kota ini, seseorang bahkan tidak lebih baik dari hewan peliharaan keluarga orang kaya. Ding-ling-ling— Tiba-tiba, bunyi telepon menggema. Melihat nama bos yang tertera di layar, Chu Nan tersenyum kecut. Setelah mengangkat telepon, sepertinya bahkan air liur dari bosnya bisa terdengar. "Chu Nan, proposal yang sudah kuberikan padamu harus selesai! Segera! Besok harus sudah ada laporan untukku!" "Jika investor kali ini masih tidak puas, kamu tahu akibatnya! Kalau tidak bisa, kamu bisa keluar!" Setelah memberikan perintah, telepon langsung dimatikan. Punggung Chu Nan yang sepi dan sendirian itu seakan mencerminkan keadaan banyak orang di zaman ini, tertekan oleh pekerjaan, khawatir tentang kehidupan. Saat ini, dia merasa seperti anjing liar yang kehilangan semangat hidup, duduk lemas di halte bus menunggu datangnya bus. Wajahnya terlihat murung, atau lebih tepatnya hatinya sudah mati rasa, terbiasa dengan kenyataan ini, mungkin begitulah hidup. Tanpa latar belakang, tanpa kekuatan, memang sudah seharusnya seperti ini. Orang tuanya sudah pensiun. Dia yang harus menanggung hidup keluarga. Setiap kali orang tuanya menelpon, dia selalu berusaha menunjukkan bahwa dia baik-baik saja, tidak ingin mereka khawatir. Namun, kenyataannya, dia sudah terlalu tertekan oleh kota ini. Orang tuanya pun sering menanyakan kapan dia akan punya pacar, berharap dia bisa segera menikah dan memberi mereka cucu. Tentunya, Chu Nan selalu hanya bisa menjawab dengan seadanya. Dengan gaji yang dia peroleh, untuk membeli rumah di Huacheng, bahkan hanya untuk uang muka saja, dibutuhkan sekitar tujuh ratus ribu yuan, yang berarti dia harus bekerja keras selama puluhan tahun. Meskipun keluarganya masih punya sedikit tabungan, itu juga tidak cukup. Setidaknya dia harus berjuang tujuh atau delapan tahun lagi. Kota ini memang kejam. Tujuh ratus ribu hanya cukup untuk uang muka rumah kecil di pinggiran kota. "Hidup seperti ini bukan yang kita inginkan." "Apakah aku harus menguras tabungan terakhir orang tuaku untuk hidup seperti ini?" Chu Nan tidak terima. Hidup seperti ini bukan yang dia impikan, tapi dia tak punya pilihan, karena mungkin ada orang yang nasibnya sudah ditentukan sejak lahir. Jika dia tidak bisa menyelesaikan proposal dengan baik, dia bisa kehilangan pekerjaan, dan saat itu, dia akan semakin terpuruk. Masyarakat memang kejam. Memang benar bahwa setiap usaha akan ada balasannya, namun kadang-kadang usaha itu tidak sebanding dengan hasilnya, dan itu yang paling membuat orang putus asa. DUM— Petir menggelegar, kilat menyambar langit, seolah-olah siang tiba seketika. Sekejap. Hujan deras mengguyur seperti air terjun. Di malam itu, Chu Nan melihat melalui jendela. Hujan yang turun seperti peluru besar semakin mencerminkan suasana hatinya. Orang-orang yang lewat berlarian terburu-buru, mencoba melindungi diri dengan tas kerja dan pakaian mereka. Hati mereka merasakan keputusasaan yang sama dengan Chu Nan. Kadang-kadang hidup memang terasa begitu tak berdaya. --- Setelah sampai di rumah, Chu Nan merasa lelah dan langsung terjatuh ke sofa. Seharian bekerja keras, dia ingin sekali mandi dan tidur dengan nyaman. Namun, itu jelas mustahil. Karena proposal yang harus diselesaikan, dia tidak bisa beristirahat. Jika proposal itu tidak memuaskan, maka pekerjaan ini bisa saja berakhir. Dia menghela napas, membuka laptopnya, meneguk air yang ada di meja, dan kemudian menyesali nasibnya. Namun, sebelum bisa mulai kembali mengerjakan proposalnya, sebuah suara tiba-tiba terdengar. “Ding! Sistem Check-In Dewa berhasil diaktifkan, sedang mengikat host, pengikatan berhasil!” Suara mekanis ini mengganggu pikirannya. Chu Nan terdiam sejenak, bingung melihat sekeliling ruangan, seakan mencari sumber suara. Tak lama, sebuah layar muncul di benaknya, hanya bisa dilihat oleh dirinya sendiri. Host: Chu Nan Tinggi: 180 CM Berat: 55 KG Tabungan: 31,500 yuan Transportasi: Tidak ada Properti Pribadi: Tidak ada Status Perkawinan: Belum menikah Keahlian Khusus: Tidak ada Barang di Gudang: Tidak ada Penilaian Komprehensif: Anda hanyalah seekor semut di kota ini, anak muda, ubahlah takdirmu dengan memulai perjalanan Check-In Dewa yang menakjubkan! Chu Nan menatap layar dengan bingung. Tampaknya ada suara yang mengingatkannya untuk melakukan check-in. Napaknya mulai terengah-engah, wajahnya menunjukkan kegembiraan. Sebagai penggemar web novel, dia sangat tahu apa itu sistem. Pikiran tentang proposal yang harus dia buat langsung terabaikan. Lidahnya terasa kering, dia menelan ludah dan akhirnya tidak bisa menahan diri untuk melakukan check-in. “Ding! Selamat, host berhasil melakukan check-in, mendapatkan satu vila di puncak gunung di Sky Garden!” “Silakan ambil vila tersebut dalam waktu tiga hari.” Sky Garden! Vila di puncak gunung! Chu Nan tertegun, terpaku di sofa, otaknya kosong sejenak. Sky Garden adalah sebuah kompleks perumahan yang penghuninya adalah orang-orang kaya, harga rumah di sana mencapai dua belas ribu yuan per meter persegi. Orang biasa bahkan mungkin seumur hidup tidak mampu membeli satu kamar mandi di sana. Namun vila di puncak gunung itu bahkan lebih mencengangkan, satu vila bisa mencapai lebih dari seratus juta yuan. Hanya dengan melakukan check-in, Chu Nan mendapatkan hadiah yang luar biasa ini! Hadiah yang datang tiba-tiba ini terasa tidak nyata. Apakah ini mimpi? “Surat-surat properti dan bukti terkait telah disimpan di gudang, host dapat mengambil dan memeriksa sendiri.” Sistem kembali memberikan pengingat yang ramah. Dengan sekali gerakan pikiran, sebuah ruang penyimpanan kecil muncul di benak Chu Nan, dan setelah mengeluarkan surat-surat properti dan bukti terkait, dia memeriksanya dan tidak bisa menahan diri untuk tertawa terbahak-bahak!In the end, they were still family, and he thought carefully about everything that had happened. If not for Sofia, they might never have had such a deep and honest conversation.For a man with one foot already in the grave, the picture of an ideal family was one filled with peace, harmony, and stability.The death of his eldest son had been a devastating blow, and now Cosmo losing the use of both legs in the car accident was another cruel strike. If Sofia’s deeds were to be exposed, what would happen to his second son Cris, and to Tania? At his age, he no longer had the strength to face such trials. Everything had to be handled quietly, no matter what.It seemed only right to bury Sofia’s actions, but that would never be fair to Cosmo. He had survived with hope, only to have his life ruined.The old man was torn and conflicted. Gabriel, however, offered a solution: all of his parents’ shares in the Dominguez Group should be transferred to Cosmo. He also thought it best to send himself
The plan back then had been carefully laid out, but people were never as flawless as the plans of heaven. Cosmo’s life was strong. He survived the accident, even though his legs were ruined. He lived.Who would have thought that Sofia, the quiet, gentle housewife who never seemed to have enemies or even a single worry, was the mastermind behind the car accident?Cosmo’s father had long passed away, and if the truth about Sofia’s past were to be revealed, it would not only damage the family’s reputation but also erupt into a major scandal for the entire Dominguez clan.Sofia admitted she was the one behind it all, but how was Cosmo supposed to deal with that? He had no immediate answer.The dead should no longer be disturbed. The living, like Tania and Cris, should not be dragged into this. But what about the innocent lives that were lost, like Kenneth and his assistant? How could he explain it to them?Cosmo held a full recording of Sofia’s confession, and though Eloise wasn’t physica
Cosmo and Kevin spoke for two hours. From being aggressive at first, Kevin eventually ended up holding his head in pain and regret.Eloise had been waiting outside for a while. When she saw Cosmo come out, she rushed to meet him. “You took so long!” she complained.She thought their conversation wouldn’t even last an hour, but it stretched to two. Kevin must have shared a lot. It wasn’t often that Kevin could talk to someone who actually knew Kenneth and was willing to listen to stories about him, things even Eloise herself never knew before.“It takes time to draw out information,” Cosmo said, taking Eloise’s hand.“So, what did you find out?” Eloise pressed.“I need to confirm everything before I tell you,” Cosmo replied. Then he whispered a few words to Francis.Eloise caught some times and places mentioned, it was probably important.When they left the precinct, Cosmo told Eloise about Kevin, how Kenneth had raised him, and how he ended up in prison.“People who are reckless are e
After ten minutes, Lander returned, the irritation still visible on his face. “Sorry, I didn’t know she was coming,” Lander said apologetically. “I hope you won’t take her words too much to heart.”Eloise answered directly, “Lander, she likes you, and you’re important to her. Of course she’d feel hurt if we keep in contact. If you want to try being with her, then be serious about it. Don’t string her along just to please someone else. You’ll only waste her time, and it hurts more than you think.”She didn’t really have to say it, but she didn’t want Michelle to be the one to end up hurt.Lander froze. He stayed quiet for a few moments before replying, “I know.”They were about the same age, but Eloise carried herself with more maturity and deeper thought. Lander knew deep down that he wasn’t worthy of her.After dinner, Eloise went home. On the way, she passed by a cake shop and, on impulse, bought a few small cakes.The villa was quiet as usual. Teresa greeted her like always and as
When Eloise got out of Lander’s car, the first thing she did was make sure he wasn’t hurt. Once she confirmed he was fine, she finally breathed easier.“Thank you for saving me earlier,” Eloise said sincerely. “It’s nothing, it was just a coincidence,” Lander replied. “But… someone followed you an
As the year drew to a close, Cosmo became even busier. He left early in the morning and returned late at night, which meant Eloise rarely got to spend time with him.On New Year’s Eve, Cosmo finally had some free time. He planned ahead and invited Sasha and Faro to celebrate the New Year with them
Usually, people with disabilities or physical limitations tend to be sensitive. Even a simple glance could make them feel judged.Eloise looked at Cosmo. “If you had the chance, wouldn’t you want to go back to how you were before?” Cosmo didn’t show any anger. Instead, his smile stayed calm. “Of c
After Eloise left, Gabriel immediately lost interest in finishing his drink. Lazily, he walked out of the bar. A few people tried to stop him, but he brushed them off.Once outside, Gabriel headed straight to the Dominguez residence and went to the small building where his parents lived. His father






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