Zavier was silent for a moment then a moment later, he replied, “let's talk about it later after I've made it. The cost of going abroad is not small. Right now, Abraham's company is-”
“Mama, I'm done.” Fernando got up from his chair without intending to wait for his father to finish his sentence.
Zavier put down his spoon angrily and both eyes followed Fernando's small trot back to his room.
The food on Fernando's plate still looked quite plentiful.
“That kid! Did you teach him any manners?”
In response to Zavier's words, Sefia only snorted, “I did. It's you who didn't teach him how to respect you.”
Sefia ended her meal by standing up, picking up her plate and heading to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Lately, Zavier's finances had been somewhat strained to normalize the condition of his stocks so Zavier had beg
Kayla's words were actually more about protecting herself and her own future. There was no benefit for her if Zavier got back together with Nayla. He might just get kicked out of the mansion.Sefia finally nodded in agreement, although her heart still felt uncomfortable. “Alright, Kayla. What's our plan?”“I can't possibly get pregnant once again from Bayu because Zavier never touched me at all. He was even suspicious of all the drinks I served so he never tasted them again. He doesn't want to get drunk and feel guilty again.”Sefia spoke listlessly and desperately.Kayla grinned. “We need to find out more about Nayla. We need information that we can use to damage her reputation. I have some contacts in the online media world who might be able to help us.”Sefia perked up again at Kayla's words. “Yes?”Kayla nod
At first she thought this might have been done by Zavier as part of a plan to exclude her from the tender next Monday, but suddenly a name flashed through her mind.“Kayla!” she exclaimed frantically.Meanwhile, Zavier was also starting to get annoyed with the news. He knew Nayla couldn't have done the things she was accused of. His curiosity and worry about Nayla were getting the better of him.He could already smell who was behind the spread of these old photos.Her guess was Kayla, her stepmother. However, that woman could not have acted alone. Zavier hoped to find out the person who had been working with his stepmother all this time by pretending not to care about the rumors surrounding Nayla.Sefia too, despite feeling guilty, pretended to know nothing about the rumors. She hoped that with this scandal, Zavier would move away from Nayla and refocus on her.
Zavier looked at his stepmother with deep disappointment. “I've always been responsible for Sefia, and it's none of your business because you're not my biological mother! But I can't let this injustice happen. I will take care of everything, and I hope you can understand.”With that, Zavier left the house, leaving Sefia and Kayla in confusion. Sefia felt her heart breaking, while Kayla could only stare at her stepson's departure with mixed feelings. Her devious plan had been uncovered, and now she had to face the consequences of her actions.Kayla had never felt so vulnerable. Anger and humiliation overcame her after the confrontation with Zavier. She couldn't let her stepson defend Nayla, she hated Nayla from the start. For her, this was a matter of pride and family. She had to take further action.Sefia sat in her room, brooding over what had just happened. She felt guilty for her role in spreading the rumo
The next day, an article appeared on one of the major news sites. The article revealed that all the allegations against Nayla were untrue and that there was a conspiracy to bring her down. Kayla's name was mentioned as the mastermind, along with several other influential figures.Kayla was shocked and angry when she read the article. She knew that Zavier was behind all of this. With her reputation ruined, she felt helpless and angry at her stepdaughter.Sefia felt even more depressed. She knew that Zavier probably wouldn't forgive her. She tried to contact Zavier to talk, but he refused to answer his phone.With Nayla's reputation restored, her career began to revive. She thanked Zavier for his support, even though they were not back together. Nayla knew that Zavier had risked a lot to help her, and she felt indebted to him.Kayla wasn't done yet. Even though her reputation was damaged, she still had
On the other hand, Kayla was satisfied to see the results of her plan. She was sure that this time, Nayla would not be able to rise again. However, she did not realize that Zavier was planning something to stop her stepmother once and for all.Zavier contacted some of his friends in the legal world and the media to gather evidence that could be used against Kayla. He knows that this move is very risky, but he can't let the scheming woman continue to ruin Nayla's life.Zavier invited Kayla and Sefia to talk at their home. When they had all gathered, Zavier began to speak in a serious voice.“Kayla, Sefia, I know that you two are behind all the fake news about Nayla,” Zavier said firmly.Kayla tried to deny it with a chuckle. “Zavier, you're wrong. We didn't do anything this time. Can't Mando investigate for you?”Zavier shook his head. “Don't lie anym
Kayla had never felt this fragile. Anger and humiliation overcame her after the confrontation with Zavier. She could not let her stepson defend Nayla.To her, this was a matter of pride and family. He had to take further action.“You will never step foot in my house again!” Zavier exclaimed and walked out of the courtroom with steady steps.Kayla sat limply in the defendant's seat, hearing all that. Especially seeing Zavier pulling Nayla's hand to leave the courtroom which returned to silence after it was all over.Zavier pulled Nayla into a quiet room. Michael wanted to follow them, but Mando and Cahyo kept blocking his way.“They only spoke for a moment. Give them some space,” Mando said firmly, causing Michael to let out a long sigh and decide to wait.Inside one of the rooms in the courthouse, Zavier held Nayla with one hand agains
Nayla was surprised, but tried to normalize her feelings, “No. He doesn't look like you at all. He doesn't look like you at all.”“Then why don't you and Michael live together?”“It's a private matter. You have no right to interfere too much.” Nayla was about to stand up after her harsh words, but Zavier quickly held her back.“I thought we were here to talk about the tender?” Nayla stared at Zavier with clear, perfectly rounded eyes.“Let go of your hand, Zavier. Mind your manners!” she exclaimed, starting to feel agitated.“Or are you going to slap me again? It still hurts.”Zavier smiled slightly and immediately pulled Nayla into a hug, “I just missed you. Let me hold you for a while.”Nayla froze, she felt confused because she could not lie to herself
“So we will compete fairly?” asked Zavier as he followed Nayla out of the room.“Yes, I will show you my skills. Promise to abide by my rules when I win.”Ting!The list opened and Nayla stepped into it followed by Zavier.As the elevator doors closed, Zavier brought his lips to Nayla's ear, “I will obey.”His whisper gave Nayla goosebumps and was slightly amused. However, the pounding in her heart made her unable to focus properly.“Aah, we're here,” she said awkwardly.When the elevator doors opened, Michael was already waiting in front of the elevator. His brow furrowed at the sight of Nayla's company in the same elevator.“I-I, we met downstairs earlier,” Nayla greeted him awkwardly and quickly got out of the elevator.“Those li
***Happy ending***Zavier smiled coldly, his gaze calculating. “They conspired,” he replied in a low but firm tone. “They stole Nayla's identity and made my wife suffer through memory loss. They played with her life, erasing the precious memories we once had. If they think they can get away with it, they're sadly mistaken.”His assistant remained calm on the other end of the line, waiting for further instructions. “What is your plan, sir?”Zavier stared far ahead, his eyes filled with determination. “Reclaim her face,” he said meaningfully, ”and let the fake forget her memory. Make her feel what Nayla experienced. If they dare to take my wife's life, then I will take back what they stole. The face they created, the memories they formed... let it all crumble and perish.”His assistant nodded on the other end of the line, understanding what Zavier meant. “Yes, sir. I will arrange everything.
Sefia gasped and turned her head quickly, her eyes showing obvious shock. “Oh, Zavier... I just... had some sudden business,” she stammered. “You don't need to worry. It's just a short meeting.”However, Zavier did not simply believe her. There was something in the woman's demeanor that made him suspicious, and his desire to find out more surfaced strongly.Without saying anything else, he let Sefia go first, but not long after, Zavier got into his car and started following behind.Zavier kept his distance, making sure that Sefia did not notice his presence. He drove slowly, following Sefia's car carefully. Every turn the woman took further emphasized Zavier's suspicions. “What is she really hiding?” he muttered to himself.“She doesn't look like the Nayla that belongs to me, her eyes, her voice are different, and her height. Why did I never realize that?&rdq
“Sara, a-I'll give you an extra fee... for... for what happened last night.”Hearing that, Sara's eyes rounded and a pile of tears began to gather rapidly.Those words pierced Sara's heart. It was as if everything that happened between them was just a transaction, not something that had meaning.Her face that had been full of love turned into unbearable anger. “Pay?” she snarled in a sharp voice, her eyes looking at Bram with disappointment.“So, you think I'm just a servant who can be bought? What happened last night is just something you can pay me to erase?”Bram was silent, not expecting Sara's reaction to be that harsh. He opened his mouth, trying to find words to defuse the situation, but Sara continued before he could speak.“I'm not something you can bargain with, honorable Mr. Bram! Whatever happened last nig
His ears seemed to be deaf to the words Sara threw out. To him, in that drunken state, Sara was Nayla coming back to him, and this was a chance to embrace the woman he had been longing for.“Don't leave again, Nayla... please...” she whispered desperately, holding Sara's body on the bed. Tearing off the clothes she was wearing and starting to nuzzle Sara's slender neck.Sara tried to push Bram away, trying to snap him out of his drunken stupor. “Mr. Bram, this is not Nayla! You're drunk! Let go of me!” she said in a loud and trembling voice. However, her efforts were not strong enough to sober Bram up.Feelings of fear and confusion mixed in Sara's mind. She knew that this man was obsessed with Nayla, but she never expected to be in this situation.In a last ditch effort, she gathered all the strength she had and managed to break free from Bram's grip, roll off the bed, and escape out of the room as quickly as possible, leaving Bra
Nadia's face-or Nayla, as it often crossed his mind-was so similar to the one he remembered as the wife he loved. Not just in terms of physical appearance, but also in the way she spoke, her gentle smile, and the way she looked at Zavier as if recognizing the deepest part of his soul. Every glance, every body movement, felt like an inexplicable déjà vu.Her lips and her kiss.However, the woman now in his home-who he had always believed to be Nayla-felt different.It was as if something was missing, something unseen but felt. Her gaze was empty and distant, her touch no longer providing the warmth they once shared.“Have I been blinded by my desperation to get my wife back? Is that woman really Nayla?” Zavier thought.Zavier clasped his head with both hands, trying to calm the turmoil of his feelings. If this Nadia was the real Nayla, then who was the wo
Zavier immediately turned to Nayla, who was now sitting upright on the sofa with her hair tousled and her eyes half open. He knew that the situation could get ugly if he didn't get things under control soon.“Nayla, calm down,” he said in a soothing tone on his cell phone. “I'm helping someone who needs help. There's nothing for you to worry about.”However, those words were not enough to calm Sefia down. “Helping someone? In the middle of the night like this? And that woman's voice, why is she with you?” Sefia was getting more and more agitated, her voice portraying a burning anger and jealousy.Zavier let out a long breath, realizing that a simple explanation would not be enough to ease the anger of the woman who claimed to be his wife.“Nadia is facing a complicated situation, and I can't just leave her. Believe me, I didn't do anything wrong,” she r
Zavier looked at her deeply, as if trying to find the answer behind Nadia's eyes. “Maybe there's something in you that's more than just a similar face to Nayla. Maybe, somehow, we once had more of a connection than we realized.”“Or... are you the real Nayla?” asked Zavier, but the question was more to himself as Nadia just looked at him with a sad face.They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the warmth that still remained from that moment. Although there was a lot of confusion and questions still hanging in the air, both of them felt a strange but real bond, as if fate had brought them back together after a long time apart.The rain began to fall heavily outside, droplets soaking the windows and a soft, soothing rhythm could be heard.Zavier looked out for a moment before turning back to Nayla. Without saying much, he led her to the living room. They walked slowly, feeling the silence filled only by the sound of the rain drippi
Zavier took another step towards Nayla and said, “You rest inside and I'll take Joen home first. After that, I'll come and bring some food for you, okay?”Nayla nodded obediently and gave a warm smile and waved goodbye to Joen.They got back into the car, and Zavier drove Joen home.Along the way, his mind was spinning, thinking of the steps to take. Who exactly was the woman he brought to the empty house? Was she really the real Nayla, or just the result of Bram's crazy obsession with creating a clone?The questions kept swirling in his mind, and Zavier knew that the answers he would find might change everything.After ensuring Joen's safe return, Zavier quickly returned to the empty house. He had to talk to the woman, find out who she really was, and what was really going on. In his heart, Zavier hoped that the truth, no matter how hard it was, would come out so that everyone involved could find the peace that had been taken from thei
Having run out of steam to vent his anger, Bram shuffled towards his room. The door slammed loudly behind him, signaling that he didn't want to be disturbed.Sara stood at the door, while several servants began to organize to clean up the broken glass scattered in the living room.Moments later, there was the sound of a bottle being opened and the smell of alcohol spreading from behind the door. Bram took a rough swig of liquor, trying to shake off the deep frustration and emptiness.He felt like he had done everything-transforming Sefia into Nayla's likeness, and thinking he could slowly possess Nayla-but in reality, the real Nayla still eluded him.In that dark room, Bram felt completely defeated. No matter how much he tried to control the situation, reality always made him feel like he was chasing a shadow that he could never reach.The man occasionally shouted, startling Sara. However, the woman remained faithful and behind the door of the room