Semua Bab The Discovery of His Obsession: Bab 1 - Bab 10

The door closed behind Leona with a quiet thud, but its echo resonated in the silence of Julian Santiago’s office. He remained standing, watching the empty space where she had been. A faint scent of tropical flowers and damp earth lingered in the sterile, air-conditioned room—a fragrant, wild intrusion from a world he knew nothing about. It was the scent of his new wife.His grandfather, Don Antonio, a man who seemed to command the very air around him, broke the silence. "Is it done?" he asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.Julian turned, his professional mask back in place. He had perfected this mask over years of high-stakes business deals. It was a face of unreadable calm, a shield against emotion. “The contract is signed. The legal team has confirmed everything is in order. We have full access to the land, pending her cooperation with the local government.” He spoke in the clipped, efficient tone of a CEO delivering a quarterly report.Don Antonio leaned back, a flicker of sa

The sound of the helicopter's rotors faded, replaced by the symphony of the jungle—the chirping of cicadas, the distant call of a hornbill, the rustle of leaves. But for Leona, the silence was still deafening. She stood facing Julian Santiago, the man who represented everything she despised, in the very place she had sworn to protect. He was a creature of glass and steel in a world of earth and fire, and his presence was a violation. “You’ve caused enough damage, Mr. Santiago,” she said, her voice low and dangerous, a whisper that still carried the weight of a roar. The thick humidity clung to her skin, but the cold fury that coursed through her veins made her feel numb. “The noise and the downdraft from your helicopter scared off our wildlife and disrupted our work. This is my land.” Julian’s lips thinned into a calm, almost condescending line. He stood tall and unmoving, a perfect statue of corporate power. The air around him seemed to cool, an invisible barrier of professionalism

The silence of the rainforest was no longer broken by the scream of explosions or the roar of a helicopter, but by the rhythmic click of a laptop keyboard and the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind. Two weeks had passed since the incident at the ravine, two weeks of a tense, forced truce that had somehow evolved into a strange, unspoken partnership. Leona Reyes and Julian Santiago were now living in a new, shared reality. The fiery rage that had defined Leona’s every interaction with him had been replaced by a grudging respect. Julian, for his part, had shed the polished veneer of his corporate world, his tailored suits replaced by rugged outdoor gear. He was still a man of logic, but he was slowly learning the language of the jungle. They were now in a small, remote cabin, a makeshift research outpost that Leona’s father had used for his deep-jungle expeditions. It was rustic and smelled of old books and damp earth. Julian sat at a small wooden table, his laptop open, its bright sc

The rain fell in a slow, steady rhythm, a gentle percussion on the nipa roof that filled the silence in the cabin. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and the soft, golden glow of the lantern. Julian’s hand, warm and solid, rested against Leona’s cheek, a simple touch that had somehow ignited a powerful current between them. The hostility, the mistrust, the sharp words—all of it felt a world away. All that existed was the space between them, a space filled with a new, unspoken language of vulnerability.Leona leaned into his palm, her own hands rising to his chest. His heart beat a steady, strong rhythm beneath her fingers. She had spent a lifetime building walls to protect herself and this place, but tonight, under the gentle drumming of the rain, they were crumbling, one by one. The man she had seen as an enemy, a symbol of everything she hated, was now just Julian, a man with a heavy burden and a gentle touch, and she had never felt more seen.Julian leaned down, his eyes