Lahat ng Kabanata ng LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN: Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

Aurelia shot to her feet.Her body felt hot despite the cool air drifting from the restaurant's ventilation system. Her cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and irritation as she stared wide-eyed at the man sitting across from her."I'm sorry, but I'm married. And I don't think it's appropriate for me to hear something like that," she said, her voice trembling but firm.A few people at nearby tables glanced their way, making her even more uncomfortable.She lowered her gaze briefly and took a deep breath to calm herself.Meanwhile, Baskara let out a soft chuckle.His expression remained calm, as though he found her reaction amusing."Hey, don't get the wrong idea. That's not what I meant. I was joking," he said, raising both hands in surrender. "When I said you were interesting, I wasn't talking about you personally. I just realized you might be the perfect temporary assistant."Aurelia frowned."An assistant?"

"Mom..." Gian drew a breath. "Why? Why are you asking me that?""I heard Devina came to your office. Around lunchtime," his mother replied calmly.Gian blinked.So the news had already reached her.He rubbed the bridge of his nose, recalling Devina's gaze in his office. Calm. Certain. Direct.Divorce Aurelia.She had said it without hesitation.And he had refused without hesitation."Yes, she came," Gian finally admitted. "Without an appointment. She brought lunch and invited me to eat with her. We only talked for a little while.""A little while?" Mrs. Lestari raised an eyebrow. "And... did she ask for anything?"Gian suppressed a sigh."She wanted me to divorce Aurelia."His voice was low but firm."I told her I never would."A flicker of relief crossed his mother's face, though it didn't last long."Good. But there's still something I need to know, Gian."Mrs. Lestari stepped forward and took a seat."When the past comes knocking, even the most honest person is tested by how they c

Morning arrived in Melbourne wrapped in golden sunlight filtering through the thin curtains of Aurelia's dorm room. The air was still bitterly cold despite the rising sun.Aurelia opened her eyes, her eyelids still heavy with sleep.She slowly sat up, giving her body time to adjust. Rubbing her face, she reached toward the nightstand and grabbed the glass of water she had prepared the night before. She drank it slowly, savoring the coolness that soothed her dry throat.The moment her gaze fell on her phone screen, she remembered something.The message she had put off reading the night before.With a sluggish motion, she unlocked her phone.Sure enough, there was a message from Gian.[Sorry. I just finished. Are you already asleep?]Aurelia stared at the message without much expression.Her heart had become numb to apologies that came too often without any real change behind them.Her lips moved sl

“Good morning, Mr. Baskara,” one of the men greeted, shaking his hand warmly.“Good morning, Mr. Carter. It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Baskara replied fluently, a professional smile settling on his face.Aurelia rose as well and gave a polite nod. Her hands trembled slightly as she jotted down the introductions being exchanged around the table.Baskara leaned closer and whispered near her ear, “Hey, you’re not actually writing down all our small talk, are you?”She winced and shook her head.The comment nearly made her knees buckle, but somehow it also gave her the push she needed to keep going.The meeting began.Baskara walked the clients through several key points of the project, speaking smooth, confident English. Aurelia diligently took notes, though she occasionally struggled to keep up.“Could you elaborate on the budget allocation?” Mr. Carter asked firmly

The fine dining restaurant finally fell quiet after the clients excused themselves and left. The long table, lined with crystal glasses and porcelain plates, still carried the lingering aroma of black coffee. Aurelia remained seated, her shoulders stiff, her fingers gripping the edge of her notebook so tightly that the cover was nearly crumpled.It felt as though she still couldn't breathe freely in that room.Baskara slowly rotated his coffee cup before looking at her. A faint smile crossed his face, but his gaze was far too sharp to be considered casual.“There’s no such thing as coincidence, Lia.”Aurelia immediately turned toward him. Her eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat.“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice rising despite her efforts to stay calm.Baskara leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together on the table. His confident smile never faded.“There’s no way I would choose a private tutor for my daughter without knowing her background. Is that a