Since realizing that she is part of the Alejandro family clan, Cheryl knows that her life will not be monotonous. Every day there must be new things that surprise and delight. Sometimes it's tense and scary too.
An example of this was today when her father said he was allowed to return to work after their cruise ship pulled over two days after Mateo and Veronica's wedding reception was over. Because they were planning to do a cruise for three days and two nights on his father's luxury ship.
It's been almost two year since her misterious accident, an odd accident that happened after she came home from Diamonique with Veronica, the diamond jewelry company that her mother left when Cheryl turned 21.
Until now, Cheryl didn't know who was behind the mysterious attacks, nor did she know what the purpose of the attack was. All she knows is since that incident, his father has re-hired people to take care of Diamonique and made Cheryl unemployed who have many unimportant events.
Then… now she's back to getting permission to work in her own company, back to a busy life filled with busy schedules and fun things like checking the final design of a shimmering piece of jewelry. Cheryl can't wait!
"You look very happy," Carlos came out of the bathroom and kissed Cheryl's forehead with cold wet lips.
Cheryl looked up, looking at her fiancé with a big smile. Then she stood up and kissed Carlos on both cheeks so that man held her arms in surprise.
"I'm going back to work!" She exclaimed, not caring about Carlos, who was watching her closely.
“You… what?” Carlos walked back and brought Cheryl to sit on the end of the bed.
“I'm going back to work at Diamonique!” Cheryl repeated the pleasant news she just got a moment ago.
"Oh really? That's very good news, Cheryl." Carlos smiled, then hugged Cheryl happily.
“I know. I feel so happy too. For the past two year, I've been wondering how long I'll continue to be unemployed," Cheryl rolled her eyes, "do you think Daddy's going too much?"
"What do you mean?"
“About forbidding me to work,” Cheryl shrugged curtly, “how long will I be restrained like a child? I'm 26 years old, Carlos."
Carlos walked to the closet and began to choose the clothes he would wear. Busy schedule in the morning made him unable to spend too much time listening to Cheryl's chatter even though deep in his heart, he really wanted to stay longer with his girlfriend.
"I don't think there's anything wrong if you start to reduce your busyness, Cheryl."
"What? Why?" Cheryl walked up to Carlos, she reached out and chose a red tie that looked good with Carlos' black shirt. "Looks like this tie suits you." She said.
Carlos accepted the tie chosen by Cheryl and then lowered his head to let Cheryl wear the tie around his neck.
“I feel our time is getting less and less because I am busy with my work. When can we spend time together if you're also busy with Diamonique?”
Cheryl frowned briefly, "I used to work at Diamonique too, but we can still see each other every weekend."
Carlos sighed, "I know how much you like Diamonique, but I hope you don't forget that soon I'll be moving to Seattle to build a new corporate center."
She had heard about Carlos's move to Seattle for a long time, from that man and Mateo and Veronica, who constantly mocked her because she often complained about Carlos being busy.
Carlos's family owns a textile business that supplies fabrics to well-known clothing brands such as Gucci, Versace, and Louis Vuitton. Carlos has two sisters who also work in the same business, but because he is the first child, Carlos inherits the family business. It has been three years since Carlos officially became the head of the highest board of directors, who regulates everything from the production process to distribution. Last year Carlos gave a gift in the form of 5% shares of his company at Cheryl's 25th birthday, so now Cheryl is also included in the ranks of shareholders in the company owned by her fiancé.
"Yes, I know. I've also considered moving the Diamonique production center to Seattle, so we don't have to face the trouble of meeting each other.”
"Wow, really?" Carlos raised an eyebrow.
Cheryl shrugged her shoulders, “Veronica kept shouting taunts for three days when she heard of my plan. But you were the last person to know about it.”
“Why did you make me the last person to know about your plans? Don't you usually always tell me everything?" Carlos's eyes narrowed in disapproval.
"How can I tell you that for the past three days? You've always locked yourself in your room while I'm busy talking to my entire extended family."
Cheryl walked away from Carlos. She chose to sit at the bedside of the hotel room that Carlos had ordered before he returned to his house in two days.
“You know I don't like that crowd, Cheryl. Haven't I told you, I'm not good at dealing with family?"
Cheryl sighed "they will also be your family after we get married." Cheryl squeaked in a low voice.
"Come on, Cheryl. I always try to do whatever you want me to do. However, dealing with family is not something that suits me.” Carlos complained as he walked over to her.
Cheryl didn't make a sound. She knew that Carlos had always tried his best for their relationship. Loyal Carlos, who never protested over any shortcomings she possessed, and Carlos often had to sacrifice to fulfill all her desires.
“Cheryl, you know that I hate to see you cry. So, please wipe away your tears and tell me what to do?”
Cheryl looked up slowly. She just realized that her makeup was starting to run down her face
"I'm not as lucky as you who have a harmonious family. My family is not as good as your family, Cheryl. Please understand."
Cheryl nodded her head curtly. "When are you leaving for Seattle?" She decided to change the topic.
"Maybe two more days. I have to start moving important documents to make the office center of DMG corp. You want to come with me?”
Traveling with Carlos is what Cheryl likes the most because to be honest, she doesn't get many opportunities to spend time with her fiancé. However, two more days was the first day Cheryl could return to work after she had been missing from Dominique for the past year.
"I don't think I can come." She nodded slowly.
"Why? I thought you didn't have any important schedule for the next week, so you could come with me to Seattle." Carlos looked surprised.
"I'm going back to work, Carlos. Did you forget?”
“Can't you just quit your job? You can go back to Dimonique whenever you want, but going to Seattle together isn't a chance we'll ever get again for the next few months.”
Cheryl nodded her head again. Not like before when they were both studying at the same university. She realized since Carlos became the head of the family company and she chose to be busy with Diamonique, they were spending less and less time together.
If Carlos can't leave his job and Cheryl chooses to be selfish by prioritizing her desires, their relationship will be even further apart than they are now.
“Alright, tell me when your private plane leaves. I'll try to come with you."
***
"Nothing's wrong, Mom. I postponed my work schedule because I planned to go to Seattle with Carlos this week.” Cheryl slowly closed her eyes while receiving a gentle massage on the nape of her neck and scalp, while on the other end of the phone, her mother continued to nag after hearing her decision to cancel plans for the next week of work.
“Have you asked Daddy's permission to go to Seattle? If he doesn't give your permission directly, my permission has no effect."
“Would you like to use a hair mask, miss?” A regular salon employee asked in a polite voice.
“Yeah, my hair's been a bit tangled lately. I want to use a honey and olive oil mask.” Cheryl answered before returning to focus on her phone call with her mother.
"I'll call Daddy when I get to Seattle."
"Cheryl, you know Daddy won't like it if you go out on purpose without asking him."
Cheryl nodded briefly even though she knew her mother would not see the nod, “Daddy will never permit if I don't go stealthily. I purposely told Mommy to get support in case Daddy and Mateo scold me,” she grumbled in a voice that was made as spoiled as possible.
"No, Cheryl. Mommy doesn't want to interfere with your problems with Daddy or Mateo. Your seduction doesn't work for me!”
Cheryl pursed her lips. Her title as the spoiled princess of the Alejandro family never works when used to seduce her mother.
“Mom, I'm moving the Diamonique center to Seattle. I'm also getting married to Carlos soon. I'm already 26 years old. How long will I have to be restrained like this? What would the world say if I let my future husband go alone while I prefer work?” She started to complain.
“You talk like a woman who has been married for ten years.” Her mother grumbled.
" I have a plan for my future. I don't want to—"
“You're not going to Seattle until you get Daddy and Mateo's permission. It's Mommy's decision." Her mother said as she hung up the phone.
Cheryl threw her cell phone on the table, making a loud sound.
Even though she is 26 years old, Cheryl is still a princess who can't break her family's rules. Her father was very indulgent and always did whatever he wanted. Still, when it came to Carlos, somehow, her father turned into an antipathetic man who was very difficult to deal with.
And, even though she was engaged to Carlos, Cheryl still couldn't freely travel with him without his father's permission.
Now Cheryl is in a big problem between breaking her promise to Carlos or breaking her father's rules.
What should Cheryl choose for her future life, which she will certainly spend with Carlos?
Cheryl spent her whole life being the spoiled daughter of her father, and Cheryl had spent a dozen years getting to know Carlos before deciding to have a romantic relationship with him.Cheryl will never be able to choose between her father and her fiancé. She couldn't live without Carlos, but she couldn't have made it this far without her father either.In a difficult choice, just as she has often done before, Cheryl prefers to run away and isolate herself for a while. For a moment, she slipped away from the hustle and bustle of her life to enjoy a relaxing time at a suburban restaurant that was not very popular with visitors.A glass of cold wine is available on the table to accompany the dinner. One by one, a piece of steak she had managed to swallow. Every drop of steak sauce that touched her tongue managed to bring Cheryl to a memory of an incident two years ago, when she got a mysterious accident.Rafael.For some reason, the steak sauce that was still on her plate made Cheryl t
“Get out of my room, or I will kick your face!” Cheryl exclaimed as she saw Mateo walking from a distance.“Cheryl,” Carissa turned her head, noticing Cheryl, who looked antipathetic to Mateo's arrival.“Mom, he cracked my hand!” Cheryl was crying again, whining at her mother, so she immediately expelled her eldest son.Everyone panicked when they heard that Cheryl was hospitalized because of her wrist injury. "What? Why am I the one to blame?” Mateo shrugged guiltily. He glanced at Veronica, who was walking beside him—trying to explain to that woman about last night's incident.“You deserve to be blamed, Mateo.” Veronica sarcastically walked towards Cheryl who was lying on a hospital bed with her right hand wrapped in a bandage while her left hand was playing with her cellphone."Cheryl ran and hit me in my stomach. Why are you blaming me instead?" Mateo looked at Veronica, Carissa, and Jackson who were standing around Cheryl.“It all happened because you suddenly landed a helicopter
THE GUARDIAN: FREDERICH CORP'S BANKRUPTCY; The World Economy is Shaken!“Frederich Corp is reported to have experienced problems after hundreds of thousands of mining employees in the Southeast Asian region experienced unilateral layoffs. Reporting from Routers, the company engaged in technology, mining, and crude oil has continued to experience a decline in stock value since the last month. Earnings that have continued to decline in the previous two weeks indicate that Frederich Corp has experienced a decrease in revenue from 800 USD per second to less than 550 USD per second. Based on the data obtained, the bankruptcy of this company resulted in global economic instability, which was also affected by—"Cheryl snorted in annoyance. She threw her cellphone on the bed without caring if the object didn't land properly and instead hit the marble floor, causing the screen to crack.Mateo is such an asshole. How could her brother bring down Rafael's company just because of his personal pro
Cheryl's fingernail tapping filled the silence in the center of Diamonique's office. It's been an hour since she returned to the office, but there is not a single job that Cheryl can finish. She just sat quietly without doing anything, occasionally chuckling, annoyed, and snorting softly.A few moments ago, Cheryl was desperate to send a short message to Rafael after she got his personal contact number from Veronica. Still, until now, Rafael has not given any answer.Shit, shouldn't Cheryl not be this nervous? Because it's not her fiance's company that went bankrupt, nor is it a company that still has cooperative relations with her family company.Rafael is a stranger whom she accidentally knew from Veronica. Still, somehow Cheryl couldn't rule out the bad possibilities that might happen after he went bankrupt and fell into poverty.What if it was Mateo who deliberately destroyed Rafael's company?"What happened with you, Cheryl? I noticed you seemed unfocused at work. Is there any pr
Cheryl looked around. She looked at the hundreds of people who were gathered at the casino tables to play some gambling games while enjoying alcoholic drinks. Cheryl likes to drink wine. She is not a weak woman who gets drunk easily with just two or three glasses of wine. Let alone three, ten glasses were not able to overthrow Cheryl. However, the purpose of her arrival at the center of the largest casino in Las Vegas is not to drink and enjoy the time to relax but to find Rafael. And as if fate deliberately made it easier for her, Cheryl was currently standing with bulging eyes when she faced Rafael. “Now I believe that you actually followed me, Cheryl.” Rafael waved, and gave a relaxed smile. He looked like a person with no problems at all, and now they were like two people who accidentally bumped into each other in a nice restaurant. Unfortunately, that's just a supposition. Because many facts do not match this assumption. First the fact that Rafael was having problems. Second
Rafael lied. They weren't walking down the sewers. They were in an underground passage that seemed to be part of the casino building. Cheryl realized her stupidity when she managed to climb up and was in Rafael's arms. Rafael didn't mind at all. He even joked and offered to carry her along the steps they were about to walk. Now, not only scared, but Cheryl also had to hold back the anger in her heart because of Rafael's annoying actions. Cheryl repeatedly had to give up the intention of banging Rafael's head against the right and left sides wall. "I want to go home," She didn't know how many times she had said the same request, but since then, there was no certainty where the hallway would take them. As if tracing an endless road, Cheryl felt her steps were getting tired when she had to follow Rafael's footsteps, who were walking fast. "Rafael, I want to go home." Cheryl tried to attract Rafael's attention by shaking her hand, which was in Rafael's grip. "You will soon have your
Cheryl knew that her decision to ask Rafael to sleep with her in that small room was the stupidest decision in her life.The bed was too small, so very small that their bodies were completely in contact with each other as they lay together.Cheryl's hands trembled. Not because of the influence of her closeness with Rafael, but because she was really cold. Especially when the rain fell harder and filled the window above her head with water droplets that didn't stop flowing."Are you still cold?" Rafael asked while tilting his body towards Cheryl.Cheryl shifted her body, but the wall on her left stopped her movement. There was no room left to stay away from Rafael, who was now facing right at him."Can a glass of hot chocolate not warm you up?" Rafael reached out, brought Cheryl's head onto his shoulder, and hugged Cheryl's body with his big body.Rafael's embrace immediately sent a warm sensation all over her skin. Cheryl closed her eyes slowly and couldn't help but accept Rafael's em
"Cheryl," called Rafael, sitting behind Cheryl while drying her long hair with a towel.Cheryl still refuses to open her eyes because every time her eyes are exposed to light and air, she will feel pain"What?" She muttered under her breath in an irritated voice."Do you know how to rinse hair?" Raphael asked in a doubtful voice."Of course, I know!" Cheryl exclaimed with confidence. Cheryl still remembers her struggles when she forced herself to wash her hair alone because she couldn't stand the condition of her hair. After struggling to endure with stinging eyes, Rafael is now trying to mock her. It doesn't make sense!"Are you sure you rinsed it properly?""Don't ask too many questions, Raphael. Just dry my hair as soon as you can. I'm cold!" Cheryl looked at Rafael with glaring eyes, a little annoyed because Rafael didn't finish his work immediately when she was trying to stay afloat, even though her eyes hurt so much." I just found out that you can't wash your hair,” Rafael laug