Adaline sat quietly in her chair, hands clasped together. Her palms were sweaty, and her chest heaved irregularly. This was her last attempt. Haris had told her last night that he couldn't find anyone willing to lend her the amount she needed. Even if Haris sought out a loan shark, the sum they would offer would be only a sixth of what Adaline required.Now, only one option remained: contacting her financial manager and trying to apply for a loan. "Oh Lord, grant me ease," she prayed silently.Adaline looked up every time she heard the elevator's sound, hoping her manager would emerge quickly so she could speak privately before her colleagues arrived. She had even come fifteen minutes early to ensure she'd be the first to meet with her superior.Five minutes before eight, her boss finally appeared. Adaline tried to shake off her nervousness, stood up, and followed her boss to the front door of the office. "Miss..." she called softly. The woman turned instantly. "Yes, Adaline. What is
A few hours later. Adaline sat in the waiting area in front of her COO's office, nervously squeezing her hands. Before lunch, Mrs. Jessica and Duncan had contacted her, stating that their boss wanted to talk to her directly after work. Mrs. Jessica reassured Adaline to stay calm so that their COO could approve her loan, while Duncan questioned her about the reason their COO needed to meet Adaline in person. However, Adaline chose not to give any answers until everything was certain. Half an hour had passed since the office closed, but neither Sir Altezza nor Duncan had shown up. Earlier, Duncan had contacted their COO's secretary, explaining that the meeting was delayed due to a few matters they needed to resolve, asking Adaline to be patient. Adaline was not usually an impatient person, but this time she was overwhelmed with anxiety. She feared that her loan application might not be approved, and she was confused about where else to seek a loan. Meanwhile, her mother's surgery was
"I can help you," Altezza repeated his words. Adaline froze, unable to believe what she had just heard. Was Altezza offering to help her personally? It was the longest time Adaline lifted her head and looked directly at Altezza. He observed her from his seat. Adaline's eyes were golden brown, framed by long and curly eyelashes, along with thick black eyebrows. Her nose was small and perfectly placed on her face. Her lips were not too thin, nor too thick, but sensual. Yes, Adaline was indeed beautiful, very beautiful. And even though the girl now looked at him nervously, it didn't diminish her beauty. "But there are conditions," Altezza said after a considerable pause. The girl seemed to straighten her shoulders. "W-What conditions, Sir?" she asked, sounding concerned. "Are you currently in a relationship with someone?" Altezza's question surprised Adaline, but without returning the question, she shook her head. Adaline did like someone, but she didn't have a special relationship
Adaline sat by her mother's bedside in the ICU. The doctor had informed her that her mother's surgery went smoothly, but due to the lingering effects of anesthesia, her mother remained unconscious. It had been more than twenty-four hours since her mother came out of the operating room, and it made Adaline worry. Adaline and Emma took turns caring for her mother. Although Altezza had granted her leave until her mother recovered, considering her loan from the company and the embarrassment of continually burdening others with her work, Adaline decided to return to work as soon as possible. For the past three days, Adaline had been anxious, not only about her mother's condition but also recalling Altezza's words from earlier. Adaline realized that she had entered an unwritten agreement with her boss, and she was waiting for the continuation of his plan. Surrogate Mother. That phrase kept echoing in her mind. While waiting
A week had passed, and Adaline's mother had returned home. Throughout that time, Adaline had been unsuccessful in reaching Altezza. After his return from Kansas, he had gone to Singapore for his business affairs, as informed by Duncan, his secretary. Adaline looked at Joanna with fear. Her friend always gave her sharp and piercing looks. Adaline knew Joanna was concerned about her fate, but she was also grateful that Joanna hadn't done anything dramatic like telling the truth to her mother or even going to Altezza's office and confronting him directly. "I've tried to contact him, Jo. I swear," Adaline said softly. "But he's unreachable. I even left a message with Duncan, but he hasn't given me any updates." "Tell Tessa to contact her boyfriend. There's no way he's not answering," Joanna suggested. "Tessa doesn't know about this, Jo," Adaline replied honestly. Joanna looked b
Adaline returned to her desk with her mind filled with various thoughts. If visualized, it seemed like the nerves in her brain had now turned into a tangled mess of threads. Sitting in her chair, Adaline had a vacant stare. She didn't even respond to Tessa's question until her friend waved her hand in front of her eyes. "You okay?" her friend asked with concern. "Hah?" Adaline responded, startled after her friend patted her shoulder quite forcefully. "Oh, yes. I'm okay," she replied with a stiff smile. She returned her gaze to the blank screen in front of her, choosing to focus her mind on something other than the zeros Altezza had requested from her. Five minutes later, Tessa glanced again at her friend, who was groaning while banging her forehead on the desk. "Adaline, what's wrong? What happened?" she asked with concern. Adaline looked genuinely frus
Adaline's POV I glanced at the watch on my left wrist. Fifteen minutes until exactly five o'clock. I looked at Tessa, and she had already packed her bag. She was always punctual. I shook my head. In reality, I was also a punctual person. But under the current circumstances... I shook my head again. "Wanna go home together?" Tessa finally asked. I looked at her and shook my head. "Are you sure you're okay?" I could clearly see a flash of concern in Tessa's eyes. To reassure her, I tried to smile, even though my chest felt erratic. My hands were already sweating from nervousness. "If anything happens, talk to me. Don't keep it to yourself," she said again. Her attention was now focused on me. I responded with a weak nod. Besides Joanna, I haven't dared to tell anyone about this. Even though I've known Tessa for quite some time, there are things I can't bring myself to talk to
"So, Miss Adaline Scott, do you have your answer?" Altezza looked at Adaline with a gaze that was hard to explain. Adaline lifted her head, and their golden eyes locked. "Are you ready to repay your loan as per the amount I requested?" Altezza asked again. "Um, Sir," she hesitated in her response. "May I ask a question?" "Please," Altezza replied flatly. Adaline took a deep breath, trying to convince herself of what she was about to ask. "Could you explain in more detail about your request to me, Sir?" she finally inquired. Adaline observed the furrowed forehead of the man in front of her, deep in thought. "Actually, Miss Adaline, you no longer have the right to ask for those details from me. You should have inquired about it before agreeing to marry me and bear a child for me," Altezza replied after a brief silence he intentionally created, monopolizing time just to make the woman tense.