With unsteady steps, Erland climbed the stairs to the upper floor, arriving at the room and finding Maelie standing by the window. She turned towards him as soon as she sensed his presence."Erland..."Maelie immediately greeted Erland with a worried look."You're drunk again!" She grabbed his arm, looking at his dull face, the smell of alcohol from his breath making her wince. "Oh my God ... You stink!"Erland stared deeply at Maelie and then smiled."You are so beautiful!" he exclaimed lazily.Ignoring Erland's compliment, Maelie led him to the bed, laying his body on the edge. She took off his shoes and placed them near the foot of the bed."Why are you always like this? What exactly are you dealing with?" she wondered as she unbuttoned his shirt, which was damp and reeked of alcohol, imagining him spilling drinks on himself.Before she finished unbuttoning his shirt, he suddenly pulled her down onto his chest, then rolled over, making her lie beneath him."Erland...." She gasped i
Thomas entered Erland's room and saw him sleeping on the sofa, with a lot of files that needed to be reviewed on the table."How could he neglect his work?" he grumbled as he approached his son, intending to wake him up, but his attention was diverted to Tommy, who had just arrived."Mr. Gerald," called Tommy.Thomas turned to Tommy, noticing he was carrying a file."Is there a problem?""No, there's good news," Tommy replied with a smile, handing the file to Thomas. "Carlos' diamond company is willing to collaborate with our company, all the terms are in there," he continued, glancing at the file.Thomas looked at the file with a frown, realizing there was a lot to read, then he remembered Erland and closed the file again."Since yesterday, Erland hasn't done any of his tasks," he said, turning back to Tommy. "And now he's fallen asleep. This is very unusual for him, do you know what he does at home that makes him still need rest at the office?""Um..." Tommy bit his lower lip, glanc
At 10:00 PM, Maelie was pacing back and forth on the porch, waiting for Erland who had not come home yet and was ignoring her calls and messages.Amanda felt bored and genuinely sad seeing her sister so worried. Luckily, Teddy and Jane had returned to Sacramento and did not witness this chaos."Why don't you just act normal... Doesn't he usually come home late too?" she asked with a displeased look."For me, this is unusual... I feel like he doesn't want to see me anymore," Maelie replied anxiously, glancing towards the gate and seeing the security guard hurriedly opening it as a black car entered the yard."Tommy..."Realizing it was Tommy's car, Maelie immediately approached him as soon as he stopped in the yard. Amanda also walked over as the man got out of the car."Mae," greeted Tommy."Do you know where Erland is? Did you manage to investigate him today?" Maelie asked eagerly.Tommy nodded with a worried look. "Yes... I was with him all day, but I didn't learn much about what's
Sacramento, California, at 6.30 am.Maelie smiled with her hazel blue eyes glistening as she looked at the pregnancy test in her hand showing a positive result, that means she is pregnant."Erland will surely be thrilled with this good news!" she exclaimed joyfully, thinking of her husband who was out of town. She pushed aside her chestnut-black long hair, then rinsed the pregnancy test and took it out of the bathroom.She sat on her bedroom couch, her trembling hand holding the phone, occasionally glancing back at the pregnancy test as if disbelieving the result, unable to fathom that she would soon become a mother. "No, I won't tell him now. I'll surprise him when he returns," she said with a smile, thinking of her beloved husband.Click...She immediately turned to the newly opened door, her eyes finding her young sister, Amanda, who stood frozen with an anxious expression."Amanda, you have to see this!" She stood up, holding the pregnancy test and approaching her sister with a hi
A few days have passed.A muscular man with a thin beard parked his black jeep in front of a small house with a bakery, complete with a sign that read "Luisa Sweet Cake". He quickly got out, carrying a backpack on his back and two paper bags in his hands then walked towards the glass front door of the house, where Amanda quickly opened it."Erland," she greeted with a flat gaze.Erland smiled and handed one of the paper bags to Amanda."You're back early," remarked Amanda as she received the paper bag."My work finished quickly...I didn't want to stay away from your sister for too long," replied Erland with a sweet smile. "I'm sure she's busy in the kitchen now... But I'll stop her," he immediately entering the house enthusiastically.Amanda glanced at the contents of the paper bag. 'He's rich. I won't let him watch my sister and me suffer while he enjoys a life of luxury with his first wife ... he has to give us luxuries too!' ...Erland entered a beautifully decorated kitchen with p
Erland chased after Maelie, who ran from her bed after seeing him ound a pregnancy test kit under the pillow "Darling, why did you hide this from me? You're pregnant, aren't you?"Maelie stopped in front of the door.Erland immediately embraced her, kissing her forehead with eyes full of suffering, as if in pain seeing her cry."I'm pregnant... I wanted to tell you as a surprise, but... I know you have another wife, and I'm just the second wife, you were with her first, I'm like a home-wrecker!" she cried, pushing Erland away. "You make me feel like a wicked woman now. How can I continue with you when she also needs you and surely doesn't accept me in your life? I'm just a parasite to both of you!" She asserted, her cheeks already filled with tears.Erland shook his head with a resigned look."I don't care what your reasons are, but I can't be with you anymore!" Maelie reiterated, about to leave the room, but Erland immediately grabbed her hand."I will never let you go, and I will nev
Waiting too long for Maelie who kept locking the door, Erland took the spare key and immediately unlocked it."Mae..."His eyes widened as he saw Maelie lying unconscious on the floor. He quickly lifted her and carried her out of the room."Amanda, open the car for me!" he shouted.Amanda, who was in her room, rushed to the small garage and started the black jeep, then drove it to the yard. She got out and opened the passenger door.In a hurry, Erland put Maelie in the car, sat her in the seat, and fastened her seatbelt."Do you want to stay here or come to the hospital with us?" he asked."I'm doing my assignment, but I'll follow later," Amanda replied anxiously."Alright...!"Erland closed the car door, got into the driver's seat, and drove out of the area at high speed, occasionally glancing at the mirror above to see Maelie still unconscious.'Oh God, what should I do? I can't leave Tiffany; it could disappoint my family and hers, and ruin the company's relationships... I can't do
Several days passed...A man entered a large room with golden-white hues and luxurious furniture, dominated by white and golden-yellow colors. He stopped near the table, facing the woman sipping tea."Robbie, what have you got?" the woman asked."This time I bring important information, Ma'am," the man replied, handing over a document. "Your husband transferred a huge amount of funds to his trustee's account, Tommy. And from Tommy, the money was transferred to several accounts until it reached one named Maelie Luisa Romanov," he continued as he watched the woman open the document.The woman read through the papers in the document one by one, her beautiful face serious as if she had found something shocking."For the past three years, your husband has rarely come to the company or the mining site... He's seldom seen working... And during this time, Tommy has always been doing his tasks, like his right hand. And some people who happen to know me saw him shopping with a woman at a store.