Amber stared at Ariana with a jumble of thoughts in her mind. "I don't understand your thoughts," she said softly. Ariana, who was reading a book in front of her, looked up to gaze at her cousin and friend. "What don't you understand, Amber?" she asked just as softly. "You! I don't understand your thoughts!" Amber huffed in frustration. Ariana just smiled. Amber's explosive emotions were oddly entertaining to her. "We've kept this secret for years. Even your dad doesn't know anything about your illness. You let everyone believe you're fine, when in fact, you're not. And now, you're pregnant with the person you love, and he loves you too. But why are you keeping all of this a secret from him? Isn't love supposed to be accompanied by facing hardships and joys together, sickness and health? Why do you want to bear it all alone?" she asked again. Amber knew, she understood what Jody had said earlier. But still, she was curious about Ariana's mindset, and she wanted to hear it all from A

A week after the arrival of the orphanage officials, the long-awaited decision finally came. Fortunately for Ariana, two days after being admitted to the hospital, she was allowed to go home. So, when the foundation representatives came to hand over the adoption confirmation documents, she appeared healthy, as if she didn't have any illness at all. "It's good to see you well, Mrs. Gerald," Mrs. Sri said with her usual smile. "I'm healthy, very healthy," Ariana replied, full of gratitude. She was aware of Gerald's sarcastic glances and soft scoffs beside her, but she chose to ignore them. "Alright, we can start signing the documents," she said, returning to the original topic. The woman then took something out of her leather bag and read it aloud. "Here, in this document, it is stated briefly that Axel's custody rights now fully belong to Mr. and Mrs. Gerald." She paused, looking at Ariana and Gerald alternately. Both Ariana and Gerald nodded in response. "This document was create

Ariana had already heard the news from Mrs. Rosaline about Gerald wanting to slow down the divorce proceedings. Initially, she was indifferent to the news, but over time, considering Gerald's impulsiveness, Ariana thought she should also proceed more carefully. With Mrs. Rosaline's help, Ariana finally found a reliable lawyer. Mrs. Rosaline herself stated that the lawyer wouldn't accept any payment from Ariana, as she would cover all the expenses. Ariana's days, since leaving Gerald's residence, could be described as quite monotonous. She still went to the restaurant, but she could no longer be active in the kitchen as she was before she got pregnant. She also refrained from going to the market to accompany Jody and shop for fresh ingredients for her restaurant. She preferred to isolate herself in her room upstairs, reading books or watching television and doing other relaxing activities, which she rarely did before but now felt she 'had' to do. On the other hand, Ariana could be co

"You might not remember how your mother was, but looking at Ariana, Grandma feels as if she's seeing your mother still here. A woman I admire so much," tears rolled down the woman's cheeks again. "That's when Grandma decided to find out who Ariana is. A woman who has Karenina's physical appearance but your mother's soul." "I did too," Gerald whispered, although he himself was still confused about where his grandmother's conversation was heading. Mrs. Rosaline shook her head. "But you didn't get all the information about her," Mrs. Rosaline said again. Gerald furrowed his brow again. "In fact, there are things you don't know about her, and I can't tell you this. Honestly, Grandma feels guilty, towards the three of you. You, Ariana, and also Axel. When Grandma wanted to keep her because she missed your mother, Grandma didn't know you would fall in love with her like this, Al," she continued, her voice full of apologies. "I thought our plan would go as we planned. You would marry Arian

"How about her?" Gerald asked, curious. He genuinely wanted to know because in the past, Max seemed to despise Gina. The innocent Japanese girl who preferred books over Max himself. The love story between the two had originated from a challenge made by Max and Gerald's friends during their college days. Whatever happened, one day Max admitted that he lost a bet. Since then, they never discussed Gina again. Even when Gerald returned to Indonesia and Max decided to go back to Spain, that topic never surfaced again. Until a few years later, he heard Max was getting married, to Gina, the woman who had once been the subject of their bet. "It's a long story," Max replied when Gerald asked how they ended up marrying each other. And now, ironically, Max was head over heels for his wife, bowing down to her. "And my wife, she's fine. Honestly, we are happy." He said happily, without any intention of mocking Gerald, who seemed visibly annoyed. "I brought her here and told her that I would intr