Standing side by side in front of the sink, each holding a toothbrush in hand and mouths filled with foam, Ariana suddenly imagined a scene from a Korean drama. It made her chuckle to herself. Gerald, towering in front of her, stared at her with a furrowed brow. "What?" he asked, his mouth filled with white foam. "It's nothing," Ariana replied casually. She had finished brushing her teeth and was now rinsing her mouth. Gerald helped her by holding Ariana's long hair at the back of her neck while he also rinsed his mouth using his right hand. They then washed their faces with the magical face soap that was already in the bathroom shelf. Again, Ariana found this amusing. They were like kids asked by their mom to go through bedtime routines. The difference was, they did it willingly. Their faces and mouths felt fresh. Ariana was about to leave the bathroom when Gerald tugged at the hem of her shirt. "Are you planning to sleep in these clothes?" he asked. Ariana looked down at her outf

"According to you?" Ariana replied, her tone ambiguous. "Just answer," Gerald grumbled. Ariana chuckled. "I see him as a big brother. That's all. Nothing more," she replied honestly. "Is there no man you consider a man, someone you could fall for?" Gerald asked again. "Why? If I say there is someone like that, will you go digging for information about him?" Ariana asked again. Gerald seemed to shrug his shoulders again. "Perhaps," he replied. Ariana laughed. "In that case, I prefer to remain silent." "Why?" Gerald asked again. "I don't want you to do something unreasonable. Disturbing someone's life who may not even be aware of my existence," Ariana replied flatly. "So, there is someone. Your first love?" he asked again, his voice tense. "I'm human, Gerald. I'm a woman who went through adolescence. I experienced puberty like any other kid. If not, maybe I wouldn't be a normal woman now, would I?" Ariana retorted. Gerald fell silent. What Ariana said was true. But for some rea

"They arrived at Zeroun's residence just before breakfast. The quiet streets made Gerald drive faster than usual. Yusuf welcomed them at the door. The old man's forehead wrinkled when he saw Ariana and Gerald getting out of the car. Gerald immediately approached him to ask what was going on. But before his question could be answered, they already saw the answer. "Mommy!" Axel's shout made Ariana and Gerald turn simultaneously. The little boy ran towards Ariana and immediately threw himself into her arms. But what surprised them was the people following Axel. "Mommy, where were you? Why didn't you come home last night?" Axel asked curiously. While Ariana's attention was still on the other guests who were looking at her and Gerald alternately. "Just because you're newlyweds, it doesn't mean she can monopolize your time and even make you forget Axel, Gerald. She should remember that her presence here is to help you gain custody of Axel," Ariana's mother-in-law's words were thrown out

Ariana then laughed. Not a happy laugh, but a hysterical one. In the end, the trust she had placed in Gerald was once again tarnished. Because the fact was, he didn't believe her at all. It was clear that it wasn't Amber who would reveal the contents of Ariana and Karenina's conversation in her room yesterday. Ariana could be sure that Gerald must have hidden a listening device in his room. And that was why Gerald changed drastically afterward. Because he clearly heard what Ariana, Amber, and Karenina talked about that day. So the sweet demeanor he had shown before and all his promises were just empty words. None of it came from his genuine remorse. It wasn't because he wanted to redeem his mistakes. Instead, it was all manipulation based on what he had heard. And Ariana didn't like that fact. She felt like she was being played. Ariana looked at Axel; the boy seemed completely unfazed by his breakfast. She gently stroked Axel's head, making him look up. "Let's change your clothes,

“Mommy!” Axel's shout, accompanied by banging on the door, made Ariana immediately push Gerald away. His tall frame fell onto the bed instantly. Ariana glanced at him briefly, noticing the annoyance on his face before she got up and walked towards the door that Gerald had locked from the inside. “What's the little one bothering us for at such an important moment?” Gerald's grumble was clearly audible behind her. He had risen too and was following her. Ariana opened the door and saw Axel, already dressed in his school uniform. His hair looked messy, either wet from a shower or perhaps he had applied too much baby hair oil. But Ariana loved the fragrance wafting around him. “Mommy said she'd take Axel to school. Why are you still here?” the little boy complained. "Sorry." Those were the only words that escaped Ariana's lips. She then extended her hand to Axel, asking him to hold it tightly. Gerald faithfully trailed behind Ariana. "Where are you going?" Ariana asked the man. "To tak