"I came back here with new hope, in the beginning," the man said seriously. "But then, that new hope vanished in an instant. And like you said, maybe this is the fate that God has planned for me." He continued softly, "Initially, I thought I wanted to try everything in a new way. With you," the man admitted. "But it turns out I was too late. Because you're already married to Gerald. Although I was hesitant at first, but now I know that you're captivated by his charm." Chris looked at Ariana teasingly. "You know, all of this feels funny to me. Only you know my story, and I hope this will always be our secret," Chris replied, looking hopefully at Ariana. Ariana smiled and nodded. "But leaving isn't the right choice, Chris," Ariana replied later. "You just came back recently. Don't you feel sorry for Uncle Jason?" she asked sadly. "I love my dad, Ana. You know that. But staying by his side isn't the right choice either. I just hope that when I come back again, Dad will finally realize

Days passed by just like that. The agreement they made slowly began to take shape. Ariana tried to get to know Gerald, attempting to understand his daily life, his favorite foods, and dislikes. Trying to figure out what Gerald hated. And Gerald did the same. They now tried to understand each other better. Ariana started being friendly to Gerald, and Gerald had stopped trying to control Ariana. They both tried their best to make this relationship work. After intense negotiations, Ariana agreed to live in Zeroun's residence because she didn't want Mrs. Isidora to hate her even more, thinking that she was trying to separate the woman from her beloved granddaughter. But even though they lived together, slept in the same bed, they still held onto the agreement not to engage in a husband-wife relationship. Although, deep down, they both started to find it hard not to touch each other. But Ariana insisted that she wouldn't give herself to Gerald until she believed that his feelings were ge

Releasing the embrace, Ariana realized that her face was now undoubtedly flushed with embarrassment. Gerald, who witnessed it, could only grin mischievously. "I'll take a shower first," he said as he walked towards the bedroom. Yes, one more thing Ariana and Gerald shared now was their personal space. They were using the room in the restaurant together. Gerald began placing some of his personal belongings there to make it easier if he visited and needed something. But only up to the restaurant. Because Ariana didn't want to take Gerald to the apartment she shared with Amber anymore, to spare her cousin's feelings. Gerald seemed ready to shower. Meanwhile, Ariana informed him that she would go downstairs and prepare dinner for both of them. Indirectly, she signaled for Gerald to lock himself in the room. It was just a precautionary measure. Who knew if someone might go upstairs and suddenly enter the room, only to be shocked by Gerald's presence? It was fine if Gerald was fully dre

"Jealousy?" Ariana snorted. "In your dreams," she replied, shoving food into her mouth with a rough gesture. Gerald laughed at her reaction. "Why does my wife look so adorable when she's angry?" he murmured. They continued eating in silence. Ariana was trying to contain her frustration, and Gerald, knowing her well, chose to remain silent, not intending to further fuel the situation. He already knew Ariana's character well enough not to provoke her further. He understood that Ariana was feeling jealous, and that alone warmed his heart. Ariana continued working as the restaurant began to fill up again. Meanwhile, her wife was working downstairs. Gerald decided to join her in her office. He intentionally waited for Ariana to finish her work so they could return home together. At ten o'clock, when the restaurant closed, the doorbell rang again. Dara, who had returned to her place at the front desk, came towards the cash register with a gleam in her eyes. "Uhh... How sweet," she said

Gerald watched Ariana leave without saying a word. His wife was clearly upset. When Ariana was emotional, she became harder to control. He glanced at Shelma, who was also observing Ariana's departure with a puzzled expression. Meanwhile, Gerald turned around, walking quickly towards Vivan and harshly slapped his assistant's face. "What did you say to her?" he asked even before Vivan could get up. Gerald's blow left a bloody mark at the corner of his assistant's mouth. "I didn't say anything, Boss. Just mentioned that you had a lunch appointment with a client as you requested," Vivan replied honestly. Gerald stomped his foot on the floor and cursed vehemently before looking back at Vivan and muttering an apology. Shelma, who had walked closer, reached out her hand and grabbed Gerald's arm. "What's wrong? Why are you so angry?" she asked in a soft, gentle tone. Gerald looked in her direction, precisely where Shelma's hand was. He realized that was his fatal mistake. He then lowered h