For a while, Elice seemed to experience what people often describe as the world standing still. Time stopped. Her world stopped. In a moment, she realized that sometimes fate can offer more than she dared to hope for.Elice never expected that one day a man would kneel before her. Armed with a beautiful ring. With a question full of desire and hope."G-Garrett...."Elice's tongue could no longer find words. She could barely speak. Instead of being able to express her thoughts, she found her body almost non-functional now.Elice froze. Immersed in a tension she couldn't prevent from enveloping her. All over her body. From top to bottom. And if she could shake off the stiffness in the next moment, it was the visible trembling.Garrett looked at Elice. Just as the woman had suspected. In a look like a dimmed sun. Appearing calm. And he waited. Though the answer he would get was already certain.But Garrett needed confirmation. In the form of a

Wilda couldn't contain herself. The day after the engagement party, she decided to ask Elice directly. She had to make sure that what Farrah had said that night wasn't true. That the woman was just bragging again. Just looking for a way to embarrass her. Just..."I'm sorry, Ma."Wilda fell silent. One sentence from Elice made her hopes vanish. Disappeared without a trace."W-what did you say, Elice?" Wilda asked. "So, everything Farrah said is true?"It felt like an invisible pair of hands were strangling Wilda's throat at that moment. It almost made it hard for her to breathe. Especially when she saw how Elice lowered her face, making the air seem even more reluctant to enter her lungs."Garrett and Ariel... are cousins? They're family?"Elice didn't want to admit that reality, but what could she do? It was something no one could deny."Yes, Ma," Elice finally replied. "They are cousins. They are family."Suddenly, Wilda's eye

Ariel walked with firm and measured steps, his gaze straight ahead and his back wide. He radiated an aura of confidence as he looked at each person in the meeting room. As he took his seat, those who had been standing sat down.It was the event of the power transition in Lostic. The day when Ariel was officially introduced as the new leader, ousting Mahardika, who had been in charge for three years, in a very short span of time.This, of course, caused a stir here and there, raising doubts about the reasons for the seemingly forced change. Even when there was a specific reason, citing the company's inability to capitalize on the turmoil at a rival company, it seemed insufficient. In the end, sales were down, but the change felt very sudden. Without warning, Kurt called a shareholders' meeting, and there was Ariel.Enjoying the sensation of the CEO chair for a few seconds, Ariel scanned the room, taking in every face. At each board member and other important figu

If she could refuse, Elice would certainly refuse the task Hollis had assigned her. Even though in the eyes of the public she and Ariel would be bound by a family relationship due to her impending marriage to Garrett, deep in her heart Elice did not feel that way. To her, Ariel was now nothing more than a stranger.But Elice could not refuse. For there was no reason she could give. And without a reason, the refusal would certainly not be accepted."Are you sure?" Garrett's voice on the evening phone call sounded worried, mirroring what Elice was feeling right now."I'm sure," Elice replied.She took a deep breath and tried to strengthen herself. And with Garrett's voice in her ear, it became easier."What time are you going to interview Ariel? At Lostic's office?"Garrett's question made Elice suspect the reason behind his furrowed brow. A little hesitant, but the possibility sounded reasonable."You're not planning on coming, are you

"I hear that you met Elice and Garrett a few nights ago? Is it true?"On a bright Sunday morning, Ariel had just finished his weekly practice when his parents arrived at his apartment. At first, he thought that Farrah and Kurt would be returning to Crestdale soon after their conversation, but it turned out that wasn't the case. Kurt wanted to observe Ariel's performance at Lostic for a while, so they decided to stay longer.Ariel took a deep breath. With the help of a small towel hanging around his neck, he wiped off the sweat. The moisture on his face disappeared instantly."Yes."Joining his parents, Ariel sat down and opened a bottle cap. He enjoyed its contents in a few gulps.Farrah glanced at Kurt briefly before returning her gaze to her son."What were you talking about?"Farrah was obviously curious. When she first heard the news, she had waited. She thought Ariel would tell her the details of the meeting. But as it turned out