Clara sat in her chair, her face looking pale and her eyes red from lack of sleep. She couldn't accept the fact that Franklin, the lover she loved so much, was reportedly killed in an accident. Her heart was filled with disbelief. She sensed something was wrong, as if there was something wrong with all of this. Her mind was constantly spinning, looking for clues or signs that could explain what had happened.After hours of contemplation, Clara finally decided to act. She couldn't just sit back and take this news for granted. Determinedly, she summoned some of her trusted men to her office. When they arrived, Clara stood up from her chair and gave them a stern look."We need to investigate what really happened to Franklin," Clara said in a shaky but firm voice. "I don't believe he died in an accident as reported. I want you to find out everything about this incident, including finding out where Franklin was last seen before the accident."Clara's men, knowing how deeply Clara felt abou
When Clara arrived in Bintara village, the quiet and secluded atmosphere of the village only added to the tension she felt. She got out of the car and started walking around, trying to figure out where Franklin could be. She asked some of the locals, showing them a picture of Franklin, but no one recognized the man in the picture. They just shook their heads or gave unsatisfactory answers."Sorry, ma'am. I've never seen this man around here," said a middle-aged man sitting in front of a small stall. Clara nodded slowly, although in her heart she was beginning to feel desperate.Time passed, and the longer Clara stayed in Bintara village, the clearer it became that she would not find the answers she was looking for here. The sun began to set in the western horizon, and Clara finally decided to return to the city. However, her resolve did not waver. She knew that she had to find another way to uncover the truth behind Franklin's disappearance.Back in the city, Clara felt physically and
After hearing from Ronald, Charles was relieved that his plan to keep Clara from further investigation seemed to be working. Ronald, who has long had a crush on Clara, sees this assignment as an opportunity to get closer to the woman he has long admired. Behind these feelings, there is an inner conflict raging within him. Ronald knows that what Charles is asking is not an easy thing, especially since it involves Clara.Meanwhile, Clara, who had just returned from Bintara Village, was still feeling confused. The absence of Franklin's personal chauffeur at her house added to the suspicion that something was very wrong. The driver was known to be loyal and never left his job for no apparent reason. Clara decided to stay calm and come up with a new plan, but her mind kept spinning, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.Ronald, who had been following Clara's progress, decided to contact her. With a caring tone of voice, he tried to approach Clara. "Clara, I heard you were back i
Franklin felt a sense of hopelessness growing over him. Day after day passed with no chance of escape, and every attempt to involve Amanda's men in his plans ended in failure. This time, Franklin tried again when they delivered food to him.A man with a stocky build and hard face walked into the gloomy room, carrying a tray of unappetizing food. Franklin saw this opportunity and approached the man with cautious steps."Hey, listen," Franklin began, his voice a whisper despite his efforts to sound convincing, "I know you don't get paid enough for this. Amanda may be paying you, but I can give you double. Don't you want more than just this?"The man looked at Franklin with cold eyes, not a hint of interest showing on his face. "Double?" He chuckled, the sound low and mocking. "You think I'm that cheap?"Franklin tried to suppress his frustration, realizing that this direct approach might not work. "It's not about cheap or not," Franklin tried again, this time his voice more pleading, "I
Franklin sat in the corner of the room, feeling a deepening sense of hopelessness. For days cooped up in the cold, cramped room, every escape plan he tried failed. Amanda's men were too loyal, too experienced, and he had no reliable resources or allies to help him. Failure after failure exhausted her, both physically and mentally.Her eyes glanced around the room. There were only a few items available there-a few tableware, a single ceramic plate, a glass of water, and a metal spoon lying on the small table beside her bed. At first glance, everything seemed useless. However, in this state of urgency, Franklin began to think of all possibilities, no matter how extreme.His mind began to race. He knew that Amanda's men had rejected all of his offers. Money, promises of protection, even threats didn't work on them. But there was one thing she might not have tried - inflicting serious injury on herself. If she managed to injure herself badly enough, they might have no choice but to take h
Franklin limped down the dark and deserted street, each step feeling like an unbearable weight. The night wind blew cold, piercing his scarred skin and weakening his already fragile body. She knew, beyond the darkness of this night, there was danger lurking. Amanda's men could be looking for her, chasing her mercilessly. The thought kept looming over him, forcing Franklin not to stop, even though his body was about to give out.He didn't know where he was going, there was only one thought that kept pushing him: to get as far away from the hospital as possible. Every shadow, every little sound around made him jump, like a ghost hunting from behind. Franklin kept walking, sometimes almost tripping over tree roots or rocks along the way. His legs had long been numb, and the pain in his arms was getting unbearable, but he didn't care. He had to keep moving, keep walking, despite the darkness covering him from all directions.The path he walked on turned rougher, filled with twigs and dry
Amanda received the report with a tense face, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. Someone had let her down, and anger was starting to creep into her. Her men who had been assigned to keep an eye on Franklin in the hospital had failed, and now, Franklin had disappeared without a trace."How could this happen?!" exclaimed Amanda in a sharp voice, her eyes staring intently at the man giving the report. Her men stood before her, trying to hold back the tremors of fear that crept through her body."We... we don't know, Ms. Amanda," the man stammered. "When we went back to check, she was gone. We searched around the hospital, but there was no trace of her."Amanda stared at him with a piercing gaze, as if she could burn him with just her eyes. "You guys dare to disappoint me so much," she said coldly. "This isn't just a failure. You've made a big mess!"The man felt the coldness of Amanda's anger, and he lowered his head, not daring to look directly at the woman. Amanda was someone who
Gita had just gotten off the public transportation when she saw her family's small but warm home in the distance. She took a deep breath, feeling the cool village air fill her lungs, a feeling she always longed for whenever she was in the city for college. It was the day she had been waiting for, when the semester break arrived and she could finally go home.As soon as she took her first step on the porch, the front door opened and Pak Gunawan, her father, appeared with a big smile on his face. "Gita, son! Have you arrived?" Pak Gunawan called with a warm voice that always made Gita feel comfortable."Daddy!" Gita exclaimed as she ran to him, hugging her father lovingly. "I miss you so much. It's been a long time since we last met."Pak Gunawan patted Gita's back gently. "I missed you too, son. Come on, come on in. Mom has prepared your favorite food."However, as Gita stepped into the house, she suddenly stopped. Her eyes fell on a man lying weakly on the living room sofa. The man's
Franklin was finally allowed to go home after a few weeks in the hospital. His condition was improving, and although he was still tired, Franklin was relieved to be back home. Clara, who faithfully accompanied him during his recovery, prepared to take Franklin home.Just as Franklin was ready to be discharged, the hospital room door suddenly opened and Selena appeared. She was carrying a bouquet of fresh flowers in her hand. She smiled when she saw Franklin, "Hi, Franklin. I'm glad to see you're better. I came to see you."Franklin smiled slightly and nodded, "Thank you, Selena. I'm glad to be home too."Clara, who was standing beside Franklin, felt something strange when she saw Selena. Although she tried hard not to show her feelings, her heart was filled with jealousy. Selena always seemed to be close to Franklin, and even though they were just friends, Clara couldn't help but feel uncomfortable every time she saw their closeness.Seeing the change in Clara's expression, Sarah, who
Charles felt increasingly desperate. Despite all his efforts to separate Clara and Franklin, he couldn't accept the reality that Franklin would remain in Clara's life. The long-suppressed jealousy and hatred in his heart reached a boiling point, finally pushing him to take more drastic action.That night, Charles entered the hospital with cautious steps. He hid his evil intentions behind a calm facade. After ensuring the hallway where Franklin was being treated was empty of nurses or visitors, he approached Franklin's room door.With trembling hands, Charles opened the door and saw Franklin lying weakly in the hospital bed. His face looked peaceful, seemingly unaware of the deadly threat approaching him. Charles walked slowly to the bedside, trying to calm his mind filled with various considerations. However, one thought kept dominating him—that Franklin must be eliminated so Clara would no longer be bound to him.Charles reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pillow. He was c
After waking up, Sarah felt dizzy and confused. The world seemed to be spinning around her, and it took a while for her to realize where she was. Slowly, the memory of Franklin's accident hit her again. Suddenly, her heart was filled with deep worry, and she immediately asked to be escorted to the hospital, where Franklin was being treated.When Sarah arrived at the hospital, she found it very quiet. Family and neighbors sat anxiously in the waiting room. As her eyes fell on Clara, who sat quietly by Franklin's bedside with eyes puffy with tears, Sarah felt something different in her heart.All this time, Sarah had always objected to Franklin and Clara's relationship. Not because of Clara, but because of the dark past, where Clara's brother Charles was allegedly involved in the death of her husband, Franklin's father. The wound was still too deep for Sarah to heal, and it made it difficult for her to fully accept Clara.However, now, seeing Clara faithfully stand by Franklin's side, h
That morning, the atmosphere in Franklin's house was calm and peaceful. After going through the trials that almost separated him from Clara, Franklin was feeling more optimistic about his future. Although there was still a lot to sort out, especially in his relationship with his family, Franklin was confident that he could get through this with Clara.He got ready to go to the office as usual. As he left the house, Clara walked him to his car with a gentle smile. "Be careful on the road, Franklin. I'll be waiting for you at home," Clara said as she kissed his cheek.Franklin smiled back and closed the car door. No bad thoughts crossed his mind as he started the engine of his car and started driving down the highway. However, what Franklin didn't know was that Charles and Ronald had executed their latest plan to ruin Franklin's car.Somewhere hidden, Charles and Ronald were watching from a distance. They had sabotaged the brakes of Franklin's car, ensuring that the accident would happe
Charles sat in his magnificent study, with a large window overlooking his back garden. However, the beautiful view outside the window could not ease his anger. His face was tense, and his mind was filled with plans on how to separate Franklin from Clara. To Charles, Franklin was a threat he couldn't ignore, especially since Clara loved the man so much.Just then, the door to his study opened slowly. Ronald, his best friend and ally, entered with steady steps. Charles looked at him with eyes that implied tension, then invited him to sit down."Ronald, I can no longer allow Clara to be with Franklin," Charles began in a flat, but firm tone. "We have to separate them, no matter what we have to do."Ronald nodded slowly, although in his heart there was hesitation. He understood that Charles had personal reasons to hate Franklin, but Ronald also knew that Clara was a strong woman and not easy to manipulate. However, his feelings of love for Clara made him willing to do whatever it took to
A few days had passed since the last conversation between Franklin and Clara. Although they had decided to distance themselves from each other, their feelings still bubbled beneath the surface. Franklin felt lonely and restless. Every night, his mind was filled with images of Clara, wondering if the decision to stay away was the right one. However, doubts and insecurities continue to plague his mind, the result of Charles' manipulations poisoning his mind more and more.Meanwhile, Clara cannot fully accept the fact that her relationship with Franklin has been fractured. In the midst of her turmoil, she realizes that there are many things that Franklin doesn't know, and that makes her feel even more guilty. However, she knew that she was not guilty in any way. Clara tried to focus on her work, but the feeling of missing Franklin always loomed over her.One afternoon, Clara received a call from one of her men, Toni. Toni was the person she trusted to investigate more about what happened
Charles and Ronald were both upset to hear the news that Franklin was back. For Charles, Franklin's return was a nightmare that shouldn't have happened. He feels that Franklin is an obstacle in his quest to control everything, including Clara's relationship. Meanwhile, Ronald, who has long harbored feelings for Clara, is now burning with jealousy. Franklin's return means Clara will refocus on her lover, making Ronald feel even more distant from her expectations.At a café, Charles and Ronald meet to discuss their next plans. Charles sipped his coffee with a serious face, his eyes staring straight ahead, trying to devise a strategy."We can't let this continue," Charles said, his voice low but determined. "Franklin needs to get out of Clara's life, or at the very least, Clara needs to get out of Franklin's life."Ronald nodded, though inwardly he felt anxious. "But how? They seem so close now, especially after this incident."Charles furrowed his brow, thinking hard. "We'll have to sep
After a long and tense journey, Clara finally arrived in front of the Franklin family home. She glanced at Franklin in the passenger seat, who still looked tired and shaken by all the events they had just gone through. Although Franklin was trying to remain calm, there was obvious worry in his eyes. They had just escaped Amanda's clutches, but what awaited at home might be no less nerve-wracking."Franklin, we're here," Clara said softly, breaking the silence. Franklin nodded, trying to compose himself for a moment before getting out of the car.When Franklin and Clara got out of the car, the front door of the house was wide open. Sarah, Franklin's mother, and Vina, his younger sister, stood in the doorway. Their faces instantly changed from shocked to full of emotion when they saw Franklin. Vina immediately ran to her brother, hugging him tightly."Brother Franklin! You're alive! We thought you were...," Vina's voice was cut off by the sobs she couldn't contain. She had been devastat
Franklin stood still when he saw Clara in front of him. His face was filled with shock, as if he couldn't believe that Clara was really here, in this remote village. After everything that had happened, this meeting felt like a miracle. Meanwhile, Clara looked at Franklin with a mixture of relief, anger, and anxiety. The tears she had been holding back now began to well up in her eyes."Franklin... Are you okay?" Clara's voice sounded hoarse, full of emotion. She came closer, almost wanting to hug Franklin, but something held her back. Maybe it was the feeling that this was too surreal, or maybe it was the haunting sense of dread.Franklin nodded slowly, still rooted to the spot. "I... I didn't expect us to meet here. Clara, I really don't know how to explain everything. It's like a nightmare."Clara reached out and took Franklin's arm. "We'll get through this together, Franklin. I won't let anyone hurt you again."However, the moment was suddenly interrupted by a rustling sound around