"Do you... want to come in?"Franklin checked his watch before answering Clara's question, which sounded like an invitation. The man finally replied hesitantly."Actually, there's something I need to discuss."Clara fell silent, thinking about other matters related to the disclosure of Mr. Smith's death case. Clara had been holding everything in, even though Franklin hadn't been informed that she had stopped the investigation into his late father's murder."Listen, Franklin."The woman looked at Franklin with melancholy eyes. Clara said, "I had to stop the investigation. As you know, this issue is too broad to investigate, Franklin."Franklin froze in front of Clara. The smile on his face instantly faded, but Franklin tried to think clearly. He still wanted to uncover the issue even with limited capabilities."Karina has informed me that there's no evidence to show who the perpetrators were, or any particular cartel or group involved in the plane sabotage."Clara clearly delivered thi
Franklin's grip on Reyna's hand felt very strong. The man used his strength as if he was facing a fellow man. Reyna winced at the pain in her hand that felt like it would break. In a room that only Franklin could access, Reyna faced a fear that she had never imagined before. Reyna never thought that Franklin could be so rude to her. At first, Reyna confidently went to the office of a company owned by the Cendana Family. Her anger became even more rampant after seeing a broadcast about Franklin's endorsement as the leader of a well-known family-owned drug company in New York. There was a feeling that bothered Reyna, like resentment because Franklin was living a quiet life with all the wealth that could support him. As for Reyna, there were many people who made her miserable after Franklin stirred up opinions about her being a stalker. "Sshh...," Reyna whimpered. She tried to remove her hand from Franklin's grip. In the end Reyna begged, "Let go..., Franklin.""Weren't you the one w
"It's lifeless, Mr. Franklin."Clara and Franklin stared at the elderly man checking Reyna's condition after the woman had stabbed herself in the neck. Reyna would have been rescued immediately even if her life could not be saved. The woman had already lost a lot of life and there was no way to keep her alive until she reached the hospital. And just as Franklin arrived at the hospital, the doctor gave him the news. That Reyna could not be saved. However, Franklin didn't grieve, he just asked the hospital for something. "Please take care of the body."After that Franklin waltzed away, followed by Clara. As they walked hand in hand to the elevator, Clara asked Franklin. "That woman must have no family anymore, right?""Apparently you understood what I said to them just now."Clara nodded, the two entered the elevator and headed to the hospital lobby. Franklin did not feel that he should be held responsible for Reyna's death. Although finally, the news about the death of a woman in fr
Steven received news of Reyna's death. However, he didn't come to offer condolences. After all, he never loved Reyna with his heart. He only used her as an outlet for his lust.But remembering something that had circulated in the media about the dispute between Franklin and Reyna, Steven thought about Franklin."So... he knows how to use his power."Steven moved away from the monitor screen that was showing the news of Reyna's death. A model who was recently known as a stalker of one of the Cendana family members committed suicide in front of an office building. The headlines of the news broadcasts were almost all the same."Franklin, Franklin, does being at the pinnacle of victory make you act so excessively and blatantly like this?"Steven smiled as he remembered Franklin's status, which could be considered equal. In the past, he had insulted the man as a lowly package courier who was able to charm Clara."No wonder you were attracted to him, Clara. It seems you knew that Franklin w
Clara and Franklin were growing closer. Clara even frequently visited Mrs. Smith at her home. Their relationship became stronger because Franklin's mother genuinely liked Clara.However, last night turned out to be the worst day Clara had ever experienced. Mrs. Smith asked Clara to come over after someone without a clear identity provided information about Silver Clack's involvement in Mr. Smith's murder.Clara was confronted with an audio recording that made her hair stand on end. Charles' voice could be clearly heard confessing his foolish actions to someone interrogating him in Russian.That night..."Charles is your brother, isn't he?"Mrs. Smith looked at Clara with tears in her eyes. Then she said, "So Silver Clack was involved in my husband's murder, huh?!"Mrs. Smith was very angry, but she was still quite weak after learning all the facts about her late husband's murder. In her hand was also a newly printed photo, but it was identical to the hidden photo of Clara. This indica
Love is just bullshit. Franklin planted that phrase in his head and heart as he invited Clara to come over. A week passed after everything was revealed, Franklin could finally decide on something to avenge his mother. He invites Clara to meet. Unfortunately, she doesn't realize that Franklin already knows everything. After all, Clara agreed to his invitation to make a confession to Franklin. At the same restaurant as every time they had dinner together, Franklin was waiting for Clara. A delicious and varied meal of different types and flavors was waiting to be served. As always, Franklin greeted Clara sweetly. Although nervousness was evident on Clara's face as she received Franklin's kind treatment. "Sorry if I'm late, Franklin.""No problem."Franklin invited Clara to sit opposite him. Things went normally, they ate dinner as before. However, awkwardness slowly set in as Franklin also struggled to control his anger in front of Clara. "Is the hospital back to normal?" Franklin
"Franklin, are you okay?"That voice snapped Franklin out of his daze. He looked at Clara, who was now smiling."Are you okay?" Clara asked again, a bit confused by Franklin's sudden silence.Franklin shook his head, indicating he was fine. He quickly got off the bed and picked up his clothes scattered on the floor. Apparently, what had just happened was only his imagination. In reality, Franklin couldn't bring himself to shoot Clara with a real gun.On the bed, Clara, still covered by the blanket, was blushing. Something had happened between them. Clara had never imagined this before. "Is this a dream?" Clara thought happily."Hurry up and get dressed, Clara."Hearing Franklin's words made Clara look back at him. Her brow furrowed as she saw the change in Franklin's expression. They had just made passionate love on the bed, but now Franklin's attitude confused Clara.Clara assumed that maybe Franklin regretted touching her and felt guilty. But Clara felt that it wasn't something to r
"What do you mean to stay away from him, Sis?" asked Clara in a loud voice mixed with disappointment that her brother didn't understand how emotional she was especially with Franklin. The look in her eyes portrayed curiosity as Charles continued to interrogate her relationship with Franklin. Both of Charles' eyeballs dilated. He looked at his brother sharply. The look on his face reflected concern, but there was also pent-up anger. He stepped his feet to move closer as his eyes didn't stop staring. A long sigh escaped his lips as if trying to calm himself down. "Stay away from him, Franklin is not a good man. He will destroy you. You know, yesterday there was news that a girl almost killed herself because of him. I don't want you to experience the same thing," Charles explained in a slightly calm voice trying to touch his sister's shoulder and hold it tight as a warning. Clara shook her head firmly. She stared back at her brother sharply then shook off the man's touch roughly. Her
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