Floyd decided to bring Aby’s parents to his mansion. He thought that it would be much better considering the way her mother acted. He used to see Aby as a serious and strong woman. She liked to do everything she wanted. But he never saw her scared about anything. “I’m sorry for what happened,” Aby said. They were already riding in the car. Aby kept on caressing her left cheek, which was still hot because of the slap from her mother. “For what?” Floyd looked at Aby. He sighed, seeing her in distress. “My mother... she’s really like that.” “You don’t have to say sorry to me. It’s not your fault.” Aby smiled bitterly and looked at Floyd for a second. She was embarrassed and, at the same time, relieved because of him. “Don’t worry. They’ll stay until they confirm what they need to confirm. You won’t see them for long.” She looked outside again. She was hoping that they would really leave her alone soon. Floyd just sighed and didn’t answer her. He didn’t know them, that was why he did
“You shouldn’t have acted like that, Maricris,” Brandon said. He had just finished taking a shower. Maricris was sitting on the bed, staring out of nowhere.“What should I’ve done, huh? He was the son of the richest man in the world. The most powerful clan in Ryeso. And he gave us this?” Maricris looked around. “Our things were not even fixed!”Brandon sighed. “But it was true. You didn’t even tell your daughter that we were going today.”Maricris stood up. She looked at her husband, who was changing his clothes. “You are still siding with your daughter! That’s why she’s weak like you! That’s why she left us!”“Dear, I don’t want to fight with you about today.” He went to Maricris and touched her arms. She might be a strict and serious woman. But he had seen how soft Maricris was. That was why he never thought of leaving her, even though sometimes she was too much for him. “Your daughter was a strong woman like you. You just need to trust her. Take a breath.”Maricris rolled her eyes.
Aby went after her mother. She had to talk with her now, or she wouldn’t the next time. Her mother must go, or she will be doomed to embarrassment because of her. Aby stopped when she reached the door. Her mother would not go anywhere else but this room. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Then she opened it and went inside. Aby saw Maricris on the terrace, smoking. She cleared her throat and went inside.“Mom,” she called Maricris. “Why did you do that?”Maricris inhaled the smoke and turned to her daughter. “You. Why did you do that, huh? You ran away from us because you didn’t want to marry Johan Lim, but you married his brother, who was already a father to a child?!”“There is nothing wrong with that! And as if you really cared about the man I am
Maricris and Aby went back to the dining room. Maricris had asked for forgiveness from Floyd. They became okay. Miguel was still scared of Maricris because of the way she looked at him. But Miguel managed to be okay after a while.Floyd and Aby were in his room. Aby wanted to talk with Floyd and they had to stay in the same room because of her parents. Aby was on the couch and Floyd was near the window.“You can sleep in bed. I can sleep in my office,” Floyd started the conversation.“No. It’s okay.” She sighed. “I know that you’ve already talked with my mother, Floyd. But I’m still going to say sorry to you.”Floyd looked at Aby. He sat down on the chair in front of her. “It’s okay. But I must admit, I was surprised that she was like that.”“I know. Anyway, is it true? Your father wanted you to go to Ryeso next month?”“Yeah… How did you know that?”“My mom told me. I should go with you.”Floyd did not answer her. His father wanted him to go to Ryeso already. But he hasn’t thought ab
Floyd was ready to go to Ryeso. His visa and passport were already okay. He just needed to get to the plane. Aby and Jude will go with him. Belinda and Miguel will stay only at the mansion. Same for Minerva because the company needed her while he was gone. But before he went there, he wanted to get Dwayne already.“Are you really going to reveal yourself now, Sir?” Minerva asked. She had been worried about Floyd. She doesn’t have a good feeling about the party.“Yes. I can’t take him to jail. Then I will get what he really cared most about.”Floyd continued reading the documents in front of him. Before he left the country, he needed to prepare everything for his company. Because he didn’t know how long he would stay at Ryeso.Minerva sighed. “Okay, sir. I will help you then.” She remained in her seat. Minerva stared at Floyd as he read the documents. A lot had changed in him since the first time she met him in prison. But one thing that never went away was he was still the kind man sh
“Yes. I am Johnson Floyd Lim, Aby Chua-Lim’s husband,” Floyd said in confidence. Then he looked at Aby with a heart full of love. Aby stared into his eyes like she was waiting for him to kiss her. He was hesitant at first, but Floyd gave Aby a quick kiss on her lips. They could hear people nearby gasping in surprise.Roxane felt her knees become soft. She looked away and tightened her grip on Dwayne’s arm. She had to because she was afraid she was going to collapse as a result of the news she had heard. Floyd was married, and of all people, to Aby! She felt that she had exchanged positions with the woman with whom she had taken a man. Floyd was his man. So, technically, she felt that Aby took him from her.“Do you really think that I will believe this madness?” Dwayne asked.Floyd frowned at Dwayne. "Was it me telling you who I am or Aby being my wife that you couldn't believe?" He looked at Aby again, his eyes full of love.Aby giggled. “Don’t be like that, Dwayne. You are holding yo
“Ugh! That bitch! How dare she hold Floyd’s arms?!”Roxane went to the sink and opened the faucet. But she closed it again because she really didn’t have anything to do with it. Roxane sighed and crossed her arms. She looked at her reflection.“You were too bland, Aby. That’s why Dwayne never loved you and left you! You are nothing!” she exclaimed. In her eyes, she was looking at Aby’s smirking face. She remembered how her eyes sparked when Floyd kissed her on the lips. “Fuck you!”The door suddenly opened. Roxane was a bit surprised because of that. But she saw Aby walking inside and looking surprised too.“Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you were here,” Aby said politely.Roxane rolled her eyes and watched Aby as she went to the sink. She watched her as she did her retouching, which was not even necessary, because her makeup was still okay. She really hated this woman from head to toe.“What are you trying to do, huh?”Aby stopped putting on her lipstick and looked at Roxane’s ref
Dwayne immediately called for an emergency meeting. But Floyd was not informed. Dwayne was full of rage, and he couldn’t accept that Floyd was already ahead of him. All of the board members were present except for Floyd. “What was this meeting about, Mister Jacinto?” asked Froilan.Dwayne sat down on his chair. He looked at Froilan and then continued looking at the rest of his board.“And it looked like we were still not complete.”“We are complete,” Dwayne immediately said. The board members frowned and became confused.“Mister Lim is still not here—”“I said we were complete!” Dwayne exclaimed. He even hit the table hard. “I say when it’s enough, okay?!”Lucas, who was one of the board members too. He also helped get enough shares for Floyd. “But he is still one of us.”“If anyone doesn’t want to be in this room, then you can get out now!”A moment of silence happened insi
“Where have you been?” Floyd stopped entering his room when he saw Aby inside. “Aby. You didn’t tell me you’re coming home.” Aby smiled. She put down the magazine she was reading to the table. Then she stood up and went to Floyd. She was about to kiss him on the cheeks when she smelled the alcohol he drinks. “Are you drunk?” Floyd shook his head. He closed the door and smiled at Aby. “Yeah… A bit. Danica brought me to a club and Nelson was there too. I can’t say no to him. You know…” “O… kay? I understand. Come on.” Aby helped Floyd to sit on the couch. “Let me prepare tea for you.” “No need, Aby.” Floyd grunted. “Sit with me.” Aby sighed. She sat beside Floyd. “How’s your company? Is it okay now?” Aby nodded. “Yeah. Actually, I wanted to say thanks again, that's why I’m here.” “It’s okay, Aby. I already told you.” “I know. But I think it’s still not enough. You can ask me a favor. Anything! I will do it.” Floyd chuckled. “Be careful what you wished for, Aby.” “Huh?” Aby f
“He was just appointed, and he is already wasting money!” Carlo exclaimed. “He just invested at his wife’s company! We should do something about this, Father!”Arnel grunted. “I know. We’ve been ignoring the Chua’s proposal. And yet he even bought a stock for his wife?”“Tsk! I know that woman is just after our money!” Carla said.“But what can we do? He is now the chairman. He could do everything he wanted.” Crude took a sip from his glass.“You are not helping, Crude.” Carla glared at her brother. Crude just shrugged about it.“No… this should end now!”The siblings smiled as they saw the determination on their father’s face. They will never accept Floyd as their new master. They will take company no matter what.~~~“Is everything here?” Amethyst asked their head maid.“Yes, madam.”“Okay. I want everything to be perfect, okay?”“As you wish, Madam. You can trust us.”Amethyst smiled and let the head maid go. That was the time when Floyd went down from his room. He looked around an
Floyd woke up early to go back to his office. But even before he left, he received a call from his secretary.“Young master, your wife needs you.”Floyd looked at Johnson while fixing his necktie. “What happened?”“His Uncle is causing a scene in their company. Also, Leah told me to check your email. It’s done already.”Floyd sighed and stopped what he was doing. “I knew this would happen.” He shook his head. “Do I have any important meetings right now?”“Ahm, you have—”“Cancel it. Let’s go visit my wife.”Floyd finished fixing himself. He hurried out of the mansion and got into a car. Maybe that's why Aby can't tell him directly about his problem. Because it's embarrassing. But Floyd owes Aby a lot. And as they agreed he will help him. Not because she is his wife on paper, but because she is also his best friend.Before entering the building, he saw people holding placards in front of Chua's building.“What is happening here?”“I think they are protesting, sir. I’ve heard that the C
“So, how’s the new chairman?”Floyd stopped staring at the documents when he heard a voice. He looked at the door and saw Aby approaching her.“Aby! Sit down!” he said gracefully. He put the papers down and hugged Aby. “How are you?”“Good. Just a bit stressed out.”“That’s too early?”Aby sighed. She sat down at the chair near Floyd’s table. Floyd then sat back in his chair and stared at Aby.“I know, this is too sudden. And you just got appointed. But I need your help now.”“What kind of help?”Aby looked away. She didn’t want to do this but she had to. Her uncle was already pressuring her family. She didn’t want them to want her family to lose their business.“I need your family to invest in us.”Floyd frowned a bit. Aby didn’t tell him anything about investing in their company. He sighed and interlocked his fingers.“I-I know this is sudden. But—” Aby sighed. “Okay. I’ll be honest with you. Our family is not in a good situation now. We might lose our business if you won’t help me.
The next day, Floyd went to Lim’s company. Everyone was preparing for the board meeting. The family will be present and all of their business partners. Everyone was waiting to meet the next chairman. Words had passed so fast.“I will announce to everyone now that you will be the chairman of the company,” Johnson said. The three of them were in his office, getting ready to go to the company. “For sure, there would be some board members who would not agree. But I have already made sure of your position. You need to be strong now, Floyd. I believe in you.”Floyd took a deep breath. “I don’t know, Father. I’m nervous.”“That’s okay, brother. It’s normal. But we are here for you. We will guide you and make sure that you are in that position,” Johan answered.“Yes. As long as your brother handles our security company. No one will dare touch you. I trust you with it, Johan.”“Of course, Father.”Floyd nodded. He fisted her arms and took a deep breath again. He couldn’t explain how nervous he
Their night continued. Johnson rested early because he suddenly felt that he was tired. Amethyst helped him to his room. The rest except for Arnel Lim’s family stayed in the dining area. They were drinking wine. The kids were dancing and playing. Others remained to talk about business-related matters.“Mom, do I really need to be married to Floyd again?” Aby asked her mother. They were on the other side of the room. She had been thinking about the marriage they’d talked about earlier. She agreed to it, but she was worried about Floyd.“Why? Is there something you wanted to tell me, Abigail?”Aby’s eyes widened a bit. “Ahh, no. Of course, none. I’m just worried. You saw what happened earlier, right?”“It’s normal. You have the same uncle as your husband. What we need to do is to ensure our family's position in this clan. Being with them will make us prosper more. Since you are back here, you will work at our company again.”“Huh? But I need to go back to Croatia soon.”“What will you
The room was filled with silence. The music had stopped and no one dared to make another sound. Even the kids were looking in Johnson’s direction, wanting to hear what his announcement was.“I have finally decided to retire now. I’m old and I need to pay more attention to my health. I am now appointing my son, Johnson Floyd Lim, to be the next master of this family and chairman of our business. I trust him to make our businesses grow more, and I am hoping that you will all support him in everything. I will also continue helping him while I’m still here.”The room was filled with more silence. They all had mixed emotions about learning that the family would have a new master. Arnel’s eyes narrowed and he tightened his fists. He looked away and tried to control himself. They all expected that Johnson would appoint him. But not this fast.Amethyst smiled. She stood up with her husband. Their children followed them and faced Floyd.“My family is glad and willing to serve you, Johnson Floy
“Do we really have to do this? We’re just having dinner?” Floyd asked. He had just finished showering when he learned Jude was inside his room already. He was with some maids that were preparing a tuxedo for him.“Yes, young master. This is how it should be. So, if you may?”Jude pointed to the chair in front of the mirror. Floyd was surprised that there was a mirror and a reclining chair already. His room in this mansion was bigger than his room at his mansion. It was like another house inside a house. Floyd sat down in the chair. Jude immediately put a cloth on his body as his cover. It was tied to his neck but was not hurting him. He watched him put out a small box, and he was more surprised when he saw that it was a shaving tool.“You know I don’t have any hair on my face, right?”Jude continued preparing. “You have, young master.”Floyd sighed. He was still not used to his new life. He thought having a mansion back to his home was already extreme. He didn’t realize this place was
“Nothing to worry about now. You just need to rest a lot more and wait for your bruises to heal,” said Johnson's personal doctor. He was called immediately by Johan to check on Floyd.“Thank you, doctor.”“It’s nice meeting you, young master.” The doctor bowed. “I will go to your father now.”Floyd nodded. He got up from bed and wore his clothes. He was in his room in the mansion because Johnson asked him to rest again after their brief meeting. Floyd was still confused about what his father had said earlier. Everything won’t be easy for him. But he didn’t want this, right?Floyd looked at the door when he heard a knock. It opened and Aby came in.“Floyd, we need—” Aby’s eyes widened when he saw Floyd was half naked. She immediately turned around. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know that you were changing.”“It’s okay.” Floyd took his new polo shirt and wore it. “Okay now.”Aby took a deep breath and turned around again. “Ahm. I just want to check on you. How are you?” she asked. She never go