The restaurant was quiet, with only two people sitting far apart at a long table in the middle of the silent room.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you, and now look what's happened"
The old man said, his hair starting to turn white. He lifted his coffee cup and sipped it slowly, savoring the aroma.
At the other end of the table, a woman sat silently with her head bowed, her shoulders slightly slumped. "It has been a very long time, Father... Daniel is already nineteen years old now."
Clack!
The coffee cup was suddenly placed roughly on the table, Mr. Ashford's eyes narrowing sharply, his face stern.
"I told you, never mention that wild seed again!" his voice was low and full of hatred.
Patricia quickly raised her head, her eyes welling up.
"Father, no matter what, Daniel is my son, and he is also your own grandson. How can you say such a thing?"
Rania quickly interrupted her father. She didn't mind if others betrayed her, but she couldn't bear to see her son treated like this.
Ashford turned his face away, his eyes gazing distantly towards the window. "How old are you now, Patricia, and you still dare to defy me? Look what you got from marrying that wild man."
Hearing that, Patricia lowered her head. It was indeed her fault for being swayed by that scoundrel's sweet talk, but Daniel had done nothing wrong.
Wijaya took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions. Was his daughter's brain filled with water, making her act so foolishly?
"Go home"
"Ashford Pharm is currently thriving because of the pandemic. You, as my daughter, must continue it."
"I will return, Father, but only if you accept Daniel." She bravely tried to argue with her father again.
"How can Father possibly separate a child from their mother? Father himself has experienced the pain of that separation. I beg you, Father... please understand."
o0o
Karel stared at the neatly arranged bok choy in the hydroponic pipes in front of him. The fresh air he inhaled slowly made him feel calm. Here, he could relax without wearing a mask outside.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Arthur, who was watering small tomato plants with the help of his cane. Even though Arthur couldn't see, the man could move so freely without ever stepping on a single plant.
After finishing, Arthur sat on the wooden chair next to Karel. Even though he couldn't see the twilight, holding Karel's hand was enough for him.
"How did you find me here?"
Arthur asked curiously, then placed Karel's head to rest on his shoulder. He knew that Karel's favorite thing was his broad shoulder.
That's why, even in his condition, he didn't stop exercising so that his eight-pack abs and shoulders wouldn't disappear.
Karel smiled proudly, his hand playing with Arthur's shirt. "What is it that I don't know? I'm rich, so this kind of information is very easy to get. Even if you hid in another world, I would definitely be able to find you."
Arthur chuckled softly, his voice deep but gentle, making Karel's chest vibrate. "Really? You don't even know my full name," he retorted, teasing Karel.
Karel fell silent immediately, his lips suddenly feeling numb. He pouted slightly. Who would have thought that his boyfriend was actually Maximilian, the second lead in the novel he had once read? Besides, why wasn't he called Arthur? It was just making his head spin more.
Suddenly, something flashed in Karel's mind. He narrowed his eyes, glancing at Arthur. "So you're the CEO of Lichoin? Why didn't you say you were rich? I want a car!" His eyes sparkled as he looked at Arthur, who was smiling.
"But oh yeah"
Karel suddenly remembered, his expression turning angry. "Wasn't your company taken over by your uncle? That greedy old geezer, smelling of the grave! Haven't you confronted him yet?"
His tone was full of hatred, especially after he had dug up more information about Arthur's uncle.
It turned out that the old man was just like any ordinary neighborhood dad whose stomach looked like he was ten months pregnant. How could such a man be related by blood to his so handsome Arthur?
Arthur chuckled softly, as if finding Karel's anger amusing. He gently stroked Karel's hair. "What kind of car do you want, hmm?"
"I was just kidding" he slight laugh, although deep down, he really did want a new car.
"Regarding the company issue, don't worry, my uncle won't be able to overstep his bounds," Arthur said calmly, while bringing his face closer to gently bite Karel's ear.
"Seriously?"
Karel felt doubtful. In his memory of the novel, the situation wasn't like this.
Had there been a change? After all, he had already messed up many plot points, especially regarding the meeting between Daniel and Alison.
In the novel, Daniel's mother died and was then kidnapped by his father, a brilliant scientist, leaving Daniel looking desperate.
And because Daniel's mother was here with Daniel, Alison didn't get involved with Daniel. But who knew, maybe they would get involved again, and he didn't really care.
But that also changed Alison's plot, as she also didn't get involved with Maximilian.
"Tch, just try to snatch him if you can" he challenged inwardly, but what if Arthur really liked Alison because that feeling was already written by the novel's author?
Karel's hand touched Arthur's face, trying to stop his boyfriend's teeth from constantly nibbling at his ear.
Arthur was surprised when his face was gently pushed away, but he remained silent. Did it hurt?
"Do you like someone else besides me?"
Karel suddenly probed, trying to make sure if the novel's plot was still as he remembered.
Arthur was silent for a moment, his brow furrowing until his thick eyebrows almost met. Without hesitation, he gently cupped Karel's cheek. "The only person I love is you, the person in front of me right now. There is no one else"
"I don't know what's making you uneasy, but ask me directly about anything that's bothering you. Don't keep it to yourself" he said before pulling Karel into his embrace.
"It's Alison..."
Karel whispered, burying his head in Arthur's chest. He felt drained because he had found out that Arthur was the second male lead.
"Who?"
Arthur asked softly, wondering if that person was the reason his lover was so uneasy.
"You, at the hospital. She was a volunteer at the hospital where you had the accident."
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly, trying to remember who Alison was, but he still didn't know.
"Sweetheart, listen to me. I don't know who Alisonis. If that's what's making you uneasy, I won't associate with anyone named Alison" he said in a persuasive tone.
Karel, still in the embrace, frowned. Why was he acting like a fickle teenager?
"No, Karel, you're twenty-eight years old, you're not nineteen," he thought bitterly for acting like a teenager again.
He immediately pulled away from the embrace and tried to change the subject. "How's your eye surgery going? If you don't have money, you can tell me, don't worry, I have a lot of money."
"Don't worry, I'm not short on money, and the surgery still requires a donor."
He felt relieved to hear that, but a moment later, his head began to ache. His hand went up to hold his head.
"Are you alright?" Arthur asked worriedly, noticing that something was wrong with Karel.
o0o