Episode 14

The sky had shifted to a dusky orange as the sunset deepened. Dimas had just left the office, and the building was now eerily quiet.

He quickly made his way to where his car was parked. As he was about to get into his car, his phone suddenly rang. He saw on the screen that Tsania was calling.

"Yes, Darling?" Dimas answered while closing his car door and then drove off at a moderate speed.

"Where are you, Darling?" Tsania inquired.

"I'm in the car. I've just left the office," Dimas replied, steering his vehicle single-handedly while holding his phone to his ear with the other.

"How is it going, Darling? You've got the photos, right?" the woman's tone at the other end hinted at her unsettled feelings.

"They're safe, Darling. I've transferred everything to my flash drive, and I've erased all the files on the laptop," Dimas said with a self-satisfied smirk, invisible to the woman at the other end.

"You're not lying, Darling? You're not just saying that to placate me, are you?" Tsania pressed for reassurance.

"I'm not lying. Why would I deceive you over such a trivial matter? Zora is so naive; she didn't change her laptop password, which is why I could access it with such ease," Dimas replied with a satisfied grin.

"Ahh, you're the best, Darling! Now I can relax," Tsania cheered from the other end.

"Then I'll hang up now, Darling. Be careful on the road. I don't want anything to happen to you," Tsania showed her concern, which pleased Dimas.

"Oh, how sweet! What if something did happen to me, then what?" Dimas flirted.

"I would be devastated. I can't live without you, Darling!" Tsania's words filled Dimas with joy, unbeknownst to him that they were just words, not from a sincere heart.

Dimas's smile broadened, feeling flattered by Tsania's declarations. This was a stark contrast to Aozora who, when asked what she would do if he died, always answered that while she would be sad, she would strive to be realistic, continuing her life and not dwell on sorrow forever. Aozora's response always gave Dimas the impression that she didn't truly love him. Therefore, Tsania's recent expressions made him feel genuinely loved.

"You're truly making me soar, Darling. I can't wait to feast on you every day," Dimas began steering the conversation towards the provocative.

"Ahh, you! You know how to give me chills thinking about your onslaught. With you, I'm ready to be devoured every day, Darling. But be patient, in five days, we'll be married," Tsania said in the softest, breathiest voice she could muster.

"Ahh, your voice is arousing, Darling. You'll have to take responsibility!" Something in Dimas began to stir.

"Stop it, Darling. We'll have our regular video call when you get home. Right now, you need to focus on driving. I'm hanging up, Darling!" Tsania finally ended the call from her side.

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Upon arriving at his residence, Dimas carelessly tossed his work bag onto the sofa.

"Dimas, what's wrong? You seem upset," Damian, Dimas's father, observed with a puzzled frown.

"It's Aunt Amber and Zora; they're making me angry, Dad," Dimas replied, throwing himself onto the sofa.

"Amber, Zora? What about those two women?" chimed in Dimas's mother.

"Are you still angry because Zora suddenly called off your wedding, Dimas? Are you still hoping she'll change her mind and marry you instead? If that's the case, I don't agree! I don't want a daughter-in-law like her, who left you so easily," Meta, his mother, added with fiery eyes.

Clearly, the middle-aged woman was thoroughly incensed by Dimas's false accusations against Zora—to his mother, he had blamed Zora for canceling the wedding. The woman who had once adored Aozora now detested her. Conversely, the woman who once disliked Tsania had now warmed up to her, viewing her as the savior who stepped in to replace her sister and preserve the family's honor.

"No, Mom! Not at all. I could never hope for Zora again. Actually, now I'm even more grateful that she isn't my wife," Dimas remarked.

"So, why are you upset with Zora again? And what does Aunt Amber have to do with it?" Meta furrowed her brows, growing more perplexed.

"It turns out, Zora called off the marriage so she could wed Arsen."

"What! Zora married Arsenio? How could that be?" Meta gasped, just as Damian did.

"I'm not sure how it happened. But now Zora is married to Brother Arsen. Aunt Amber was the one who showed their marriage certificate. But that's not what upsets me, Mom. The issue now is that while Brother Arsen is unconscious, Zora has taken over the company. And me, I'm back to square one, Mom, Dad. And that decision came from Aunt Amber. However, I'm convinced it was Zora's request," Dimas exaggerated and withheld the true reason for Zora's marriage—to settle her father's debts.

"That woman is so conniving and materialistic. I'm truly relieved she did not become my daughter-in-law. And Amber, how could she agree to make such a treacherous woman her daughter-in-law?" Meta was visibly agitated.

"Perhaps, Aunt Amber was swayed by Zora's eloquence and her seemingly innocent facade, Dear," Damian chimed in.

"We can't allow this to continue! I need to inform Amber of Zora's true nature. We cannot let their wealth fall into her clutches," Meta reached for her phone to call Amber.

"No need, Mom!" Dimas quickly interjected, fearing his lies about Zora might come undone, risking his marriage to Tsania.

"Why would you stop me, Mom? Do you want that woman to take over your cousin's wealth? Arsenio is comatose at the moment; I'm afraid Zora will exploit his condition to transfer assets into her name. You can see how manipulative she is, Dimas!” Meta's eyebrows knitted together, her gaze probing.

"Because it's useless, Mom. I've explained everything to Aunt Amber, but she doesn't believe a word. It seems that Zora has truly influenced Amber."

"That venomous woman! I never imagined she was only pretending to be innocent all this time," Meta cursed again.

Dimas smiled faintly, satisfied that he had managed to provoke his mother into believing his story.

"Aunt Amber accused me and Dad of trying to take over the company. She even threatened to kick us out if we slandered Zora again, Mom. If that happens, we might end up penniless. Better we keep quiet for now. We'll wait until Brother Arsen wakes up from his coma. You know how much he loved Hanum. I'm confident Brother Arsen will kick Zora out once he's conscious. Let's just pray that Arsen wakes soon," Dimas manipulated further.

"Alright then!" Meta finally conceded. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go heat up some food. I feel sorry for dragging Mbok Jum into this again," the fundamentally kindhearted middle-aged woman stood up and headed to the kitchen.

"Dimas, what do we do? We can't just sit back and watch. We need to act quickly. I will figure out a way to get Arsenio's signature or thumbprint on the documents transferring the company's ownership to you," Damian spoke up once he was sure Meta had gone.

"Yes, Dad. We can't afford to relax. I, too, am worried that Brother Arsen might suddenly wake up," Dimas replied.

To be continued...

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