Share

164. Refrain

Author: A mum to be
last update publish date: 2026-06-19 15:58:52

The sight of Aurelia disappearing beyond the gate left a weight in Gian's chest that felt impossible to carry.

The last glimpse of her back, the brief sway of her long hair before she vanished into the crowd, left him rooted to the spot.

He stood there silently, his heavy breathing the only sign that he was still present.

The airport buzzed with departure announcements and the hurried footsteps of travelers, but Gian heard only one thing:

Aurelia leaving.

He

Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Latest chapter

  • LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN   193. Devina's Honest Answer

    The question lingered in the air, colliding with the silence that filled the room.Devina froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief, as though she couldn't quite process what she'd just heard.Outside, the restaurant bustled with life. The clink of glasses, cheerful conversations, and the soft melodies of the live acoustic band blended into the familiar hum that usually soothed the atmosphere. But inside the private dining room, time seemed to stand still. The sounds beyond the door became nothing more than distant echoes, too faint to penetrate the heavy tension hanging between them.The air suddenly felt thin.Devina's fingers, which had been tidying the handbag on her lap, went still. Gian's question echoed inside her mind over and over, pounding against her heart."G-Gian... what do you mean?" she whispered, her voice trembling so faintly it was almost inaudible.Gian leaned forward, his gaze fixed on her with unwavering intensity. He didn't

  • LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN   192. Do You Still Love Me?

    The room was swallowed by darkness.Only the dim glow from Aurelia's laptop remained, casting a faint light across her face. The ticking wall clock sounded louder than ever, emphasizing the silence that settled over the office after the power went out."Bas?" Aurelia called softly, a hint of panic creeping into her voice."Relax," Baskara replied immediately. His voice was calm and reassuring. "It's probably just a temporary outage. I'll check."He started to get up but stopped himself. In complete darkness, searching for the door or a light switch would only increase the risk of someone getting hurt.Aurelia shifted in her seat, reaching for her phone to turn on the flashlight. Instead, her foot caught the extension cord beneath the desk."Oh my..."She lurched forward.Without thinking, Baskara grabbed her by the shoulder."Lia!"She nearly crashed into the desk, but his strong arm caught her just in time. In th

  • LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN   191. When His In-Laws Came to Gian's Office

    The atmosphere inside Gian's office in Jakarta was thick with tension.Even the rich aroma of freshly brewed black coffee, brought in moments earlier by his assistant, couldn't cool the oppressive heat filling the room.Gian sat behind his desk, his jaw clenched. His fingers tapped repeatedly against the polished mahogany surface, a clear sign that his patience was hanging by a thread."Wasn't it enough that you took advantage of Devina?" His voice trembled with barely restrained anger. "You made her work herself to the bone when she was young, supporting the family when she should've been enjoying her youth. And now you're back, using Aurelia's parents as an excuse to guilt me into helping you. So this is your latest scheme?"The middle-aged couple sitting across from him slowly shook their heads.Their weary expressions looked carefully rehearsed, as though they were truly struggling to survive.But Gian knew better.Beneath those worn appearances lay a far greater ambition.They wa

  • LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN   190. Don't Undervalue Yourself

    Morning arrived in Melbourne with soft sunlight filtering through the thin curtains of Aurelia's dorm room. Still wrapped in her cardigan, her long hair was slightly messy after falling asleep on the couch the night before with a list of vocabulary words she had never managed to finish memorizing.Her laptop vibrated quietly on the small desk.A new email.She hurried over, her heart immediately racing.IELTS Results Available.Her hands trembled as her breathing quickened. For days she had been consumed by anxiety, convinced her final preparations hadn't been enough.Slowly, she clicked the link.Her eyes widened.Overall Band Score: 8.5Her mouth fell open, but no sound came out."Oh my God..." she whispered.She covered her face with both hands, caught somewhere between bursting into excited screams and crying with relief.Every hour she'd spent practicing speakin

  • LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN   189. Don't Overthink It

    "Bas... I'm so nervous," Aurelia murmured, pulling her jacket tighter around herself. They stood outside the IELTS testing center, where the crisp Melbourne morning air stung her ears.Baskara glanced at her, his expression as calm as ever."You've studied. You're ready, Lia. Don't overthink it."Aurelia let out a small huff, her eyes drifting toward the building's sign."What if my mind goes blank? The speaking section is terrifying, you know.""If you can argue with me about a project," Baskara replied evenly, "you can handle an interviewer."There was something in his eyes that didn't match his matter-of-fact tone. A quiet confidence that was strangely reassuring.Aurelia puffed out her cheeks, half annoyed, half amused."That wasn't arguing. I was learning, Bas."He raised an eyebrow."Learning or building mental resilience, it's the same thing. Think of today as more practice."They crossed the sidewal

  • LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN   188. A Strange Feeling

    The Melbourne night was cold enough to seep into the bones. The modest restaurant tucked away on a CBD street corner had quieted down after the project team gradually went their separate ways. Outside, streetlights reflected off the rain-soaked sidewalk from the afternoon shower, while the steady hum of passing traffic filled the air.Aurelia stood near the restaurant entrance, pulling her thin cardigan tighter around herself as she tried to ignore the sting in her bandaged right elbow. Ever since the accident at the construction site that afternoon, she had hidden the pain behind a smile, though her expression tightened every time she moved her arm too far.She lowered her gaze and was about to head toward the tram stop when a familiar voice stopped her."I'll drive you. Don't argue. We already agreed on that."Baskara's voice was calm but firm, leaving no room for debate.Aurelia looked up, a little flustered."You really don't have to, Ba

  • LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN   9. Devina is back?

    “Devina’s coming back here? Really??”Madam Lestari’s voice echoed through the dining room. The middle-aged woman hurried forward, her silk skirt swaying with every step, eyes sparkling with hope.Aurelia remained silent, frozen beside the dining table. Her g

  • LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN   7. You have to fix me

    “You have to fix me. Bring my confidence back.”Aurelia froze where she stood, while Gian closed the distance between them in just a few quick steps. The sudden proximity made her spin around instinctively.“I…I’m not that kind of woman,” she stammered, inching away as her hands flew up to guard he

  • LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN   6. A Condition

    Gian moved toward Aurelia slowly, almost soundless, closing the small distance between them. His warm breath brushed her face, and it felt like the room itself was shrinking around them.Aurelia swallowed hard. Her body went stiff, her instincts firing off warnings.“What do you want me to do?” she

  • LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN   5. Gold-digger

    “Typical gold-digger!”That was the first thing that flew out of Mrs. Lestari’s mouth this morning. Her tone was sharp, cutting, like a whip cracking across bare skin. The usually quiet house was now heavy with tension.Aurelia stayed silent. Her head bowed, her eyes fixed on the floor. She knew th

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status