"You are still Mrs. Lilia Widjaya."
In other words, nothing could change that fact.
The man's words seeped into Lilia's heart and dispelled the gloom that clung onto her mind. The world that had been gray in Lilia's eyes now started to look colorful again. For the first time since she found Leila in her house, Lilia felt that she could breathe freely again.
Jean was secretly relieved when he saw a small smile on Lilia's lips. The woman's cheeks, which were pale before, slowly turned red again. Jean promised himself that he would make Sylvia pay for hurting Lilia's heart this much.
"You are right." Lilia met Jean's gaze full of trust, "Even if I am not the daughter of the Pangestu Family, I am still Jean Widjaya's wife."
After saying that, Lilia laughed out loud. Her body felt lighter after she accepted that fact. She felt grateful that Jean was by her side during this incident. If Lilia had to face all this alone… she?couldn't and didn't want to imagine how hard it'd be.
The independent woman who thought she didn't need a man had changed. She realized that leaning on other people was not a shame. It was precisely when Lilia was relying on Jean that she showed her trust in him. She didn't have to fight alone anymore. Besides, everyone had their limits. Relying on other people could help you go beyond that.
Lilia patted her cheeks to encourage herself. Now that she knew about Sylvia and Leila, she wouldn't just give up. Lilia was determined to reveal their secret.
Who was Leila? What did she have to do with Sylvia?
Lilia didn't intend to find out who her real family was. She just wanted to know what secrets Sylvia had been hiding over the years.
*****
That night, Lilia and Jean return to Jakarta by private plane as originally planned. The only difference was that they were not alone. Claire, Andrew, and Leila were also with them.
Claire and Andrew actually went to Surabaya on the Austin Family's private plane. But the plane had returned to Jakarta without them. As a result, they decided to return with Jean and Lilia.
Mike was supposed to come with them too, but he insisted on driving back to Jakarta with his friends. Andrew knew how stubborn his brother was, so he didn't stop him.
Leila also wanted to go home with Mike, but Claire strictly forbade her. She could already imagine Andrew's brother abandoning Leila in the middle of nowhere. Their purpose in coming to Surabaya was to bring the woman home safely. Claire didn't want to worry about Leila anymore, so she didn't let her go with Mike.
While on the plane, Claire and Andrew were busy discussing Mike's future. The husband and wife were seriously considering sending the young man abroad. The biggest reason for their decision was Leila. The daughter of the Irwan family was too stubborn when it came to Mike.
This wasn't the first time Leila had caused an incident for trying to follow Mike. As long as the young man was still in Indonesia, Leila would not give up easily. Claire and Andrew both got headaches because of this problem. The young woman was normally quiet and polite, but her personality changed drastically around Mike.
When their plane landed in Jakarta, it was only eight in the evening. Claire and Andrew were talking to Jean when Leila walked up to Lilia.
The woman smiled sweetly and said, "Sis Lilia, I heard that you were shooting recently, right? If I have free time, can I come to visit? I want to see you acting!"
Lilia smiled back with a fake smile that was no less cute, "Of course. You can come visit whenever you want." She calmly answered.
Leila's expression brightened. She gripped Lilia's two hands tightly, "Thank you, Sis Lilia! I will definitely come to visit!" She promised excitedly.
"Leila, our car has arrived." Claire called her, "Let's go home first. If you want to visit Lilia, I will accompany you later."
Jean's sister sounded like a mother exhausted from looking after her child. However, it was only natural that she did that. Claire had spent the whole day worrying about Leila, taking the Surabaya-Jakarta trip, then lecturing Mike. Her strength had been drained.
Claire stared at Leila's approaching figure and let out a long sigh. She felt that the young woman was more selfish and spoiled than she had thought. As a result of today's incident, everyone just wanted Leila to return home immediately. Yet the young woman acted as if she was oblivious to their feelings.
Andrew glanced at his wife who sighed again for the umpteenth time. Without saying anything, he wrapped his arm around Claire's waist and supported the woman's body. Claire looked as if she was going to fall asleep anytime.
Lilia stood beside Jean and watched the Austin Family car drive away. The woman's gaze was cold and dark as she thought back to Leila's request just now.
Did Leila really have extraordinary acting skills? Or did she look too highly on her abilities?
The soft touch of Jean's hand jolted Lilia back from her thoughts. She turned and realized that the car Clifford was driving was waiting for them. Lilia let Jean lead her into the car.
As soon as they sat in the back seat, Jean immediately pulled Lilia up so that her head rested on the man's shoulder, "Never mind, you don't have to think about this incident anymore. It's time for you to rest." He ordered.
Jean's steady and warm voice made Lilia unable to protest. She nodded, then closed her eyes. The steady roar of the car engine and the feeling of security in Jean's arms made Lilia's eyelids feel heavy. Even though there were still many things that he needed to think about, the drowsiness slowly overtook her until she finally fell asleep.
Jean stroked Lilia's hair with a gentle expression, as if he was staring at the most precious treasure in the world. The man made up his mind again to protect Lilia from Leila. Jean didn't trust that woman at all.
Clifford, who was driving, glanced at the couple with conflicted eyes. He didn't see Merry's figure as the two exited the airport, but he wasn't brave enough to ask. Judging by their attitudes, Clifford concluded that he would not be able to see Merry again for a while— or even forever. The thought pierced Clifford's heart deeper than he thought.
*****
After that incident, Lilia resumed her busy shooting schedule. She was so busy that she barely had time to rest, let alone thinking about Sylvia and Leila. The daughter of the Irwan family did promise to come visit, but she didn't appear at all until now. Lilia actually felt a little relieved by it. She didn't want to have anything else to do with her if possible.
Without Lilia realizing it, a week passed and she had finished all her scenes in this film studio. There were still some scenes that needed to be shot outside of the studio, but at least now Lilia could rest for a few days. Right now, Louis was focusing on Shirley and Edward's scenes, so the other actors had some free time.
The director had announced at the start of filming that they would change locations once they finished here. There were several shooting locations in Jakarta that they needed to visit.. Both the main character and the side actors would also go to these locations.
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