Glara stood in front of the towering building before her, feeling like it had been so long since she set foot in it. Awkwardness and embarrassment crept into Glara's mind. However, Glara had no other choice for the sake of her son's safety.
Before entering the building, Glara took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her arrival was sweetly welcomed by a line of women behind the reception desk. "Welcome, Miss Glara. The big boss has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. Allow me to escort you."
Glara just smiled and nodded, following the steps of the slender woman in front of her. Until her steps halted right in front of the closed elevator door. Shortly after, the elevator door opened, and the slender woman gestured for Glara to enter. After that, she pressed the highest floor number in the building.
Glara's heart raced even more irregularly, a mix of nervousness and restlessness swirling within her. She was afraid that the person she sought might refuse to lend a helping hand to Glara and her only son.
"Sorry, Miss, I can only escort you this far. After this, you just need to walk ten steps forward. The Big Boss's room is at the far end of this floor," the woman said politely, looking at Glara with respect.
"Thank you," Glara replied, returning her smile.
Glara followed the receptionist's instructions and, at the tenth step, stopped in front of a tall door with a sign that read 'President and Chief Executive Officer.' She closed her eyes for a moment, repeatedly touching the doorknob, but each time, she hesitated.
"Tsk!" Glara clicked her tongue and turned around, intending to leave the room in front of her.
"Why turn back?" a man's voice, one she recognized well, asked.
Glara lifted her ash-gray eyes, looking straight at the old man standing with several bodyguards behind him. "Come in."
Glara stood still, unable to evade or avoid the man. Reluctantly, she followed his steps into the extra-large room.
"So, what does my grandson need?" the man asked as they entered the ash-toned room.
Glara shook her head softly. "Grandfather, forgive me. I didn't heed your advice and got carried away by love. Grandfather, I really don't know where else to turn."
The man chuckled lightly, sitting in his throne-like chair as he gazed at Glara with warmth. "Why so formal? I'm your biological grandfather, the only family you have left, right? Why be hesitant? Sit down."
Glara remained bowed; she was truly embarrassed in front of her own grandfather. "Come on, Glara Latusha Seraphine. You're just like everyone else. Sit down; I already know what happened to you. And well, everything has happened, and nothing can be changed, right?"
Glara stayed put. "Grandfather, aren't you even a bit nostalgic about me? After five years of being away, don't you miss me at all?" the man continued, extending his hand as he walked towards Glara.
Glara shed tears, not expecting her grandfather to welcome her so warmly after what she had done to him years ago. "Grandfather," Glara whispered, hugging her grandfather tightly.
"Forgive me, Glara, forgive me." Glara kept repeating those words in the warm embrace of her grandfather, full of the love and affection from her childhood.
"It's okay, Glara. Everything has happened, and now you know why I always opposed your relationship, right?" Glara nodded within the embrace.
They hugged for quite some time, resolving the longing between parent and child. Now, Glara and Louis – her grandfather – sat side by side on the sofa in his room.
"So, what can I help you with?" he asked after Glara finished sipping the cold drink he had offered.
Glara took a deep breath and said, "Grandfather, Gama. He is—"
"Your son, right?" Grandfather interrupted.
Glara nodded, reluctant to ask how Louis knew about her son's identity. Because Glara was sure of who was sitting in front of her. Louis would know even if ants gave birth. "He suffers from chronic liver failure, and his condition..."
"We'll take Gama to a bigger hospital. I will find a suitable and good donor for Gama. But before that, I have one request that I really hope you won't refuse."
"What is it?" Glara asked, and Louis smiled, looking at Glara with hope.
∞
Glara stared at her son's frail body lying with a series of life-supporting medical equipment. The words and request of her grandfather kept echoing in her mind like a broken tape. Glara could agree to her grandfather's wish, but she wasn't too confident in her ability.
She kept daydreaming until a soft voice echoed in her ears. "Good afternoon, ma'am. The doctor would like to meet with you. Let me take you there." Glara nodded and followed the footsteps of the young nurse in front of her.
Upon arriving in front of a room surrounded by white surroundings, the nurse pushed the door and gestured for Glara to enter. "Hello, Mrs. Glara, please have a seat," greeted the doctor, now standing facing Glara.
Glara shook hands with the doctor and then sat in front of her. "What's wrong, doc?"
"Well, Mrs. Glara, I want to discuss your son's condition. Based on the examination we conducted earlier, we obtained less favorable results."
Surprised, Glara inquired about the doctor's explanation. "Gama's liver functions only at 50 percent. Because the damage has spread for quite some time. Delayed treatment and Gama's imperfect growth have caused this virus to spread faster than usual."
Glara's breath caught, feeling as if she were losing oxygen around her. "But, can Gama still recover, doc?"
The woman in white smiled and said, "There is a possibility of Gama recovering, of course, if... Gama receives prompt further action like a liver transplant operation. But to get that, there is a process to go through. Besides, we also need to find a good and suitable liver condition for a toddler like Gama."
Glara felt weaker; she didn't expect her only son to face such a dire fate. "And, as a consideration, Mrs. Given Gama's young age, he certainly has a much higher risk factor. So, you must find a hospital with more advanced equipment and treatment. Glara just stayed silent, listening to every word the woman said.
Now Glara looked back into Gama's room. She closed her eyes for a moment and then reached for her phone, sending a message to someone.
Not long after, several sturdy men in all-black attire arrived, and one neatly dressed man approached Glara in front of Gama's ward. "Excuse me, miss, we've taken care of Master Gama's transfer paperwork and prepared for his treatment at the new hospital. We'll be moving Master Gama shortly," he reported while handing Glara a folder containing Gama's details."Thank you for your assistance," Glara replied, breathing a sigh of relief."The big boss instructed Miss to carry out her part promptly," one of Louis's trusted aides added. Glara nodded in response to the words of her grandfather's confidant.As Glara was about to inquire more about her duties, several nurses entered Gama's room. Glara wasn't too alarmed because she knew Gama would be prepared for transfer to a larger hospital."The patient is ready for transfer," said one nurse leading a line of others pushing Gama's stretcher.Glara nodded and allowed her grandfather's right-hand man to lead the way while she walked beside Ga
"Why is there a problem, Gla?" Louis asked when he noticed something unusual in his granddaughter's expression.Glara shook her head and smiled faintly. She then took the documents handed over by Louis and began studying the contents. Her brow furrowed as she read through the presented information. "Grandfather, what if I don't approve of this proposal? What will happen?" Glara asked Louis, who was sitting on the opposite sofa.Louis appeared to ponder for a moment before smiling. "Why? Do you know the leader of that company?"Glara nodded softly. "I'm familiar with the owner's name, but I'm not entirely sure if he's the right person. Besides, I haven't found any innovation in his proposal. Everything seems monotonous, and we've done this before."Louis nodded and said that he entrusted all decisions to Glara. She had the right to make any decision, of course, with careful consideration and not just based on her emotions.After conveying his message to Glara, Louis excused himself to
Observing her defeated opponent, Glara smiled thinly and walked away from the restaurant. No one knew what Glara had said to Marta that left the woman speechless. On the way, Glara remained silent, gazing out the window until the car unknowingly arrived at the hospital where her son was being treated. Glara asked Rose to return to the company and reschedule other business meetings. She wanted to meet with Gama and Louis, who were waiting for her to have lunch together. Glara tidied up her clothes and changed her facial expression to a more cheerful one. She didn't want Louis or Gama to know about her sadness over Damian's demeaning behavior. "Hiii, Mom's here!" Glara exclaimed with enthusiasm as she opened Gama's hospital room door. "Mom!" Gama shouted happily upon seeing the woman who gave birth to him in front of him. "Guess what Mom brought?" Glara asked, showing the paper bag she had bought at the restaurant earlier. Gama examined the paper bag and sniffed. "Ahh, zuppa soup a
Damian smiled broadly upon hearing Glara's response. "Truly, my dear, I love you very much. You are the only one in my heart."Glara looked at Damian with an inexplicable gaze. She seemed touched by Damian's words. "Come back to me, and I will make both of you happy after completing my mission."In a matter of seconds, Glara's expression changed sharply, with a smirk on her face. "Come back to you? Don't expect that, Damian!" Glara's curt remark shattered the hope that Damian had built."I truly love you, Glara. I will—""What will you do? Stop the drama! You're here not because you still love me, but because now you know who I am, right? What if I were still poor like yesterday? Not to mention coming here, you'd find mentioning my name repulsive, wouldn't you, Damian? So, why are you still here? Go away. Weren't you the one who abandoned us?"Damian was stunned. For the first time, Glara dared to confront him. Damian never expected Glara to
"Eat."Glara's forehead furrowed upon hearing Bhuvi's sudden invitation to eat. "You haven't been focused on the concept discussion from the beginning. I think it's because you're suppressing your hunger."Glara grimaced in embarrassment; she was indeed hungry, having not eaten anything since noon. Earlier, Glara had intended to order zuppa soup for herself and Gama, but everything went awry with Damian's arrival, ruining her mood."Eat first, Glara. You can get sick if you often ignore your meal times. Go ahead, let Grandpa take care of Gama here," Louis instructed his only granddaughter to accept Bhuvi's invitation.Finally, Glara nodded, following Louis's orders. She grabbed her phone and walked following Bhuvi's brisk steps. In no time, Glara and Bhuvi arrived at the hospital cafeteria. They scanned the room, looking for an empty seat. "Over there," they both said simultaneously, pointing to an empty table in the corner of the room.Glara and B
"Can you connect me with that psychologist?" Glara said hopefully.Bhuvi paused for a moment, but in the next moment, he smiled and nodded. He then contacted the psychologist. Glara watched as Bhuvi spoke to someone on the phone. Meanwhile, Glara and Louis waited anxiously for news from Bhuvi."Thank you, doc," Bhuvi said, ending the phone call.Bhuvi looked up, and his eyes met Glara's hopeful gaze. "Tomorrow morning, the psychologist will come here," he said. Glara breathed a sigh of relief at Bhuvi's words."Thank you, Bhuvi." Bhuvi nodded and smiled faintly.As the day progressed, the sun had set, casting a yellowish glow. Glara now sat alone, accompanying her son who was still asleep due to the calming medication given a few hours ago. Louis and Bhuvi had already left, leaving Glara there.A brief sound on her phone diverted Glara's attention from her so
"I'm sorry to surprise you," he said apologetically.Glara nodded and quickly freshened up in the bathroom. Shortly after, Glara emerged from the bathroom looking much fresher than before. She approached Bhuvi, who was sitting on one of the sofas in Gama's room."What do you need?" Glara asked."I've brought a psychologist who will handle Gama. Currently, she's discussing with Gama's personal doctor here," Glara nodded, listening to Bhuvi's explanation.Glara then moved to pour black coffee that was already prepared in an electric kettle in the hospital room. She handed it to Bhuvi. "Please have some first." Bhuvi nodded and took a sip of the coffee Glara gave her.Glara and Bhuvi engaged in a brief discussion about the progress of the care project they were working on. Glara presented the concept she had worked on overnight, while Bhuvi prepared the budget plan. They deliberatel
"Where to?" Bhuvi smiled and invited Glara to meet with her personal doctor.Glara followed Bhuvi's footsteps as she continued walking ahead. Until their steps stopped in front of a white room. Bhuvi knocked on the door, and a nurse welcomed Glara and Bhuvi with a friendly smile."I would like to meet with Dr. Shapire." The nurse nodded and then ushered Glara and Bhuvi into Dr. Abel's room.Dr. Abel stood up and greeted Glara and Bhuvi. He invited them to sit down and asked, "Is there anything that needs to be discussed?"Bhuvi nodded, while Glara remained silent, not knowing the purpose of Bhuvi's invitation to meet with Dr. Abel. "When can we take Gama home?""We will conduct further examinations this afternoon, sir. I can only make a decision after the results are out," he explained with a friendly face and a thin smile lining his wrinkled face.Glara and