IVONA: 1World 2Names
Chapter 162 Guilt

"Why are you apologizing?"

Felix stared at Ivona, not until the heart told him about his deal with an Aldrich Ryder. "Sorry." That word came out of his mouth.

"For what, Dad?"

"For Dad's helplessness, you shouldn't be a victim of Dad's stupidity, Iv."

From Felix, Ivona already knew where this conversation was going. Ivona, who was sitting next to Felix, grabbed the old man's hand and brought him closer and kissed him again.

"Never feel guilty. I know, Dad wouldn't have done it if you had any other choice. I also know, I can't be selfish and not think about you."

Felix bowed in shame, how could his daughter have such thoughts. Felix feels increasingly guilty for having ruined his daughter's future by handing her over to Aldrich Ryder in return for their deal. "Do you know what I'm doing?"

Ivona nodded. "Everything."

Tears of regret just popped out of Felix Howard's eyelids. "I'm sorry Dad, honey," she wrote.

"I shouldn't have fulfilled Whesley's invitation, I shouldn't have followed her to play at the casino, I shouldn't have been provoked." Felix was crying even more considering all of those events.

An event that destroyed everything overnight. More than two years ago, Felix Howard received an invitation from a young businessman named Axton Whesley. He is a businessman in the casino industry. There, at Whesley's casino, Felix is challenged to gamble. At first Felix refused because he only wanted to honor Whesley by fulfilling her invitation.

However, Whesley's sweet mouth was able to persuade and seduce Felix to play. The game that was originally just fun turned into a real bet. In one night, Whesley makes Felix risk everything, including the company. Until all her property was mortgaged, the last thing Whesley asked for was the single daughter of Felix—Ivona.

"You still have one more treasure, Mr. Felix, even that is your most precious treasure. If you want, you can change it. I'm going to give you back everything you bet on this gambling table and you're giving me your treasure" Whesley said at the time.

"What do you mean?" Felix was a little confused because he felt he had no more treasure to bet on what else was exchanged. Everything he had he mortgaged at the casino table that night.

Whesley laughed crisply at Felix's confusion. "You have Ivona. Your beautiful and smart daughter you can give me and I'll give you back all the wealth you bet tonight."

Hearing Ivona's name called made Felix Howard inflamed. He stood up by pounding the table. "Take your talk, Whesley!" felix shouted, making some people near their table turn their heads and find out what happened.

"Relax .. Calm down, Mr. Felix. You don't have to be that angry" said Whesley who is good at playing the character.

"I'm not the father who would risk my daughter at a gambling table, let alone for a cheap man like you!"

Although his anger was ignited because of a Felix to him, Axton Whesley still tried to calm down. "Calm down Mr. Felix, I don't mean to put you down for what else your daughter is. I wanted to make your daughter the queen of my palace" Whesley said.

"I will never let my daughter be queen among your langs. I would never sacrifice my daughter's happiness for a jerk like you!" Not wanting to talk about Ivona anymore, Felix Howard immediately left Whesley's casino with a day of rumbling.

Since that night, Felix has always been restless haunted by the destruction of his company. He is not willing, not willing if the family business is destroyed in his hands, even though he has given the responsibility of the company to Ivona, and his daughter has struggled to advance the company. Every second that passes makes it impossible for time to cover everything, Ivona must know about her father's defeat that night.

Not wanting her company to fall into Whesley's hands, Ivona tries to keep it going by making up for all her father's debts. He borrowed money from the bank to save the company. However, no one would have thought, if in the end, the father's ugliness affected the company's reputation and made the once bona fide company suffer a setback due to low investor confidence. Slowly but surely, the company that did not fall into the hands of Whesley had to fall because of the lack of inventors.

Back, Ivona had to fight closing bank loans and restoring the company. He moved back to find new investors to support his company, for his father and also for his employees. So fate brought him to Aldrich Ryder at that time. Though unable to meet at the time, it turns out that it was a way for Aldrich to find Ivona. The man himself offered assistance to the Howard Technology company with a request that Ivona.

Remembering all that made Felix feel even more guilty about Ivona. If it hadn't happened then he would have seen Ivona happy by now.

"I'm sorry Ivona's father, I'm sorry for all your stupidity." Felix's tears grew louder as his guilt grew louder.

"Dad ...." Ivona moved onto the bed, and hugged the old man. "Never think about it, it's all happening, and that's how fate must happen. Please don't beat yourself up again, you're the best dad, it'll always be that way."

Ivona knew it wouldn't be easy, especially for her life if she was to actually have a loveless marriage to Aldrich Ryder. But he also did not want to make his father more burdened with regret and guilt. Felix is the only parent he has now. He should be able to take care of his father at all costs.

"I'll be fine Dad, Aldrich's a better man than Whesley."

"But the same, I keep selling you for my debts." Felix is still crying

"No, they're not all the same. At least you saved me from a jerk like Whesley. Stop feeling guilty, because you'll still be the best dad for me. Don't you say you sold me anymore. Promise me."

As a child, Felix Howard nodded in his daughter's arms.

"Pray me, that my life may be filled with happiness" said Ivona.

Back, Felix nodded. They kept hugging for a while until Ivona realized there was Aldrich waiting for her. Ivona broke their embrace. "There's Aldrich who wants to see Dad."

Felix wiped his tears and asked Ivona to help him stand up and meet Aldrich.

"Good night, Mr. Felix," said Aldrich, who saw Felix Howard coming to him, assisted by Ivona beside the old man.

"Good night. Sit down, Mr. Ryder," Felix replied.

"No need to hesitate, just call me Aldrich it will make the atmosphere more familiar."

Felix smiling. He did not expect that Aldrich Ryder was this polite and friendly. Far from his previous shadow.

________________

Assisted by Ivona Felix sitting in front of Aldrich.

"How are you, Mr. Felix. I'm sorry I just visited you now" Aldrich said politely.

Felix returned Aldrich's smile with an equally friendly smile. "Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

Aldrich straightened his body and looked seriously at Felix. "Look, Mr. Felix, as I said on the phone the other day when it was time to take your daughter, and today I officially proposed to Ivona to be my wife," aldrich said calm and dignified.

Felix and Ivona look at each other, they both can't believe that Aldrich proposed to Ivona.

"You're kidding me, aren't you?" ask Ivona.

"No, I'm asking you from your father."

"Do you really mean it?" ask Felix in doubt.

"As I said before, Mr. Felix, I am serious about proposing to your daughter and making her my companion" Aldrich replied firmly.

Aldrich confidently replied, "Sure, sir. Whatever you want from me I'll do with all my soul."

Felix looked at Ivona with his happy look still with glazed net. He turned to Aldrich and said, "Please promise me you'll take care of him for the rest of your life, with all the love you have. Don't let her tears drip except for happiness reasons. Can you do it?"

Aldrich nodded steadily. "I promise you, Mr. Felix. I will always make Ivona happy. I'll love her until whenever, even in every life Ivona was born."

Unlike Felix who stared at what Aldrich said, Ivona just stared at the man.

"Thank you" Felix said.

"There's one more thing, Mr. Felix, I talked about it yesterday to you. I want Ivona to stay in my house from now on."

"When I do, I have no power to refuse you."

Aldrich smiled happily because it was not difficult to get Ivona to stay with him. The man immediately told Ivona to pack and told her to bring only the important items, if the matter of clothes she could buy another new one later. Finished packing, Ivona and Aldrich leave to return to Ryder's mansion.

"You're so good at acting, my dad even so easily believed in all your bullshit," Ivona said on the way.

Aldrich glanced at Ivona. "Do I look like a braggart?"

"Not really, it's just that you're good at wordplay and making your prey believe" Ivona's circus.

"Then do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you believe that I will take care of you all my life with all my soul and body?"

"Bg ...." Ivona is fiercely. His eyeballs almost popped out in response to the prank of the man beside him.

Another Ivona again Aldrich. The man actually laughed when Ivona was upset because she felt played with. The situation became silent for a moment when Aldrich's laughter subsided. Silence filled the void space between the two. Long enough, until the words of Aldrich make Ivona stunned made.

"What if what I say is honesty that comes from the bottom of my heart?"

Aldrich looked, and so did Ivona. Make their views clash with each other.

"I'm sure there's something between us that's intertwined for a long time. I can't conclude it but I do." Aldrich refocused on the wheel. While Ivona was still faithfully staring at the man by her side. Looking for something to make him sure of what Aldrich said.

"Are you starting to get fascinated with me, huh?" goda Aldrich as he turned and found Ivona still staring fixedly at him.

"So right you're getting tempted by my charm? Do you believe what I just said?" Aldrich laughed, as if what he had just said was a game.

"It turns out that it's easy to melt a woman's heart, enough sweet pranks will make them believe."

Ivona, who realized she had been played, did not take her eyes off. His sharp highlight did not shift from the man who had just played him. He wanted to be angry right then and there, but it would not be elegant to beat up a man who was driving, because right now it is not only the man's safety that must be maintained but his own safety is also at stake. He sighed harshly before finally choosing to throw his face away.

"Hey .. are you angry?"

There's no answer.

"Come on, I'm just kidding. Don't make your life too stiff without a smile."

Ivona didn't respond. He chose silence from whatever Aldrich was trying to do. Arriving at the man's mansion, Ivona immediately went down without thanking. The girl slammed the car door on purpose, leaving Aldrich to tiptoe.

"Hey ..wait!" pinta Aldrich, but Ivona doesn't care. He walked away, into the house, and went straight to Aldrich's room. Ivona even ignored Helena greeting him. He held back the resentment that was entrenched in his heart. Not wanting to make a fuss Ivona chose to slam her body into the bed, trying to find calm in her way. The aroma of this room, also this bed is so necessary to immediately fall asleep.

Aldrich, who was behind after marking his car, had to be willing to explain to his mother what happened when Helena intercepted him.

"Why Ivona, didn't you leave this morning together and everything was fine. What's going on?" Helena wants to know.

Aldrich shrugged both shoulders. But Helena couldn't believe it, and she kept trying to convince her son to tell him the truth.

"He was angry just because I teased him," Aldrich replied honestly in the end.

"What's? what are you doing?"

"I was just kidding, Mom. I don't know, she's a weird girl. Don't think about it, I want to rest." Aldrich immediately passed to his room.

There he saw Ivona lying on the bed. His prone position could not see the arrival of Aldrich who followed him.

Not wanting to disturb, Aldrich just let his future wife sleep comfortably. He prefers to clean himself so that he can be more comfortable while resting. This is indeed his habit before going to bed, soaking in warm water to relax his muscles that he forced to work all day. Not infrequently, Aldrich can fall asleep even for an instant. As at this time, the warm water that soaked his body made him fall asleep until he was unconsciously closed.

I do not know how long he was closed, because Aldrich woke up because of the cry of someone who made his ears almost broken.

"Aarrggghhhhh!"

Aldrich who was shocked suddenly woke up and immediately stood up to know what the situation was. But as he stood up, the girl in his bathroom suddenly shouted even louder than before.

"Aaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhhh ...."

Aldrich was confused by what was happening.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" ask Aldrich who is not aware of the situation.

The girl was of course Ivona, she shouted while closing her eyes. Instead of answering Ivona even louder scream.

"Hey, stop!" aldrich jolts, and Ivona stops.

"You, why?" ask him further.

Still closing her eyes, Ivona pointed at the bottom of Aldrich's body.

Following Ivona's finger, Aldrich who was still standing on the jacuzi yelled. Now he himself is shocked to see his body is not wrapped in a thread. The mist, Aldrich looked for the bathrobe on the edge of the jacuzi, but in panic he forgot that he had put it there himself.