Campus, March 2018.Fathia didn't like the many glances directed at her. She still remembered how embarrassed she was when Antony picked her up, and she felt like everyone at the café was talking about her. It wouldn't be surprising if that became a topic of gossip on campus, considering that she was using a bodyguard's service.It was all because of Sebastian, but she couldn't deny it, especially when she recalled that horrifying incident. She didn't want to take any more risks. She only asked for one thing after that, "If I don't break curfew, can I have a little freedom to breathe some fresh air, Sebastian?"That was it. And Fathia took full advantage of it. Not that she made many friends, no. Fathia was too afraid to start. Until...Her steps hurriedly approached a group that was cornering one of them. Fathia frowned and recognized the blonde girl whom she felt she knew. Ah... right, she was a classmate and majoring in the same field as Fathia.
[2019]Calculating every move, Sebastian began unbuttoning his shirt. He didn't want to rush because he knew nothing could stop him. His eyes remained fixed on one point, the doll-like eyes of the woman who had taken off her clothes. He gazed at her with satisfaction, like a predator ready to pounce on its prey; Clara Jasson.He walked slowly, crawling onto the bed, maintaining that grin. Meanwhile, Clara welcomed him with delight, full of desire, and unwilling to shift her attention elsewhere. Today was the payoff for two weeks of waiting for Sebastian Sachdev's return. Without a single doubt, Clara swore that she would record in detail how their relationship would end.They wrestled with each other. Giving and receiving, until they both lost their sense of reason. Their breaths and suppressed groans became a harmonious melody, signaling how they worked this afternoon, with both consciousness and desire.Then, without realizing it, one loud cough disrupt
"How's college going for you?" Sebastian asked while savoring his meal. Grilled Grouper was his choice. It seemed fitting since he had only eaten random food since morning. Meetings with numerous clients had taken up much of his time.Not to mention the many reports from Vino that made him change his mind about just filling his empty stomach. If it weren't for Clara’s visit to the office earlier, Sebastian might still have to work on one or two things. Her charming persuasion had almost made Sebastian falter.But now? He found himself stuck with Fathia at one of his favorite restaurants."So far, it's okay," Fathia replied, not knowing how many times she had chewed on the potato wedges, the signature menu at the place. She followed Sebastian's long strides as he led the way. They didn't talk during the walk.Many things had changed in the five years they had been together. Whether Sebastian realized it or not, for Fathia, the man beside her was beco
The man swirled the contents of his glass. The clear liquid with a hint of orange was his faithful companion. His workspace was still messy, scattered with various papers filled with writing and numbers. The computer screen was still on, indicating that he couldn't afford to give up just yet.He took a deep drag from the slender, flat object, and the room instantly filled with sweet-smelling smoke. He chose to close his eyes briefly, savoring the sweet aroma that filled his senses, along with the taste offered by the slender object.He slowly sipped the liquid he had been eyeing earlier, ignoring the bitterness that greeted his taste buds. Once again, he indulged in the electric device, one of the things he enjoyed during his busy moments. Engaging in a flirtatious dance with his favorite vape smoke."Sebastian."The man sighed in annoyance. The interruption came again. He glanced at the Tag Heuer on his left; it was already eleven o'clock at night. He di
Fathia was taken aback and almost fell to the floor when she woke up with an urgent need to go to the bathroom. But she found Sebastian sleeping on her bed. Well, at the edge of it, but it had been a long time since Sebastian slept with her, especially after Fathia finished high school.The rigid man slept soundly. Fathia swore to herself to remember to lock the bedroom door. She forgot, ah... it wasn't just about forgetting. She was angry. As soon as she arrived at the apartment, all she could do was slam her bedroom door harshly. She didn't care if it got damaged or if Sebastian heard her loud outburst.On the way home, Fathia didn't say a word. She tightly pursed her lips, unwilling to argue or refute Sebastian's words. Besides the sudden sadness that overwhelmed her, she felt Sebastian and Clara were right. She was a burden to Sebastian Sachdev.Who was she? Just a little girl who inherited a lot of wealth. Fortunately, Sebastian didn't discard her. He took
"Morning, Fathia."If Fathia's eyes could jump out of their sockets, it would have happened right at that moment. "Did Aunt Clara stay overnight?" There was a hint of surprise in her voice, but Fathia ignored it. She had forgotten who Clara was in the first place.Sebastian's girlfriend.For some reason, in Fathia's eyes, Clara looked exactly like a sly fox with nine tails. Ever since she was introduced to this seemingly beautiful woman, an evident air of hostility had formed. At first, Fathia thought Sebastian had forgotten about his sister. But... she remembered. How could a seemingly normal guy like Sebastian, even though he seemed unapproachable, not be tempted by the allure of Clara?They were a perfect couple that emerged from the business world, as the news pages reported their closeness. Fathia felt angry, but what could she do? Could she summon Felice just to drive Clara out of that reserved man's life?"Yes, I stayed overnight, and you we
"Eat, Fathia! Goodness! The way you look at it won't make it disappear," Jess exclaimed with extreme annoyance. Fathia's early morning visits were usual, but the breakfast she made went to waste. It seemed like her egg sandwich creation didn't appeal to Fathia at all.Even though Jess had made it with all her heart."I know," Fathia replied, choosing to slightly pout her lips. Once again, she attempted to enjoy the free meal from the kind-hearted Jess."What's wrong with you?" Jess had to carefully ask about Fathia's life. Introducing her to her friends didn't mean that the girl opened up about her life. Unlike herself, who was open about everything, including the passionate night with her boyfriend."That Fox is at the apartment," Fathia whispered. Very quietly, hoping Jess wouldn't hear. But it turned out, Jesslyn Rasopati heard her perfectly well. There was only one woman who received the dreadful nickname from Fathia: Clara Jasson. A famous photo mode
"Do you want to go back now?" Jess asked while hugging Fathia. The lecture session had ended ten minutes ago, but Fathia didn't want to leave yet. She chose to stay in the classroom while waiting for all the other students to leave. Laziness overwhelmed her greatly, especially after remembering Clara's presence earlier."Yeah. When else can I hang out, other than the weekend?"Jess chuckled. "Your uncle is extraordinary indeed. How about eating first? Asya said she made a new menu. I have to taste it before it's included in the main menu."Fathia was actually puzzled by Jess's orientation towards the future. She loved culinary arts. Cooking was her expertise, but she ended up in business classes like this. Her reason was one: building a business required more than just mastering one field, but also strategizing. Apart from business classes, nothing else described how a business ran better."If it's not delicious, I won't pay."Jess laughed even har
What Jess fears the most when delivering orders is not just the payment. As for that, Jess doesn't worry too much because she's confident they will pay. What Jess worries about is suddenly receiving a message with a complaining tone from the customer. Even if the complaint is constructive, it still makes her feel small."Can you sit still, Jess?" Fathia had warned her friend not to be so tense. They had been in the apartment since the afternoon. The cake order had arrived safely and on time for the host's party there."I'm nervous!"Fathia shook her head in amazement. "You're usually the most confident one. Just now?""Ugh! This is different, Fathia. I'm not an expert at making cakes yet. I'm afraid it won't taste good. And it's not overly sweet."Seeing Jess's nervousness, Laras, who had been observing the two of them, approached. She took a seat right next to the girl whose hair always stood out with its cotton candy color but whose beauty contin
"This can't be allowed," Sebastian said angrily, his eyes flashing with rage. It sent a shiver down Jess's spine. They were in the middle of a discussion, especially after Vino had sent evidence of Sammy's crimes the day before. It included the name of the Mercury Company, which turned out to be true, just as Jess suspected.She was surprised herself, that it could be so well-orchestrated without many people knowing."I never thought Uncle Akmal would be like this," Fathia whispered, her eyes scanning each page of the reports."We need evidence to prove if Uncle Akmal is really involved," Jess replied.Fathia looked up from the rows of numbers she was examining."Because," Jess immediately handed over a report she was holding, "here it says that Uncle Akmal approved the amount the residents requested."Fathia immediately shifted her focus to the page Jess pointed to."And here, Mr. Sebastian. You can check," Jess handed another report
"It seems like we can't stay at my place, Fathia," Fathia, while gently pinching Gwen's chubby cheeks, looked up at Jess with a puzzled expression. "Why?""You're crazy, seriously. The house has been left for years, only peeked at occasionally to keep it maintained and not falling apart. There must be a lot of dust. Poor Gwen," Jess replied, her affection for Gwen was always genuine. Fathia could feel how sincere it was. "In that case, we'll just rent a hotel if it gets too late. It's not good for Gwen to stay in the car for too long. She won't be able to move freely."Jess agreed with that plan. In Fathia's luxurious black SUV, they decided to head to Ranch Village right away. They would return to Beverly Hills after a few days. Mirah and Laras joined them. Laras said, "Auntie wants to accompany both of you. And Gwen too."Both Jess and Fathia never wanted to refuse her. In fact, they were delighted when Laras joined them. At least, it meant she wouldn't be thi
Pulling out a regular notebook that she always carried around, it contained her activity planner and life goals. Jess liked planning like this, determining what should take precedence and what could be gradually worked on.She opened a new page, grabbed a blue pen, and started jotting down some notes. "High Priority," she wrote, thickening the letters and underlining them, adding a few small doodles around her words. She shifted slightly to the right to start with what she needed to prioritize.The cafe? It was stable; she didn't need any specific planning except for maintenance regarding quality and service to make it even better. However, she noted the order from Bu Loissa's friend who had already entered the place. Luckily for her, they were going back to Beverly Hills tomorrow. Fathia, Gwen, and Mirah were all going with her. The apartment Jess lived in was adjacent to Fathia's property. Her friend had gifted Jess a unit in the same neighborhood, even though Jess h
"This is the project in Ranch Village." Fathia handed over a rather thick file to Jess, who looked at her in surprise. "I know you need this, right?" she added with a grin on her lips, which made Jess laugh. Then the girl immediately examined each file that Fathia had handed over. Since Sebastian didn't come home today, Jess could freely discuss with Fathia, although occasionally she was interrupted by Gwen's presence. Ironically, she was the one who spent the most time playing with the adorable child."When I was found at Ranch Village the other day, they said it was for a supermarket construction. But, the price they offered is really low, Fathia.""Who offered it? Azure Group?""So here's the thing," Jess straightened her back. "There, residents often borrow money from loan sharks, like in one place. Mr. Imam said the name of the cooperative is Mercury PT. They use house certificates as collateral.""Mercury Company?" Fathia repeated with a furrowed br
As Jess talked to Kenzo about her burdens, half of that weight diminished. And when Laras hugged her tightly, Jess didn't expect the middle-aged woman she respected to say anything, and that reduced her burden even more. Even when Jess expressed her fear of Laras blaming her for Asmara, Laras pouted."Mami's not that heartless, Jess.""Sorry, Mi," she said, lowering her head. Fathia had gone back inside. Gwen was crying, asking for milk. She intentionally left them and gave them some time."This conversation should have happened a year ago, shouldn't it, Jess?"Jess frowned. "What do you mean?"Laras handed her a cup of her homemade jasmine tea. "Drink this first to relax a bit. Tea helps us calm our tense nerves, Jess.""Mami's right. When I was in Beverly Hills, I enjoyed my own jasmine tea. So when I went to Green Lake yesterday, I stuffed Kenzo with tea because he had too much coffee.""Oh, really?" Laras furrowed her brow in conf
"Your extra cheesy pasta always wins, Jess," Fathia says as she continues to eat her pasta without a trace of worry. Her body is naturally lean except when she's pregnant, and even then, it requires a lot of food to show.Jess just nods but feels pleased that what she's served is still her friend's favorite. After returning from the airport, Jess took a rest because her body was incredibly tired. She didn't even realize how long she had been asleep. When she opens her eyes again, morning has arrived. A series of messages flood in as Jess grabs her phone from the nightstand.Honestly, the past week has been exhausting for her, despite the enjoyment she shared with Kenzo. As she checks through the messages, most of which are from Kenzo, Jess can't help but chuckle.Jess. R: Sorry, I fell asleep last night. So tired, Ken. I still have a day off, right? Only back to work tomorrow?Just as Jess peels back the covers, getting ready to change, wash her face, and
Stopping by New York City, Jess didn't stay for long, just a few hours because Kenzo had to catch his flight. And for this time, using Dennish as a driver was the wisest choice. Kenzo was quite tired from driving from Beverly Hills to New York City and had to get to the airport right away. He didn't carry too much luggage, just a small suitcase, but he still needed to check if he had left anything behind.Meanwhile, Fathia advised Jess to go back to her place."Me and Mr. Dennish will manage it. How can I get back to Beverly Hills right away?" Jess smirked, but then she smiled. "Wait for me, okay? We'll gossip."Fathia, who was carrying Gwen, just shook her head in amazement at her friend's behavior. But really, Jess's eyes seemed more alive than they had been for the past few months. She felt like she was meeting the Jess she knew when they first met. Not the Jess who had been keeping to herself. Fathia knew Jess was close by, but not as close as she used to be
"Sebastian's been on a big expansion, you know, setting up a supermarket and all that. He's been working on that project for about a year now. Originally, it was in Uncle Alif's department, but it got stuck during his trial. It was handed over to Uncle Akmal for the continuation, and it's been running smoothly again," Fathia explains from the other end.Jess sits in one of the chairs on the balcony. She deliberately placed two chairs and a table to enjoy the evening. Just like now. Her gaze wanders far ahead, enjoying the chilly night atmosphere in Beverly Hills. She's sure Fathia might not know the exact location earmarked for development, which includes her parents' house and their graves.Talking to Fathia about this was the right decision, and she also feels like she needs to find out if Roy is deeply involved."Why are you suddenly asking about the Azure Group?"The pink-haired girl doesn't want to hide what's happening to her. "I'm going to New York