TWO

Someone's footsteps from behind caught the attention of the girl enjoying the city atmosphere in the morning, seeking peace. Little did she know, Griffin was following her. The man appeared to be walking towards Zaylee with a cold gaze, both hands hidden in the front pockets of his pants, adding to his arrogant demeanour.

Griffin and Zaylee no longer exchanged greetings, trying to calm themselves. More precisely, they forced themselves to forget the unwanted events in Batam. They were engulfed in silence, although occasionally, Griffin would glance at Zaylee, who kept her head down, doing her best not to respond to Griffin's gaze. Her heart was in turmoil, but her mind urged her to let go of the image of Griffin; her feelings remained intact, but her ego concealed them. Zaylee assured herself that Dicky was to blame for sending her here.

Meanwhile, according to Griffin, everything was indirectly his fault. Griffin took a deep breath. The incident in Batam that night marked the end of Griffin and Zaylee's story, and their closeness would only worsen the situation.

"There's something we need to talk about!" Griffin suddenly said, standing beside Zaylee, who had been standing behind him.

Zaylee looked up due to the height difference between them. She waited for Griffin to say something, but suddenly, Griffin pulled Zaylee to follow him, entered, and exited the elevator. Zaylee was genuinely scared; if Griffin's temperamental nature had taken over, he would have been angry with her.

As it turned out, Griffin took Zaylee to the rooftop of the office building. Although they shared the same space due to their interconnected positions, it was not enough for Griffin to pour out everything that had been bothering him lately. Regardless of the scorching morning sun, Griffin didn't mind; even Zaylee found looking at Griffin's face challenging. "Let's just forget what happened in Sydney yesterday," Griffin said, causing Zaylee to look up at him with a sharp gaze.

"I can't! It's not that easy, Griffin!" Zaylee firmly rejected the idea of quickly forgetting such a terrible incident. "So what do you want? We'll stay angry like this! Are you crazy? Everything's in the past and doesn't need to be explained anymore," Griffin said stubbornly, and Zaylee had never seen her so stubborn.

She could be stubborn towards anyone, including Griffin. For the sake of Griffin, Zaylee could insist on being close to him, ignoring the insults and curses she received from Griffin himself and the gossip from those around her. "I don't want to remember that night either, but it's too late, Griffin! It's already happened and can't be forgotten just like that, it still lingers, especially..." Zaylee paused, closing her eyes. It was a bitter reality she had to face. "Especially now that I'm pregnant with your child, Mr. Griffin," Zaylee said firmly before leaving Griffin, who was frozen in place. Zaylee got back into the elevator and went back to her office.

Griffin pulled his hair, his body turning uncertainly. He was genuinely confused. He took a deep breath to calm his emotions, but it didn't seem to have any effect. "Argh!" Griffin shouted, kicking the wall for no reason, venting his feelings.

Fortunately, his office was soundproof so that no one would hear his screams from the outside, and Griffin's noise was nothing compared to the noise in big cities during working hours.

"I'm staying in your apartment tonight," Griffin said, looking frustrated, and he decided not to go home.

"For what reason?" Dicky asked, feeling that his friend had been acting strangely. Griffin had been quietly drinking alcohol, not saying a word.

"I'm facing a problem!" Griffin's remark made Dicky fall silent, and he didn't ask any further questions. His curiosity was satisfied; he now understood why his friend had acted strangely. He decided to wait for the right moment. He knew his friend would come to him if he had a problem. It was inevitable.

Dicky's car was followed by Griffin on his beloved motorcycle. Dicky was curious about what had driven his friend almost to the brink of insanity. Maybe if he heard Griffin's story, he would be just as shocked and crazy as Griffin was to ask him for a solution.

Dicky's apartment was near Griffin's house, and they arrived in less than twenty minutes. Griffin immediately followed Dicky into the apartment. The door opened, and Griffin threw himself roughly onto the sofa while Dicky grabbed a drink for his unexpected guest.

Griffin accepted the drink that Dicky handed him. It was just a can of coffee from the refrigerator. Dicky sat beside Griffin, who slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He lit the end, inhaling from the other end. Meanwhile, Dicky followed suit, lighting his cigarette.

Dicky didn't ask again; he waited for Griffin, who he was sure was trying to find the right words to tell him what had happened. Griffin sighed, taking another drag from the cigarette he had placed between his fingers.

"What's going on? Did you have another fight with your parents?" Dicky asked, unable to wait any longer. He decided to prompt Griffin to speak first.

Griffin shook his head, causing Dicky to furrow his brow, realizing his guess was wrong. Dicky tried to guess again. "Zaylee?" Dicky asked, to which Griffin immediately nodded to. Dicky laughed, thinking Griffin was overreacting because of an issue with Zaylee, his former girlfriend. "What's up with Zaylee? I thought there was nothing unusual about your relationship; issues with ex-girlfriends are nothing new."

Dicky asked, accompanied by laughter as if Griffin was being too dramatic just because of Zaylee. "She's pregnant!" Griffin said, gazing out of the apartment window.

Dicky fell silent, his mind suddenly slow. His thoughts had yet to absorb the meaning of Griffin's words entirely. When he understood, he roughly grabbed Griffin's hand to make him turn to face him. Griffin looked at Dicky with a completely blank expression as if he were in a state of confusion.

"She's pregnant? Doesn't she have a boyfriend?" Dicky asked Griffin, who didn't answer. He was relieved he could share his problem with his friend, even though he hadn't found a proper solution yet. Dicky covered his mouth in shock. Now, Zaylee's pregnancy and the father's identity had left him stunned.

"Wait! Don't tell me the baby she's carrying is yours?" Dicky asked, fearing that he was prying too much. Griffin nodded.

"What!" Dicky exclaimed, unable to contain his surprise.