Chapter 4

Arianna checked her appearance once again from behind the mirror. She felt it wouldn't hurt to double-check if her dress and makeup were still less than perfect or already looking 100% flawless. In fact, she had sprayed countless times the white musk-scented perfume from that famous brand all over her body.

Wearing a black cocktail dress adorned with glitter accents, Arianna looked incredibly sexy. From her body's curves to her long legs, everything was exposed without exception. Please don't forget, she was paid 250 million for her appearance tonight. Fortunately, all the items Samuel entrusted to her through Axel fit perfectly and were suitable for her to wear.

However, no matter what, Arianna essentially belonged to the category of good-looking women. Even at Pasific Palace, she was among the workers who were counted for their looks and skills. At that moment, Arianna was grateful for all the blessings that God had given her. Even though she was an orphan, it didn't hinder her in the slightest from achieving her dreams one by one.

"Lipstick is okay, eyelashes are stunning, and my hair looks like it's from shampoo commercials on TV. I think everything's in place," Arianna murmured to herself as she spun around in front of the mirror, making sure her appearance was already perfect.

"Arianna," someone called from outside the room. Opening the door, she looked amazed at the girl's appearance. Arianna had never dressed so beautifully before tonight.

"Why are you calling me like that?" she asked as she put tissues and her card wallet into the gold-colored clutch Samuel had given her.

"Where are you going all dolled up like this? Looking for rich guys?" inquired the young girl who happened to be Maria.

Arianna turned around. With her hands on her hips, she frowned. "Come on! Do you think your pretty sister is cheap?"

"Then where are you going?" Maria asked again.

"Just somewhere. I'm going to the birthday party of the owner of Pasific Palace," Arianna explained while fastening the clutch in her hand.

"That sounds great. There must be a lot of delicious food there," Maria replied innocently. As an orphanage resident, it was undeniable that they often had meals with a basic menu. Let alone eating delicious food, having rice every day was already something to be thankful for. Occasionally enjoying good food was a rare treat, and Arianna had received a large bonus from her office a while ago.

"Not really, dear," Arianna replied. "Besides, even if there's plenty of delicious food, I won't eat."

"Why?" Maria asked in confusion. "If it were me going, I'd pack some for the kids at the orphanage. It's free!"

Arianna laughed. Why was her little sister so innocent? She gently stroked the hair of the little girl she had come to consider as her own sibling. "I have no appetite for that. I prefer the food cooked by Bu Laura. It's more satisfying, tastier, and delicious. Especially when she cooks our favorite dishes. Hmm... getting hungry, aren't you?" Arianna's jest caused Maria to unconsciously swallow her saliva. "But speaking of delicious food, since I'll be getting my salary tomorrow, how about we cook chicken and beef for a change?"

Maria immediately nodded with enthusiasm. "Really? You isn't lying, is she?"

"Naah, not really," the girl replied quickly. "Tomorrow after work, I'll buy the ingredients for us to cook together."

"Yay!" Maria exclaimed in joy. She felt so happy because, after a long time, she and the other children from the orphanage could have a party while enjoying delicious food.

"Alright then," Arianna continued, preparing to end the conversation. "I'm going to leave now. If you feel tired, just go to bed early."

"Why's that?" Maria asked again. Don't be surprised. Among the many children in the orphanage, this girl was known to ask a lot of questions.

"I might be coming back a bit late. So, no need to wait up. You'll get tired," Arianna explained.

"Okay," Maria said, giving a thumbs-up. She then followed Arianna as she headed towards the front door. "Be careful on the road, okay? If someone's mean, just shout loudly."

Arianna sighed. Holding 10-centimeter heels in her right hand, she nodded. "Don't worry. I know self-defense. No one would dare to bother me."

***

Arianna seemed to look in all directions to make sure where Samuel's car was. Instead of being picked up right in front of the orphanage, she had arranged to be picked up right in front of IndoApril, which was about 200 meters from her place.

Arianna had her reasons for this. She simply didn't want to attract attention from the people around, especially if they saw her being picked up by a luxury car. Oh, she could become the talk of the town for days if the nosy neighbors got wind of it. That's why Arianna played it safe for the sake of her peace.

After waiting for almost five minutes, Samuel's car finally arrived. After making sure no one was watching, Arianna quickly got into the car and followed the driver to their destination.

"Your house is really hard to find. My driver had to go around looking for the address," Samuel complained while they were both inside the car.

"Sorry," Arianna replied apologetically. "That's why, Pasific Palace should have a housing program for employees whose locations are in the city center, Sir. So, Mr. Samuel won't have to go through the trouble of picking me up in the future."

Samuel sighed and turned to Arianna. "No need to be arrogant. Who's going to pick you up in the future anyway? Besides, you've just received 250 million, so why don't you use the money to rent a house, an apartment, or maybe a slightly better-located boarding house?"

Arianna chuckled softly. She didn't know what it was that made her suddenly find it funny. There was nothing strange about her boss's statement.

"Well, you never know. Maybe you'll still need my services in the future."

"No, you won't," Samuel replied confidently.

"Alright then, if next time you want me to pretend again, I'll raise the fee," Arianna remarked.

The innocent expression Arianna displayed only irritated Samuel further. Immediately, he cursed silently in his heart. Not only was her house location hard to reach, but now she was also raising Samuel's blood pressure. If I wasn't pressed for time, I wouldn't even bother using your services, Arianna. Plus, it's so expensive!

As they entered Samuel's parents' housing complex, they prepared themselves inside the car. Before getting out, Samuel gave a briefing to ensure that he and Arianna would be on the same page when questioned by anyone at tonight's party.

"Do you remember what I just explained?" Samuel asked after a lengthy explanation.

"Yes, Sir," Arianna nodded.

"You said you understood. Why still call me 'Sir'?"

"Oops! Sorry, Sweetie. I'm not used to it yet. But by the way, what if there are questions or incidents outside of the briefing?"

"Well, you improvise, darling. Can't believe I paid you 250 million and you can't handle anything."

Arianna couldn't help but hiss in her heart at that moment. If she hadn't already been paid so much, she swore she would leave Samuel right then and there because of his annoying attitude.

Be patient, Arianna, be patient. Patient people have wide patience, right? Remember, you have to be professional. Pretend like you're acting in a movie.

Arianna repeated these words to herself in her mind. With a sweet smile, she finally followed Samuel out of the car.

Hand in hand, Samuel led Arianna straight to the main hall. There, Mrs. Arabella and the invited guests were already present, most of whom were executives and successful businessmen from various companies.

From Arianna's perspective, she could see how enthusiastic Arabella was about her son's arrival, especially when Samuel began introducing her.

"Mom, it's my birthday. As Samuel promised yesterday, today he's brought someone special who has been by Samuel's side all this time."

Arabella smiled, shifting her gaze as she gave Arianna a once-over, scrutinizing her appearance from head to toe for a moment. As if satisfied, she then welcomed Arianna, who stood right beside her son. With enthusiasm, Arabella welcomed her and even enveloped Arianna in a hug, despite clearly seeing her for the first time.

"I'm so glad Mama could meet you. What's her name, Honey?" Arabella asked, turning to her son.

"Arianna, Auntie. My name is Arianna Grey."

With a wide smile, Arabella responded to Arianna's answer. "Don't call me 'Auntie.' Just call me 'Mom.' All of Samuel's friends call me that to be more friendly."

Arianna nodded. Considering Arabella's wealth and that they had just met, she found Arabella to be quite friendly. That's why she didn't feel the slightest bit awkward following the woman's request.

"Yes, Mom."

Delighted by the arrival of a special guest, Arabella immediately pulled Arianna to approach the invited guests. Meanwhile, Samuel was left with his husband and nieces and nephews who were also present.

"Where did you pick up this girl again?" Rama, Samuel's eldest cousin, chimed in. Among all the cousins, he was the one who frequently clashed with Samuel on various matters.

"Not your business," Samuel replied casually. Instead of responding, he chose to move away and join his mother, who was engaged in lively conversation with her colleagues.

"In my opinion, opening a new branch doesn't necessarily require a physical store, Sir. It's the modern era now. People can establish a store or multiple branches with just a smartphone."

Everyone was immediately surprised by Arianna's statement. She was currently with Arabella, engaging in light conversation with the owners of major businesses in Indonesia.

"How do you do it?" asked Marcel, one of the crazy rich businessmen from Surabaya. He seemed interested in the material Arianna had been explaining.

"Market your products through e-commerce. Create a massive promotion during the soft opening. Don't forget to advertise on television. I'm sure it won't take long for your store to start running and expanding." Marcel immediately nodded, seemingly agreeing with Arianna's advice.

"What are they talking about?" Samuel, who suddenly found himself standing next to his mother, asked.

"This is Arianna. She's really good at personal marketing. Mr. Marcel, Mr. Hendra, and Mr. William were all amazed by the fresh ideas she just presented."

"That's right," one of Arabella's colleagues chimed in. "Arianna's business acumen seems to be above average. That's why, as it happens, my company is launching a new product next week. May I ask for Arianna's advice directly for consideration regarding its marketing strategy?"

It was Arabella who responded to her colleague's question, not Arianna. "Of course... of course... don't worry. Arianna will come with me." Arabella then turned to her son. "Is it okay, right? Next week, Mama will borrow Arianna to attend Mr. William's product launch event in Surabaya?"

"But, Mom—"

"Why?" Arabella inquired. "Does Arianna have a prior commitment for next week or is she unavailable?"

"Arianna—"

"It's okay, Mom," Arianna interjected innocently. Her actions made Samuel frown in displeasure. "My schedule is free next week, right, Sweetie?" she asked Arianna while playfully winking at him. She deliberately accepted Arabella's invitation because, to the best of her knowledge, there was an audit activity at the office next week. So, instead of dealing with office work, it was better to join Arabella for a trip to Surabaya. And it was free!

"Ah, yes... yes." Samuel reluctantly nodded, although he was seething with anger inside. "Arianna can accompany Mom next week."

"Thank goodness," William said with relief. "In that case, I'll be waiting for Mrs. Arabella and her future daughter-in-law next week in Surabaya. And don't forget, if Mr. Samuel and Ms. Arianna are getting married soon, please inform me."

"Wait a minute." Samuel interrupted. "What does this mean? Who said we're getting married soon?" A look of confusion was clearly written on the tall and statuesque man's face.

Seeing her son looking puzzled, Arabella quickly provided an explanation to avoid Samuel's confusion.

"Yes, Sweetie. Arianna said that your relationship is already serious. So, Mama thought, why don't you get engaged and married soon? Besides, Mama likes Arianna."

"Samuel and Arianna are indeed in a serious relationship, but we're not rushing to get married, Mom. Just let us enjoy dating for a while."

Arabella didn't mind. Instead of listening to her son's words, she walked onto the stage with a glass of wine in her hand.

"Attention, everyone," Arabella began, getting the attention of all the guests. "First of all, I want to thank you all for being here at today's event. There's nothing more valuable than the heartfelt wishes and prayers you offer. Tonight, aside from celebrating my birthday, I, Arabella Walters, am very happy to receive a gift brought by my beloved son. So, tonight, I would like to introduce someone very special to all of you. My son, Samuel Walters, has found the life partner he has been searching for, Arianna Grey."

Everyone immediately applauded as Arabella pointed her hand towards where Arianna was standing.

"In addition, tonight, I would also like to make an announcement that in the near future, Samuel and Arianna will be engaged and soon to be married. Therefore, I request prayers from all of you so that this plan can proceed as intended."

Listening to Arabella's announcement, both Samuel and Arianna were equally surprised. They had never expected that the game they were playing would end up like this. Now, they had a decision to make: whether to continue with their original plan or end the game right now.