Aluna stepped out of Mega's residence, dragging her suitcase behind her. Her eyes were fixed on Arvian, who was leaning against the hood of his car, waiting for her. Momentarily, Aluna paused. She turned around to face the three people who had been her pillars of support during her darkest times.
"Aluna, sob... my best friend is getting married again, waaaah!" Aluna and Mega embraced once more. Seeing this, Arvian averted his gaze and muttered under his breath in annoyance.
"Don't women feel awkward hugging like that? It looks so strange," grumbled Arvian, loud enough for Reza, who was standing beside him, to hear.
"Strange, sir? It's normal for women, especially close friends. It's stranger if your wife hugs someone else's husband. Now, that's strange," retorted Reza, earning a sharp glare from Arvian.
"Uh, right, my bad," mumbled Reza, confused.
Arvian sighed softly. He couldn't understand why he ended up with such an odd assistant like Reza. Unlike the usual CEO assistants who were always cold and aloof, Reza was different. However, there were times when his assistant could be deadly serious, especially when he sensed someone was bothering his boss.
"Beautiful Mama, sob... Aluna is not a widow anymore, sob..." Aluna then hugged Maya. The two women, despite their age difference, bid each other farewell with a heartfelt emotion.
"What are you actually sad about, dear? You got yourself a handsome and wealthy husband. It should be your beautiful Mama who's sad because there's no one to wash the dishes anymore, sob..." Maya's words made Aluna stop crying.
After their embrace, Aluna turned to Rafli. "Dad, thank you for always giving Aluna so much pocket money. Even though Aluna is not your biological daughter, you and Mom treated me like your own, sob..." Aluna started crying again. Rafli smiled and gently patted her head.
"You'll always be our daughter. Come home whenever you can. The doors of this house will always be open for you," said Rafli, bringing a touched smile to Aluna's face.
"That is, if you bring souvenirs," Rafli added, instantly wiping the smile off Aluna's face.
"Are you done? It's late, hurry up," Arvian's command cut their conversation short.
Aluna nodded and turned around, pulling her suitcase towards Arvian. Reza quickly took the luggage from her and put it in the trunk. Arvian was already seated in the back, so Aluna assumed she would be sitting next to him. However, just as she was about to open the back door, Arvian barked at her.
"You, sit in the front!"
"What?!" Aluna exclaimed in disbelief.
"Al! Just sit with me in the front before the lion throws a fit," whispered Reza, guiding Aluna towards the front passenger seat.
"What a strange man! Allergic to women, huh? Classic sign of a man who's never tasted the joys of life! And to think he's acting all high and mighty!" Aluna's outburst caused both Arvian and Reza to choke on their own saliva.
"Shut up! Your breath stinks!" Arvian snapped, turning his head towards the window.
Aluna sniffed her own breath. She couldn't detect any unpleasant odor. In fact, she could smell a hint of mint since she had just eaten a mint candy while packing her things.
"No, it's not me. It's his nose, maybe his sense of smell has expired," Aluna mumbled loud enough for Reza to hear.
"Aluna and Mr. Arvian are like night and day. I wonder how long their marriage will last. I hope Mr. Arvian won't hurt her," Reza thought to himself as he started the car and drove away from Mega's family residence.
.
.
.
Before they knew it, the car came to a stop in front of a magnificent and luxurious house. Aluna's jaw dropped slightly. It was the first time in her life that she had seen such a grand house up close. Even the house she used to share with her ex-husband paled in comparison.
"Uh, Reza, is this really his house?" Aluna asked Reza, who was unfastening his seatbelt.
"Yes, why? It's big, isn't it?" Reza replied.
"Yeah, do you have to light candles every night to guard the place?" Aluna asked in a low whisper, making Arvian, who was about to step out, pause in his tracks.
"Get out, now!" Arvian ordered.
Aluna let out an exasperated sigh and got out of the car. She took a deep breath of the night air, which she always found refreshing. Seeing Arvian already walking ahead, she hurried after him, breaking into a light jog. Suddenly, Arvian stopped in his tracks, causing Aluna to crash into his sturdy back.
Thud!
"Ouch!"
"You..." Arvian panicked and immediately touched his back where Aluna had bumped into him.
"Sorry, sorry," Aluna apologized.
Arvian let out a slow breath and called out to a maid who happened to be passing by. The maid immediately approached her employer but kept a respectful distance, as per the strict rules of the mansion. All the female staff were required to maintain a distance of at least one meter from him at all times. Moreover, no one, absolutely no one, was allowed to touch his private room.
"Please escort this woman to the guest room," Arvian instructed.
"Wait, we're not sleeping together?" Aluna asked innocently.
"Your nose can sleep with you!" Arvian hissed before storming off, leaving Aluna standing there dumbfounded.
"What a strange man! Good thing he's handsome!" Aluna muttered to herself in annoyance.
"This way, Miss. I'll show you to the guest room," the maid said.
Aluna nodded and followed the maid, her eyes darting around, taking in the luxurious interior of Arvian's house. She had to admit, Arvian was a hard worker to be able to build such a lavish home.
"I SAID I'M NOT AFRAID! YOU THREE ARE JUST A BUNCH OF COWARDS! YOU... YOU..."
Aluna stopped in her tracks, her attention drawn to an open bedroom door. She could hear the adorable voice of a child coming from the room. Curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn't resist peeking in to see who was inside.
"Hiii, I forgot the lyrics! Again! Again!" the adorable child exclaimed, his face scrunched up in frustration.
"I SAID I'M NOT AFRAID! YOU THREE ARE JUST A BUNCH OF COWARDS! YOU..."
"You divorced me through text, where's your manhood? Where's your conscience..."
Arega's eyes widened as he looked at the woman who had just finished the lyrics he had forgotten. Seeing her smile, his face lit up, and he continued singing with renewed enthusiasm. "YOU DIVORCED ME LIKE A USED RAG!"
"YEAH!"
Aluna stepped into the room and joined Arega. The two strangers, brought together by their shared love for dangdut music, were now belting out lyrics with gusto. Meanwhile, in Arvian's room, the man had just taken off his clothes. He looked at his back in the mirror, worried that it might be red from Aluna's accidental touch.
"Huh, it's not red? Maybe I'm just too tough... or maybe it's because of the shirt?" Arvian mumbled to himself.
"MONDAY, TUESDAY, HE'S BUSY WITH WORK!"
"WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, HE'S STILL WORKING!"
"FRIDAY, SATURDAY, HE'S GONE CAMPING, AND ON SUNDAY, I STILL DON'T GET TO SEE HIM! YEAH!"
"Arega, he's not asleep at this hour? Who's he singing with? And why does the other voice sound so high-pitched?" Arvian wondered, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Arvian quickly put on his bathrobe and rushed out of his room, heading straight for his nephew's bedroom. As he reached the open doorway, he stopped in his tracks. He was taken aback by the sight of two figures, one much smaller than the other, jumping on the bed with microphones in hand.
"One more time, Auntie! One more time!" Arega shouted excitedly.
"ALRIGHT!"
"Let's go on a trip to the binary star!" Aluna skillfully tossed and caught the microphone, further adding to the merriment.
Arega grinned, recognizing the lyrics. "WHEN I RETURN, I'LL HAVE TWO BODIES!"
"Even without the blessing of my beloved parents, I'm willing..."
"STOP!"
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