THE MYSTERIOUS LETTER

It was a bright morning in Jakarta—bustling as always with people navigating their daily routines. Among them was Andre, the son of a successful businessman, heading to the office to lead his team. But, something felt off.

Midway through his morning tasks, Andre stumbled upon a peculiar envelope. What made it strange wasn’t just its age—it was the sender’s name: Victor, his uncle, who had passed away a year ago.

“Wait... Uncle Victor? But he died last year. How is this even possible?”

Andre peeled open the envelope. Inside was a letter, dated exactly one year ago. The paper was yellowed, fragile—clearly aged. Tucked within was a photograph of a striking villa, grand and serene.

“Uncle Victor owned a villa in Puncak? I’ve never heard about this. And... that’s my name in his handwriting.”

Puzzled, Andre slid the letter and photo back into the envelope and placed it on his desk.

Just then, his two close friends, Frans and Reza, dropped by. They weren’t just friends—they were longtime collaborators and fellow adventurers.

“Andre, long time!” Reza greeted, pulling him into a hug.

“Yeah! It’s been what—a year? The project we worked on really paid off,” Andre replied, beaming.

Andre turned to Frans, his college buddy and trusted lawyer.

“Frans, man... you're looking more macho every time I see you,” he teased, giving him a hug.

“Appreciate that, bro,” Frans chuckled.

The three settled into Andre’s office. But Reza’s eyes kept drifting to the envelope on the desk. Then, he spotted the villa photo.

“Hey... is that a villa?” Reza asked. “It looks amazing. We were thinking of planning a trip. Why not go there?”

Andre hesitated. “Villa? I mean... yeah, but I don’t know much about it.”

Frans chimed in. “Let us see. Don’t keep secrets—we’ll find out soon anyway.”

Reluctantly, Andre handed over the letter. Frans read it slowly, his brow furrowing.

“How could this letter be sent now... after a year?”

Reza took a closer look at the photo and smiled faintly.

“I recognize that place. Villa Roses. It’s in Puncak—surrounded by rose gardens. I’ve driven past it before.”

Andre scratched his head. “I didn’t mean to keep this quiet, but... maybe we go check it out next week?”

Frans grinned. “So it’s settled? Road trip?”

“Sure,” Andre agreed. “Bring your girlfriends?”

“Absolutely. Rachel’s been craving a vacation,” Frans said.

“Cool. We’ll meet at your place, then head out,” Andre concluded.

Their conversation shifted to trip planning, laughter echoing as they reminisced about their college antics.

Meanwhile, at a mall, Ersa was shopping.

She was browsing through clothes, trying to decide what to buy. While shopping, Ersa was startled by the sound of her phone ringing. She quickly grabbed it and saw that it was Andre calling her. She answered the call.

"Yes, Babe. What is it?" Ersa asked while still looking at a dress.

"Babe, do you want to go on vacation next week? Let’s go to a villa. What do you think?" asked Andre over the phone.

Ersa was surprised.

"Babe, do you really have a villa? How come I didn’t know about it?"

Andre chuckled.

"Hehehe... I’m confused myself. I’ve never even been there..."

Ersa grew more curious.

"Ah, you. Are you being serious? Don’t prank me again like last time," she said with a little laugh.

Andre laughed for a moment, then continued,

"Babe, this time I’m serious. You remember Uncle Victor, right?"

Ersa was startled.

"Uncle Victor? Didn’t he pass away last year?" she asked, frowning.

Andre replied,

"Yeah. Uncle Victor had a villa, and now I’ve been given that villa…"

Ersa paused for a moment. Then she smiled.

"Okay, Babe. I’m in. Yay, we’re finally going on vacation!"

"Alright then. We’ll be going with Frans and Reza. They’re bringing their girlfriends too," said Andre.

"Uhm… that sounds fun. I haven’t seen Rachel and Vero in a while either. Okay, Babe. I’ll keep shopping first. Let’s meet for lunch later," said Ersa.

"Okay, Babe. I’ll keep you posted. See ya," said Andre as he ended the call.

Ersa put her phone into the small bag she was carrying and continued shopping.

Before she knew it, it was already midday when Ersa finished her shopping. She waited for Andre in front of the mall. Not long after, Andre arrived. Ersa got into Andre’s car and they headed straight to a restaurant.

Once they arrived, Ersa and Andre sat down at a table. They ordered food, and after the waiter left, they began to chat.

"Andre, are you really serious about taking me on vacation next week?" Ersa asked.

"Yes, Er. Honestly, I don’t know much about the villa. Here’s a photo of it."

Andre pulled out a photo from his pocket and handed it to Ersa. She looked at it.

"Uhm... the villa is big and looks nice. Two villas on a wide piece of land. Seems interesting," said Ersa with a smile.

"We're going next week with Frans, Reza, Rachel, and Vero," said Andre.

"Okay. I’m in," Ersa said with a sweet smile.

Their conversation paused for a moment as the waiter brought their food and set it on the table. After serving, the waiter left again. The two of them enjoyed their lunch.

Meanwhile, Frans was working on a case.

He was studying a client’s case carefully, reading the case file thoroughly. After finishing, he spoke to his client.

"Uhm… okay. This case is relatively minor. When’s the trial?" Frans asked.

"The trial is actually the day after tomorrow, but it got postponed to next week. It’s the first hearing," the client said.

"Uhm… okay. I can’t take it, because I’ll be on vacation next week. How about I refer you to a colleague of mine? He’s just as capable," said Frans.

The client thought for a moment and consulted with his relative. Eventually, they agreed. Frans called his colleague. The call took a while. After finishing, he handed over the case file to the client.

"Sir, my colleague Mr. Rizqy happens to be available. Here’s his address. You can go meet him directly. I’ve already informed him," said Frans.

"Uhm… okay. Thank you, Sir," said the client, shaking hands and then leaving Frans’s office.

After the client left, Frans went back to reviewing the remaining case files before his vacation.

Time passed, and soon it was late afternoon.

Reza was spending time with Vero at a park. They were sitting on a bench. Vero affectionately embraced Reza, who was sitting beside her.

"Vero, I want to take you on a vacation," Reza said sweetly.

"Oh yeah? Vacation where?" asked Vero.

"To the highlands. My friend Andre happens to have a nice villa. What do you think?" asked Reza.

Vero thought for a moment and gave a slight smile.

"Uhm… sure. You know the area, right? You go to the highlands a lot," she said.

"Of course. I know it well. The villa’s old, but the view is great. There’s a big rose garden," Reza replied.

"Okay. I’m in. Sounds like a great idea," said Vero with a sweet smile.

They gazed at each other and smiled. As they snuggled, they enjoyed the beauty of the sunset. Vero lovingly held Reza and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Vero, you look so beautiful this evening," said Reza.

"You’re such a smooth talker…" Vero replied with a sweet smile.

"I mean it, love," said Reza as he gently stroked Vero’s hair.

Vero smiled, enjoying Reza’s gentle touch.

In her heart, Vero said, "Frans, I will try to forget you. I’m happy with Reza now."

"Vero, I love you so much. I want to propose to you after our vacation," said Reza.

Vero stayed silent and just smiled. When a drink vendor came by, Reza bought them drinks. As they continued to enjoy the beautiful evening, they sipped their drinks and occasionally joked and laughed together.

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