Nadia's POV
"Make sure to send me the file I asked you to work on before 4 PM. Oh, has the system bug from yesterday been fixed? Any complaints? If there are any other issues, Firman will take care of them. Everything's clear, right? If anything comesup, contact me immediately."
Click! Tut! The sound on the other end of the call disappeared, signaling that the call had ended.
I placed my smartphone back on the table and let out a deep sigh. Days kept passing by. It had been a week since my meeting with the Atmadja family. Since then, I'd been so busy with work, I hadn't even had time to drop by Sky Cafe. Honestly, I was avoiding Angkasa. Especially after that proposal…
"You have to marry me."
'Ugh, did he really think getting married is that easy? Huh!' I grumbled inwardly.
After stretching my body a little, I glanced at the wall clock that now showed half past two in the afternoon. I sat back down at my computer and started working on the file Mr. Afif requested.
One hour later…
Sent Email: Success
I sighed in relief, then shifted my gaze from the computer screen to the large window in front of me. It was such a bright afternoon. Through the glass, I could see people bustling about, and vehicles moving with their own destinations.
This small city used to be called Eve, but somehow, after being absorbed into Calibri's territory, it became part of that city. A highly developed place, with high-rise buildings on every corner. Even though it didn't have flagship commodities like Valderano and Monserrat, this little city was growing rapidly and was often dubbed the "dream city."
One of the city's prides was Solar Publishing, a well-known publishing company that produced works by talented writers. That's why I had high hopes that someday, my novel would become a hit and gain recognition out there.
"Daydreaming and smiling to yourself—you're not going crazy, are you, Nad?"
I snapped out of my thoughts at that sharp voice. I quickly turned and saw Brother Firman had just entered our office.
"What?! I wasn't smiling!" I snapped back, annoyed. When it came to teasing, Brother Firman and Mr. Afif were the perfect duo. Most of the time, all I could do was sigh and deal with their antics. Sometimes, I just wanted to transfer to another division… huhuhu...
"Brother, I'm heading out first, okay? Nothing left to do, right?" I asked while glancing at my phone. It was already almost 5 PM. Gosh, I hadn't realized how much time had passed while I was daydreaming.
Firman only nodded, eyes still fixed on his computer screen. He looked busy, so I packed my things into my bag quickly.
Click
Suddenly, Firman's voice broke the silence.
"You sent the file to Afif, right? Don't tell me you forgot, Nad!"
I flinched a little and turned to look at him. "I did, Brother. Don't worry!" I said with a nod, making sure everything was taken care of.
Seeing that there were no other questions, I hurriedly said goodbye. Even though Mr. Afif was on vacation, I knew he was still monitoring work remotely. Seriously?!
Ting!
A message notification stopped me in my tracks. I glanced at my phone, and my eyes widened as I read the message!
"I'm outside. – Angkasa!"
What?! Seriously?! What is he doing here?! But wait… since when did he have my number? I don't remember ever giving it to him…
Ah, whatever. I better go down there quickly!
I immediately pressed the elevator button and stepped in, rushing down to the ground floor.
End of Nadia's POV
-----
The elevator had just opened, and Nadia, still staring at her phone screen, quickly stepped out without paying attention to her surroundings. Until...
Thud!
"Ouch, what the hell?! Watch where you're going, will you?!"
Nadia stopped, realizing she had bumped into someone. That shrill voice screeched at her as she winced in pain.
"You dumb— Oh, hohohoo, look who it is! The failed writer, huh?! Still showing your face around here? Begging for your editor's attention again? So shameless!"
Nadia lifted her head and was stunned to see Arina standing with her arms crossed, looking down on her with a condescending smirk. The shoulder-length blonde seemed to be enjoying this situation.
Nadia snorted sharply and turned her face away, then tried to stand up. She didn't want to stay here any longer—especially not to deal with this former friend!
Grab!
"Hey, when I'm talking to you, you listen! Where do you think you're going? Ooh, where's that rejected manuscript of yours? Hahaha, serves you right! Seriously, you're so delusional—thinking you could be a famous author? Trying to compete with me? Hahaha, keep dreaming!"
Arina grabbed Nadia's arm as her sharp words pierced through her. Her voice was loud enough to make people in the lobby start to glance their way.
Feeling the stares and murmurs, Nadia yanked her arm away, forcefully.
Arina, slightly shorter than Nadia, was taken aback when she finally fought back. "Hey…"
"SHUT UP!"
Nadia snapped, cutting off whatever Arina was about to say.
"I don't care what you think! And stop bothering me anywhere I go, you snake of a woman!" Nadia hissed, then walked away, leaving Arina frozen and speechless.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
With quick steps, Nadia stormed off, full of emotion. But not long after, a raspy voice made her freeze.
"Watch out!"
Grab! Crash!
Suddenly, Nadia found herself pulled into a tight embrace, followed by the loud sound of something shattering. Her heart pounded wildly when she caught a whiff of that familiar cologne—the one that's been haunting her mind lately.
"Hey, are you okay?"
A whisper brushed past her left ear, followed by a gentle stroke through her hair. Nadia's stomach fluttered. She could only shake her head. Her body went stiff—she hadn't even realized she was holding her breath.
It was Angkasa.
Slowly, Angkasa released her from his arms, his eyes then locking onto Arina, whose face had turned pale.
"What the hell were you thinking, throwing that vase? Were you trying to hurt Nadia?!"
His sharp voice cut through the lobby like a blade. His cold, flat gaze made Arina stammer, trying to deny it.
"W-What are y-you talking about? I-I didn't do anything…"
Arina's face turned even paler. Though dazzled by the handsome man in front of her, Angkasa's fierce aura crushed whatever courage she had left. She wanted to run.
"Answer me! What did you just do?! You clearly threw that vase at Nadia—what, you think I'm blind?!"
Angkasa barked, his voice rising. On the other side, Nadia, now snapping out of her daze, tried to intervene. The growing crowd in the office lobby made her increasingly uncomfortable.
"Angkasa, that's enough…" she whispered, reaching for his arm, but then...
"Listen here! You, and everyone else in this place—Nadia is my fiancée! If any of you dare lay a finger on her, you'll have to answer to me. Got it?!"
His words rang out, sharp and firm, leaving everyone wide-eyed in shock. Silence fell. The tension was thick.
Nadia quickly tugged Angkasa away, pulling him out of the crowd.
A few moments later…
Office Parking Lot
Despite struggling to pull Angkasa's large frame along, Nadia finally managed to drag the man out of the lobby.
"What was that, Angkasa?! Why would you say something like that? God, what will people think now?!" Nadia exclaimed, facing him with a look of frustration.
"What do you mean? You are my fiancée. So what?" Angkasa replied flatly.
"Since when did I agree to marry you?!" Nadia could barely believe her own words.
"Do I need your permission?" he responded emotionlessly.
Nadia's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. She didn't know how to respond. She rubbed her face in exhaustion, overwhelmed by everything that had happened. Her head felt heavy, and her body was drained.
"Forget it… I just want to go home," she whispered, barely audible.
Angkasa nodded calmly and took her hand, guiding her toward a black car parked not far from where they stood.
Nadia huffed but didn't resist. This guy is getting more and more annoying… or more like controlling, she thought.
The afternoon passed quickly. As Angkasa's black car pulled out of the parking lot, someone—unnoticed—was watching. When the car turned a corner and disappeared from view, the figure narrowed his eyes.
"Hmm… Angkasa? The heir of the Atmadja family, huh... But that girl, Nadia? Who is she? Should I investigate?"
●●●●●
A few days later,
Lead Editor's Office
Nadia had been sitting uncomfortably for a while. Not a single word had come out of Via's mouth to start the conversation. It was supposed to be her day off, but she had come to the office at Via's request.
Nearly half an hour passed, and Nadia remained in her seat, while Via busied herself with something on her laptop.
"Sist?" Nadia finally couldn't take it anymore and broke the silence.
Viarra stopped typing and gave Nadia a sharp look.
"You're getting married and didn't tell me or Antonio? What do you think we are to you, Nadia? And the incident the other day—God! Are you seriously okay? Why didn't you tell me that Arina threw a vase at you? My God, Nadia…"
Viarra leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh. She couldn't believe it—back at work after a few days off, only to be hit with shocking news.
Silence followed. Nadia sat with her head bowed, nervously twisting her fingers. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk, but she knew the turmoil Via was facing at home.
"I'm fine, Sist. I didn't want to stress you out even more with my problems. And about the engagement... that 'boyfriend' wasn't really serious," Nadia muttered, struggling to say the word boyfriend. After all, neither she nor Angkasa had ever truly been in a relationship.
Viarra studied Nadia for a moment, then sighed deeply.
"Well then, bring your 'boyfriend' over tomorrow night, okay? Antonio will be back from Siotto by then."
Nadia's eyes widened in shock. What? Tomorrow night? Oh dear God—bury her alive now!