Chapter 38 - Aruna's Silhouette II

"What?? Why is that??" Hendra's face turned annoyed.

"She... wants to eat with her friends first."​​

Hearing the waiter's explanation, Hendra immediately ran to his private elevator because the girl disappeared behind the elevator door after receiving a message from the waiter.

Luckily, Hendra still managed to find Aruna. He quickly walked and then greeted her.

"Aruna." Hendra's call hid a gasping breath.

"You didn't receive my message?" The man pretended not to know.

"Em... Sorry, I want to eat with friends first. I promise, I'll see you in 30 minutes."

Aruna, the girl with a relaxed and carefree outfit was shining as usual.

"I'm very busy. I don't have much time, 30 minutes left... Huh, that's too long... If you delay it, I don't know when to check your work."

Hendra just spoke, ignoring Aruna's friends, who took part in their invitation project. The man only focused on cornering her so that the girl was forced to follow his will.

Aditya caught the awkwardness that Aruna was showing her friends and vice versa.

Too bad, Hendra didn't care.

"Mr Hendra, isn't it break time? I think it is the right thing to come back to you during working hours." Aditya couldn't let Aruna, his lover's younger sister, feel embarrassed.

"Am I talking to you?" Hendra always had sharp words that could hit his interlocutors.

"I'm also worried about Aruna's safety." Aditya flicked their last meeting, which resulted in the girl falling ill, especially when her leg had just recovered.

"Moreover, you are very busy. I heard that you haven't even had the chance to directly apologise to her parents."

"I'm afraid that if Aruna experiences the same thing, I'm sure you must have trouble managing the time." Aditya added.

Aditya's words this time were no less sharp. In terms of work, they could position themselves according to their respective roles. However, when it came to personal interest, no position structure must be adhered to.

The hot atmosphere that the two men gave off made the four people around them feel stuffy and even sweat dripped.

"Hmm..." Hendra smirked, a scary smile.

"I'm more worried than you. I'm even afraid! Afraid that my future wife will be exchanged with another girl because of your influence."

Hendra became increasingly heartless, bringing up something that should no longer be discussed.

"Or should I swap back my future wife?! Take what should be mine." Hendra's expression this time even made Aditya's brother clench his fists.

Anyone who saw him would know he was holding back emotions.

Aruna could no longer bear to hear the increasingly dangerous debate.

"Hendra..." Aruna approached the man.

"Okay, I'll come with you." Aruna tried to turn Hendra's tall body with her small hands.

"Come on..." Aruna continued to push the motionless body.

"Yes, I will obey your wish."

The man melted because Aruna half hugged him. A hug was limited to trying to push Hendra away from Aditya and her friends.

The girl even was forced to embrace Hendra's left arm with her right so that the man could move together.

Hendra's expression changed from annoyed to happy.

The moment after walking a few steps further, Aruna ran backwards to her friends and Aditya. It seemed that the girl apologised and left her friends to Adit.

Aruna, this girl was too responsible sometimes.

After returning near Hendra, the man asked her to take the elevator together. The elevator, which wasn't allowed for her earlier, was now free for her to ride.

"Why the 7th-floor?" Aruna didn't understand. She left a job to a woman on the 5th-floor earlier.

"Because I need lunch." The CEO coldly replied.

"Huhh..." Aruna let out a tired breath.

Aruna remembered something. She used to stand in this place and stared at the same glass. Her feelings at that time were between being scared and amazed by Hendra's visuals.

And now, it was much different. She tended to be irritated and tired of his temper.

"Eating is also part of my schedule." Hendra explained, seeing the look on Aruna's face.

Somehow, Hendra thrusted his left arm when the elevator door was about to open. But, Aruna ignored him.

"You are in my work environment. It would be nice if we look intimate because we will get married soon." Hendra looked at her as if he said 'do it.'

Hendra's expression squeezed Aruna's chest. Being reminded that she was getting married stressed her out.

She couldn't help but thought 'Ending up as someone this man messed around with?'

"Nope."

"What?" Hendra was surprised by Aruna's refusal.

"I don't want to."

In the future, Aruna maybe had no right to refuse. But now, she was still her own.

When the elevator door opened, Hendra felt impatient, grabbing Aruna's palm, holding it, and walked full of emotion.

He didn't realise that his footsteps were too fast for a petite Southeast Asian girl like her.

"Don't be too fast, my leg still hurts." Aruna complained.

Hendra instantly slowed down. He tried hard to equalise the rhythm and width of Aruna's steps.

Out of nowhere, a warm feeling melted his heart. Together with his grip on the girl and the rhythm of the road together, the blue-eyed man occasionally glanced proudly at the petite girl beside him.

Aruna had turned her face to stare at the Jepara carving door, a family gathering place, the second time he met Hendra. It was currently their 6th meeting, but it felt like a lot had passed together.

"You want to eat there?" Hendra offered Aruna a dining room behind Jepara's doors.

"No... I don't want to." Aruna took a step first.

She pulled Hendra's hand with fast movements. The man was enjoying it, and all will to stay away from this girl instantly vanished.

***

"What else now?!"

Hendra had put a few pieces of meat on Aruna's plate. The girl showed no appetite.

"Are you angry? For asking you to eat with me?" This man was getting uncomfortable with Aruna's sour face.

"Do you want to eat somewhere unique, like Goldstar Cave?"

'Instead of enjoying a 5-star meal, why is she more cheerful eating at a photo booth like that?!'

Hendra teased her for not being able to stand it.

Aha! Aruna caught something Hendra shouldn't have said.

"A stalker should hide his identity." Aruna's flick triggered Hendra's panicked face.

"I've been good enough, never questioned your absurd behavior that almost got me down, TWICE."

Aruna held up two fingers, putting pressure on Hendra. The man who made her jump from the train carriage, who else if it wasn't the Wenceslas Group's CEO's deed?

"Who... who is stalking you?" Hendra was confused, and the man racked his brains to think of how to stop Aruna's suspicion.

"Ah, look at this."

As if finding an answer, Hendra showed her a photo that Damar uploaded on his instagram.

The photo was the black shadow, capturing the silhouette when Aruna observed the uniqueness of a cafe in Bandung.

Aruna's friends didn't necessarily recognize her. How could Hendra be so detailed to find that the silhouette belongs to that girl?

However, what was even more ridiculous was that this man was Damar's follower.

"Ha ha ha." Aruna couldn't hide her laughter.

"You are Damar's follower??" Aruna asked, mocking him.

"I... I... Just wonder about my future wife's life with her friends." Hendra arranged random words as best he could.

'He?! Why didn't he call me a co-worker again?' Aruna thought.

"And again, I also need to know whether she has a boyfriend or not." The man adjusted his face so that it seemed fierce.

Unfortunately, his behaviour looked even funnier.

"Exactly!! You're trapped, you are really the one behind the stalkers." Aruna exclaimed, spontaneously holding up her spoon.

Hendra was surprised, unconsciously dropping a glass of water.

"Prangg..."

And everything got messy.

Hendra's reason wasn't right when used to answer the question 'why did he follow Damar.' That reason made more sense to function as the background for someone deciding to stalk someone else.

Aruna smartly caught it. Hendra's eyes strangely stared at her. The man couldn't do anything.

'Argh... stupid!! How stupid I am!'

"Kriiiiing ..!"

Picking up the phone was the right act and the most natural at this time as Hendra's alibi to escape from a tense situation.

'Wow, you rang on time.' Hendra thought.

He could barely hide the happy smile of receiving Surya's call.

"Hendra!! Where are you?!" Surya was panicked.

"I'm eating, what's wrong?"

"The CorSec (Corporate Secretary) team is overwhelmed with calls from journalists and our business partners."

There was a loud sound from the room where Surya called.

"Your Instagram is flooded with comments and DMs." Surya added. (Hendra's official Instagram which is managed by the office)

"What were you doing at the Baskoro party?" The secretary almost snapped at him.

'Ah, what am I doing??'

"Wait a minute, I'll be right back." Hendra took out something from his wallet. His face turned serious.

"Listen to me, this time I may not be able to help you." Surya's voice was trembling.

"Your grandfather's secretary asked me to see her."

"What!!"

Hendra handed over a platinum-coloured card, then mentioned several digits to Aruna after he had trouble finding a pen.

"Use this! Remember 220692." The man repeated it twice.

"220692." Before disappearing, without having time to say goodbye to Aruna.