What Jess fears the most when delivering orders is not just the payment. As for that, Jess doesn't worry too much because she's confident they will pay. What Jess worries about is suddenly receiving a message with a complaining tone from the customer. Even if the complaint is constructive, it still makes her feel small.
"Can you sit still, Jess?" Fathia had warned her friend not to be so tense. They had been in the apartment since the afternoon. The cake order had arrived safely and on time for the host's party there.
"I'm nervous!"
Fathia shook her head in amazement. "You're usually the most confident one. Just now?"
"Ugh! This is different, Fathia. I'm not an expert at making cakes yet. I'm afraid it won't taste good. And it's not overly sweet."
Seeing Jess's nervousness, Laras, who had been observing the two of them, approached. She took a seat right next to the girl whose hair always stood out with its cotton candy color but whose beauty contin
Sad News.June 2, 2014.Without hesitation, Fathia ran through the school corridor. Drops of sweat had already started forming on her forehead. She didn't care. Her mind was solely focused on the principal's office. They said... someone was sent from her father's office.Since yesterday, she had been feeling restless. And until she finished breakfast, she hadn't received any news from the people she cared about. Usually, her older brother diligently contacted her whenever he had a chance. Ah, perhaps they were all busy with their own affairs.That's what Fathia tried to reassure herself with. She tried her best to concentrate on all the exams until... the call for her arrived.Her heart raced, and her eyes made sure once again that she was heading to the right place. Throughout her time at Bina Nusantara School, she had never set foot in this room. She only visited the teachers' room a few times, and that too with specific purposes. Delivering assignments and other instructions from h
The Moment Before the Reading of the Will.June 6, 2014.Three days had passed since Alvin, his wife, and their eldest child were buried. The news about them spread throughout Indonesia. The owner of the second-largest retail business in New York City had tragically passed away, filling the columns of newspapers and online news pages. It was also broadcasted on TV.However, Fathia didn't want to hear any of it. For her, the three of them were still there. Still in an important meeting discussed in Levine Village. Fathia remembered their visit, which was also intended for the soon-to-be-inaugurated new factory.The sound of her bedroom door being knocked made Fathia lift her face from the pillow. She didn't want to move from there at all. Naomi prepared her meals and made sure the young lady ate properly, although it was difficult to persuade her."Just come in, Auntie," Fathia replied, slightly tightening her voice. She thought it was Naomi entering, but she was mistaken. Sebastian en
February 14, 2015.Usually, on every 14th of February, when Fathia woke up in the morning, she would always do so with a smile on her face. She would greet everyone in the house, even the gardener, with a warm "good morning." She had a special prayer as she grew older each year, including today when she turned sixteen. But along with her birthday, the sadness of losing her parents and her sister lingered for eight months. The wound of that loss was still wide open. The excitement of welcoming her birthday had vanished. Often, a cloud of melancholy surrounded her, and if she suddenly remembered her mother, Fathia would burst into tears and hold tightly onto the family portrait.Just like today. It was cloudy when she woke up. She directed her steps towards her parents' bedroom. Everything was still the same. Nothing had changed. She remembered that when she felt scared during the night, she would sneak into their room. Even now, she still continued that habit even after changing into h
May 2015.Sebastian winced as the projectile was removed from his arm. He was truly lucky. He managed to safely bring Fathia to his apartment. After contacting Ronald, Fathia was asked to inform Nika, Sebastian's acquaintance who worked as a doctor. Sebastian didn't want to take the risk of going to the hospital, so he chose Nika to examine him."But Sebastian, are you okay?" Fathia asked, full of concern, after hearing Nika sigh with relief.Nika turned with a small smile. "Don't worry, dear. Your brother is fine. He's strong."Sebastian scoffed. "Just get it done. I have a lot to take care of.""Oh, come on, Sebastian! Work right away? After this? You owe us a lot of explanations, you know."With his free hand, Sebastian made a gentle gesture. "Enough, focus on your part. The rest is my business."Nika rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Sebastian and his habits!" But she still attended to what needed to be done. Although he lost quite a bit of blood, Sebastian was fortunate that the wound d
Fathia entered her home feeling wary. Three days had passed since the incident, and she was allowed to return home. She wanted to make sure with her own eyes that the three people who always accompanied her at home were all safe, except for Johan. According to Sebastian, he was hurt pretty badly in the arm.He protected Naomi and managed to make her run away, but he was eventually captured and held captive in a warehouse. Johan fought back, leading to his arm being injured by a long sharp object, leaving a scar. He was still receiving treatment at the hospital, and Fathia was extremely grateful that his condition was stable. Sebastian allowed Fathia to visit his house and then visit Johan in his hospital room later.When Naomi and Dennis saw Fathia, they embraced her while crying. They were afraid that something terrible would happen to their young miss. Naomi hugged and stared at Fathia repeatedly, as if in disbelief. Dennis also thanked Sebastian repeatedly for saving Fathia."I can
Birthday gift.October 2015.Fathia chose to join a dance extracurricular activity at her school. This activity took up a lot of her time, but she was happy about it. She left in the morning and returned in the evening, with a bunch of other activities to do. For Fathia, this was her own joy because she didn't dwell on the departure of her parents and her older sister anymore. Her life was now running smoothly in Sebastian's luxurious apartment. Occasionally, he would come home and stay there for quite a long time.Just like their previous closeness, Sebastian asked her many questions about various things, especially her school activities and grades. He always reminded her to prioritize her academics for her future schooling and business. Sebastian had already started preparing Fathia so that when she came of age, she would be ready to take over the Azure Group.Especially today, Fathia came home early. She was greeted with curious looks from the workers tidying up the apartment; Summ
September 2017.Now eighteen years old, and a few months, Fathia didn't want to keep count. For her, her teenage years were starting to lead into adulthood. Many things changed in her, and she was quite surprised by the changes, including her height. Somehow, she felt taller. Or was it just her feeling?She was used to being watched from afar. Sebastian had a lot of business to attend to in the factory area, he said. Checking on the ongoing projects there. Fathia didn't mind trying to understand, but whenever she started asking about Sebastian and his work, he would pull away.Ah, perhaps he was getting further away from her. His messages were now short and infrequent. She received phone calls only occasionally, and she could count them on one hand in a week. Usually, Sebastian used to call her almost every day, especially at night, just to keep her company until she fell asleep. But now...She no longer felt any of that. Fathia felt that Sebastian was distancing himself from her. Lea
Campus, March 2018.Fathia didn't like the many glances directed at her. She still remembered how embarrassed she was when Antony picked her up, and she felt like everyone at the café was talking about her. It wouldn't be surprising if that became a topic of gossip on campus, considering that she was using a bodyguard's service.It was all because of Sebastian, but she couldn't deny it, especially when she recalled that horrifying incident. She didn't want to take any more risks. She only asked for one thing after that, "If I don't break curfew, can I have a little freedom to breathe some fresh air, Sebastian?"That was it. And Fathia took full advantage of it. Not that she made many friends, no. Fathia was too afraid to start. Until...Her steps hurriedly approached a group that was cornering one of them. Fathia frowned and recognized the blonde girl whom she felt she knew. Ah... right, she was a classmate and majoring in the same field as Fathia.