Gavin
Darian’s smile widened as he noticed his wife approaching him. She took over his hands, which were in the process of tying his tie. His brown eyes refused to look away from the beautiful woman before him. Her graceful fingers deftly adjusted his tie until he didn’t realize Fahira had finished.
“All set, Darian!” Fahira said, caressing Darian’s chest, her fingers brushing against the folds of his suit jacket.
“Ever since I have you, Darian only wants to stay at home!” Darian whispered while tracing Fahira’s face, which always seemed to glow whenever she was with him.
Darian’s lips landed at the tip of Fahira’s upturned nose, gently rubbing against it. His hand reached out to stroke Fahira’s long, lustrous black hair that cascaded down her back. Wet traces still lingered between Darian’s fingers, carrying the scent of roses. His fingers then moved to her rosy lips, which always lured him into passionate kisses and long, lingering embraces – a favorite activity they often indulged in.
“Okay, Honey, go to work now!” Fahira grabbed Darian’s hand, moving it away from her lips. If she let him, Darian would be late for the office, as had become his habit for the past two months.
“Whenever I’m with you, Darian forgets everything,” Darian sighed deeply, exhaling slowly through his lips as he recalled the busy schedule he had that day. “If only I didn’t have so much work, I would choose to stay at home with you!” Darian continued and then briefly kissed Fahira’s lips. “Just a moment!” Darian reached for the back of Fahira’s head, pulling her closer to deepen their kiss.
“Enough, Honey!” Fahira managed to say in the midst of their kiss. She then lifted her hand and pushed against Darian’s chest with all her strength, but he didn’t budge. Finally, the loud ringing of Darian’s phone in his pants pocket succeeded in pulling him away from their passionate moment.
Darian released their locked lips, leaving Fahira’s face blushing. This only made Darian more frustrated and annoyed when he saw David’s name displayed on his phone. Of course, David was the only employee who dared to call him if he was late for work. Even Lily, his new secretary, would never dare disturb him while he was at home.
“I’ll be back early, okay!” Darian whispered in Fahira’s ear before leaving a small bite on her earlobe, sending shivers down her spine.
Darian chuckled as he saw the orange color spread from Fahira’s face to her fair neck. He lowered his head and planted a wet kiss on her white neck, teasing her sensitive spot, which had become his new hobby. Seeing the flicker of desire in Fahira’s eyes intensified, Darian didn’t want to waste the opportunity. He connected their lips again, and without realizing it, Fahira’s body bumped against the edge of the bed, causing her to fall back. Quickly, Darian pinned Fahira’s body and swiftly satisfied his desires in just 10 minutes.
“That’s enough for breakfast today!” Darian whispered, still catching his breath. He smiled teasingly before leaving Fahira, who lay defenseless on the bed with clothes that were almost shapeless because of his actions, and headed to the bathroom.
***
At exactly 9 AM, Darian arrived at the office. Lily, his secretary, who had looked half-panicked due to the upcoming meeting starting in one hour, could suddenly breathe a sigh of relief when she saw her boss strolling into the room casually. All the employees saluted their boss, who now appeared more approachable. Although Darian’s cold demeanor had slightly softened, it didn’t mean he was being friendly to everyone. Only those he favored would receive his friendly disposition.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
Lily and David quickly followed Darian into his office, preparing all the materials needed for the meeting. David spent more time in the office now, as Darian only required his assistance during meetings, both in the office and outside. Darian preferred to drive his own car to work, and that worked well for David, as he now had more time to spend with his woman. It had been almost a month since David and Alea started living together, but all of this was still a secret from Darian. David didn’t dare to be honest with Darian about his relationship with Alea.
“Is everything ready?” Darian asked after settling into his oversized chair.
“Everything’s ready, Sir!” Lily placed the files on Darian’s desk and sat down in the chair next to David.
Darian immediately opened the files and studied them briefly. While Darian was engrossed in the documents before him, David observed his friend, who now seemed completely different. Darian’s face appeared calmer and brighter. A tinge of jealousy crept into David’s heart. He suddenly felt the urge to end his adventurous phase and start building a life with the woman he loved. David had already expressed his love to Alea, but her response was unexpected. Alea rejected his advances outright, and David didn’t know what she truly wanted. His proposals had been flatly refused each time. Despite that, they were now living together and engaging in a husband-and-wife relationship freely and unreservedly.
“Oh, David, starting tomorrow, you can work as usual,” Darian’s words brought David back from his thoughts about Alea. David furrowed his brows, trying to comprehend his boss’s order.
Darian laughed, seeing David’s confused expression. “Yes, starting tomorrow, you’ll be driving my car again!” Darian continued, focusing on the words in the file once more.
“Understood, Sir!” David replied briefly.
Elsewhere, Fahira was at the boutique with Yasmin. A loyal customer of YZ Boutique arrived, warmly welcomed by the middle-aged woman, while Fahira continued studying the boutique’s management book with the help of Sari, Yasmin’s assistant. From the first time Sari met Fahira when she came with Darian, Sari was sure Fahira was a good person. Especially after learning Fahira came from a prestigious and wealthy family. Fahira was always kind to everyone, including all the boutique staff. Being the boutique owner’s daughter-in-law didn’t make Fahira arrogant; she still dressed modestly, despite wearing branded clothing. Sari understood her boss’s fashion taste well. High class.
Even so, Yasmin herself was always kind to all her employees. Almost every day she was at the boutique, all the staff could enjoy delicious and expensive meals ordered by Yasmin directly from her favorite restaurants.
At one o’clock in the afternoon, Fahira decided to go home to rest for a while before preparing lunch for her husband. Yasmin had to stay at the boutique to assist her fellow models in choosing the quality products available at YZ Boutique.
Suddenly, on her way home, Fahira felt a headache. She pulled her car over to the side of the road to alleviate the pain. However, her eyes caught a large sign with the words “Anna Bakery.” Instantly, her eyes sparkled, and her stomach growled in demand. Fahira held her stomach, feeling puzzled as she had just had lunch with the boutique staff an hour ago. Why was her stomach suddenly empty? The headache disappeared, replaced by a strange feeling stirring inside her.
The car that Fahira rode came to a slow stop in front of the bakery. The delightful aroma filled her senses as she stepped onto the bakery’s porch. The woman, dressed in a knee-length blue gown, walked gracefully into the store, catching the attention of a bespectacled man without her knowledge. He sat in the corner of the shop, waiting for his mother’s ordered bread while gazing at Fahira with longing. A feeling he should have cast away since Fahira became his cousin’s wife.
“I want chocolate, mocha, vanilla, and blueberry variants. Five of each, please!” Fahira said to the store employee behind the counter.
“Sure, ma’am. Please wait a moment!” the young female employee replied politely.
Fahira chose to sit in one of the chairs and checked her phone when she heard a familiar voice greeting her.
“How are you, Fahira?” Gavin said, sitting in the chair across the small round table from Fahira.
Fahira looked surprised, but her lips soon curved into a smile when she saw that it was Gavin.
“Thanks to god, I’m doing well. And how about you? It’s been a long time since we last met,” Fahira replied amiably.
“If you only knew, Fahira, how desperately I’ve tried to forget you. Even now, my feelings for you have never changed,” Gavin said silently in his heart.
“You can see for yourself that I’m not doing well because I’m always thinking of you!” Gavin blurted out, successfully freezing Fahira’s body. The gentle smile on her lips slowly faded away. Her deep black eyes scrutinized Gavin’s appearance, noticing the changes. His usually clean white face was now covered with a light stubble on his jaw, and he looked thinner.
“Just kidding, Fahira,” Gavin chuckled, seeing the change in her expression.
“Oh, by the way, since we’ve met, I want to invite you to my wedding next week,” Gavin continued, looking intently at the beautiful face of Fahira.
“Wow, congratulations! I hope everything goes smoothly. Who’s the lucky girl, Gavin?” Fahira asked, her eyes gleaming. It was an answer that Gavin didn’t want to hear. He hoped Fahira would object to his plans to marry the woman he didn’t love.
“It seems you’re very happy, rejoicing in my misery, Fahira!” Gavin’s reply carried a tinge of irony behind his smile.
“Of course, I’m happy for you, Gavin, because you’ve finally found the right woman to accompany you in life!” Fahira replied with sincerity still evident in her smile.
Shortly after, a female employee brought the two boxes of bread ordered by Gavin and Fahira. Before Fahira got up from her seat, Gavin said, “Please include this order for the beautiful lady.” He handed some money to the employee without paying attention to Fahira’s changed expression. It wasn’t about paying for the bread, but the endearing address “beautiful lady” that Gavin used.
On her way home, Fahira tried to understand the meaning behind Gavin’s seemingly casual words. He said he was joking, but Fahira could see the hurt in his eyes. She sighed deeply, holding it in her chest for a moment before letting it out abruptly. Could it be that Gavin still had feelings for her? The question lingered in her mind until her car came to a halt in the grand driveway of her now-residence. “I still love you,” the whisper of those three words echoed strongly and repeatedly in her mind. Gavin’s last words before his car door closed shut and he left the bakery. Three words that made Fahira wonder if her hearing was playing tricks on her.