Chapter 44 Episode 44

Chapter 44 Episode 44

The dim light on the terrace of the small villa seemed to glow behind the remnants of dew clinging to the windowpanes. The rhythmic sound of water dripping from the wooden roof could still be heard, a leftover from the storm that had just subsided. The late-night air felt biting, contrasting with Emeli’s breath, which suddenly quickened as her eyes snapped wide open on the bed.
She immediately sat bolt upright. Her heart hammered violently against her ribs. For a few seconds, Emeli just sat frozen, staring straight at the wooden wall as her cheeks began to flush intensely.
Slap.
Her hand landed quite hard on her own forehead.
“Oh my God…” she murmured in a voice laden with embarrassment.
She scanned the silent room. There was no Aric beside her. There was no warm embrace holding her possessively. There was no heated struggle that she had just felt down to her very marrow.
Emeli quickly pulled the thick blanket up until it covered her entire face. She curled her body, trying to hide from the reality that had just hit her.
“What was I dreaming about?” she groaned, muffled.
Unfortunately, the more she tried to erase the memory, the sharper the wild images in her head became. She could clearly remember how Aric’s kiss felt under the pouring rain, down to the erotic imagination that took place in this villa room. Every touch and whisper in her dream felt so real that she could almost feel the heat lingering on the surface of her skin.
Emeli bit her lower lip hard. An unconscious murmur escaped her trembling lips.
“Is it really... that big...?”
At that exact second, Emeli froze. Her world seemed to stop spinning.
“Gosh!” she shrieked under her breath while cupping her face with both palms. “I’ve gone crazy. Truly, I’ve gone completely crazy.”
She tried to neutralize her embarrassing heartbeat. However, when she turned to the side of the bed, she found Aric still fast asleep on his side. The man’s face looked very peaceful; the lines of maturity that usually looked sharp had softened while he slept. His hair was slightly messy, covering part of his forehead.
Emeli remained silent for a long time, gazing at the figure in front of her. There was a strange urge to touch him, to ensure that at the very least, this man’s presence wasn't a dream. Her hand rose slowly, tucking away the stray hairs covering Aric’s eyes with extremely careful movements.
As soon as her fingers touched the warmth of Aric’s forehead, the man made a small movement. Emeli reflexively pulled her hand back as fast as lightning.
“Luckily he didn’t wake up,” she whispered in relief.
A thin smile etched onto Emeli’s lips—a smile full of secrets. She hurried to grab her bag and straightened her wrinkled clothes. She had to leave now. Staying here any longer would only make the atmosphere unbearably awkward if Aric woke up.
As she stepped out of the villa, the cold air left over from the rain swept across her face, helping slightly to cool her body temperature, which was still high from that dream. Emeli walked toward the main road while clutching her cardigan tightly, trying to find transportation even though it was already late at night.
While waiting for a taxi, those images attacked again without mercy. The way Aric looked at her, the sound of the man's heavy breathing, down to... the body part she had just questioned in her heart.
“Stop! Stop thinking!” Emeli patted her own cheeks. “Why am I being so perverted? This is so embarrassing!”
Not long after, a taxi stopped in front of her. Emeli immediately got in and gave Ken’s residence address. Throughout the journey, she repeatedly turned her face toward the window, trying to focus on the Jakarta streetlights that were starting to grow quiet. However, the image of Aric in the park saying he still loved her kept spinning like a broken record.
Unknowingly, she smiled to herself. The taxi driver, who observed her from the rearview mirror, finally spoke up.
“Did you get some good news, Miss?”
Emeli was startled from her daydream. “Huh? What, Sir?”
“Well, you’ve been smiling to yourself for a while now. You look very happy.”
Emeli’s face instantly turned crimson. “No, Sir. Just... just remembering a friend’s joke.”
The driver chuckled softly before refocusing on the road, while Emeli quickly looked down, cursing herself for being unable to hide her expression.
Upon arriving at the grand gate of Ken’s house, Emeli paid the fare and got out hurriedly. She hoped all the residents of the house had already entered the land of dreams. She wanted to sneak into her room and bury all this restlessness.
However, her hopes were dashed when the main door opened. The lights in the center room were still burning bright.
Thump.
Ken was there.
The man sat casually on a long sofa while flipping through documents on a glass table. His high-quality black shirt had the top two buttons undone, showing a hint of a relaxed yet still intimidating impression.
The atmosphere in the room immediately felt heavy as their eyes met. Emeli squeezed the edge of her cardigan, stepping closer hesitantly.
“Not asleep yet?” Emeli asked softly, trying to sound normal.
Ken did not respond. His eyes were still fixed on the sheets of paper in his hand, as if Emeli’s presence was merely a passing breeze.
Emeli stood awkwardly in her spot for a few seconds. “Sorry I’m home late.”
Silence. Still no answer. Emeli grumbled softly to herself; Ken’s indifferent nature often ignited her annoyance.
“Gosh, such a cold person,” Emeli grumbled very quietly, almost a whisper.
Ken finally lifted his face. His gaze was sharp, scrutinizing every inch of Emeli’s appearance. “Didn’t you say you were going to gather with college friends?”
“Yes,” Emeli answered quickly, trying to be convincing.
“Until this late?”
Emeli nodded firmly. “The conversation was fun, so I didn’t realize it was already night.”
Ken stared at her a little longer, as if searching for a lie in the woman’s eyes. Emeli felt her heart race again, but this time out of fear that Ken might notice the lingering scent of Aric’s perfume or even the change in her eyes.
“Why are you staring?” Emeli challenged, covering her nervousness.
Ken lowered his gaze back to the documents. “I am not forbidding you from going anywhere.”
“No one said you were forbidding me, Sir.”
“Hmm.”
That short answer made Emeli even more annoyed. “I’m tired, you know. I just got home and I'm greeted with such a flat face.”
Ken closed his document with a loud thud, making Emeli jump slightly. “And?”
Emeli glared. “Well, usually when someone’s girlfriend comes home late, they are asked if they’ve eaten yet, or how the event went. Like that, right?”
Ken leaned back, looking at Emeli with the corner of his lips almost lifting. “Am I your boyfriend?”
The question hit Emeli dead on. She froze, her tongue suddenly tied. Her already red face turned even hotter.
“Well... well, no, I guess!” Emeli snapped while turning her face away.
Seeing Emeli’s flustered reaction, the tension on Ken’s face melted slightly. He closed the folder in front of him. “Have you eaten?”
Emeli turned quickly, looking surprised. “That’s rare for you to ask.”
“Just answer.”
“I have,” Emeli replied shortly.
Ken nodded, then went back to ignoring her as if the previous conversation had never happened. Emeli, feeling ignored for the umpteenth time, could only stomp her foot in annoyance.
“Annoying!”
She turned and walked quickly toward her room. As soon as the door was closed and locked, Emeli immediately threw her body onto the bed, face down. She buried her face in the pillow, trying to stifle the frustrated scream caught in her throat.
“Gosh, what a mess...”
However, in the darkness of her room, those images returned uninvited. The figure of Aric in the park, the sincerity in his gaze, down to her wild dream earlier.
“If it were real...”
Emeli suddenly sat up cross-legged. Her eyes widened.
“Goodness, Emeli! Stop thinking about it!” She ruffled her own hair until it was a mess.
She tried to lie down again, but her mind grew even wilder, imagining the possibilities of what might have happened if she hadn't immediately left the villa.
“Aric definitely wouldn't be that gentle in reality, right?” she murmured softly.
Then she went silent again, realizing the direction of her thoughts. “Why am I continuing to imagine that?! Crazy!”
Emeli rolled over again, covering her entire body with the blanket and trying to force herself to sleep. That night, her mind was truly a battlefield between the cold
reality with Ken and the sweet but dangerous escape with Aric Anderson.