Chapter 29: A Cold Dinner

That night, Leonard didn't come home.

She doesn't know what made Fiona suddenly comply with Yulia's request for her to come down to enjoy dinner with Cornelius, Noura, and Giovani. Maybe it was because the pressure in her mind suddenly melted in the hot embrace between her and Leonard this afternoon. It was as if what Leonard did sucked all the unrest in Fiona's heart to make her feel a little lighter.

Vaguely, Fiona's mind drifted back to this afternoon. When Leonard pulled back and held himself back. Letting Fiona burn alone in the chaos that overcame her.

"We'll finish this later, okay?" Then Leonard got up and let Fiona, who was only wearing a bra, look at him from the bed while putting on her shirt and suit. Before Leonard went out, as usual, the man leaned down and gently kissed Fiona's forehead. Those marks, which until now had lingered like time, were hard for Fiona to forget.

In the horror that she could suddenly feel, Fiona muttered, "Has he influenced me?"

Yulia, who always walked by her side, only smiled slightly when she heard her speak. Fiona glanced over slightly, leering. "Why are you smiling like that, Yul?"

At first, Yulia didn't seem to want to say it but with Fiona's sharp gaze, the maid couldn't help but say it.

"After Mr. Leonard talked to you, I feel like you are feeling better."

Fiona let out a small sigh. She hated to admit it, so she kept quiet. But after a while, she remembered Cornelius' letter that she had found in the library earlier.

After walking down the long corridors, they arrived at the dining table. Several servants surrounded the large round dining table made of glass. Cornelius and Noura were already seated there. Dishes were laid out on the table while from the other end of the aisle, Fiona saw Giovani-as usual, in her short dress, walking gracefully and smiling at Fiona.

They were both seated in front of Cornelius and Noura who said hello.

"Leonard's not home yet, Auntie?" Giovani asked first. The waiters immediately poured water into tall glasses. Fiona began to take a fork and knife to cut the steak meat that was on today's dinner menu.

"He has over time," Cornelius replied briefly.

Fiona did not raise her face, busy cutting, chewing, and swallowing alone. She felt that Noura kept looking at her from the front. At a glance, she remembered the conversation a few days ago.

"In this way, I will actually be the one who will exchange you, for the great benefit between Cornelius and Marionette."

"What do you mean?" asked Fiona at that time.

"It's obvious, isn't it? My husband and Leonard like you. They don't want you to be taken by a group of Marionettes. They are protective of you simply because they know what's going on with you in Paris and how this life you're leading is pressuring you. Your readers, the writers in Paris, and the literacy people see you as a writer of erotica that's considered risqué. I know, Fiona. So do I care as much as my husband and Leonard? Of course not. I want you out of here. I want you to stop interfering with what I should have already planned."

Noura's words were both gentle and sharp. Fiona could feel the emotions rolling off her and the mission in her words. For Fiona, who at that time did not care about the threat, she agreed.

"What plan?" asked Fiona.

Noura explained, "Marionette is the mafia in West Jakarta. He has almost all of South Jakarta to help him. My husband, on the other hand, is in Central Jakarta and has no friends to help him. The business with Marionette is against the state. No group can help other than the group in East Jakarta. And the way to hook one of those groups is to get married to Giovani. The daughter of a big boss who owns a cosmetics company whose wealth is so vast that it's famous all over the world. Giovani's father has great power under the government as well. The perfect relative to work with against the Marionettes. If you were to interfere with this, can you imagine the fate of my husband?"

At the time, Fiona did not care and she was eager to leave this house.

But now...

Fiona slowly lifted her face. She found Noura sipping water in a glass while glancing at her coldly.

Her words from that time came back to her again.

"Then what do you want?" asked Fiona.

"I want you to leave this house in a week."

In her heart, Fiona thought it was the day she would get married. It would be the most fitting day since she wasn't in this house. And everyone would be busy with the wedding.

"On the wedding day?"

"Right." Noura developed the exact same smile as she did now.

"How?"

"Take it easy. I'll organize everything. I'll swap the bride and groom. Once Leonard knows he's marrying Giovani, there's no turning back. And this family can get help from Giovani's family."

"What about me then? Will I be followed by Marionette?" asked Fiona.

"Oh, no. We'll fake your death. Make up a hoax so Marionette can be sure you're dead."

It was a marvelous plan. Like a plot in a mystery-detective drama. Fiona wasn't sure she could take part in the plan. But when Noura said it, the woman looked very confident and seemed to be able to make anything that only happened in the drama, into a reality.

"Only, after that, you have to change your identity. We'll make a fake death so that all your readers know that you're dead too. The risk is great. But it's better than you going into the Marionette cage."

Noura stepped closer and then looked at Fiona intently. "You'll never know how cruel Marionette is."

Fiona blinked. Cornelius, who was sitting in front of her, looked confused and waited for her to answer. Fiona quickly snapped out of her reverie. She cleared her throat softly and said, "Sorry. What is it?"

"Have you and Leonard picked out your dresses yet? The event is in a week." Cornelius repeated his words that Fiona had not heard.

"Oh," Fiona looked down, went back to cutting her steak, and chewed for a while before answering. "Not yet."

"Hm, I heard he came home to see you this afternoon," Cornelius said as he cut another slice of steak. Fiona could feel Giovani glancing at her from the side. But Fiona ignored it, trying to escape the woman's suspicious gaze.

"Yeah. She... just came to see me in the library. Then..." Fiona's throat choked as she remembered the only part of their encounter this afternoon was the heated struggle on the bed. God, just thinking about it made Fiona's hand pause.

"And then what?" Giovani asked suddenly.

Fiona exhaled and put the knife and fork on the table. She got up and excused herself to the bathroom.

Her mind was too muddled. Noura's words, Giovani's escape plan, and the approaching wedding made her suddenly nervous. It collided with the gentle and demanding embrace that happened today with Leonard. Fiona's feelings were suddenly hit by a dilemma. Why is she in a dilemma? She had wanted to run away from the beginning. This was a good opportunity. Wasn't this how she could escape the Marionette problem and get away from a pervert like Leonard?

But... did she really think Leonard was a pervert?

"You're not a whore. You're not my plaything. But you're my first love."

Those words tend to be clichéd and monotonous. But when Leonard pulled her into his arms, leading her in a passionate kiss, it was as if the words had seeped into the hardest form to let go.

Love.

The sound of someone's footsteps approaching the restroom. Fiona opened the door and found Giovani standing in front with her arms crossed. Her eyes stared rigidly. Her lips did not rise in a smile. Fiona was about to ignore her and turn towards the dining table, but Giovani's voice held her back.

"I feel something strange about you." Giovani walked over and stood beside her, staring intently.

"You haven't changed your mind, have you?"

***