SR3. 28. Laura's departure

Laura suddenly felt calm as the distinctive scent of Aryan's body greeted her sense of smell, and it seemed like the scent was wafting through the air, filling her room. She turned her body to follow the direction of the scent and then slipped her body into the large one in front of her. Laura smiled as she drifted back into her slumber, enjoying her dream as if it were real.

Aryan froze when he realized the movement beside him. He tried not to make a sound or any movement at all so as not to wake Laura and make her scream in surprise when she realized his presence. However, his thoughts were proven wrong when Laura instead approached and nestled herself in his embrace. Aryan smiled in relief, then hugged Laura tightly, inhaling her scent deeply to soothe the longing in his heart.

Laura squirmed upon hearing the call to prayer for the dawn prayer. Despite being on her period, she was accustomed to waking up early, so in any condition, Laura would wake up, wash her face, brush her teeth, and then get busy in the kitchen helping her mother prepare breakfast.

Aahhh.. Laura's hoarse moan couldn't disturb Aryan's tranquility; in fact, his strong hand moved even closer to Laura's body. Slowly, Laura's eyelids opened, right in front of Aryan's broad chest. Once again, Laura closed her eyes to convince herself that it was all just a dream. With her irregular heartbeat, Laura tried to slowly open her eyelids again, and there he was, Aryan, truly holding her.

"What are you doing here?" Laura exclaimed in a high-pitched voice while sitting up in surprise.

"Hey, Honey," Aryan greeted with a gentle smile, looking at Laura, who was staring at him in shock.

"Come here." Aryan pulled Laura's hand until she fell asleep facing him.

"Just stop being angry, please Laura," asked Aryan with a sad look.

Laura froze for a moment as she stared at Aryan's teary eyes, her finger drawing a straight line from Laura's forehead to Laura's forehead.

"I'm really sorry Laura, I beg you to come back, I can't imagine what my life will be like without you," said Aryan sadly as he pulled Laura's body into his arms.

Laura couldn't say anything when she heard Aryan's soft sobs hugging her body. Laura was indeed angry and disappointed, but seeing Aryan's messy condition like this made her heart break. This is not what Laura wanted. She let Aryan hug her until she felt calm, then Laura forcefully let go of Aryan's hug.

"Go clean your body first," said Laura then got up from the 180x200 bed and headed towards the door out of the room. Because Laura's house only has two bathrooms, which are located next to the kitchen, they have to leave the room first if they want to use the bathroom. Aryan wiped away the remaining tears from his eyes then followed Laura and walked towards the kitchen.

Aryan smiled and greeted Della, his mother-in-law, who was cooking rice. Laura's mother was used to cooking traditionally using a large steamer, and after the rice was cooked, Della would transfer it to the rice cooker to keep it warm.

After Laura came out of the bathroom, she immediately helped her mother in the kitchen, while Aryan chose to stay in the bedroom after completing his prayers. He turned off the fan and opened the bedroom window, allowing fresh air to push out the stuffy room. In the eastern horizon, a golden-yellow hue peeked through the gaps in the nightgown, but Aryan's admiration had to be cut short when a sudden headache attacked the left side of his head. Stumbling, he walked toward the bed and lay down, gently massaging his head, and unintentionally, Aryan drifted off to sleep again.

At 06:30, the dining table was filled with simple yet appetizing dishes. That morning, Della cooked a simple meal of boiled spinach and bean sprouts with peanut sauce, accompanied by fried tofu, fried tempeh, and scrambled eggs. For Laura's family, who were used to a simple life, this was considered a special meal.

All the members of Laura's family were ready for breakfast, but an empty chair next to Laura became the center of attention.

"Laura, call your husband and invite him to have breakfast with us," Johan said, looking sharply at Laura.

"Yes, Dad," Laura replied, lowering her head and then standing up, walking towards her room, following her father's command.

"Aryan, wake up. It's already late in the morning," Laura called out, shaking Aryan's shoulders.

"Mmmmm... What time is it, Laura?" Aryan asked, still with his eyes closed, but his hand tried to block the sunlight that was piercing through the window grates, blinding his vision.

"It's half-past six, and everyone is waiting for you for breakfast," Laura explained with her hands clasped together.

"Oh God, really?" Aryan quickly got up, rubbing his face, and the headache in his head suddenly disappeared.

"I'm sorry," Aryan replied briefly, then hurriedly stood up and went to the bathroom.

Laura silently followed Aryan's steps with annoyance until he was done, then they both went to the dining room together. During breakfast, the only sounds heard were the occasional clinking of spoons and forks, breaking the silence.

"Sorry, Mom and Dad, I have to leave now because I have a meeting with a client, and I didn't bring a change of clothes," Aryan politely excused himself after finishing his breakfast.

"That's okay, dear," Della replied with a smile, then gave Laura a sharp look, signaling her daughter who still seemed indifferent.

Aryan quickly got up and headed to Laura's room.

"Laura, go with your husband," Johan commanded firmly, a command that Laura immediately obeyed.

"I'm going home now. I'll wait for you at the apartment," Aryan said after putting on his jacket and grabbing his car keys.

"I love you, Honey," Aryan whispered after embracing Laura tightly. He kissed her forehead and then pressed their foreheads together for a moment before leaving the room.

After Aryan's departure, Laura sat on the edge of the bed, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't deceive her heart; she loved Aryan deeply.

***

Aryan immediately drove his car towards the highway, heading to the hotel to freshen up and change his clothes, as it seemed more efficient than going back to his apartment. Besides, he had been staying in his hotel room for the past three days. Aryan's office was conveniently located right below his hotel room.

Aryan quickly changed his clothes and then headed to his office. Just outside his office door, Jefri stood tall, holding several folders containing documents for his meeting with clients. Aryan smiled with satisfaction at all of his personal assistant's work. Even without his orders, Jefri had already taken swift action. Jefri was one of the residents of the orphanage where Andra donated a portion of his wealth. Andra had also mentored Jefri when Andra was actively teaching street children. As an orphan, Andra had picked up Jefri from the streets and brought him to the Kasih Bunga orphanage. Andra had also recommended Jefri for his bachelor's degree, covering all of his expenses until he graduated from the management faculty.

Due to his outstanding performance in the fifth semester and beyond, Jefri received a scholarship from the university. Despite his busy schedule in college, Jefri continued to live in and help at the orphanage. However, after completing his studies, he decided to serve the Alfarizi family with sincerity, without expecting anything in return. Andra was unsure of what job to give Jefri since he had only been in the business world for two years. Unlike Aryan, who had been studying the business world with Andre, his father, since high school. The opportunity came when Aryan needed a personal assistant and secretary. Without hesitation, Andra recommended Jefri to Aryan, and it didn't take long for Jefri to excel at all of his tasks.

"Sorry, but do you not feel well, Mr. Aryan?" Jefri asked as they entered Aryan's office.

Aryan looked at the tall man with glasses and nodded. Jefri's guess was spot on; Aryan did feel something uncomfortable in his body.

"I'm fine, maybe it's just because I didn't get enough sleep," Aryan replied and then returned his attention to the documents on his desk, signing them.

At 1:00 PM, after finishing his last meeting, Aryan couldn't bear the headache that had returned on the left side of his head. "Jef, take me to the apartment. I need to rest," Aryan ordered as he leaned his head against the car seat, eyes closed, and massaged the tip of his nose.

"Shouldn't we go see a doctor, Mr. Aryan?" Jefri asked worriedly, stealing a glance at Aryan's pale face as he drove.

"It's okay, Jefri. You're fussier than my mother. I'll just take some headache medicine, and the pain will go away; I'm just sleep-deprived," Aryan explained with his eyes still closed.

Jefri couldn't argue further and simply nodded, accepting his boss's orders. Having known the Alfarizi family for a long time, Jefri was familiar with the personalities of each family member, and of course, his boss was the most stubborn of all. Upon arriving at the apartment lobby, Jefri didn't waste any time. Without paying attention to Aryan's complaints, he followed Aryan, who was walking unsteadily, all the way into the apartment.

Once inside the apartment, Laura immediately turned on the lights, as it was quite dark since all the curtains were tightly closed. The lights came on with a click of the switch.

"Aryan," Laura called out, finding Aryan curled up on the sofa, clutching his stomach, with a glass of water and a pack of tablets on the table.

Unable to contain herself, Laura's tears flowed freely when she received no response from Aryan's pale lips. Laura's hand trembled as she touched Aryan's forehead. Aryan had a high fever, and his body was trembling.

With trembling hands and tearful eyes, Laura called Andra and explained Aryan's condition over the phone. From the other end, Andra tried to reassure Laura while waiting for the ambulance.

"Laura?" Aryan called weakly. Laura couldn't speak; she just held Aryan's hand and kissed him.

"Finally, you're home, Honey. Why are you crying?" Aryan asked, his trembling hand trying to wipe away Laura's tears.

Laura shook her head and pulled the blanket to cover Aryan's shivering body, then hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry, Aryan. I'm sorry... I promise I'll always be with you," Laura whispered amid her tears.

"Thank you, Laura, for coming back to me," Aryan murmured, his gaze starting to blur. Laura let go of her embrace when she felt no movement from Aryan's body except for his rapid breaths.

"Aryan," Laura called softly when she realized Aryan had lost consciousness.