Chapter. 6 Finally Meet

A week has passed; today is Saturday. Zefki is seen exercising in a dedicated room filled with gym equipment, sweat covering his entire body, enhancing his already attractive appearance.

Suddenly, the door is pushed open from outside, and his mom's voice is heard,

"Zefki ... are you inside?"

"Yes, Mom," he replies.

"Don't forget, okay? Tonight, we're going to Uncle Fidel's family. We're invited for dinner, and you'll get to meet his daughters." Mrs. Clement exclaims, reminding her son.

"Alright, Mom," Zefki responds resignedly.

"But, Mom, can Bik Yati make the fried rice again, like I had yesterday, this afternoon?"

"Oh, Zef. Mom forgot to tell you. If the fried rice is cooked by one of Uncle Fidel's daughters. Just wait until tonight to meet them. I'm going to the salon now." Mrs. Clement then leaves.

Zefki briefly contemplates his mother's words. If the fried rice is made by one of Uncle Fidel's daughters, who is supposed to be his future match. But how did that fried rice end up on his office desk? It becomes a sudden mystery in his mind.

Meanwhile, at the Pratista family residence,

Mr. Fidel has informed his wife and two daughters that they will have special guests tonight, the Harold family along with their son.

Raceh, listening, seems fearful because Mr. and Mrs. Harold prefer her over her older sister.

Despite this, Grace has promised herself to protect her sister if the man arranged for Raceh turns out to be unpleasant.

"Ra, why are you so calm, as if you've accepted it? Are you willingly letting yourself be arranged with a guy you don't know?" Grace exclaims, looking at Raceh with a slightly annoyed expression.

Frustrated, Grace shares the story of her sister's arranged marriage with her long-distance relationship boyfriend, Roy. Hearing this, Roy is relieved he wasn't chosen. Otherwise, he would have hurriedly returned to the homeland.

Raceh's gaze is vacant. She just smiles wryly at her sister and says,

"I have to do it, Sis. I don't want to see Dad's company, built from scratch, go bankrupt. If this helps our family's economy recover, I'm willing to do it."

"Ra, forgive your sister who can't do anything," Grace says, hugging her sister.

In her sister's embrace, Raceh silently sheds tears, and Grace knows that her sister is only pretending to be strong in facing everything. Grace's heart aches because she can't help her sister.

In another part of the world, specifically in Holland, the Netherlands.

Roy is strategizing on how to ensure Grace is not at home when the family arranged for his sister's marriage visits their house. He contacts a high-ranking official in the company where his girlfriend works, asking for Grace to attend an important meeting. Fortunately, the company leader, where Grace works, is his friend.

After Roy feels everything is under control according to his plan, he can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"I don't want to lose you, Grace!" Roy whispers softly.

At the Pratista residence,

Raceh, who has just finished showering, is surprised by Grace's presence in her room.

"Ra, can I borrow your lipstick?"

"Huh, where are you going, Sis? Why wear office clothes in the evening?" Raceh asks her sister.

"Yeah, Ra, I was contacted by the office. I have an important meeting with some clients." Grace explains.

"Oh, I see, Sis. Be careful, okay!"

"Sure, Ra." Grace leaves her sister's room after giving her some encouragement.

After getting dressed, Raceh looks at her reflection in the mirror, encouraging herself that she can get through all of this.

When Grace says goodbye to her parents, the doorbell rings. She opens the door, sees the man arranged for her sister, and her parents. In her thoughts, Grace says, "Wow, he's handsome!" Then, she invites them in.

Grace also introduces herself as the eldest daughter of the Pratista family.

"Oh, right. Uncle, Aunt, excuse me. There's a sudden meeting I have to attend. Dad, Mom, I'm leaving, okay?" Everyone nods, except for Zefki, who remains expressionless.

Zefki has been glancing at Grace and thinks, "Is she the one who cooked the fried rice?"

At the Harold residence, one hour before leaving,

Mrs. Clement and Mr. Kenan summon Zefki. They sit together in the family room, and Mr. Kenan explains that the Pratista family has two daughters.

Mrs. Clement then shows two photos of women in front of her son, explaining who they are.

Zefki reaches for the photos and glances at them. One of the girls in the photo seems familiar, but he forgets where he might have seen her.

Then Mr. Kenan instructs his wife to speak.

"So, Zef. Who do you choose? Grace or Raceh? The younger one or the older one?" Mrs. Clement asks.

Zefki places the photos back on the table and says, "Mom said one of them cooked the fried rice I had the other day, right?"

"Yes, Zef. Your guess is right! So, do you choose the one who's good at cooking? Mom and Dad also agree with your choice." Mrs. Clement says happily, glancing at her husband, Mr. Kenan, who also nods in agreement.

Zefki remains silent, not responding to his mother's statement. In his heart, he thinks it's pointless to resist. This time, he will follow his parents' wishes.

Back at the Pratista residence,

While everyone is engrossed in conversation, Raceh suddenly appears from the kitchen, carrying a tray with several tea cups and placing them on the table.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold seem mesmerized by Raceh's graceful appearance tonight, except for Zefki, who is busy with his phone. Raceh greets Zefki's parents and sits next to her mom.

"Wow, Raceh, you look even more beautiful." Mrs. Clement praises.

Raceh just smiles while offering them tea. Mrs. Clement has been observing Zefki, who remains busy responding to his assistant's messages, Sutan, about the company's progress.

Then Mr. Kenan clears his throat and nudges Zefki with his shoe. Only then does Zefki realize and straighten his head.

For a moment, Zefki is stunned when he sees a girl bowing her head.

Seeing this, Mr. Fidel quickly starts a conversation about the company as a pretext, and Zefki answers as best as he can.

Then Mrs. Santi introduces Raceh to Zefki.

"Oh, yes, Zef's daughter, let me introduce Raceh. The youngest one from Uncle and Aunt. Your mom told me that you liked the fried rice she made." Zefki just smiles cynically, glancing at Raceh with a sharp gaze. Then he says in his mind, "Is this the girl who accidentally bumped into me? But how did that fried rice end up on my desk?"

Raceh responds to Zefki's gaze with a smile, thinking, "No, it's not her. The handsome guy from the other day is the one I accidentally bumped into, right?"