登入“Excuse me, you are Aurelia, correct?”
A deep voice with a distinct Australian accent cut through the low hum of conversation. Even though he was speaking English, the man pronounced her name so naturally, as if he had known it for years.
Aurelia turned at once.
For a moment, her heart seemed to stop before racing even faster. Her lips parted slightly, her body stiffening as she gave a small nod.
“Y-yes, I am.”
The man nodded slowly.
“Excuse me, you are Aurelia, correct?”A deep voice with a distinct Australian accent cut through the low hum of conversation. Even though he was speaking English, the man pronounced her name so naturally, as if he had known it for years.Aurelia turned at once.For a moment, her heart seemed to stop before racing even faster. Her lips parted slightly, her body stiffening as she gave a small nod.“Y-yes, I am.”The man nodded slowly. His gaze never left her face, as though he were studying every detail. There was something in his eyes that went beyond simple friendliness. It was the look of someone trying to piece together a long-lost memory.“I think I’ve seen you before,” he said carefully, sounding completely certain. “Are you related to... Mahesa Group?”The color immediately drained from Aurelia’s face.Her heart pounded wildly, even harder than it had during the
“Good morning, Mr. Baskara,” one of the men greeted, shaking his hand warmly.“Good morning, Mr. Carter. It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Baskara replied fluently, a professional smile settling on his face.Aurelia rose as well and gave a polite nod. Her hands trembled slightly as she jotted down the introductions being exchanged around the table.Baskara leaned closer and whispered near her ear, “Hey, you’re not actually writing down all our small talk, are you?”She winced and shook her head.The comment nearly made her knees buckle, but somehow it also gave her the push she needed to keep going.The meeting began.Baskara walked the clients through several key points of the project, speaking smooth, confident English. Aurelia diligently took notes, though she occasionally struggled to keep up.“Could you elaborate on the budget allocation?” Mr. Carter asked firmly
Aurelia quickly grabbed her crossbody bag. Her fingers trembled slightly as she snatched up her room key, then hurried out of the dorm without a second thought.The cold air bit at her skin, but she barely noticed. Her gaze immediately landed on the luxurious black car parked neatly along the curb. The same car from yesterday, waiting for her with an unmistakable air of elegance that stood out among the ordinary vehicles around it.A sharply dressed man stepped out from the driver's seat. He hurried around to open the rear door, making Aurelia wince awkwardly. Still unaccustomed to such formal treatment, she lowered her head slightly before climbing inside.“Didn't you say we were meeting at the restaurant at ten?” she asked as soon as she settled into her seat, her voice still carrying traces of haste.Instead of answering right away, the man beside her, Baskara, turned with a faint smile.“Good morning, Lia.”Aureli
Morning arrived in Melbourne wrapped in golden sunlight filtering through the thin curtains of Aurelia's dorm room. The air was still bitterly cold despite the rising sun.Aurelia opened her eyes, her eyelids still heavy with sleep.She slowly sat up, giving her body time to adjust. Rubbing her face, she reached toward the nightstand and grabbed the glass of water she had prepared the night before. She drank it slowly, savoring the coolness that soothed her dry throat.The moment her gaze fell on her phone screen, she remembered something.The message she had put off reading the night before.With a sluggish motion, she unlocked her phone.Sure enough, there was a message from Gian.[Sorry. I just finished. Are you already asleep?]Aurelia stared at the message without much expression.Her heart had become numb to apologies that came too often without any real change behind them.Her lips moved sl
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Something urgent came up. I'll call you back later."The short message was finally sent.Gian stared at his phone screen for several seconds longer than usual, as if hoping Aurelia would understand. Even though he knew that, for what felt like the hundredth time, he was postponing time meant for his wife.His thumb had hesitated before pressing send, but the reality in front of him left no room for another choice.With a long breath, Gian slipped his phone into his suit pocket.The real world demanded his presence, even when all he wanted was to choose Aurelia, waiting across the ocean.As he approached the front door, the noise outside grew louder.Camera flashes.The glare of spotlights.Reporters shouting over one another.All of it shattered the usual tranquility of the official residence."Mr. Gian! Is it true that you met Chef Devina this afternoon?""Are you pl
"Mom..." Gian drew a breath. "Why? Why are you asking me that?""I heard Devina came to your office. Around lunchtime," his mother replied calmly.Gian blinked.So the news had already reached her.He rubbed the bridge of his nose, recalling Devina's gaze in his office. Calm. Certain. Direct.Divorce Aurelia.She had said it without hesitation.And he had refused without hesitation."Yes, she came," Gian finally admitted. "Without an appointment. She brought lunch and invited me to eat with her. We only talked for a little while.""A little while?" Mrs. Lestari raised an eyebrow. "And... did she ask for anything?"Gian suppressed a sigh."She wanted me to divorce Aurelia."His voice was low but firm."I told her I never would."A flicker of relief crossed his mother's face, though it didn't last long."Good. But there's still something I need to know, Gian."Mrs. Lestari stepped forward and took a seat."When the past comes knocking, even the most honest person is tested by how they c
Aurelia did not respond right away. Her hand still held the knife, but its motion stopped halfway through slicing a stalk of celery. The tip of the blade caught the daylight streaming through the kitchen window, a thin silver line glinting between them. Mrs. Lestari’s gaze pierced through h
Aurelia stood frozen behind the bathroom door, her back pressed against the cool wood she had just shut tightly. Morning light slipped through the narrow bathroom window and fell across the tile floor, forming a thin line that felt strangely foreign to her. From the outside her breathing seemed c
“So, what do you think, Aurelia?” Mr. Mahesa asked hopefully, as though speaking on behalf of Mrs. Lestari, who was too proud to say it herself.Aurelia turned to him with a faint smile. “I’m fine with whatever Gian decides, Dad.”Meanwhile, Kiran
“Oh my, this orchid is absolutely beautiful, Miss,” said the plant seller, a middle-aged woman in a straw hat who greeted customers with easy familiarity.Aurelia smiled and nodded. “A white moth orchid, right?”“Yes, and it’s one of the mos







