LOGINAnita," her angelic voice calls to me. Thunder rumbles in the distance. Her soft, delicate hands caressing my face, sparkling green eyes grounding me from the dark past I wish I could forget. "You're safe, it's okay." I bring my hand up, running my finger over the mound of scar tissue. The constant reminder of that night. The raised bump covers the bullet fragment embedded in my sternum. She takes my hands as more thunder rumbles and tears roll down my cheeks. "Breathe Anita," she says in a soothing whisper. My lungs were burning with the need for air and it was then that I realized I'd been holding it. I take in a gasping breath and recall the first time my eyes met her green eyes. My sister had been lifted off me and my eyes opening had startled her. The first time she touched me gave me strength to hold on. I held her hand tight, trying to tell her what happened, but couldn't get enough breath to form words. Sitting in the present going through the same as I had five years ago. "They were all found, Anita. They can't hurt you anymore. It's just a storm. All the doors and windows are locked, the alarm is set. It's just you and me." "Will you keep the light on tonight, please?"
View MoreHappy reading dan jangan lupa kritik juga saran nya ya
Tidak ada yang pernah benar-benar siap menghadapi hari pertama kerja apalagi kalau pekerjaan itu menempatkanmu tepat di samping pria yang reputasinya lebih tajam dari pisau bedah: Arkana Rivard.
Gedung Aude’C Group menjulang tinggi di kawasan bisnis Sudirman. Dinding kacanya memantulkan langit Jakarta yang muram pagi ini. Orang-orang bersetelan formal bergerak cepat keluar-masuk lobi, seolah tidak ada ruang untuk kesalahan atau keterlambatan.
Dan di sanalah Narine Aldira berdiri, menggenggam map biru tua berisi dokumen onboarding dan kontrak kerjanya pekerjaan baru yang ia dapat hanya tiga hari setelah keluar dari perusahaan lamanya karena fitnah yang menjatuhkan namanya dalam semalam.
Brakk
"De cepetan dong katanya mau mandiri masa jam 7 belum siap-siap juga, kan ini hari pertama lo kerja" Pagi ku disambut dengan omelan 'Rajan' ya dia kakak ku satu satunya.
Dengan berjalan didepan ku dia masih terus mengomel tanpa henti "Lagian kenapa gak di perusahaan gue sih de, kan lebih praktis tu tinggal masuk terus ngintilin gue kemana pun"
"Justru itu yang gue gak mau, ogah banget ngintilin lu" jawabku ketus
“Nama?” tanya resepsionis formal di front desk tanpa senyum.
“Narine Aldira. Hari ini mulai bekerja,” jawabnya.
Resepsionis itu mengetik cepat, lalu mengangguk. “Divisi Sekretariat Eksekutif. Lantai 39. Pakai lift kanan.”
Ucapan ‘selamat datang’ tampaknya tidak tersedia di gedung ini. Bagus, pikir Narine. Profesional. Tanpa basa-basi. Cocok.
Begitu lift terbuka, suasana berubah drastis. Interior lantai 39 didominasi kayu walnut dan kaca gelap, dengan suasana sunyi tegang seperti ruang pengadilan. Karyawan berjalan cepat sambil menenteng iPad atau dokumen, nyaris tidak ada yang bicara.
Di dekat pintu masuk lantai, seorang wanita berponi pendek menyapanya cepat. “Kamu Narine? Saya Helena, sekretaris senior. Ikut saya.”
Tanpa menunggu jawaban, wanita itu memutar badan dan melangkah cepat. Narine mengikutinya.
“Saya akan kasih kamu briefing singkat,” kata Helena dengan nada efisien, seperti seseorang yang tidak punya waktu untuk berbasa-basi. “Kamu sekretaris pribadi Pak Arkana. Harus selalu siap dipanggil kapan pun. Termasuk kalau dia butuh kamu di luar jam kantor.”
Narine mengangguk. “Baik.”
“Nomor ponselmu harus aktif 24 jam.”
“Baik.”
“Jangan tanya dua kali kalau dia sudah menjawab sekali. Jangan ulangi kesalahan. Jangan pernah buat asumsi.”
Narine kembali mengangguk, tapi dalam hati bertanya apakah dia melamar sebagai sekretaris atau robot personal?
'Gue jadi sekretaris apa jadi babysitter nih masa 24 jam anjir'
Helena melanjutkan dengan suara lebih pelan, seakan kalimat berikutnya rahasia kantor yang tidak boleh terdengar oleh dinding. “Satu lagi. Ada tiga aturan utama bekerja dengan Mr. Arkana Rivard.”
Narine menatapnya.
“Pertama, jangan pernah telat kamu harus tepat waktu. Kedua, jangan pernah menunda instruksi. Ketiga-” Helena menatap langsung, “usahakan jangan pernah salah.”
Nada itu membuat Narine sedikit mengeraskan rahangnya. “Saya bisa mengikuti standar kerja tinggi. Itu bukan masalah, kak.”
Helena tersenyum tipis. “Bukan standar kerja yang jadi masalah. Orangnya.”
Maksudnya apa?
Tapi sebelum Narine sempat bertanya, pintu ruang eksekutif terbuka. Seorang pria keluar dengan wajah memucat, memegang dokumen yang tampaknya baru saja dikoreksi. Kemeja birunya basah oleh keringat meski lantai ini ber-AC dingin.
Dia membisik pada Helena sebelum pergi, “Dia kenapa kayak bukan manusia.”
Helena hanya menepuk bahunya. “Dia masih hidup, ada-ada aja kamu”
Narine hampir tertawa sampai seseorang lewat di hadapannya.
Langkah panjang, jas hitam slim fit, aura tenang yang berbahaya. Sorot mata tajam. Rahang keras. Rambut hitam rapi sedikit berantakan seolah disentuh angin pagi. Arkana Rivard. Bahkan tanpa diperkenalkan pun semua orang akan tahu: dialah pusat gravitasi lantai ini.
Udaranya berubah saat pria itu lewat. Beberapa staf langsung menunduk. Ada yang pura-pura sibuk. Ada yang menahan napas. Sementara Narine berdiri diam.
Arkana nyaris melewatinya, tapi kemudian berhenti. Menoleh. Menatap Narine sebentar dari ujung kepala sampai ujung sepatu. Bukan tatapan menggoda. Bukan juga tatapan ramah. Lebih mirip evaluasi instan dan dingin.
“Orang baru,” katanya datar pada Helena.
“Ya, ini Narine Aldira, sekretaris-”
“Follow me,” potong Arkana.
Begitu saja. Tanpa kata perkenalan, tanpa salam. Ia berbalik dan berjalan. Narine refleks mengikuti. Helena memberi isyarat halus, cepet ikutin.
Ruang kerja Arkana berada di sisi paling ujung. Pintu kacanya tertutup, dan saat terbuka otomatis, Narine langsung merasa masuk ke tempat dengan tekanan oksigen lebih rendah.
Tidak ada foto pribadi. Tidak ada dekorasi. Hanya kesempurnaan dingin rak buku hitam, meja kerja walnut besar, dan pemandangan Jakarta dari dinding kaca.
“Sit,” katanya pendek, tanpa melihat ke arah Narine yang masih berdiri. Ia membuka iPad dan file digital.
Narine duduk. Diam. Menunggu.
Satu menit. Dua menit. Lima menit. Tidak ada suara selain suara notifikasi e-mail yang sesekali terdengar dari perangkat Arkana. Narine ingin bicara tapi tak punya alasan.
Akhirnya, pria itu angkat wajah.
“Saya tidak akan bicara dua kali,” ucapnya tiba-tiba.
Narine menatapnya heran. “Maaf?”
“Saya tidak ulangi instruksi,” ulangnya, datar.
“Sa-saya belum menerima—”
“Kamu sekretaris. Artinya kamu harus cepat tanggap. Mengerti?”
Narine menahan napas. Wow. Ini baru tiga menit bertemu, dan pria ini sudah membuatnya ingin melempar binder.
“Baik,” jawabnya singkat.
“Bagus.” Arkana menggeser iPad-nya. “Jadwal saya hari ini.”
Agenda itu muncul di layar yang diarahkan padanya penuh rapat, penuh negosiasi, penuh panggilan bisnis.
“Tugas pertama,” kata Arkana. “Siapkan dokumen kontrak dan proyeksi final untuk meeting jam sepuluh. Pastikan setiap lembar rapi, highlight poin negosiasi, dan tanda tangan direktur legal sudah ada sebelum pukul sembilan empat puluh.”
Narine mengecek jam tangannya. 08.52.
Sisa 48 menit?
“Dokumennya ada di server. Cari folder ‘Confidential’, subfolder ‘Aurum Merger’,” lanjut Arkana.
Narine mencatat cepat. “Passwordnya?”
Arkana menatapnya lama lalu tersenyum tipis. Sebuah senyum yang tidak ramah. Lebih mirip tantangan.
“Cari tau. Kalau kamu pantas duduk di ruangan ini, kamu harus bisa menemukan semuanya.”
Mendengar itu Narine hanya bisa tersenyum lebar dan bergumam dalam hati
'Akhhhhhh! gila ni orang yang punya password kan dia, gitu aja suruh gue yang mikir'
Anita I woke up the next morning in the hospital. Thinking last night was a dream, I look in the bed next to me and Avery was still asleep next to me. Tears fill my eyes as I realize she's really here. I move to lay on her chest and feel her slightly stir in her sleep. Her heart beat rhythmically in my ear and I silently sob as I hold onto her. A low rumble of thunder makes me jump. A loud rumble follows shortly after, bringing a scream from not just me but Amelia. I feel arms around me, but it's not Ray. I look up at Avery, but all I can see is her scared face from that night. "Anita, look at me," Raven says in a soothing whisper, holding Amelia in the spare bed. I meet her green eyes as tears fall from mine. "Keep your eyes on me." I lay my head back on Avery's chest, keeping eye contact with Raven. A rumble of thunder echoes, but I don't break eye contact with her. I feel as Avery strokes my hair and close my eyes. I let out a calming breath as more thunder rumbles. "Don'
Anita At the mention of me having twins, my thoughts immediately went to Avery. I remember how we always stumped our parents because they could never tell us apart. We would apply to the same extra curricular activities and if one of us got rejected, we simply didn't join it. We literally did everything together. There wasn't anything we didn't agree on.We even consulted with each other before entering a relationship. She was the first I came out to and she was quick to accept me. I told her about my crush on the girl who lived next door, who at the time I didn't know was Raven. We would watch her from our backyard as she did yard work in her sports bra and baggy shorts. She was there for me when I came out to our parents and just as she was, they were quick to accept me.Then thoughts of that night flooded my head. The way she was huddled against me after our mother was killed. Her lifeless body pinning me down as I struggled to breathe passed the blood gushing from my mouth.Green
AnitaI woke the next morning and Raven was still beside me, her left arm and leg elevated. Thinking back to last night, I broke into relieved sobs, hiding my face between her neck and shoulder. She's still here, I'm not dreaming.I feel her hand slip up the back of my shirt and shutter a calming breath at the contact. I lay a kiss on her neck and move my head over her chest. Her heart beat was soothing to me and I'll never get tired of hearing it. I trace my finger over drawing Amelia did on the cast on her arm, a heart with a bandaid."Anita," Raven asks with concern and I look up at her. "I know I normally wait for you to express your thoughts, but this morning you woke up sobbing.""I thought I was in a dream yesterday and didn't want to go to sleep or wake up and you'd be gone," I say in a wavering whisper."I'm sorry," she says feeling bad, but she has nothing to apologize for."Don't apologize for being alive Ray," I choke quietly as her mother walks in. "Can you help her to th
AnitaAfter spending the last hour in the tub thinking, I had to tell Amelia the truth. She's smart for her age and understands more than you'd think. This lie has been eating at me and I can't live with it anymore.After collecting the courage to talk to her, I walked out to the living room where they were all watching a movie. Amelia was the first to notice me and came to give me a hug. "I didn't mean to upset you," she says feeling bad and it made me feel more guilty. "You didn't upset me, but I need to tell you something, something you probably won't fully understand. I was going to wait until you were older, but this has been eating at me and I can't keep lying to you," I choke quietly and the three adults watch in sympathy. I sat with her straddling my lap and looked into a pair of eyes that matched my mother's and mine. "I'm your sister, not your mother...""I know," she says quietly, unfazed by what I just said. That's until I saw tears fill her eyes. "I heard you talking wit
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