The "Real" Artemis

The Detective's question has gotten Miraya to her core. Not only her, who jolted by the question, but also Marcella. Both of them conspired to switch places because Miraya wanted to see her secret boyfriend, Dylan Steven. Once the special man for Miraya got arrested, he revealed to knowing Miraya, creating a new problem.

"It's impossible, Sir. I was with Miraya all the time," said Marcella tried to cover her sister. The officer smirked and agreed once.

"I didn't say she was there last night." Miraya almost lost her breath. The officer tangled her more into the suspicious string that could lead to Miraya and Artemis lies. Ariel also sniffed into bad things that might arise in the future. 

So, he must think fast and beyond. He could not make similarly reckless moves as Artemis and Miraya before.

"May I talk to you privately, sir?" asked Ariel to the Detective gawking at him. The officers took a short breath then grinned at him.

"Of course ... let's do it outside!" Ariel agreed and stood to follow the police. He requested, even more, to talk face to face only.

"Only both of us!" he persisted. The police nodded, then turned his head to Mandala.

"Please excuse us, Mr. Katto. Don't worry. Nothing will happen to him!" Mandala did not give any sign of agreement, yet he stood and watched them over to the garden.

Once they were out, the Detective slid the glass sliding door and faced Ariel.

"Any particular thing you want to admit to me?" asked the Detective bluntly. Ariel smirked and put both his hands in the pants pocket. He stood gracefully and confident as if he couldn't be intimidated by anything.

"What do you think you are doing, sir?" the Detective started to frown but then smirked.

"I am just doing my job."

"Do you know who my father is?" the Detective did not utter anything other than piercingly stared at Ariel, who was a few centimeters higher than him.

"My Dad is Ajax Brajamohan, one of the most honored businessmen and politicians in this country. I don't mean to exaggerate it but, you crossed your line too much. if it's just for a job, you shouldn't ask for impropriate question!" 

"What's impropriate?" cut the Detective, thrown down the gauntlet.

"What we did last night was our privacy. You shouldn't get around and ask about it."

"I'm trying to entangle the problem ..."

"You are not. You are trying to find a credit for yourself!" Ariel bravely accused the police of doing the conspiration by involving them in illegal racing. Ariel's contention hooked the Detective. Ariel smirked at his almost successful strategy to run away from the police. The smirk has turned to jaw clenched on the Detective's facial expression.

"What do you mean by that?" asked him for more clarification. Instead, Ariel chuckled sarcastically. 

"Don't think I don't know what you are trying to do. You tried to catch a trout last night, but instead, you only got a small fish. Just because that unreliable fish bragged about a girl, then you assume that she was there last night!" The Detective raised his chin a bit high. Now he knew that he made a mistake by underestimating Artemis Brajamohan, aka Ariel Reiden. This boy was smart, he told on his head.

"Then you can drag me along with my friend Ariel. But in fact, we had a date last night with the Katto's girls. If you don't trust me, you can ask the club's manager!" Ariel took a significant risk to brag about his presence last night. But he predicted everything. It would be a 10-20 percents chances that the waiter on the previous night memorized him and Marcella. And don't mention the manager. He would not find out because they never met. 

"I could take the camera footage to proof your statement!" the Detective tried to intimidate him with another way. But Ariel smirked at him even more and chuckled to the extent that he did not care or think that would be useful.

"Of course ... but for what? By the time you find the footage, my Dad will find this out, and you'll be transferring to another department. You're most probably going to lose your position, officer!" the Detective chuckled and flipped both his arms in front of the chest.

"Are you threatening the police officer? I will be thrilled to put you behind bars!" he mocked at Ariel to put him down. But Ariel was a brave knight. He has a tough life that taught him so many life lessons. Sometimes being an orphan could be very useful in a difficult situation.

"You are just threatening me, Sir. That's a policy violation. I can come to your commander and ask him to discipline you, right here and right now!" the Detective has no choice but retreat. He was quiet and staring at Ariel's sharp eyes until he finally nodded.

"So, what do you want?"

"Close the case!" the Detective huffed and nodded.

"You cannot drag us into the illegal racing case at all. So, you back off and shakes hand!" Ariel offered his right hand to seal the deal. The police then give his left hand to do what Ariel wanted.

"If I found you involved in that illegal racing in the future, be ready to smell the bars!" Ariel clasped his lips and shook his head to reject.

"I don't think that would happen. Trust me. I will never ruin my Dad's reputation by having illegal racing. I'm a perfect son with zero tolerate of wrongdoings!" Ariel insisted on his role as Artemis Brajamohan. It made the Detective paused and nodded eventually. After a few seconds, he turned and slid the door to get inside.

There's nothing to describe how Ariel could face his heartbeat. He copes with his adrenalin so well to manage the problem. At least for this time, the cops were not going to bug them anymore.

After the officer told his colleagues that they closed the case, he took Mandala's hand and shook it. Mandala glanced at Ariel and smiled afterward. Ariel resolved the problem with such a gentleman's way. Meanwhile, Artemis felt so down right now. He felt useless somehow as a man. He kept asking on his mind about it.

'Do I even deserve to be as Artemis Brajamohan?'