Chapter 4

"How is she? She is okay, isn't she?"

Gary took a gasp of frustration when he arrived at his friend's office, instead of being asked what he wanted to drink, he was met with such a question from his bestfriend. Gary shrugged his shoulders to make fun of Alan, who was looking at him curiously, after which he immediately reached into his jacket pocket and sent a message of his current position to his beautiful wife. The man is really pretending that there's no one around him right now and in fact busy in his own world without thinking about anything or anyone.

"Say something, you jerk!" Alan urged impatiently to Gary's exasperation. His gaze gazed with anticipation until his conscious self was squeezing with a thunderous pen in his hands. When he wait for Gary's answer, Alan bites his lips with his anxious expression.

Watching Gary just roll his lazy eyes at him, Alan glared furiously. His friend here is a real pain in the ass, and right now, Alan is totally tempted to give a big hit to his incredibly shitty friend.

"Okay, okay," Gary chuckled softly before continuing, "I visited her this morning and my quick observation was that the bastard was nowhere to be found this morning," Gary explains, and then there was a pause he used to think before he went back to continue his speech, "and her right cheek looked as blue like someone have gave her a strong slap, even though she looked like she was trying so hard to hide it with powder." He decided to explain the matter quickly because he silently felt sorry for his friend. Gary then leans his back on the back of the chair and describes the quiet conditions of Seren's home this morning. "It is like there is only one person in that home, just Seren."

However, their conversation was forced to stop when secretary Alan's voice from the threshold interrupted them. "Baskara Jeremy from Jeremy's corp has entered the meeting room."

In unison, Gary and Alan threw a mysterious smile. The two friends stood up to tie and suit each other and then the two handsome men stepped out of Alan's office at the same time. His gaze was sharp as if he were entering the battlefield.

*

"Good morning, Mr. Kealan. How are you?" blurted Baskara with a friendly smile, shaking his palm as he wished to shake hands with Alan who had been giving himself a straight look. There was some discomfort when he gained such an expression, but Baskara had already heard rumors of a called-hearted Alvaro Kealan, so Baskara had not given much thought to the expression of Alan today.

But contrary to Bascara's seemingly unremarkable appearance at the sight of him, Alan's thoughts are now raging with angry feelings. Is this the man who keeps hurting her, hurting mine? Alan's mind is wandering.

His palms were clenched shut. "Please come in," Alan mumbled briefly. His eyes were so clear and in control. He had not even the slightest bit of concern for baskara, who was presently holding back the shame of having her hands left hanging in front of many of their other business colleagues.

While clenching his hand with a forced lip angle to form a thin smile, Baskara lowered his hand in a clumsy gesture and joined Alan in the room and sat face - to - face with Alan.

"So, what would you offer our company?" Alan challenged after opening the meeting with a few brief remarks. Just as before, Alan now turned to Baskara with an intimidating look and silently expected the man to be disinclined.

But it wasn't. The man with short hair returned the man's stare fiercely. "We have much to offer," Baskara replied, ordering his secretary to share proposals that he had been preparing since long before the meeting today. Refusing to appear weak and intimidated by Alan's cold demeanor earlier, Baskara currently retracts his chin with his palms and slightly advances his face. Leaning his face to one side, Baskara threw a strong business smile on Alan leaning against the back of the chair with his arms crossed in front of his own right.

Alan smiled coldly. His gaze lit up as he gazed directly at Baskara's two brown eyes. Seriously? Then, would you offer my girl as well if it was to give you an advantage? Alan's chest cavity throbbing with excruciating pain despite thoughts of such disgusting things.

"What kind??" Alan asked as he pushed his face forward and then leaned up his chin with one hand. The man looked down at Baskara with a derogatory smile.

Eesh! Baskara was upset in her mind. He then backed himself up so completely against the back of the chair he was sitting on today. Baskara says with a professional smile, "Our latest product is known to surpass any of its peers. We can offer so many things from our company. You can check it in our proposal. You may open page twenty three."

Still with that movement as if he really didn't care about the man in front of him, Alan hooked up all his fingers and laid his chin there. His haughty smile increasingly highlights his good - looking face, as Alan with a cynical smile cuts to Baskara's remark, "What if we asked for something you didn't offer for us?"

"Pardon? What do you mean? "Said Baskara, gazing at Alan with his forehead frowning in confusion at the words of the men who would be his future business associate. His palms were clenched uncontrollably.

Alan turned and exchanged glances with Gary. Both of them exchanged meaningful smiles until a quiet room erupted with Gary's laughter all at once. Looking at Alan still looking at the Baskara, Gary looks at Baskara with a polite smile and says, "He is just kidding."

However, Baskara believes that even though Gary did, there must be something planned by the still busy calle his laugh to her that was sarcastic and threatening.