Should I Accept Your Offer?

9.00 PM

The atmosphere in the room was eerily silent. Neither Nadia nor Angkasa made any attempt to break the silence. They were both lost in their own thoughts.

Nadia, in particular, looked utterly shaken. Her pale face had yet to regain its color since the incident earlier. Meeting the man named Bumi had truly unsettled her, especially now that she knew there was no escape. All because of the lie Angkasa had told.

The ticking of the wall clock filled the quiet space between them. Angkasa stole occasional glances at Nadia, but he lacked the courage to speak first. However, the longer he let this silence linger, the more he realized that someone had to start.

"I'm sorry..."

Angkasa's voice finally broke the stillness. Sitting across from her, he gazed at Nadia with eyes filled with regret. His tone was sincere, though he knew mere words wouldn't be enough to fix the situation.

Nadia slowly lifted her head, her gaze empty. "W-why?" Her voice was so weak, barely more than a whisper, but Angkasa's sharp ears caught it clearly.

His eyes locked onto hers, silently demanding an explanation for her brief question.

"Why did you tell him that I was your girlfriend? W-we weren't even that close before..." Nadia's voice trembled again. She couldn't hold Angkasa's gaze for long. She lowered her head, feeling her heart race in sync with the nervousness enveloping her.

The question left Angkasa frozen. He was at a loss for words—something that rarely happened to him. If Nadia had paid closer attention, she might have noticed the faint red tint creeping up his cheeks.

Angkasa averted his gaze, staring at the floor momentarily as he took a deep breath. "So, you would've rather let Bumi lay his hands on you, hm?" His voice turned serious, almost cold.

His sharp eyes locked onto Nadia's again, making her hold her breath. "You know, my eldest brother doesn't hesitate with anyone, including women. If I hadn't protected you earlier, do you think you'd still be safe?"

Nadia was stunned. Angkasa's words made her recall the chilling gaze of Bumi—cold and full of threat. But still, his lie was too big to forgive so easily.

"Yes, but you didn't have to claim I was your girlfriend! Y-you could've just said I was a regular customer at your café!" she protested, her voice rising slightly despite its tremble. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment—not just because of the lie but also because, in her entire life, no man had ever called her love the way Angkasa had earlier.

"Huh? So what? Do you have a boyfriend?" Angkasa asked, trying to keep his tone casual. However, his heartbeat pounded wildly as if awaiting an answer that would determine everything. There was an unspoken anxiety in his eyes, one he himself struggled to understand, yet he couldn't deny its presence.

Nadia quickly looked away, her face turning as red as a ripe tomato. She bit her lower lip, trying to calm her suddenly erratic heartbeat. "Uhh... I-I've never had a boyfriend," she admitted softly, her voice barely above a whisper. There was a tangible sense of embarrassment in her tone, but she didn't dare look at Angkasa.

'Thank goodness'

The words surfaced in Angkasa's mind before he could stop them. He paused, startled by his own thoughts. Thank goodness? Why did he feel that way? He wasn't sure—or maybe he was, but he refused to acknowledge it. The relief washing over him was too clear to ignore.

Angkasa cleared his throat, trying to shake off the odd thought. Yet, for some reason, the corners of his lips curled up into a small, uncontrollable smile. A faint warmth seeped into his chest, and without realizing it, he leaned back into his chair, more at ease.

"Bumi Jagasatru Atmadja. He's the eldest in the Atmadja family. There are five of us siblings, and I'm the third," Angkasa explained, reaching for the coffee cup before him. His large, strong fingers lifted it calmly as he took a slow sip.

After a brief pause, he continued, "You might have heard of the Atmadja name. But there's one thing you need to understand—we're not what you think we are."

Nadia looked at him, confusion and anxiety flickering in her eyes. "Huh? What do you mean? Didn't he just say y-you're part of the mafia? And I don't want anything to do with you..." Her voice trembled. Fear still gripped her, the threat from Bumi echoing in her mind like an unshakable nightmare.

She lowered her head, trying to steady her thoughts, but the panic refused to subside. God, I'm just an orphan with nothing of value! Do I have to give up my life now, too?!

'No! I haven't even become a famous writer yet... Huwaaa...' Nadia wailed internally, cursing her misfortune.

Screech!

Suddenly, Angkasa's palm rested atop Nadia's clenched fingers in her lap. The unexpected touch made her flinch as she turned to face him.

"I'm sorry," Angkasa murmured, his tone laced with regret. "I had no choice. Bumi wouldn't have believed me if I hadn't said something convincing..."

But before he could finish, Nadia cut him off. "Claiming I'm your girlfriend only made things worse for me, you know!" she snapped, her voice rising with unfiltered frustration. "Did you forget how your brother looked at me? Hiii... Is he even human?!"

Nadia shuddered just from recalling Bumi's icy, menacing stare. Her fingers gripped the edge of the table tightly, her heart racing at the thought of the days ahead.

Silence fell between them once again, thick with tension that seemed to press against Nadia's chest.

"Be my pretend girlfriend, Nadia. At least until Bumi stops suspecting us. It's for your own safety," Angkasa suddenly proposed, breaking the silence.

His gaze was intense, unwavering. "I will protect you. Bumi won't dare make a move if he knows you belong to me."

The offer made Nadia's anxiety spike. Though Angkasa's words sounded protective, they felt more like a trap tightening around her. A bad feeling crept into her chest.

"No!" she quickly refused. Her voice wavered, but she forced herself to stand firm.

"I can't, Angkasa! I will never agree to be your girlfriend, even if it's just pretend! Do you really think your brother will just let me go? Please... just forget about me. I promise, whatever I heard tonight, I won't tell a soul!"

Angkasa fell silent. But his next words came out dark, almost like a warning. "You won't be able to run from me, Nadia."

His intense stare made her shiver. There was something in his expression that was hard to decipher—an emotion burning beneath his calm exterior. But Angkasa quickly shook his head as if suppressing rising anger.

Trembling, Nadia desperately sought a way out. "Please, just tell your brother... I swear I won't say anything. I won't expose your secrets to anyone. Just let me go..." she pleaded softly, fear evident in her voice.

Angkasa studied her intently, as if trying to read her heart. "Nadia..." he called in a low tone. But before he could continue, she averted her gaze, pretending to check her phone.

The screen showed the time—almost ten at night. It's late enough, she thought. I need to leave.

Screech! The chair scraped against the floor as Nadia hastily stood. "I-I need to go home..." she whispered.

Before she could take a step, a firm grip caught her wrist. She froze. Looking up, she met Angkasa's piercing gaze.

"I'll take you home. No arguments!" he stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

All Nadia could do was give a small nod, forced to follow Angkasa as he led her toward the parking lot.

-----

40 minutes later…

Angkasa's metallic black car came to a stop right in front of a small house, slightly distanced from the others. The house was painted deep blue, with neatly arranged flower pots on the porch, giving off a simple yet cozy vibe.

He turned off the engine but didn't say anything right away. Silence filled the car for a moment before he finally spoke, his voice calm yet firm.

"Think it over again, Nadia. My offer still stands," he said, glancing slightly in her direction. "Pretend to be my girlfriend, at least until I'm sure Bumi won't cause you trouble anymore."

Nadia lowered her gaze, staring at her fingers, which were tightly intertwined in her lap. His words were clear in her ears, but her mind was too full to process everything. Her emotions were a whirlwind—anger, fear, and confusion all blending together.

Without answering, she pushed open the car door. The cold night air immediately hit her skin, but it was nothing compared to the icy feeling weighing on her heart. She stepped out, her legs feeling heavy as if all the energy had been drained from her body.

Her steps were quick and anxious as she made her way to her front door, as if she wanted to escape from Angkasa and everything that had happened tonight. The thoughts of Bumi's threats, Angkasa's lies, and her own fears kept replaying in her mind like an endless film.

Meanwhile, inside the car, Angkasa didn't leave right away. He simply sat there, his sharp eyes following Nadia's every movement. Even after she went inside and closed the door, his gaze remained fixed on the house.

Something inside him was stirring—a mix of worry, guilt, and… something he wasn't ready to admit, even to himself.

After a few minutes, he let out a deep sigh. His fingers, slightly trembling, gripped the steering wheel before finally turning the ignition. The roar of the engine broke the silence of the night.

●●●●●

Nadia's POV

For the past two days, I haven't felt like myself. I've been making a lot of mistakes, and the worst one happened just this afternoon—I spilled coffee all over the files that were supposed to be used for a meeting. As a result, I had to swallow my pride and endure a long lecture from Boss Afif.

The sound of typing on the computer slightly broke the silence I felt. It was already past 4 PM, yet I was still struggling to finish rewriting the report that got ruined earlier.

Crack! Ugh, my bones cracked as I stretched my body. I stared at the computer screen and smiled in satisfaction after successfully sending the revised file to Boss.

I let out a small yawn and glanced at the window, where a faint orange hue had begun to paint the sky. Angkasa's last words still echoed in my mind, making me avoid my routine visit to Sky Café for the past two days.

"Being a fake lover, huh?" I murmured unconsciously. Fortunately, I was the only one left in the office, so I could feel a little at ease…

Bang!

"Who's dating who, huh?! Nadia, do you have a boyfriend?"

I was startled by the loud sound of the door bursting open, followed by Mrs. Viarra's shrill voice filling the room. I sighed and rubbed my forehead before standing up to greet her.

"What? I don't have a boyfriend! You must have misheard, huh?" I retorted in annoyance, pouting slightly.

Gyut!!

"Ugh! Ouch,Sister! What the heck? Why are you pulling my ear?" Ugh! Via was ruthless—she yanked my ear without warning. It must be red now, tch…

"You just said boyfriend! Do you think I'm deaf?" Viarra crossed her arms, looking unimpressed. Even though she was much shorter than me, she never hesitated to give me her so-called affectionate punishment.

"I didn't! You must've misheard…" I mumbled with a pout. Honestly, the way she was scrutinizing me made me feel like I'd just been caught red-handed.

Viarra sighed before turning toward the exit.

"I actually came here because I thought you had a special someone. I wanted to let you know that the theme for the upcoming writing competition, running from Christmas until Valentine's Day, has been decided—it's about realistic romance. But I don't think you can participate… after all, you have no idea what it feels like to love someone."

What?! Wait, this is my chance!

"Sis!" I called out loudly, rushing toward her before she could step out.

"Hmm? What is it?" she asked, looking confused. I grinned widely, feeling a spark of excitement reignite my dream of becoming a writer.

"I-I have a boyfriend! S-so please let me join the competition!" I blurted out without thinking.

Via's eyes widened in shock, but her expression quickly shifted into one of curiosity and amusement.

"Aha! I knew it! Now be honest with me—who's your boyfriend? Introduce him to me and Antonio!" she said excitedly.

Nadia's POV End

Nadia's face instantly turned bright red as she cursed herself for speaking without considering the consequences. Her head felt like it was about to explode because, in her mind, she could only picture one person—the tall, ridiculously handsome guy who often treated her to cappuccino. Who else could it be but Angkasa?!

"H-he exists! Uhh, I-I'll introduce him to you later, but not now… he's busy with his business," Nadia muttered shyly.

Via smiled and gently patted Nadia's arm, genuinely happy that she had someone special in her life. For the next half an hour, she explained the competition's rules and what elements Nadia needed to incorporate into her writing.

5:45 PM

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Nadia's hurried footsteps echoed as she walked along the familiar streets. Sky Café was only about 20 minutes away from her workplace by foot. She hoped it hadn't closed yet—she desperately needed to talk to Angkasa.

"Hufftt… hahh…"

Her breath was ragged by the time she reached the café, slightly bending over to catch her breath. But as she lifted her head, disappointment struck her hard. The sign on the door read Closed. Her chance to meet Angkasa was gone.

Nadia pulled out her phone and groaned in frustration. She was just five minutes late, and the café was already closed! She thought about calling him, but… she didn't have his number!

"Ugh… Nadia, you idiot…" she scolded herself internally, frustrated.

The opportunity had slipped through her fingers. She had come here hoping to ask if Angkasa's previous offer was still valid. After thinking it through, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to pretend to be his girlfriend—at least to keep Bumi from getting suspicious of her. And who knows? Maybe she could even ask Angkasa to teach her what love actually felt like.

With heavy steps, Nadia turned around and started walking away from the café. The orange hues in the sky were slowly fading, signaling the arrival of night.

As she walked with her head down, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Not far ahead, a tall figure stood waiting.

It was Angkasa!

"Hey…"

Nadia's heart leaped with joy. Without a second thought, she jogged toward him.

"Angkasa, let's date!"

Angkasa's usually expressionless face instantly changed. He stared at her, seemingly in disbelief at what she had just said.

"Let's talk inside," he said firmly.