Chapter 67: Chapter 67

Fathia used to live in fear after the events on the night after her parents passed away. Those bad memories often haunted her, gradually fading away as she found solace in realizing that Sebastian was never far away. Then the nights she went through, they returned. Peaceful and calm, though sometimes the sadness remained.

Which child or sibling wouldn't be sad upon realizing they were alone in this world? Even though she still had relatives, considering the history through her mother's notes, Fathia didn't expect anything from them.

What she had heard when Sebastian and Ronald talked one night was true. Alvin, her paternal side's relative, only saw Group Azure as a great inheritance full of wealth. How to get it without having to deal with the sole heir of the owner, Fathia, seemed to be their mindset.

And then... that dreadful night returned. To be precise, it was utterly terrible. Fathia often fell asleep for only a few hours, exhausted from crying. Her eyes would be swollen from the tears, and that swelling would quickly make her fall asleep. Then she would wake up at the same time she always did while in Beverly Hills—5 AM. Even if she had just fallen asleep at 3 AM, her internal alarm would wake her up at 5 AM, rousing all her senses.

If Fathia intentionally went to bed, she chose to stay awake. The darkness she experienced when her eyes were shut, other than being torturous, was still vivid in her mind. As soon as her eyes opened, the first person she would encounter would be someone she disliked. And each day, she felt more and more pressed by Clara's demands, as if her life was a high-stakes exchange.

She endured the solitary recovery in the hospital room. Confined and isolated, cut off from news beyond. If she hadn't grown accustomed to sitting comfortably in Sebastian's gilded cage, her sanity might have been tested more thoroughly, for her recovery after waking up was far from ordinary.

She was confined and held hostage by Clara.

True, the main motive, Fathia still didn't know. That was what she was trying to figure out alongside the significant involvement of an Alef Walker within Group Azure.

However, tonight, all the turmoil and the feelings of loneliness in the pitch-black darkness that had been tormenting her, didn't visit. Truly, Fathia felt incredibly peaceful in her slumber this time. Even as the sun's rays intruded through the slightly open large window, opened by someone unknown, Fathia remained asleep. She pulled the blanket over her to shield her closed eyelids from the intrusive light.

In reality, Fathia had woken up, but she was simply too lazy to move from her position. And then she realized there was an additional weight suddenly approaching her.

"Still not ready to wake up?"

Silence.

"I'm leaving then. Naomi will come here to keep you company."

Sebastian's cologne scent was disturbing Fathia uncontrollably. Not to mention, Fathia found herself holding her breath as the breath that came from Sebastian felt closer than ever.

"I'll go now."

Then Fathia felt Sebastian's lips gently kiss her cheek. And the weight beside her suddenly disappeared as Sebastian moved away, making Fathia, who was calming her heartbeat, spring into action.

"I'm coming too," she said quickly, pushing aside the blanket.

Sebastian's steps halted. He turned with a furrowed brow when he saw Fathia approaching. "Coming?"

"Yeah. I work, you know."

Sebastian snorted. "Work? What kind?"

"Well... yeah, work. Just work."

"No. I forbid that."

Fathia widened her eyes. As she stood right in front of the neatly dressed Sebastian in his formal attire, she dared to look up. With Clara in the picture, she wouldn't be afraid to oppose Sebastian. Even though, truthfully, Fathia trembled but maintained her gaze on Sebastian in this manner. "It would be really weird if suddenly Fathia isn't at the office, Sebastian. Especially when Fathia doesn't know what excuse she used yesterday to be absent from the afternoon until work hours ended."

"Do you have more business there?"

Fathia shook her head uncertainly.

"Still have or not?"

"I'm not sure," Fathia whispered softly. Her face was lowered, not out of fear but doubt. "If," Fathia's fingers intertwined. She glanced up briefly before returning her focus to her hands. "If you're not working today, it's not a problem, right?"

A small chuckle escaped Sebastian. "You sound like a five-year-old."

Fathia sighed in annoyance. "Fine, whatever. Fathia will go to Aunt Laras house alone!"

"Okay. You win."

Fathia's smile was broader than when she said goodnight to Sebastian. And the sparkle in her eyes seemed to have gained an enormous advantage from Sebastian's recent words. The morning sun's radiance seemed to pale in comparison to the brightness of Fathia's smile this morning.

"Thanks, Sebastian."

Especially hearing this adorable voice. "You don't want to throw yourself at me?"

Instantly, the bright smile disappeared. Her eyes blinked twice, as if Clara had taken over, staring back at the man. "What do you mean?"

"Usually, when I indulge your wishes, you charge at me without hesitation. Where's the Princess Fathia I used to know?"

Enough already. This morning, Sebastian did return to the Sebastian Fathia knew at the beginning of their time together, but it's really embarrassing if things that Fathia thought were already settled in the realm of memories are brought up again like this. And to add to it, that chuckle turned into hearty laughter. That only makes Fathia more annoyed.

She turned around with a huff. Taking a shower was better than dealing with Sebastian. Yeah, that's right. That's true.

"I'll wait for your attack, Fathia."

"SEBASTIAN!!!"

Sebastian still laughed. Turns out Fathia's the same. Still too easy to tease. Just being teased like that made her blush like a boiled crab.

****

Opening the buttons of his pajamas one by one before stepping into the shower. He didn't take a long shower on purpose because he really enjoyed talking to Sebastian. They exchanged a lot of stories last night. Fathia remembered them clearly.

A cup of coffee, two plates of buttery fried rice that Sebastian prepared for dinner, became the companions for their exchange of two stories that left Fathia utterly amazed.

How Clara executed a grand scheme to hide her. The involvement of Larasati Acsia Claire. Not to mention how quickly the two of them made decisions. According to the results of Ronald's investigation, the mastermind behind making everyone believe that Fathia was critically injured due to the explosion that occurred. Even the fake funeral using another person's name, for which Larasati was paid a high sum; Alef Walker's wife.

And the latest fact, where Fathia finally pieced together her suspicions and findings about Alef's cunning in relation to what happened with Group Azure. If from the beginning Alef was brought into Group Azure, occupying a rather important position, combined with her father's trust in her uncle, it was met with suspicions of embezzlement.

Not to mention the collaboration with Sailendra that happened without Sebastian's knowledge when Alvin handed Group Azure over to Alef. All the files were just a camouflage to inflate the procurement funds for essential production items. Not to mention the distribution of several items that were key to sales within Group Azure.

And it all narrowed down to one point: Alef wanted complete power.

"What's your plan?" Sebastian asked, placing down his empty coffee cup.

"To uncover everything one by one. I also need a reason for why I was hidden."

Sebastian nodded slowly.

"I don't know why," Fathia's eyes once again drifted into the distance. She looked out at the balcony that wasn't yet covered by its curtain. Displaying the complete landmark of New York City with its towering buildings. Where the lights were on, resembling beautiful dots. "Aunt Laras and the Fox—"

"Fox?" Sebastian interrupted hastily.

Fathia glanced briefly and a small grin appeared as her response. "Clara. I call her the Fox."

Sebastian laughed, but Fathia didn't. Again, she stared at the point where she was thinking that "they both have different intentions."

"You're right," Sebastian cleared his throat briefly. Observing how all the changing expressions of the girl in front of him. All her stories, not to mention the way she drew conclusions and her perspective on certain actions, made Sebastian deeply impressed. This girl was mature in her own way.

Ah... how much distance had been created yesterday?

How could he transform Fathia in such a way? Making her a woman no less remarkable than her sister. If Felice, who lived in Sebastian's memories, was an ambitious figure, albeit cautious in her moves, Fathia was the complete opposite.

Her thought patterns were always twisted to delve into a cause, where in her view, a cause was the main trigger for someone's actions. Including her uncle, which truly left Sebastian baffled.

"If I know what motivates Aunt Laras, can I say... she's protecting me."

Sebastian wanted to interject, but Fathia's voice beat him to it, and it got him thinking.

"It's not possible that I would be left like this without becoming a deliberate objective, Sebastian. The chess piece that should have fallen, was instead saved. Aunt Laras and Uncle Alef, core family. Where they must be working together to achieve their goals. Isn't that, right?"

A silence crept between them.

"If... I speaks hypothetically. If Aunt Laras's reason makes sense to me, I will change direction."

"What do you mean?"

"Uncle Alef's life is in grave danger. When that point arrives, the protection for Uncle Alef has to be high. Afterward, I will make him own calculations."

"Fathia!"

All the conversations that were swirling in her mind while she was under the warm water disappeared instantly. Replaced by startled readiness that made her snatch a towel. "Yeah?!"

"Don't take too long. Have breakfast first."

Fathia closed her eyes for a moment. Calming herself from the almost heart-thumping situation Sebastian had caused. She had never been yelled at like this before a meal. Why was Sebastian like this now? Speaking of food... oh my God!!! She promised she'd cook this morning. She quickly ended her shower. Getting dressed hastily, not caring that her hair was still half wet.

Usually, Fathia would always dry it first, but her hair was only shoulder-length now. It dried faster than it used to be. Even though she sometimes missed it, Fathia tried to let go of it slowly. After all, her hair would grow back eventually.

As she walked out of the room, Sebastian had already unbuttoned his outfit. He rolled up his black shirt to his elbows and wore an apron for protection. His face looked serious as he finished preparing breakfast for them. Fathia walked slowly, feeling a bit disoriented.

"I should have prepared breakfast this morning," she said softly. She wanted to pull out a dining chair but couldn't muster the strength. "I promised last night, after all."

Sebastian lifted his gaze and gave a small smile. "You still have plenty of time to prepare me breakfast, Fathia."

"Why didn't you wake me up, though?" Truly, her heart was getting more disoriented because of Sebastian. She tried her best to make peace with the kitchen. Cooking a simple meal in the hope that later, if she was given the opportunity—now that the opportunity had arrived—she could proudly serve her cooking to Sebastian.

"You were sleeping so soundly." Sebastian still held his smile. "I didn't want to disturb you."

"But you'll eat dinner that I cook, right?"

"Sure, you can? Not planning to wreck my favorite kitchen, are you?"

"Oh my God," Fathia exclaimed in frustration. "You really don't believe me, huh?" Somehow, in Fathia's eyes, Sebastian was becoming more and more annoying. Where did that stiff man go, the one who rarely spoke and mostly just ordered her around? Disappeared?

Seeing that the girl he was conversing with was getting more irritated, Sebastian finally chuckled. The hidden feeling of happiness within him was growing. Increasing as the source of his happiness stood not far from where he was standing. Puckering his lips, his eyes squinted in annoyance, adding to the effect as the girl heard his laughter ringing out.

"I believe you." Sebastian, who had taken off his apron, approached her. He gave a gentle pat on the girl's head. "Now let's eat first. Get a lot of energy to start the war."

"Why does your analogy sound just like Jess's?"

"Because you talk a lot about Jess and your wars."

Fathia was finally tickled. "True. We're going to war."

"After leaving Mrs. Laras's place, we'll go to Uncle Ronald's office."

Fathia's brow furrowed.

"He wants to meet you, Fathia. To make sure I'm not hallucinating."

"Really? Does Uncle Ronald think that way?"

Sebastian shrugged. He slowly moved a chair near Fathia, inviting her to sit comfortably. Then he placed a serving of egg toast with melted cheese on top. The savory aroma immediately greeted Fathia's sense of smell, nearly causing her to salivate.

"It looks so good, Sebastian," Fathia praised. She quickly took a piece and put it in her mouth. She chewed slowly and felt the sensation of this special breakfast.

"How is it?"

"Delicious!" Fathia said earnestly. "Really delicious. I want to learn how to make this."

Sebastian just chuckled. "Finish it then."

"You haven't answered Fathia's earlier question."

"Which one?" Sebastian's fork paused in midair for a moment. He looked at Fathia, who appeared as if she hadn't eaten for days. Quite voracious.

"Uncle Ronald," Fathia said softly. She tried to swallow her bite quickly. "Why does Uncle Ronald have such strange thoughts?"

Ah, a hallucination it seems. "It's understandable, Fathia, if he thinks that way. We were there. Witnessing you, who," Sebastian couldn't continue his sentence. Suddenly, a shiver ran down his spine. The image of him attending this girl's burial resurfaced. Shaking his head slightly, he tried to dismiss the negative thought. With Clara around, Sebastian wouldn't waste the opportunity to protect her. He wouldn't.

"Got buried," Fathia completed Sebastian's sentence. "I'm used to hearing that."

Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of Sebastian's phone. He chose to glance at it briefly. Clara's name was there along with a pop-up message that appeared.

Clara S: I'm heading home. I'll drop by your apartment tonight, okay? Miss you, Sebastian.