Chapter 94: Chapter 94

"So, what do you want?" Jess impatiently asks. Seriously, dealing with Fathia for the past two weeks has been draining. Jess would rather encourage Fathia who's lost than have her blindly and foolishly led by her heart. There's no telling how many words Jess has said to make Fathia think more deeply. To take more tangible actions and at least overcome what's been bothering her.

Now?

How could Fathia get so tangled up like this because of Sebastian? What's so difficult about urging that guy every time Clara is mentioned on the phone? Or... when Sebastian drove her to Beverly Hills? Why did they end up talking about other things along the way?

Who's the strange one here? Herself or her friend?

Especially when Jess picked her up, Fathia's face sank again even though Melly said there was quite a bit going on today, including Fathia starting to arrange artificial flowers for different containers. Innovating, as Melly added.

When Jess asked, instead of answering, Fathia cried. What's worse, until the car arrived in the apartment basement, Fathia's tears didn't stop for a moment. It led to heartbreaking sobs. Actually. But because Jess often heard Fathia suddenly crying because she remembered Sebastian. Once again, the issue stemmed from that handsome figure.

Indeed, Jess admits quite seriously that the charm of a Sebastian Sachdev won't fade from its surroundings. His face is handsome even with the fine hair that, believe it or not, most women who look at him would want to touch. Besides being handsome, Sebastian's name is among the influential men in the business magazines. In Group Azure itself, his track record is acknowledged, both pros and cons. Up to now.

And one thing that makes Sebastian special in Jess's eyes is that there's rarely any bad news about his popularity. He's only been close to two women; Felice Leah Claire and Clara. No, Jess wouldn't want to mention that name again.

It's clear that she truly succeeded and excelled in playing the role of a sly fox. Incredibly slick and without her opponents realizing, they all fell into the traps she set. Including Fathia and Sebastian. Once again, they could be fooled by her. Jess was puzzled by how a guy like Sebastian... oh my God! Sebastian, yeah, that's who Jess is talking about. Could fall back into the arms of that rotten Clara.

"Well... I don't know," Fathia whispers softly. She grabs the tissue that Jess offers her, wiping the corners of her eyes gently while holding back the sobs that still control her.

"If I were you, I'd just wreck the party. It's easy for him to get me to hope so much, and then I'm just thrown away. And really, Fathia, you had so many chances to ask. Ask. To make sure if the news is true or not. Clara, seriously, you believed her?" Jess says with a frustrated tone.

Unsurprisingly, this only makes Fathia even more despondent. "I'm not actually ready to hear Sebastian's answer."

"Oh my God!" Jess exclaims while smushing her face in frustration with her hands due to her friend. "It's like this, huh? You finally fall in love? He's way older, extremely handsome, and to top it off, there's this weird problem. Fathia... Fathia... your luck is something else."

"Jess!" Fathia opts to throw a sofa cushion. Despite Naomi offering dinner several times, Fathia declined. When she arrived at the apartment earlier, her tears had stopped flowing, but as soon as she sat down comfortably in the TV room, she started crying again. Even more intensely.

"Huh? I'm right, aren't I?" Jess starts sitting upright. "Think about it. Why are you afraid? The fear of losing Sebastian is so huge, right, it's in your mind. But you're curious. Right?"

Fathia nods weakly. She agrees that those negative thoughts have been haunting her.

"If your way of communicating with your partner is like that, I'm pretty sure your relationship will keep being unbalanced. Okay, fine... lately you've been longing for each other," Jess chuckles, remembering how sunny Fathia's days were in New York City, especially in Sebastian's apartment. It's a complete opposite to how she is now. "Try thinking in a more mature way. I know your experience with that guy is zero, but it doesn't mean you can't be mature, right?"

Fathia falls silent, which frustrates Jess as well.

"Asking is necessary."

"I did it the day before I left for Beverly Hills, Jess," Fathia quickly interrupts. "But he just mocked me like that. Made me so annoyed. Plus, since I've been here, he's been even busier. It's making me assume things on my own, right? Like what I often tell you."

Jess facepalms.

"And how many times have I told you that you're trapped in Clara's thoughts?"

Fathia pouts.

"Come on, you have to be brave enough to ask something really serious. So, you can feel relieved."

"What if Sebastian really gets married?"

Jess fell silent, looking at Fathia who suddenly became teary-eyed. "Yeah, move on, girl! There are plenty of guys out there. You're still young, Fathia, like, two or three. Oh my God! Two or three is still so young. You've got Group Azure on your shoulders. You're launching An Flower with your own hands. I think, if you hold your head up, there are plenty of single guys who are on your level, waiting to get to know you and get close. Trust me."

"But I want Sebastian," she whispers very softly, hoping Jess won't hear, but unfortunately, her friend's ears are quite sharp when it comes to hearing.

"Yeah... that's why you should ask," Jess grumbles to herself finally. "Once again, Fathia. This is once again. You're complaining about your heartache, but clearly, you could've asked first, but you didn't want to. I don't want to listen to your venting."

Fathia's lips pout even more. "Why are you like this?"

"Yeah, right! I'm already fed up with the café, not to mention Kenzo. Oh my God! You're siblings, but you both really like to complicate my life!"

****

Fathia and her short-sighted thoughts.

She stuck to her position of not wanting to ask. Her fear was too great. She wasn't ready, truly, not at all ready for the words, "Yes, I'm marrying Clara after all," to slip perfectly from Sebastian's lips. Her heartbreak would be absolutely complete.

That's why she decided to isolate herself. She asked Jack to take her to one of the villas that Laras had recommended for her. She handed over all her affairs to Kenzo, and even her cousin wasn't informed of her whereabouts. She wanted to retreat.

She even intentionally turned off her phone for the sake of finding solitude in Raise Village now. This, of course, left Jack in a bind as many messages flooded his phone, all inquiring about Fathia's well-being. Diplomatically, Jack was asked to respond with a discreet message: Miss Fathia is taking a brief break. Her safety is assured. Kindly refrain from bothering her for a while.

Even though Jack was truly afraid and trembling as he replied to message after message inquiring about the young miss, what else could he do? The young miss seemed to need her own space to be alone. To some extent, he heard all of Fathia's complaints about her friend. About her issues with Sebastian. Jack felt like offering lots of advice because he saw Fathia as a beloved child, but Jess's words covered it all.

How lucky Fathia was to have Jess as a friend.

And it's the second day since the young miss arrived there. Her activities didn't stray far from leisurely sitting, enjoying the fresh rural air, and the gurgling of the koi fish-filled pond that served as the main decoration for the garden. Accompanied by a cup of jasmine tea, which the young miss seemed to have taken a liking to, Jack merely watched from a distance. For him, as long as his employer felt comfortable and secure, that was more than enough.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Fathia seemed to gaze at the bright morning sky. It wasn't too hot, nor too shady. Just enough to warm her, as she intentionally positioned herself to catch the sunlight. She closed her eyes, savoring how refreshing the morning air was. She left all the clutter of her thoughts behind for a moment. Maybe a week or two here could alleviate some of her burdens.

Today, in New York City, Sebastian and Clara's wedding is taking place.

Truly, it's making her feel even more choked up.

She lets out a long sigh afterward. Then she feels that her body is starting to redden, and sweat is appearing. Apparently, she hadn't realized she'd been sunbathing for too long. Slowly, she gets up from her lounging chair. She finishes her glass of bottled water that had been set out for her. She decides to make cookies.

Rather than having her mind filled with Sebastian's image, she decided it's better to distract herself by baking cookies. The kitchen equipment here is complete. This villa isn't just any villa, thanks to Laras' recommendation. Fathia can stay here, but her request to keep her presence unknown to others has made Laras quite suspicious. Luckily, Fathia still has a good reason to avoid too many questions from her aunt.

The hours pass quickly. Three jars of chocolate cookies with a sprinkle of cheese on top are already displayed. She hasn't even cooked lunch yet. Grilled fish with sambal matah is perfectly arranged on the dining table. For some reason, Fathia really wants to cook today.

And the cooking portion is quite generous. Fathia's hands and instincts move on their own to prepare this. Maybe it's because she needs to divert her thoughts, which makes her immediately empty out the contents of the fridge. She'll go shopping tomorrow. Maybe a breakfast with cheesy pasta would be an appealing choice. It's been a while since she had pasta with plenty of cheese, just the way she likes it.

"Mr. Jack," Fathia calls out after making sure all her dishes are neatly arranged on the dining table. "Mrs. Yessy." The middle-aged woman who's in charge of taking care of the villa, Fathia calls her.

Hastily, Jack approaches, and Yessy looks puzzled due to this summons.

"Yes, Miss?" they ask in unison.

"Let's have dinner together, okay? Yessy, please call Lois. Fathia cooked a lot for lunch."

"Uh, Miss! I'll just eat by myself."

Fathia instead wrinkles her nose in displeasure. "So you don't appreciate me, huh? I need a dining companion this time. Am I supposed to eat in my room all the time? Or order delivery constantly. It's getting boring."

Yessy becomes flustered.

"Alright, just call Lois. Let's have a meal together. When else can we try Miss Fathia's cooking?" Jack mediates. He doesn't want the young miss to be disappointed. And thankfully, Fathia smiles again.

"Well, Mr. Jack is right."

Yessy finally relents. She quickly calls her husband and gets ready to have lunch together, even though there's an obvious tension.

Until a knock that quite disrupts the relaxed and familial atmosphere of the meal, interrupts. Lois and Jack exchange glances, as there wasn't any scheduled visit here from anyone.

"Let me open the door first, alright?"

Fathia nods softly. She resumes enjoying the momentarily postponed meal, but her fork stops in mid-air as she lifts her gaze, just to see who the visitor is. This is due to the hurried footsteps that seem to enter the dining room.

"Sebastian?"