"Would you like some coffee, Sir?" Gabriel asked attentively.
They were in the elevator on their way to a meeting about the company's anniversary celebration. Ethan had somewhat forgotten about it due to his busy schedule. Besides, the team in charge, which consisted of members from PR, HR, and general administration, had been planning it for months. As with previous years, it was sure to be held at H&I Hotel, which belonged to Indra. Indra again—just thinking about him made Ethan sick.
"Sir?" Gabriel asked again.
Ethan snapped out of his thoughts, shaking his head slightly with a wry smile. "Did they manage to get that trending celebrity to come to our event later? His reputation is pretty solid. As long as he doesn’t get into any scandals or fraud cases soon, make him our next brand ambassador to attract the younger crowd."
"I believe there’s a scheduling conflict, but I’ll check it later, Sir."
"So, how about my coffee?" Ethan teased.
"Sorry, Sir."
Ethan chuckled at that, while Gabriel turned away, pretending to check his tablet schedule, afraid of being scolded by Ethan, who was known to be temperamental at times. The elevator doors opened, and the two of them walked side by side to the meeting room. All eyes turned to him as he sat in the head chair and motioned for the speaker to continue.
The meeting didn’t last long. Ethan quickly grasped the gist of the anniversary celebration planned for early next month. Aside from celebrities, politicians, and corporate leaders, Ethan was usually the star of the event. He would deliver a speech, cut the ceremonial cake, and present special door prizes. But this time, Ethan wasn’t particularly excited—his mind was preoccupied with his complicated relationship with Bella and his growing fascination with Rica.
“Gab, I’m leaving early today. I’m not feeling well,” Ethan said as they walked down the corridor toward his office.
"Understood, Sir. I’ll reschedule your meeting with Mr. Alex."
Gabriel opened the door for Ethan, who had been sullen all morning. He gestured for his boss to enter first before excusing himself to attend to other tasks. Ethan sat down, holding his head in his hands, but suddenly called out to Gabriel, who was just about to grab the doorknob.
"Gab! Wait a moment."
Gabriel quickly turned back to face Ethan. "Yes, Sir! What is it?"
"Can you investigate someone for me?"
"I’m not a detective, Sir," Gabriel replied with a nervous laugh.
"I know that, but you’re Indra’s spy, aren’t you?" Ethan accused.
The young man blinked anxiously and pretended to cough, hesitant to answer. Ethan’s guess had to be correct—Gabriel’s panicked reaction confirmed it. Since the beginning, Ethan knew Indra wouldn’t entirely let go after the embezzlement case, and he wasn’t fully trusted yet.
Gabriel closed his eyes and bit his lip for a moment, finally nodding slowly out of fear. Ethan chuckled at the reaction. Rising from his seat, he walked around the desk and stood before his secretary. Their height difference was significant enough to intimidate Gabriel. While Ethan wasn’t exceptionally tall, he was definitely taller than Gabriel.
"You’d be in big trouble if I exposed you, wouldn’t you? How about we trade information to even things out?" Ethan proposed, crossing his arms.
"Sir, please don’t report me to Mr. Indra or Mr. Lukas. I’ll follow your orders as long as it doesn’t involve killing someone," Gabriel pleaded with a pitiful expression.
"Oh! So, Mr. Lukas from the board of directors is also spying on me, huh?"
Ethan had intended to mess with Gabriel but instead gleaned new information. Apparently, Mr. Lukas, one of the company’s higher-ups, was also keeping tabs on Ethan through this nervous young man. Ethan felt like a celebrity being stalked by paparazzi.
"No, no, no, Sir. I misspoke," Gabriel said, smacking his own lips.
"Whatever. Fine, I agree—as long as you help me gather all the information on Frederica Anastasia Putri, Indra’s sister-in-law."
***
In less than a week, Gabriel had compiled all the details about Rica. Beyond the tidbits Ethan had learned from Rica herself, he now knew where she went to university, her favorite hangout spots, her past relationships, and her hobbies. His future wife’s hobbies, to be precise. Future wife? Ethan chuckled to himself at how quickly he’d labeled the girl.
Ethan was walking toward the elevator, eager to review the dossier on Rica that Gabriel had meticulously prepared like a research paper. For some reason, his secretary was nowhere to be found. Ever since that day, Gabriel had been trying to avoid sticking too close to Ethan, making up various work-related excuses.
The elevator was empty when Ethan stepped in. Just as the doors were about to close, he spotted someone who had caught his eye before. It was Inka!
Not wanting to seem odd, Ethan let the doors close and feigned indifference when the young woman entered the elevator. During the first five minutes, Ethan hoped Inka would recognize him as the CEO, giving him an excuse to flaunt without seeming boastful. But to his dismay, the girl didn’t seem interested.
“You’re Inka, right?” Ethan said, breaking the silence.
His mom had been urging him to find a girlfriend, hadn’t she? Ethan thought it might be fun to have both Rica and Inka at the same time. Managing their schedules in shifts should be easy enough! Both were equally gorgeous and easy on the eyes.
"Yes? Who are you?" Inka turned to him.
Good God! Her gaze was so soft and angelic that Ethan found himself momentarily mesmerized. Quickly snapping out of it, he regained his composure, not wanting to appear foolish. He had to maintain his image as CEO.
But the girl remained clueless as Ethan held her hand a bit too long. When the elevator stopped at another floor, Gabriel stepped in. The secretary’s presence should have saved Ethan from embarrassment. Frustrated by being ignored, Ethan finally introduced himself as the CEO of Fast Cargo and invited Inka to his office to discuss some ideas. Inka declined, feeling she was just an ordinary employee, but Ethan persisted, coaxing and convincing her until she reluctantly agreed.
In his office, Ethan felt more in control, keeping a professional demeanor while observing Inka, who seemed captivated by a painting of a white tiger on the wall. Perhaps they both shared an appreciation for art, giving Ethan a potential date idea—visiting a museum or an art gallery.
"Sir, should I explain it to you? I think the team leader has covered it sufficiently."
"Please, have a seat first, Inka."
If he could, Ethan would have kept her in his office all day. There was no need for conversation—just looking at her for hours on end would suffice. Inka was mesmerizing, and Ethan’s thoughts began to wander.