Hot Night With CEO

Darian was annoyed because he was late to pick up Fahira to go to the office together. Although Fahira didn’t confirm his invitation yesterday, her silence made Darian believe that she agreed. For reasons unknown to him, Darian had trouble sleeping last night, feeling restless about many things. It wasn’t just about Fahira, but also about his personal life. Many things had gone to waste in his almost 29 years of life. He had material wealth and popularity in his hands, but he had no provisions for the afterlife.

Feeling insecure, his once high self-confidence now sank to the deepest corner of his heart. He even felt unworthy of standing next to Fahira, a kind-hearted and pious girl whose life he had ruined.

Darian’s car stopped not far from Gavin’s white Fortuner as he watched Fahira step out of the car with a smile and chat for a while before waving to the person still inside the car. Normally, Darian would have been furious to see Fahira with her cousin. This time, however, he could only let out a long sigh as a feeling of suffocation gripped his chest. It was as if his lungs were blocked, leaving him breathless, as he realized that Gavin was more deserving of Fahira’s affection than he was. His cousin had the opposite traits of him – caring, gentle, polite, and well-educated. They had grown up together, with just a two-year age difference, like siblings. Despite Darian’s quiet and reserved nature, Gavin never distanced himself from him. On the contrary, Gavin always tried to get Darian to play with him.

Before leaving for the United States for his studies, Darian spent time with Gavin and their family almost every weekend. Back then, Gavin was still in high school while Darian pursued his education in America. Despite the distance, Gavin never forgot about Darian. At least once a week, he contacted Darian via WhatsApp or video call, always asking about Darian’s well-being during his time in America.

After finishing his bachelor’s degree, Darian often returned to Indonesia during summer vacations to visit his parents. But he couldn’t spend much time with Gavin. His cousin was pursuing a medical degree in Bandung. It was then that Darian realized the value of Gavin’s care and concern for him. However, his pride prevented him from making any effort to improve his relationship with Gavin.

And now, Darian found himself competing with Gavin for Fahira’s heart. The girl whose purity he had taken away. Now, he was torn between giving up and fighting for her love.

“I have to fight to win Fahira’s love!” Darian muttered, watching Gavin’s car as it left the company premises. He promised to compete with Gavin in a supportive manner. If Fahira didn’t love him, he would let her go and accept her decision to be with his cousin.

Darian stepped out of the car and handed the keys to the security guard who was responsible for parking the vehicles at the company’s basecamp, as usual. He walked through the giant glass doors that opened for him with his signature expression. The employees respectfully greeted their CEO as he entered the private lift.

David, already seated at his desk with the computer turned on, appeared serious with his phone. Ray, who had just arrived, was surprised because it was uncommon for David to be early. “You’re already here? Is the boss inside?” Ray asked curiously, putting down his bag and taking a seat.

“The boss is weird! He didn’t want me to follow him yesterday and insisted on driving his own car everywhere!” David honestly replied. “Besides, I get to have a little fun this way!” he chuckled while glancing at Fahira, who was bringing a cup of coffee to Darian’s office.

“Stop being stale! I want to work now. Get going, pal!” Ray said loudly, causing Mira to smile, while Susi remained indifferent as always.

As Fahira entered Darian’s office, David suddenly became alert. He opened an email he had sent to Darian a few weeks ago and started reading it carefully, until he reached a report on a bank account mutation for Fahira. A sum of 100 million rupiahs was transferred to Fahira’s personal bank account under Darian’s name. David paused for a moment, glancing at Fahira, who had just sat at her desk. His mind began to whirl, and various speculations fought for space in his head.

David continued to examine the information before him. His breath caught when he saw a larger sum of money, 110 million rupiahs, being transferred to Medika Center Hospital with the patient’s name listed as Nazriel Ramadhan. David may not have known Ariel well, but they had met several times when the young man picked Fahira up from work.

Now David had the answers to his long-standing curiosity. Fahira was the girl who had changed his friend’s life for the better. The man with a mundane life now looked more enthusiastic about living. Although it started from a wrong path, David was certain they were destined to be together. He quickly deleted all the information about Fahira, not wanting anyone to potentially interfere in their love life.

“David, come to my office!” Darian’s voice suddenly startled David, who was still engrossed in the processing of deleted files. David quickly stood up and assumed a ready position.

“Sure, Boss!”

As usual, Darian just nodded in response to the greetings of all the employees as he entered his office, followed by David.

Fahira has entered and exited Darian’s office more than three times, preparing for a meeting with potential foreign investors. She can only surrender without daring to protest against Darian’s careless act of accidentally spilling coffee on important documents, which means Fahira has to print them again. She had already prepared all the files on Saturday so she could relax a bit on Monday, but now she has to redo her work.

Fahira is a bit puzzled by Darian’s strange behavior today. Her boss is quieter and more contemplative, while yesterday, after spending a beautiful day with Darian, she had tried hard to hide her feelings upon entering the office. However, he seemed indifferent as if nothing had happened.

Standing in front of Darian’s desk, Fahira waits for him to double-check the files before the meeting with the foreign investors.

“Fahira, can we start everything from scratch?” Darian says, diverting his attention from the files in front of him and looking at Fahira with an unreadable gaze.

Fahira is taken aback and returns Darian’s intense gaze. “To forget the bad things that happened between us and start over. No hatred, coercion, or regrets,” Darian continues, placing his pen on the files he was reading. He stands up and approaches Fahira without breaking eye contact.

“What do you mean, Mr. Darian?” Fahira responds, not understanding the direction of Darian’s conversation.

“To be honest, I’m confused about what I’m feeling right now.” Darian picks up Fahira’s agenda book and places it on the desk. He takes Fahira’s hands and holds them.

“I’m serious about what I said last night. I want to introduce you to my mother as my future wife. Will you, Fahira Ramadhan?” Darian’s words make Fahira’s heart race.

“Is this a proposal or a marriage proposal?” Fahira protests, blushing.

“I don’t want us to date because I don’t want to date. I want us to get married right away!” Darian lets go of their hands and takes out a black velvet box.

“Will you marry me, Fahira Ramadhan?”

Fahira freezes in place, her eyes welling up with tears. Unsure if she should believe what is happening.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“Please pinch my hand, Mr. Darian. It seems like I’m hallucinating!” Fahira says hesitantly.

“This is real, Fahira!” Darian says, frustrated, as he playfully pinches Fahira’s nose.

“So, you must be drunk, Mr. Darian. Otherwise, you’re the one who’s suffering from amnesia!” Fahira blurts out a silly statement.

“I should wash my face to wake up from this dream!” Fahira tries to leave, but Darian reaches for her hands again.

“Please, Fahira, I’m serious!”

“I’m confused, Mr. Darian! As far as I know, the order for people in love is to get to know each other first, then propose, date, and only then get engaged. Besides, who proposes to a girl without saying ‘I love you’?” This time, Fahira teases Darian, who looks embarrassed.

Darian bursts into laughter. The girl in front of him becomes even more adorable as time goes by. For him, love doesn’t always need to be spoken.

The tense and romantic atmosphere instantly turns chaotic. “If that’s the case, whether you like it or not, you have to accept this!” Darian takes out a diamond ring from the velvet box and places it on Fahira’s ring finger.

Fahira protests and tries to remove the ring, but Darian pulls her into a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry, Mr. David, the meeting with the investors will start in 10 minutes.” David suddenly appears at the door.

They quickly break the embrace. “Thank you, David,” Darian says nervously, straightening his suit, while Fahira can only lower her head, hiding her blushing cheeks as she removes the ring from her finger and puts it in her blazer pocket.