Chap 32
WHO CARES?
“Happy Holidays Sir, dont forget to say my regard for your wife!” Arsene stopped his car in the garage.
“You don’t want to come?” Lexi asked as he wanted to leave early. Tonight he would fly to Bali with Jessica first. He didn’t care about Cassandra and her entourage. He was sure mom can handle it.
“No sir, I have enough days off to spend with my children and wife at home!” he said.
“Well, I entrust all work schedules and meetings on Mondays.” Lexi couldn’t wait to go to Bali. ‘Isn’t that so much fun. I can set up various plans to make Jessica jealous’ he thought.
“Yes Sir!” Arsene got out of the car and opened the door for Lexi.
They both walked into the house. Mrs. Anna and Mr. Samuel, deliberately invited Arsene because there was something to discuss.
Inside the house Lexi headed to his room on the second floor while Arsene headed to Mr. Samuel’s office.
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Knock …
Knock …
Arsene knocked on the door. It was indeed a plot with Lexi. However, he still respected Mr. Samuel. He always submissived and would not let him down.
“Come in!” Mr. Samuel said from the inside. Arsene turned the door handle and opened it. Then, he walked closer.
“Good afternoon sir, is there anything urgent that you call me suddenly?” Arsene asked after bowing respectfully.
“Sit down!” Mr. Samuel stood up and moved to the sofa. Arsene was sitting in front of a middle-aged man.
Silent… Mr. Samuel was busy with an album photo in his hand. It waa album photo, he saw a lot simple wedding photo between Lexi and Jessica.
“This is about Lexi and Jessica, there are so many things that bother my heart!” Mr. Samuel said. He closed the photo album and focus on looking at Arsene.
“Yes, what’s wrong with Mr. Lexi and Miss Jessica? Mr. Samuel, don’t you like their relationship? Or Miss Jessica is not the daughter-in-law you expected?” Arsene tried to guess. He knew what Samuel feel. Arsene’s marriage to his late first wife was full of struggle and patience.
“I have no problem with Jessica. Whoever woman Lexi chooses, I’ll approve. I just wonder why Lexi, wants to keep a secret of his marriage with Jessica. I have a lot of questions, but I’m afraid he’s just pretending. We all know that Jessica is a girl who grew up in the orphanage with unknown parents,” Mr. Samuel said with his expression of concern.
Lexi is not a young person anymore, he is already 30 years old. Mr. Samuel sometimes couldn’t understand with the way his mind works.
The Secretary chose silence and thought for a moment before answering. All the secrets of Lexi, he knew Lexi and Jessica just in marriage contract.
“So what is the reason Lexi doesn’t want to publicize her marriage to Jessica, I’m sure you definitely know what the real reason is!” Mr. Samuel urged.
“I know everything, Sir. First, Mr. Lexi doesn’t want Miss Jessica to get the spotlight from the media. And secondly, Mr. Lexi still seems to be traumatized by her first marriage, ” Arsene replied.
“Are you sure that’s all?” Samuel felt unsatisfied with Arsene’s answer. There must be something Lexi was hiding. Yes, everything went very quickly and smoothly? It was usually not as easy and smooth as this.
“Yes, Sir.” Arsene nodded his head with a serious expression.
“Does Lexi love Jessica?” Mr. Samuel asked. He should have asked Lexi about it, but he hesitated to get an answer from his son. He’d rather ask Arsene.
“For now, I think Mr. Lexi only needs Miss Jessica. However, I firmly believe Mr. Lexi will fall for Miss Jessica . Remembering how often they meet, and Mr. Lexi always misses her,” Arsene answered obviously. He was sure with his opinion.
“I agree with you,” said Samuel. Talking to Arsene always made him feel relieved.
Arsene nodded, he smiled of the middle-aged man who was his boss.
“It’s about Jessica.” Mr. Samuel re-opened the conversation after a few minutes of silence.
“Yes Sir.” Arsene saw an unusual expression on Samuel’s face.
“I have an additional task for you. You have to investigate and search of Jessica’s background. It is both parents or her family members who still live. It may be takes a long time and can not be predicted, but when else will we start looking for it if not now!” Mr. Samuel was thinking ahead, he was looking forward to the presence of a grandson who will be the heir to the Ricardo Group.
“Okay, I’ll start investigating!” Arsene said. No, he won’t complain. The more he worked, the more bonuses he received each month. “But Sir, what if I don’t get any information?”
“It’s okay, at least we try. I can’t be just in silent, I just want to do something for my daughter-in-law,” Mr. Samuel replied.
“Yes sir, I will try to find Miss Jessica’s family members!” Arsene was convinced.
“For the bonus I’ve sent to your account, go home now enjoy your day off!” Mr Samuel understood very well that Arsene rarely enjoyed his days off without interference from Lexi.
“Thank you, sir!” Arsene stood up from his seat. He nodded respectfully and left Mr. Samuel’s room.
* * *
“Pack your clothes! We’re leaving for Bali tonight!” Lexi said as he moved closer to Jessica. Now, he had begun to control himself when he closed to his wife.
“Aren’t we there Saturday afternoon?” Jessica asked. She closed the book she was reading. She focused on talking to Lexi.
“No, I want us to leave tonight! If we leave tomorrow we can’t have a night together, Jess!” Lexi answered. He was looking at her. Jessica was sitting without doing anything, he thought Jessica looked very beautiful.
“Then, what should I do there? Shouldn’t we keep this marriage a secret. Why don’t I just stay home?” Jessica asked. She was thinking about a day without Lexi.
“No, you go with me, Jessica ! We’ll be in separate rooms! Take it easy!” Lexi said.
Jessica felt happy after hear that. “Does that mean I’m free from my obligations while in Bali?” Jessica asked.
“Does serve me is something heavy for you Jess? You enjoyed it too, didn’t you?” Lexi teased her.
“I just want one, two nights off,”Jessica was quick to say what she wanted.
“You, just wait I’m sure one day you will ask for it from me!” Lexi answered confidently.
“I’m not sure, just look at it now! Every night it’s Mr. Lexi, who wants it!”Jessica returned Lexi’s gaze, now she was brave to look at the man.
“Alright I admit defeat now Jessica ! While in Bali I will be careful, I will introduce you to Cassandra as the daughter of my papa’s co-worker! You’ll also be in a different room with me. Got it!” Lexi asked.
“I understand!”
“Now, pack your clothes in half an hour we will go to the airport!” Lexi tolh her. No matter where he went, Jessica was with her. For now, Jessica was very important for him that he had to take care of with all his body and soul.
“Well, okay.”
***
Arsene just finished taking a shower. He moved towards his wife who was sitting while looking after her daughter.
Kania, watching the husband’s face. His face looked very tired because of his work.
“Did Mr. Lexi add to your work again?” His wife asked.
“Nope.” Arsene fell on his wife’s shoulder. He was treating his homesickness by inhaling perfume on his wife’s body. He smelled at her scent perfume.
“Then why?” His wife asked, tried to know. It was not uncommon for Arsene to come home with a wrinkled face. Unless Mr. Lexi asked him to come on weekdays on his day off.
“Looks like I made a mistake! It wasn’t me, but I was involved!” He remembered talking to Mr. Samuel that night.
“Mistake? What kind of mistake? Try to explain?” Kania urged, she would help her husband a little.
“It’s about Mr. Lexi, he married Miss Jessica but it’s just a contractual marriage that will end after two years. But, Mrs. Anna and Mr. Samuel really hope that they will give grandchildren! And neither Mr. Lexi nor Miss Jessica wanted it!” Arsene told.
“Lexi doesn’t love Jessica?” Kania was curious. As a wife she would help her husband solve problems. Including the complexity of Lexi’s way of thinking that always tested Arsene’s patience.
“Until this moment Mr. Lexi just wants to sleep with her! He just wants to vent his lust. No intention of building a household, or having children! He hopes to recover and fall in love again. But not Jessica” Arsene explained what Lexi had been saying all along.
“He was crazy! He took away Jessica’s honor and only intended to fuck her? Your boss is crazy! I hope someday Lexi love her and beg at her knees with Jessica! He is so arrogant, what does he want?” Kania answered angrily. She could feel the injustice that Jessica felt. “Is this Jessica or Mr. Lexi who too powerful?!” she added what she said.
“That’s the decision of both sides! Jessica also did not want to be tied to a man she did not love all her life. They both agreed! That’s not matter, I just don’t want Mrs. Anna and Mr. Samuel to be disappointed!” Arsene said.
“You don’t need to feel guilty about it, Lexi just doesn’t care about her parents’ feeling” Kania was upset by Lexi’s attitude. Lexi is 30 years old but he acted like he still teenager.
“I can’t just shut up! I think of them as my own parents!” Arsene replied. Yes, the closeness was established long before he even worked at the Ricardo Group.
There was a pause of a few seconds before Kania spoke. “I have an idea, how about we make Lexi fall in love with Jessica?” Kania offered. In his little heart she was very concerned with Jessica even before he met her though.
“Lexi could have fallen in love with Jessica, but I’m not sure about Jessica,” Arsene was doubtful.
“Bring Jessica here, let me talk to her!” Kania offered.
“For what?” Arsene linked his eyebrows, unlike usual this time Kania seemed to care a lot about Jessica.
“I just want to be Jessica’s friend, that’s all! l,” Kania answered.
“Well, later after returning from Bali I will ask Mr. Lexi and Miss Jessica to come here,” Arsene saw the sparkle in his wife’s eyes. He still didn’t know what went through his wife’s mind.
* * *