Andrew raised his eyebrows when he heard that answer, "Then what kind of woman do you like? I'm sure Grandpa will ask you that." He brittled.
Mike returned to smoking his cigarette, then he got up from his chair, "I haven't found a woman I like, but I can guarantee that that woman is definitely not Leila!"
"Mike, where are you going?" Andrew asked, rising from his seat too, "Our dinner isn't over yet!"
But Mike kept walking to the door, "I have other business, so I'll be going now. Enjoy your dinner."
"Mike!" Andrew called his younger brother, but the young man left the room without heeding his brother's calls.
After Mike left the house, he immediately got into the Maserati car that was parked outside the gate. Mike slit open the car window to remove the cigarette butts he inhaled. The night wind blew into the car, helping Mike clear his head. The young man propped his elbows against the car's window while gazing at the star-studded night sky.
Because of the conversation just now, Mike's mind automatically turned to Leila. He initially didn't hate that woman. They grew up as childhood friends, because of the friendship between their two families.
But all that changed due to an unexpected meeting.
That day, Mike happened to see Leila walking with a husband and wife at the mall. The couple were around 40 years old, but Mike had never seen them before. Leila joined hands with that strange man and woman while smiling sweetly. The figures of the three of them looked like a picture of a happy family.
Driven by his intense curiosity, Mike followed them. While walking, he tried to remember the faces of the relatives of the Irwan Family and match them with the husband and wife couple. Since Mike often played at the Irwan family's house, he was quite familiar with their relatives. However, that couple was not part of the Irwan Family's relatives.
"...So, my school is having a fundraising event."
Leila's voice, sweet as honey, was carried away by the wind until it reached Mike. The man strained his ears carefully, trying to catch the rest of Leila's sentence.
"Students who make large donations will have the honor of accompanying representatives from famous universities." Leila continued, "But Grandpa doesn't want to give me money for that. Can you give me money?" Her voice turned spoiled.
Mike was so shocked that he stopped in his tracks. Grandpa Simon wouldn't give her money? But everyone knew that Grandpa Simon's favorite granddaughter was Leila! How could that old man be stingy with his granddaughter?
Even if Grandpa Simon wouldn't give her money, the old man was not the only person who loved Leila. She was a smart, polite, and friendly child. Leila grew up as the favorite daughter of the Irwan Family and was never short on anything.
Then why did the Irwan Family's beloved daughter need to ask strangers for money?
This incident occurred when Leila was 18 years old. Then Mike heard that Leila was successfully accepted into one of the top universities in Jakarta. Grandpa Simon gifted Leila a luxurious house to celebrate the good news.
Leila always said that she got good grades and was an outstanding student, but did she really attend that university?
Mike sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. No one knew how cunning Leila really was. Even Mike wouldn't have noticed Leila's true face if he didn't happen to see her at the mall. This 24-year-old woman had been able to play with the Irwan family all this time. Leila's abilities could not be underestimated.
After Mike saw Leila at the mall, he got curious and sent someone to investigate the story. The result of his investigation took Mike by surprise. Leila's school had never held a fundraising event, let alone asked for a sizable donation. The school held a high moral standard and despised such corrupt acts.
Mike wondered how Leila got accepted into such a top university. Did she use the money she got from the husband and wife at that time? Somehow, Mike couldn't believe that Leila got into the university because of her academic skills!
Andrew's brother closed the car window and started the engine. From the day he discovered Leila's hidden side, Mike kept his distance from her. He pretended to hate Leila while he gathered further information.
Mike swore to himself that he would not reveal his suspicions to anyone else until he knew the whole truth!
*****
That night, Lilia and Jean stayed at the Austin Family's house. They planned to return to the hotel at first, but Claire insisted they stay over.
The house was huge and there were lots of empty rooms they could use. Also, Jean was drinking wine with Andrew at dinner last night, so he shouldn't be driving. Finally, they succumbed to Claire's persuasion. Jean's sister immediately prepared their bedroom with great joy.
When Lilia finished bathing, it was already half past eleven in the night. The atmosphere in the house was very quiet, as if everyone had fallen asleep. Lilia returned to the room and looked around. From the bedroom door leading to the balcony, she saw the figure of her husband.
Lilia stood there while observing Jean for a moment. The man was leaning against the balcony railing while smoking a cigarette. His body was clad in gray pajamas made of thin cotton. His blonde hair was blown by the night breeze that blew past, but Jean didn't seem bothered.
The woman went to the balcony door and opened it. Right at that moment, a bone-chilling night wind blew in. Lilia immediately shivered and pulled her bathrobe tighter. Why was Jean so calm in a place this cold?!
The sound of the door swinging open made Jean turn his head. The man frowned when he saw his wife standing trembling in the night wind.
"Why did you go out on the balcony?" Jean asked as he straightened his body.
"Of course to find you." Lilia replied. She closed the door behind her and walked over to the man.
Lilia stopped beside Jean, then looked away too. She wanted to know what the man saw from this place. She wondered what was going through Jean's mind as he gazed off into the distance.
But as far as the eye could see, there was only a brightly lit city view. The excessive lighting caused the stars in the sky to dim so that there was only an empty night sky.
"Come back to the room. This place is too cold for you." Jean said as he lowered his cigarette.
The man was about to throw his cigarette butt into the ashtray, but Lilia suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Jean, are you worried about something?" Lilia asked while leaning over to stare at the man closely.
Before Jean could answer, Lilia took the cigarette from between his fingers. Then she put the cigarette in her mouth and tried to smoke it. A second later, Lilia was coughing violently. Her mouth was filled with a bitter taste which made her nauseous.
Lilia pushed the cigarette away saying, "Every time you smoke, you look like you are thinking about a lot of things. What's so good about smoking? Can this really ease your worries?"
Instead of answering, Jean grabbed the cigarette in Lilia's hand and put it in the ashtray. In the next second, he pulled her closer, then crushed her lips.
Jean grabbed Lilia's chin and slipped his tongue into the woman's mouth. The smell of cigarettes and the faint scent of spring filled Lilia's nose as their tongues interlocked. The man lifted Lilia's chin while deepening the kiss. Jean's tongue hungrily explored every corner of the woman's mouth.
The far away stars in the night sky were the only silent witnesses to their love.
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