The night wind blew past, blowing the fallen leaves on the road. The pedestrians passing by sometimes turned their heads when they realized the similarity in their appearance. But the two women ignored them all.
Mellie looked closely at Lilia. Her gaze was full of nostalgia, as if she was looking at someone who wasn't Lilia.
"Do you live in Jakarta?" Mellie asked, tucking a hand in her pocket.
Lilia shook her head, "I come from Surabaya."
The conversation between them stopped again. Even though the two of them looked very calm, they were both still trying to process this situation. That was why the conversation between them was so brief and stiff, as if being interrogated by the police.
Lilia looked at the view of the bustling streets of Jakarta, but her mind was not there. She kept thinking about the question she wanted to ask Mellie the most.
"Mellie, you ..." Lilia paused for a moment. She was afraid that her question might be too sensitive and offend her, but she needed to know the answer, "...Are you a member of the Irwan family, the richest conglomerate family in Jakarta?"
That question came from all of Lilia's suspicions so far. Mellie's last name was Irwan and they both had similar appearances. Coupled with Sylvia's suspicious attitude as well as her relationship with Leila, Lilia began to see the answers to all her questions so far. But she needed Mellie's confirmation.
Hearing that, Mellie laughed out loud. But her eyes didn't smile at all. Those black eyes dark as a starless were cold as the North Pole.
"Not." Mellie answered dryly.
Lilia immediately turned her head towards her with wide eyes. She barely believed her ears just now.
Mellie smiled bitterly and added, "I wasn't that lucky."
The model found Mellie's attitude very strange. She openly denied her relationship with the Irwan Family, but she looked so hurt when talking about them. If Mellie really had nothing to do with the Irwan Family, she wouldn't have reacted like that. What secret was Mellie hiding?
But before Lilia could ask any further questions, the restaurant door swung open and Mellie's table friends appeared.
"Captain, have your talks finished? We still have some work to do." Herri said as he took turns looking at the two of them.
No matter how many times he saw her, the resemblance to his captain's appearance still took him by surprise!
"Yes I know." Mellie turned and threw her cigarette butt into the nearest trash can. Then she said to Lilia, "How about we exchange phone numbers?"
"Okay." Lilia knew that she couldn't keep Mellie here any longer. So she took out her cell phone and exchanged numbers with the woman.
"Is your number linked to your Other account?" Mellie asked while saving Lilia's number.
The model nodded, "If you have free time, let me know. I still have a lot to talk to you about." Lilia said.
Mellie laughed and promised her before leaving with her three male colleagues. The four of them entered an old van which was parked nearby. In just a few minutes, the car drove away.
Lilia stood there, watching the van move away from her sight. A gentle pat on her shoulder made Lilia turn her head. Rachel stood beside her and looked worriedly at Lilia.
"Lilia, what were you talking about earlier? Are you alright?" She asked. Rachel worried that the woman might be up to something sinister because of their similar appearance. If the two of them changed clothes, no one would be able to tell who they were.
But Lilia just smiled and shook her head, "It's nothing. Let's go back."
*****
Lilia's gaze was fixed on her cellphone screen all the way home. She had added Mellie's account to her friends list. Lilia casually tried to investigate the woman's activities on social media, but to no avail. Mellie had never posted or made any changes to her account.
After taking Rachel back to the Holiday Hotel, Clifford drove Lilia back to her own hotel. The man stopped the car in front of the lobby so he could get off first. Lilia thanked Clifford before stepping into the lobby. Her eyes felt sore from staring too much at her cell phone's screen.
Lilia was blinking her eyes when she suddenly bumped into someone.
"Ah, sorry ..."
Lilia tried to step back, but that person pulled Lilia into his arms. The familiar smell of cigarettes and spring filled Lilia's nose, making her realize the man's identity.
"Jean?" Lilia looked up and met the man's eyes. The warmth of Jean's hug made Lilia feel that she had really come home. She hugged her husband back, asking, "Have you been waiting for me here since earlier?"
Jean just chuckled without answering her question. Then the man gently released her.
"Are you tired?" Jean asked while taking over Lilia's bag. The man took Lilia's hand and led her into the elevator.
"Ah ... a little." Lilia replied awkwardly. She was more tired mentally than physically, but she didn't know where to begin.
When the elevator doors closed, Jean asked the question that he had been holding back for a long time.
"Is something bothering you?"
Lilia turned towards Jean in surprise. Then she smiled faintly, "I really can't hide anything from you, huh."
Those pair of ocean blue eyes looked so sharp that he could see deep into Lilia's heart. But the woman didn't say anything until they got to their room.
When Lilia walked into the royal suite, she took off her coat. Without wasting any more time, she immediately threw herself onto the sofa in the living room with a deep sigh. Then Lilia noticed a set of tea-making utensils on the table. There was a cup of tea half full on the side.
Did Jean make his own tea because Lilia wasn't there for him?
As that thought came to Lilia's mind, guilt swiftly crept over her heart. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the man approaching. Her unexpected encounter with Mellie had messed up her mind. She unconsciously frowned and her fingers began to play the buttons on her shirt.
Jean was standing in front of Lilia, but the woman acted as if she wasn't there. The man didn't like the complex expression on Lilia's face. He wanted to protect her from anything that might hurt her, so that Lilia could always smile at him.
The man leaned over and grabbed Lilia's chin with one hand. His other hand rests on the back of the sofa, making sure that the woman couldn't run away from him.
"Tell me, who did you meet today?" Jean asked while lifting Lilia's chin, forcing the woman to look at him. Although his actions sounded harsh and forceful, Jean's voice was still gentle.
Lilia looked at Jean in surprise. She was about to ask how the man knew when the answer came to Lilia's mind. It must have been Clifford who told Jean about the meeting earlier. Jean's head bodyguard was watching Lilia from his car.
The woman sighed and told him everything, "… I met someone at the restaurant earlier. She looks very much like me and her name is Mellie Irwan."
"Hmm…" Jean's thumb rubbed Lilia's chin, "How similar are you two?"
Lilia thought for a moment before answering, "Rachel said if we wear the same clothes and hairstyle, she won't be able to tell the difference between the two of us."
Surprise crossed Jean's face.. He had heard from Clifford that the two women looked alike, but his bodyguards didn't get to see Mellie's face up close.
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