Jean smiled faintly at Lilia's annoyed gaze. He easily lifted his wife's slender body, then carried her into the bathroom. The man pretended not to notice that the tips of Lilia's ears were turning red.
After enjoying a relaxing and refreshing bath, Lilia finally regained her energy. She changed into a sky blue blouse and a knitted snow white skirt. Then she slowly walked towards the sofa where Jean was waiting for her. Her steps were still shaky and her legs were staggering a bit, but at least Lilia could walk by herself now.
Lilia sat beside Jean and stared out the window. The morning sunshine was warm, its rays illuminating the beautiful forest scenery around them. Amidst that green scene, something caught Lilia's attention. She was surprised to see two tents standing not far from their RV.
At first, she wondered if anyone other than them had come to this village. Then Lilia realized that the two tents had been set up by Clifford and his co-workers. The bodyguards began to dismantle their tent, stopping occasionally to scratch something.
When Lilia took a closer look at the two bodyguards, she saw mosquito bite marks on their faces and arms. Realisation hit her hard and her face turned red. The two men must have been on guard outside the RV all night!
No matter how soundproof the RV was, the sound from last night must have been leaking out. So Clifford and company set up their tent some distance from the RV so as not to disturb the couple. The bodyguard could only curse his fate. Even after coming all the way to this remote village, he still had to be a mosquito repellent for his boss!
*****
Around ten in the morning, Jean told Clifford to drive them back to Magetan. Their purpose in coming here had been fulfilled, so there was no reason for them to stay any longer.
The RV sped away, leaving the village abandoned by time. Jean continued to stare at the small village until it was out of sight. Then he looked ahead, as if leaving the past behind him.
Not long after Lilia and Jean visited Arum Village, the Genesis Company started a new project to develop the village. It took them three years to completely overhaul the place. Three years later, the village changed its name to Kusuma Arum.
People who visited there learned that there were two parts that had not been overhauled. One was a small alley, while the other was a bush near the village's gate. In the years to come, dramatic love theories and stories emerged to explain the two special locations.
*****
On the way home, Lilia sat comfortably on the sofa while occasionally opening her mouth to receive an orange slice. Sitting on the sofa opposite her, Jean was seen peeling an orange with great diligence, then fed it to Lilia. It looked like this was how Jean apologized for what he did last night.
Clifford glanced at his fellow bodyguard with a dry smile from behind the wheel. His colleague was flabbergasted to see his cold-hearted boss spoiling his wife. Jean's head security tapped his colleague's shoulder with a sympathetic expression. Finally, he had a partner as Jean's private mosquito repellent!
Jean was feeding Lilia when he felt the curious gaze of one of his bodyguards. The fourth son of the Widjaya Family turned his head and shot a knife-sharp gaze at him, who then hastily stared straight ahead. Jean began to consider retraining his family's bodyguards. They all seemed to need to be taught some manners towards their master's wife!
If Clifford and his other bodyguards heard about it, they would have begged Jean to drop his intention. Neither of them wanted to receive personal 'training' from Jean!
"Jean? What are you thinking?"
Lilia's sweet voice took Jean's mind away from the terrible idea. He turned back to focus on his wife, who was cocking her head in an adorable gesture. Actually, Lilia's attitude was no different from usual, but after going through an intimate moment last night, Jean felt that woman was much more charming than before.
Then Jean's gaze fell on Lilia's neck, which was covered in kiss marks. He shifted his gaze with an awkward expression. Jean knew he shouldn't leave marks where others could see, but he couldn't help himself last night. He wanted everyone to know that this woman really belonged to him.
Jean got up from the sofa and rummaged through their belongings. After finding the object he was looking for, Jean returned to the sofa. He ignored Lilia's astonished gaze and wrapped a thin scarf around her neck.
"Wear this," he shortly said.
Lilia tugged at the end of her shawl with a disgruntled face. "But I'm not cold," she protested.
"It's been getting cold lately. I don't want you to get sick." Jean replied with a flat face.
Lilia still looked dissatisfied, but she didn't protest anymore. Jean returned to feeding her fruit while trying to find a way to improve her mood.
When their vehicle had just arrived back in Sarangan, Jean's cell phone suddenly rang. The man took out his cellphone with an exasperated expression. He had instructed Kenny, his personal assistant, not to be bothered by anyone until he returned to the office. However, Jean's expression changed as he read the name on his cellphone screen.
Lilia noticed Jean's mood swings and leaned towards him. She had seen the name on his cell phone screen before the man picked up the phone. Why did James, Jean's eldest brother, call his brother at this time?
The woman studied Jean's expression attentively. She couldn't hear what they were talking about on the phone, but Jean's change in expression had explained everything. The man's handsome face turned grim and his brow furrowed deeply.
"... well, I'll be back as soon as possible." Jean replied before hanging up the phone.
Lilia swallowed the orange in her mouth before asking, "What's wrong, Jean?"
But the man shook his head and grabbed Lilia's hand from across the table. "Clifford will drive you back to Magetan. I have to return to the main house of the Widjaya Family." Jean said in a low voice.
Lilia's heart sank when she heard that. Did something bad happen to the Widjaya Family that Jean had to hurry home? Were James and Irene alright? What about Claire and Andrew?
"Jean, what happened?" Lilia repeated her question while trying to suppress her panic. She refused to part without knowing anything because Lilia was also part of the Widjaya Family now!
Jean was silent for a few moments. The man's gaze caught the worry on Lilia's face and he finally opened his mouth. "Do you still remember the person who picked up your phone when you called my family's house 14 years ago?" he asked.
Lilia didn't expect that Jean would ask about that, but she nodded. She still remembered the voice of an old man who questioned her excitedly.
"The person who picked up your phone is Uncle Hans, the butler who has worked for the Widjaya Family for many years. Brother James said that Uncle Hans… won't last much longer." Jean said in a deep voice.
After saying that, Jean turned his gaze outside the window. His flat expression was the same as usual, but Lilia felt that the man was hiding his sadness.. The butler must be someone very important to him.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l