Lilia only smiled faintly at Merry's scolding. She rubbed the arm William had been gripping, as if she was trying to get rid of the trace of the man's touch, "Maybe Sara has her own plans for Rina." Lilia calmly replied.
Although Lilia was a little surprised to hear Sara signed a contract with Rina, she had guessed that the two people would eventually work together to bring her down. They might even have started working together since the incident at the Genesis Company celebration party. There was no way Rina and Peter would dare try to frame Lilia without someone supporting them to present at the party.
Merry snorted, "Besides, what is William Anggara thinking?! Isn't he Sara Hartanto's lover?! Could it be that he purposely approached Lilia because he was planning something!"
After saying that, Merry suddenly gasped in surprise.
"Could it be that the man approached Ms. Lilia on Sara's orders?! And that that woman told William to pretend to be sorry for leaving Ms. Lilia and ask you to return to him!" Merry started babbling excitedly, "Then when Ms. Lilia really believes in that man, Sara will appear and say that all this time William is just fooling you! Sis Lilia!" Merry turned to the model with a fiery gaze, "Don't let that man approach you again, okay?!"
Lilia looked at Merry while stifling laughter. Clifford also glanced at Merry in the rearview mirror from his driving seat. Their gazes both said that the young woman watched too many soap operas on television.
"W-What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Merry's spirit vanished as she took turns staring at the two in confusion.
Lilia chuckled and stroked her assistant's head, "It's alright. Like you said, I'll be more careful with William." Lilia said warmly.
Merry nodded with satisfaction and thought nothing of it.
*****
Clifford escorted Lilia and Merry to the agency office, where they took the party clothes Harold had prepared. Then they had lunch first before leaving for Yogyakarta.
The trip took about 5 hours by car. Lilia estimated that they would arrive in Yogyakarta around 6 pm. They might be a little late for the party, but Lilia hoped that Alfred could tolerate her busy schedule today.
When the car was driving down the highway, Lilia got a call from Alfred.
"Hello, Brother Alfred." Lilia greeted as she picked up the phone.
Alfred could hear the sound of a car on the phone, "Are you on your way here, Lilia?" The man asked.
"Yes, I just came out of Surabaya. Maybe I'll be a little late, I'm sorry beforehand." Lilia replied.
"No problem." Alfred's lips lifted into a broad smile. Hearing that woman coming was enough to lift Alfred's mood, "I was worried if you refused to come. Two days ago, my chief servant informed me that you returned the payment you had received."
Alfred also planned to send a driver to pick up Lilia, but since the woman had already left alone, he cancelled it.
"Ah, that's because I came today as a friend of Brother Alfred, not as a model. So I can't possibly accept that payment." Lilia answered firmly, "Think of it as a form of thanks for helping me all this time."
Alfred's heart felt warm when he heard Lilia's answer. The woman always treated him gently, politely and with great care. Lilia never looked down on him just because he was a lecturer. Even when the model found out that Alfred came from the richest family in Yogyakarta, her attitude did not change.
Lilia never once looked at Alfred's status. She always treated him only as an 'Alfred'. It was Lilia's character that captivated Alfred. He wanted to use this opportunity to become closer to that woman.
"Be careful on the road. I'll wait for your arrival here." After saying that, Alfred hung up the phone.
The man stood still for a few moments. His gaze was fixed on the view of the ancient style garden that laid in front of the Ricardo Family mansion. He was greeted with a gentle blow of summer breeze. The fragrance of colorful flowers also complemented the beauty of the place.
Alfred began to imagine what Lilia would say if that woman were beside him now, admiring the same scene as him.
"Young Master Alfred."
The butler's voice broke Alfred's reverie. The man turned around and saw an old man who was over 50 years old.
"This is an up-to-date guest list. Please check it out." The butler handed over the list to Alfred.
Alfred accepted the list and read it briefly. But his gaze turned sharp when he came across a name that wasn't on that list before.
"Chris Hartanto?" Asked Alfred, "Why is his name here?"
The butler nodded, "He is the second grandson of the Hartanto Family and a business partner of Young Master Henry. Mr. Chris has just called and asked for an invitation because he has something to discuss with Young Master Henry."
Alfred frowned with an exasperated expression, "It's been going on for a long time, but Brother Henry still doesn't realize what's going on?"
The old man gave a small cough before saying in a low voice, "You haven't been in Yogyakarta for the last few years, so Young Master Henry volunteered to take care of the family business."
*****
Lilia arrived in Yogyakarta at 5 pm. They were able to get there an hour early thanks to Clifford's great driving skills. The man was driving very fast and smooth, like a professional racer.
When their car drove down the streets of Yogyakarta, Lilia's gaze was glued out the window. The view of the historic city was decorated with trees with green leaves and looked very cool. For the first time since Lilia had an argument with Jean, she felt completely relaxed as she enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of Yogyakarta. Lilia wished she had more time to see the city, as Jean suggested.
Clifford drove Lilia and Merry to the hotel Harold had booked for them. The model was just getting out of the car when the cell phone rang.
[Jean]: "Are you there yet?"
Lilia automatically glanced at Clifford, who was helping Merry out of the car. She wondered if it was the man who told Jean that they had arrived in Yogyakarta.
Lilia replied to the message, "I've arrived in Yogyakarta safely, don't worry."
Jean didn't reply again after that. Lilia and Merry immediately put on the party clothes they brought before leaving again. This time they headed to the Ricardo Family mansion.
On the way there, Lilia recalled what Harold had said about the Ricardo Family. As the richest family in Yogyakarta, they had businesses in various different fields, ranging from tourism, real estate, to food.
The mansion they were headed for was located in the middle of the city. Even though it was in the center of the city, the mansion was surrounded by hills and dense forests. That peaceful and calm natural atmosphere could make someone forget that they were in the middle of the city.
Lilia's car traveled down the main road that led to the gates of the Ricardo Family mansion. The high gate was built like a palace gate in medieval times.
"Wow… the Ricardos are really great!" Merry exclaimed, her gaze was fixed out the window, "Sis Lilia, do you know that this family has been around for several centuries? They are descended from rich nobles and merchants! I heard that the Ricardos really value this house so they purposely keep their old style!"
Merry breathed a sigh of admiration as she clung to the car window. The young woman was wearing a pink, cherry blossom-colored dress that reached her knees. The dress made Merry look even cuter than usual. However, her beauty diminished because her hair was only tied up in a simple way.
After the guards at the gate checked their identities, the car was allowed to pass. They drove on a big road with rows of red palm trees and frangipani flowers, adding a natural and mystical feel at the same time.
The mansion's peaceful surroundings reminded Lilia of Alfred. No wonder the man looked so educated. Anyone would be like that when they grew up surrounded by this scene.
The path they walked on ended in a wide front yard. There were many many luxury cars parked.
Clifford stopped the car at the front door and immediately opened the door for the two women. Merry got out first, then she turned around to help Lilia out of the car. The two of them started walking up the front steps while Clifford drove off to park the car.
Lilia and Merry were greeted by servants at the front door. Because the guests invited were great and powerful people, the servants were very polite and careful. One of the servants there confirmed the identities of the two women before ushering them in.
They passed a long hallway, the walls of which were decorated with famous paintings. Apart from the paintings, there were also antiques displayed in glass cases, as if to showcase the wealth and long history of the Ricardo Family. Lilia suspected that the price of one of these antiques alone could reach tens of millions of rupiah.
Even though Merry looked around with shining eyes, she walked calmly beside Lilia. It was quite unusual for her as she always jumped up and down when she was in high spirits. This time, Merry was afraid of bumping into something or knocking herself over if she didn't walk carefully.
"Hmm?" Merry's gaze fell on the door at the end of the hall, "Sis Lilia, there is someone in front of us."
Merry's words made Lilia divert her attention from the painting on the wall. She saw a bespectacled man that Merry just mentioned. The man in a white shirt, dark gray coat, and black pants leaned against the doorway as if he was waiting for someone. A silver pocket watch hung in his breast pocket, adding to the elegant impression.
"Good evening, Brother Alfred." Lilia greeted with a warm smile as she and Merry arrived in front of the man, "Thank you for your invitation today."
While speaking, Lilia realized that Alfred wasn't wearing his usual black edged glasses. Tonight he was wearing gold-edged glasses, making him look like a young noble.
Alfred smiled back and nodded, "Thank you for coming all the way here. You look amazing tonight, Lilia." He complimented.
Lilia was wearing a ball gown that perfectly accentuated her curves. The dress combines blues and whites beautifully, like the blue sky on a sunny day. Her beautiful appearance was like a water goddess who came down to earth from heaven.
Alfred must admit that he was amazed when he first saw Lilia clad in that dress. He felt that his decision to invite the woman here was not in vain.
"Brother Alfred also looks very handsome." Lilia replied sincerely.
Alfred stretched out his hand, "I'll walk you in, Miss Lilia." He said while bending his body like a gentleman.
Lilia stared at Alfred's hand for a few seconds. Jean's face flashed across her mind, making Lilia hesitate to accept the man's offer. But she convinced herself that Alfred was just trying to act like a host.
"Thank you, Mr. Alfred." Lilia put her hand in the man's grasp.
Note:
-Please support my other title in the webnovel application
"Hidden Marriage With My Imperfect CEO" : https://www.webnovel.com/book/hidden-marriage-with-my-imperfect-ceo_17881455306500805
"Trial Marriage Husband : Beautiful Wife For Satisfy The Wild CEO" : https://www.webnovel.com/book/trial-marriage-husband-beautiful-wife-for-satisfy-the-wild-ceo_18245634206004805
"The School Prince Is My Beloved Pet" : https://www..webnovel.com/book/the-school-prince-is-my-beloved-pet_18028780605998105
Th𝗲 most uptodate novels are published on free(w)ebnov(e)l.𝒄𝒐𝙢