Alfred took Lilia and Merry to the backyard garden where the birthday party was being held. The vast garden was filled with chattering guests and busy servants. A large pavilion stood in the middle of the garden. There were guest tables and a small stage inside the pavilion.
When Lilia appeared with Alfred, many guests turned their head towards them.
"Hey, isn't that Lilia Pangestu?" One of the guests recognized her.
Although Lilia rarely collaborated with other celebrities and didn't know the guests here, these guests had extensive connections and they were keeping up with the latest news in the entertainment world. Lilia's striking appearance made her easily recognized by others.
"Wow, the Ricardos are great! Even the model who just started to dominate the international stage is invited tonight!"
"Look at the guy beside her, isn't that the young master of the Ricardo Family? I don't think he invited her just because she's a hot model!"
"Jeez, they are holding hands! They look good together!"
"Could it be that they intend to announce their relationship tonight?!"
Such rumors immediately spread among the guests. Lilia already knew that this would happen, so she wasn't surprised to hear that. But she felt embarrassed for Alfred, who was the victim of this misunderstanding.
"Umm, Brother Alfred? Thank you for taking me here. I'll join the other guests." Lilia said, subtly asking the man to let go of her hand.
"Then, I'll take you to meet people I know." Alfred replied with a smile. The man showed no sign of letting go of Lilia's hand.
The woman didn't know whether Alfred did that on purpose or he didn't catch what Lilia meant. But at least the man didn't seem bothered by the guests' comments.
Lilia looked around for a way to get away from Alfred without being rude. Her gaze fell on the pile of gifts near the entrance. Guests with gifts in their hands were waiting in line to give them to the waiter in charge of receiving gifts.
"Brother Alfred." Lilia stopped walking, causing the man to stop as well, "I want to give my present to your grandmother." Said Lilia as she glanced at Merry, who was carrying the gift box in her hand, "I'll be right back after…"
"Lilia." Alfred interrupted her. "Did you forget what I said yesterday? Grandma wants to meet you in person later, so you can give your present at that time." Alfred explained.
"Um… but…" Lilia glanced back at the pile of gifts with an uncomfortable face. If she handed the gift directly to Alfred's grandmother, wouldn't that make the gossip about their relationship even more intense?
"Grandma is looking forward to seeing you today. I'm sure Grandma would be happy to receive your gift in person." Alfred said softly.
"Hmm… alright." Lilia finally relented. If Alfred's grandmother wanted to see her so badly, she had no intention of upsetting the old woman.
Alfred was about to introduce Lilia to the guests when the butler of the Ricardo Family approached him.
Lilia saw the butler whisper something to Alfred, which made the man release her hand reluctantly. She didn't know what the butler said, but she felt very grateful to him.
"Lilia, I have to go greet my family business partners. Enjoy the party, okay." Alfred said before disappearing into the crowd.
The model secretly let out a sigh of relief. She and Merry went to mingle with the other guests.
Merry followed behind Lilia obediently. Her arms pinched the gift box while both hands were busy cutting the cake she got from the party waiter. Merry was so focused on her food that she didn't notice a figure appearing behind them.
"Oh, I didn't expect to see you here, Sis!"
Hearing that mention, Lilia turned around. She was shocked when she saw a familiar face at this party. The man was well-built and looked a little proud, reminding Lilia of Jean.
"Mr. Chris." Lilia greeted him.
But Chris answered with a flick on the forehead, "Why are you being so formal with me? Just call me your brother-in-law." He protested.
Lilia stared at the man closely. At first she thought Chris was a nice guy, but after seeing him again, her impression of him changed. She felt that Chris and Jean looked alike, like twins. That's why Lilia decided to follow Chris's wish.
"Do you happen to know the Ricardos?" Lilia opened the conversation.
"Yes, they are my business partners." Chris replied.
When Chris was talking to Lilia, his attention was distracted by the figure hiding behind Lilia. Chris tried to ignore the person, but one of the guests passing near them accidentally nudged the person. As a result, that person was pushed out from behind Lilia and revealed her appearance.
Merry was holding the plate of the cookie that almost fell tight. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the cake was safe. A second later, Merry noticed that a sharp gaze was fixed on her. She slowly raised her face and met Chris's eyes. Merry's face instantly turned pale.
'I got caught!'
"S-Sis Lilia, I have to go to the toilet! Excuse me!"
Without waiting for Lilia's answer, Merry fled from the place.
"Hey…!" Chris automatically stepped forward to catch her, but Merry had disappeared from the crowd. The man turned to Lilia while asking, "Isn't she…?"
"Ah, that's my assistant Merry. She's still young, so sometimes she lacks manners. Please pardon her behavior." Lilia said with a smile.
Chris frowned. It seemed that Lilia didn't realize who her assistant was. Did the Hiroshi Family know about this?
After Chris finished talking with Lilia, he went to find a quiet corner of the park and took out his cell phone. The person Chris was calling immediately picked up on the first ring.
"Jean, looks like the seventh son of the Ricardo Family is trying to snatch your fiancée!" Chris said in a cheerful voice. He sounded so happy when he broke the bad news to his best friend, but this was Chris's real personality.
Only those closest to Chris knew that this man actually had a cunning heart and was happy to see other people suffer. Everyone was always deceived by Chris's friendly face and his flawless upbringing, just like Lilia when she first met him.
For a moment, there was no answer from Jean. Chris waited with anticipation for his friend's reaction. He wanted to see Jean's jealous look, but since they were so far away, Chris wanted to at least hear Jean lose his cool. But his best friend just sighed.
"I know. That's why I told you to come to this party." Jean replied coldly.
Chris held back the curse that almost escaped his mouth and tried to calm himself down by lighting a cigarette, "You told me to come just to watch over your fiancée? Bro, if you're worried about Lilia, why don't you come here yourself?"
"I have no connection to the Ricardos." Jean replied shortly.
Chris couldn't believe his ears. So Jean forced him to come all the way to Yogyakarta just because the man's pride was too high to ask for an invitation from the Ricardo family? Chris vowed he would headslap Jean at least once the next time they see each other.
Actually, Jean had other reasons not to come to this party. He suspected that Lilia was keeping her visit a secret because she didn't want Jean to come with her to Yogyakarta. But Jean had no intention of telling Chris about it. He could already imagine his sly-hearted best friend laughing out loud when he heard that Jean was afraid of his own fiancée.
"Make sure Lilia returns safely. If you can do it, I will give you the land on Mount Fushi that you desire." Jean ordered.
Chris took a deep breath, "Looks like you really love her, huh." The man said in a sarcastic tone, "I've asked for the land for 3 years, but you never gave it to me! Now you are willing to give it to me just because I want to look after your fiancée?! Do you think you are a tyrant who can do whatever you want?!"
Tuut. Tuut.
Jean replied to Chris's long nagging by hanging up the phone.
Chris cursed as he slammed his cigarette on the ground. He poured out his anger by trampling the cigarette flat. After feeling a little calmer, Chris looked up at the night sky and sighed.
He had known Jean since they were little. The man never showed any interest in anyone but one girl. Jean just loved the girl and had been looking for her for years. If Lilia weren't that girl, how could Jean treat her this well?
Even though Chris was not a good person, he was still Jean's best friend. And as his best friend, Chris hoped that the girl he was looking for was really Lilia.
Chris lowered his gaze and checked his watch. Only a few minutes left before the party started. He turned around and was about to head towards the pavilion when he saw a woman hiding behind a tree. The young woman repeatedly peeked at the crowd of guests, as if looking for someone.
Chris's lips lifted into a sadistic smile and he approached her silently. Chris stopped behind Merry asking, "Who are you looking for?"
"Uwah!" Merry jumped up and turned hurriedly. As soon as she saw Chris, her body immediately shrank, "B-Brother Chris ..."
"Oh? Do you still remember me?" Chris asked in a sarcastic tone.
Merry was silent without being able to answer. Her hand was wringing her dress skirt nervously.
Chris put his hand in his pocket and glared at Merry, "Why are you working as Lilia's assistant? Do your parents know about this?"
"Umm… I-I…" Merry glanced from side to side, trying to find a way to escape this situation.
"Merry!"
Right at that moment, Lilia appeared. She became worried because Merry did not come back and decided to look for her. Lilia saw that her assistant was talking to someone in a corner of the garden. But she could not see who Merry was talking to because it was covered by the shadow of a tree.
"Ah, Sis Lilia! I'll be right back!" Merry exclaimed, waving her hand. Her panicked expression had turned to relief.
She turned back to Chris and lowered her head, "Brother Chris, I'll explain it to you later. Brother Chris has always been nice to me, so please don't tell my parents, okay!" Asked Merry before running after Lilia.
When she arrived at Lilia's side, the model was looking at Chris with a frown. Merry secretly prayed that Lilia would not recognize the man.
"Merry, who is it? What were you talking about earlier?" Lilia asked as she started walking towards the pavilion.
Merry was so relieved that she could not speak for a moment, "Oh, I don't know who it is either. He only asked me for directions to the toilet." Merry replied cheerfully.
From behind the tree, Chris became irritated after he heard Merry's words. He was tempted to come to Lilia and reveal the identity of the young woman who worked as her assistant, but he held back. Chris didn't want to know what Jean would do if he upsetted Lilia.
*****
The birthday party started at 6 o'clock sharp.
There were more than 50 tables provided for guests and not a single seat was vacant. Lilia and Merry got a table that was located right beside the main table. Remembering Alfred's attitude earlier, Lilia guessed that the man made this arrangement on purpose. From her sitting position, Lilia could see Alfred clearly.
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