Indeed, it was not Shafina who had just moaned contentedly beneath Alaric. Instead, it was an exceedingly beautiful woman with dark brown eyes. Her shoulder-length brunette hair cascaded gracefully over her feminine shoulders. She possessed the perfect profile of a chosen goddess, a celestial figure of elegance. Alaric observed her intently as he moved away, settling onto the sofa against the wall. The woman lay there, her breathing steady, a vision of pure beauty. Even Barbie would be envious of her natural, non-artificially enhanced chest. Not just Barbie, any woman would surely envy her. Shafina might even become infuriated, refusing to accept the fact that this woman was merely a physical satisfaction. Look at her, her supple form now slightly glistening with sweat under the dim lights. A flawless sculpture, utterly pristine. It was no wonder that God insisted on humans averting their eyes from the unblemished curves of a woman.
"Care for a cigarette?" Alaric offered.
She glanced at Alaric, a faint smile playing on her lips. Slowly, she pulled the blanket and settled on her side, facing Alaric, who sat back on the sofa nearby, gazing directly at her.
"You're like a porcelain figurine," Alaric praised.
A soft chuckle followed, "Thank you," she replied in a foreign accent.
"Where are you from?" Alaric inquired.
A brief pause followed as she tried to process the question, then she answered with a gentle smile, "Too far from here, the North."
Alaric frowned, then smiled wryly, "Why did you come to Jakarta?"
She raised her body slightly, covering her chest with the blanket, "The winters have been too harsh lately."
Alaric nodded and took a long drag from his cigarette. His eyes scrutinized the beautiful woman.
"What did they tell you?"
She hesitated for a moment, "I don't understand your question, Sir."
Alaric let out a frustrated sigh, "The old fool who summoned you earlier, what did he tell you to do?"
She sighed but maintained her smile, "I'm meant to satisfy you until you grow bored."
Alaric cursed inwardly then asked slowly, "Do you know who I am?"
She nodded and replied hesitantly, "Emyr Malik."
Alaric chuckled cynically. He looked at the woman with his not-so-big eyes, "Does that name suit me?"
A graceful laugh followed, but it abruptly stopped. Alaric raised an eyebrow, and the woman sighed. She said,
"Honestly, no, but that's not my concern. Although I was initially reserved for Emyr Malik, it's not a big deal to be requested by you now."
Alaric nodded, though he felt infuriated inside. Damn Jaya Emyr. Damn him to hell! Now, Alaric realized that Jaya Emyr probably knew that they would present him with a perfect woman, someone he would find hard to resist. Slowly, Alaric felt foolish. He gazed at the woman, understanding now that this Beauty, like a perfectly crafted doll, was an offering. Nothing good ever came from situations like this. Unfortunately, he had ignorantly devoured the offering from one of his distant relatives, whom he rarely ever met. He snorted while taking a drag from his cigarette, furrowing his brow in frustration.
"What else did they ask of you?" Alaric asked sharply.
The woman smiled, "Nothing else. Just their explanation that you have the right to possess me until you get bored. That's all."
"And you're saying that Emyr Malik has the right to claim you until he grows tired of you," Alaric retorted bitterly.
She chuckled softly, "I don't care. Here, I am a professional, Sir. I was told that you are the one I must serve."
Alaric nodded, "Very well. It's enough for tonight. You, take care because I'm sure my uncle will want to have a long conversation with you. Oh yes, tell him that I want my offering completely clean."
She smiled, "Alright, and thank you for not rejecting me."
Alaric muttered to himself, irritated. He intended to make Jaya Emyr pay for this. If he could. Damn it! This was the first time he had to deal with a transaction without Aymard's support. He had been warned by Dharma not to get involved with Rahadi Busro's games. Rahadi was different from all the relatives Alaric knew. If Dharma and Jatmiko were surrounded by light, Rahadi was the dark shadow that always accompanied them. His name alone was grim. It wasn't surprising that he was considered a target by the Corruption's Commission Watch. If his name didn't appear on the criminal list, you knew what it meant.
And now Alaric found himself indebted to him.
Damn it, why couldn't he think straight when this beautiful woman entered, and Rahadi ordered her to serve Alaric? Even worse, it seemed that Jaya Emyr and Aymard deliberately avoided confronting Rahadi. He reached for his phone, typing a message to Aymard. They hadn't communicated in almost a month, but Alaric didn't care. He was angry and felt entitled to protest.
AM 02:07 You got me into this with them! If this happens again, I'll expose everything to Mom and Dad. Maybe Aisha needs to know you're no angel! You bastard!
Alaric, with his thoughtlessness and recklessness. Ready to blame Aymard and Jaya Emyr for any misfortune that might occur. He didn't even consider that Aymard and Jaya Emyr were trying to push him to take things more seriously, to make him responsible. They knew that Alaric was capable, but he had been pampered. Maybe a bit of shock therapy was necessary for Alaric to realize that games like this for both Aymard and Jaya Emyr, were everyday meals that had to be dealt with cleverly every time. That a perfectly alluring and freely available woman was just a light snack that needn't be overthought. And that someone like Rahadi Busro would clearly not only play with someone like Alaric once.
Or perhaps, Aymard and Jaya Emyr were overly confident in Alaric? Expecting too much from his ability? It could be. Ah, clearly a disaster if it came to that.
*****