"Oh, Mat. I need more time for that. I still have dreams I haven't achieved."
"What dreams are so important that they're making you postpone our wedding?" Mathew frowned, clearly displeased with Dahlia's reluctance.
"You'll find out eventually." Dahlia offered a sweet smile, hoping to ease Mathew's frustration.
Mathew sighed in exasperation. "You're being cryptic. You know I don't like puzzles."
Every conversation about their wedding seemed to end in frustration. They never managed to agree on a date for their marriage. Dahlia always had reasons to delay, despite their long-term relationship. Next month, they would celebrate their five-year anniversary.
"I'm sorry, Mat. I don't mean to upset you. I just need more time." Dahlia took Mathew's hand in hers.
Mathew gently kissed the back of Dahlia's hand. "It's okay. I'm heading to Sacramento this afternoon to handle some issues with our subsidiary there. I was hoping you could come with me."
Dahlia bit her lower lip, feeling the weight of disappointing Mathew again. "I'm sorry, but I can't. It's the end of the month, and my workload has piled up. Tomorrow, I have a meeting with Dwi Hartono, the Indonesian entrepreneur. Remember him?"
"Yes, of course. He's the former Marine turned rubber tycoon who collects luxury homes. He's a valuable client, one of our best." Mathew smiled. "You're his favorite broker, Darling. He trusts your choices implicitly. But remember, don't be too naughty. Even if he's older, he's still a man."
Dahlia laughed softly. "Mat, are you jealous of an old man?"
***
After seeing Mathew off to Sacramento, Dahlia returned to her end-of-month routine at the office. Buried under a mountain of work and reports, she lost track of time. It wasn't until her work was finally done that she realized how late it had become. The office was deserted, with only a few security guards patrolling the building, ensuring its safety despite the numerous surveillance cameras.
Dahlia drove out of the Brick Lane Realty parking lot, her fatigue and drowsiness beginning to take their toll. The streets of the small town were quiet, nearly empty. Suddenly, her car came to a halt in the middle of the road. Dahlia tried repeatedly to restart the engine, but it remained stubbornly dead. Deciding to check, she unlocked her phone—and, of course, it was low on battery.
Despair set in. Her eyes welled with tears of frustration. Regret for not accompanying Mathew to Sacramento surfaced. She wouldn't be in this predicament if she had gone with him. Dahlia buried her face in her hands, stomping her feet on the asphalt before resting her forehead against the car window. Then, she felt a touch—cold as ice but surprisingly gentle—on her arm. Her heart sank into her stomach. She wanted to cry.
Startled, Dahlia's phone slipped from her grasp. She closed her eyes, her breath coming in shallow gasps, her heart racing uncontrollably. Fear began to envelop her as her body went rigid and trembled.
"This."
The deep voice sent chills down her spine. Hesitant, Dahlia turned slowly and opened her eyes, her gaze scanning the figure of a man in a denim jacket standing before her.
Though only dim streetlights illuminated him, Dahlia could make out his chiseled jawline and the high bridge of his nose. His piercing blue eyes, elegantly set in his face, made him strikingly handsome. If not for his pale complexion, his features would be almost perfect. For a moment, Dahlia was captivated by his looks, but then the realization hit her: she was alone in a deserted street. The sudden appearance of this man reignited her fear.
If he's not a ghost, he's probably a thief. Dahlia convinced herself. She quickly took a few steps back.
"W-who are you?" she asked nervously.
The man took a step closer to Dahlia.
"Hey, stop! Don't come any closer! Who are you?!" Dahlia's fear escalated as the man continued to close the distance.
"I just wanted to return the phone you dropped." He extended his hand with Dahlia's phone.
Dahlia hurriedly took it, clutching the phone tightly with both hands.
"What's wrong with your car?" the man asked.
"I don't know. It just stopped suddenly."
"Can you pop the hood?"
Dahlia nodded, going to the front of the car and pressing the hood release button on the dashboard.
The man examined the engine closely. A few minutes later, he moved to the side of the open hood, revealing a part of his face, and said, "Try starting it again!"
With caution, Dahlia approached her car, got in, and turned the key. The engine roared to life! She got out of the car and walked to the front.
"Thank you—" Dahlia started, but she was startled to find no one there. The man had vanished. She quickly closed the hood and got back into her car. Terror gripped her, making her body shake uncontrollably. "Was he a human or a ghost?"
Dahlia pressed the gas pedal and sped away from the scene as quickly as possible. When she reached her apartment, she threw herself onto the bed. She stared up at the ceiling, adorned with dimly glowing crystal lights. The image of the man lingered in her mind, a haunting mystery that she knew would not fade easily. How had he appeared and disappeared so suddenly?
***
The night wind swept over Dahlia's body, clad only in black lingerie. She hugged herself against the chill, continuing to move through rooms shrouded in red fabric curtains. The curtains, billowing in the breeze, seemed to dance and beckon her to explore further. Dahlia cast her gaze to the right and left but found no one in sight. Driven by curiosity, she pressed on until she reached the end of the corridor. There, she found nothing but an empty, all-white room.
"Auw!!!" Dahlia's scream escaped her as she turned around and saw a strikingly handsome man with piercing blue eyes standing motionless before her. He wore a black shirt, unbuttoned, its flaps fluttering in the wind and revealing his broad chest and muscular abdomen. Dahlia swallowed hard, her heart pounding and her lips suddenly paralyzed. Fear began to creep in. She recognized the man—he was the one who had helped her when her car broke down in the middle of the road. "You?!"
"Yes, it's me." The man's sapphire-blue eyes locked onto Dahlia's golden ones. He gently took Dahlia's right hand and placed it on his chest.
Hypnotized by the man, Dahlia could only gaze at his mesmerizing face, stepping closer and closer until she almost pressed her body against his. As if savoring the moment, Dahlia closed her eyes while the mysterious man caressed her cheek and softly kissed her lips. Each kiss he placed on her lips asserted his dominance. He slid one hand around the back of Dahlia's neck, holding her in place as he explored her lips more deeply. Now, he was in control of Dahlia's lush lips. Instead of resisting, Dahlia relished the sensation. She lost herself in his embrace, following his movements as the tender kisses turned into passionate ones. Dahlia felt herself ablaze with desire as he removed her lingerie.
Groans and sighs were unavoidable. Dahlia didn't even consider who she was making out with; all she felt was the pleasure of being with this stranger. It wasn't until he undressed himself and attempted to enter her that Dahlia jolted awake.
Pressing her chest, Dahlia tried to calm herself. She sat up and exclaimed, "Damn!!! What's wrong with me? Why did I have to dream about this? I don't even know him."
Dahlia wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and touched her lips. Even though it was just a dream, the sensation of the man's kisses still lingered on her lips. She had never imagined betraying Mathew, even in a dream. No!