That evening, Dahlia, accompanied by her assistant, Shanice, headed to Dwi Hartono's residence. Dwi, a billionaire in his sixties with a passion for collecting luxurious homes and condominiums, was known to be Mathew's favorite former Marine client. As Mathew had said, Dahlia was indeed the favored broker for Dwi Hartono. Several of the high-end homes and condominiums Dahlia had shown him were bought on the spot without much hesitation or consideration.
The congested city traffic made Dahlia and Shanice late. It was growing dark by the time they arrived at Dwi Hartono's opulent, palace-like mansion. They were greeted by Dwi's personal assistant, a striking woman with shoulder-length brown hair dressed in a red blazer. She led them into the three-story Mediterranean-designed house.
Dahlia and Shanice walked gracefully behind Dwi Hartono's assistant, passing through large pillars that supported the mansion. The former Marine was already waiting for them in a spacious room adorned with marble walls, terracotta-colored natural stone, and medieval European-style ornaments. The stout man with gray hair and beard smiled warmly at Dahlia and gazed at her with admiration.
"Welcome, ladies."
"Sorry for the delay, Mr. Hartono. We were stuck in traffic for nearly two hours," Dahlia explained.
Dwi rose from his seat. "It's no problem. Please, have a seat."
Dahlia and Shanice settled onto a sofa facing Dwi.
"What would you like to drink?" Dwi asked, offering drinks with a courteous smile.
"Anything will do, Mr. Hartono," Dahlia replied.
Dwi turned his attention to Shanice. "And you, Miss? What would you like?"
"Anything," the slightly nervous girl replied, as it was her first time accompanying Dahlia to meet such a distinguished client.
"Donna, please bring them the most refreshing drinks," Dwi instructed his attractive assistant.
"Certainly, Sir." Donna left the room.
They engaged in small talk for a few minutes until Donna returned with a tray holding two cups of warm mint tea.
"Please enjoy, ladies," Dwi said as the assistant served the drinks.
"Thank you." Dahlia took the handle of her cup and sipped the tea.
"I will be purchasing all the properties you've offered, Miss Vilhem. I am buying them for my niece, who greatly appreciates your selections," Dwi explained.
"I'm flattered. Thank you for you and your niece's appreciation of my choices," Dahlia responded.
"Ms. Vilhem is indeed very talented in this regard, Sir," Shanice added.
Dahlia smiled sweetly at Shanice. The conversation with Dwi Hartono continued for several minutes.
"Excuse me, Mr. Hartono. I need to use the restroom," Dahlia said.
"Donna, please show Miss Vilhem to the restroom!" Dwi instructed Donna, who stood faithfully beside him.
"Yes, Sir. Right this way, Miss Vilhem." Donna guided Dahlia down the corridor to the right of the lavish mansion.
Dahlia followed Donna through the marble-walled corridor. Antique wall sconces mounted every two meters added a classic, elegant touch reminiscent of the corridors in old European palaces. Before long, they reached the end of the corridor.
"From here, turn left, Miss," Donna directed, her hand gracefully indicating the way to the restroom.
"Okay. Thank you," Dahlia responded, making her way alone towards the bathroom.
Dahlia intended only to check her makeup. She had had a restless night and did not want dark circles under her eyes to be glaringly obvious. After a quick touch-up, she emerged from the restroom and walked cautiously back towards the meeting room. However, a doorless room a few meters across from the restroom caught her eye. She noticed a wooden shelf laden with books. Dahlia, an avid reader, was irresistibly drawn to investigate.
Without permission and driven by curiosity, Dahlia ventured into the room. The space was lined with neatly arranged bookshelves, resembling a quaint library. Dahlia scanned the room's corners, finding it unoccupied.
Her gaze drifted over the thick volumes on the first shelf—encyclopedias and biographies of notable figures. She reached for a biography of Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa. Just as her fingers grazed the book, a shadow flickered in her peripheral vision. Peering through the narrow gap where the book had rested, Dahlia glimpsed a figure across the bookshelf. The man from her dreams was standing there, his sapphire-blue eyes locked onto her. A smile, almost predatory, stretched across his thin lips.
Dahlia's eyes widened. As if struck by a jolt of electricity, she felt her body tremble and her heart race uncontrollably. The book slipped from her grasp. "Oh my God!"
In a panic, Dahlia bolted out of the room and into the corridor, halting at the threshold of the meeting room where Dwi was waiting. She rushed towards Dwi, breathless and slightly disheveled, and took a seat, trying to regain her composure.
"What's wrong, Ms. Vilhem?" Shanice asked, her curiosity piqued by her boss's unusual reaction.
"It's nothing. I was just eager to continue our discussion with Mr. Hartono, so I hurried," Dahlia explained, attempting to reassure everyone in the room.
"Well then, it's time I introduce you to my niece who has come all the way from Romania," Dwi announced.
Dahlia furrowed her brows, her interest piqued. "From Romania?"
"Yes, Miss. My niece's father was Romanian. After his death, she and her younger sibling moved here," Dwi explained before turning to Donna. "Donna, please fetch my dear niece. Let her know that her favorite broker has arrived."
"Of course, Sir." Donna promptly obeyed, exiting the room with a swift yet graceful stride.
A short while later, Donna returned with a man. Dahlia fought to maintain her composure, sitting elegantly while focusing on the floor. But her curiosity was overwhelming, and she couldn't resist looking up. When she did, her heart seemed to leap into her throat. Oh, God! The man was real.
Dahlia's knees felt suddenly weak. She took a deep breath, nearly unable to exhale due to her shock. She stared at the floor, counting down from ten to zero—a habit she used to calm her nerves. Once she felt steadier, she looked up again, summoning the courage to meet Dwi's niece.
"This is my niece," Dwi said.
Dahlia forced a stiff smile at the man standing beside Donna. The tall, athletic man with brown hair returned her smile with a warm greeting.
"Hi," he said, "I'm Vlad."
"Hi, I'm Dahlia. Dahlia Vilhem."
"Nice to meet you," Vlad replied.
"Nice to meet you, too." Dahlia's gaze wandered over Vlad's face and body, her mind racing. The blue-eyed man in the slim-fit black shirt was identical to the man from her dreams and the stranger she had encountered on the street that night. "Have we met before?" Dahlia ventured.
Vlad shook his head. "I don't think so. I just arrived in Summerdale last night."
Really? Could there be two people so strikingly similar in the world? Dahlia was left in a haze of confusion.