The sound of shattering glass rang out loudly—echoing throughout the room. Below him, Austin just stared in amazement at Kenan who shot him a piercing glare with a ragged breath. Meanwhile, beside him, the glass bottle had shattered-spreading sharp pieces that could hurt the skin if not careful to touch it.
"That's enough!" snapped Kenan, his one hand holding the bottle trembling as his breath faded along with the emotions he was desperately suppressing.
It was clear to Austin's eyes that Kenan was really on the edge. The man's eyes narrowed at the bottom of the bottle which had formed an irregular sharp pointed line. Austin could imagine how painful it would be to be pierced, but he wasn't afraid.
"Don't you think, I'm the same old Kenan," he threatened emphatically, "And again, if you intend to act like that. Then I will really crack your head."
After saying his threat, Kenan stood up from Austin's body. The sound of laughter came from behind Kenan after he turned away—making Kenan look back at Austin, the owner of the laughter. There, no more than a meter away from him—Austin was looking straight at Kenan. There was a strange atmosphere that Kenan couldn't interpret.
This time the surprise came back with him, through a pair of the man's eyeballs Kenan saw the courtship of a light that he had never seen—in the old Austin. There was no need for light to distinguish every kind of look in the man's eyes. Even through the darkness, Kenan could already tell the difference, because he knew Austin inside and out.
Kenan frowned, he looked at Austin through instinct. A fleeting feeling of unfamiliarity passed through his heart, but it gradually faded with time.
"You owe me an explanation."
Kenan's brow furrowed even more. He asked, "What do I have to explain to you?"
Austin was still staring at her. Until, one answer that nagged at his heart was revealed, "What's your relationship with Markus?"
At first glance, the calm lines of Kenan's face began to show tension. He wanted to turn his face away this time, but that only made Austin even more curious. In the end, Kenan simply answered while continuing to try to maintain his calm expression.
"Just an acquaintance, I used to work for him," he replied with a faint tremor of emotion in his tone.
Austin smiled dismissively. "As his slave?"
Not even a second after Austin said that, the sound that came from the palm hitting the skin of the cheek was loud in both of their ears.
Kenan was the culprit, glaring at Austin with a glint filling his brown eyes-which were clearly visible in this dimly lit room.
Austin was like a statue. He froze letting the numbness from Kenan's slap envelop his white cheeks that were reddened from the marks of the man's slapping hands.
"Didn't you always say I was a bitch? You even invited your friends for ...."
Kenan could not continue. The one hand he had used to slap Austin was clenched tightly again, ready to deliver another blow. However, when he looked at Austin's expression, the man could only sigh harshly, turning his gaze away in disgust. He turned away—before ever seeing a line of Austin's apologetic expression—unable to ignore the guilt gathering in his throat. It seemed his consciousness had started to recover from the hard slap from Kenan earlier.
Austin didn't mean to do anything bad to Kenan, but he was so frustrated by the events he saw that night that he couldn't sleep.
***
The classical music of one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's musicians played faintly through the tinkling piano keys in a room filled with somber light from the ceiling lamps. It was a private room of a restaurant in one of Jakarta's malls. Right at the round table covered with a white cloth that could be said to be of fairly good quality. There was an adult male figure placing an empty glass cup whose contents he had finished upright. In front of him—a woman looked straight at him with longing eyes. There was a disgusted look on the man's face as he glanced at the woman. His brow furrowed and his lips drew into a downward circle.
The man spoke, "So, Freya, where did you get the devious idea of accusing me of embezzling Mark's money?"
Freya Anastasia quickly gave an excuse, "I did that to get you back with me."
Kenan's eyes flattened, apparently not knowing how much trouble she was in for her silly wish.
Freya continued, "It's okay, I still have the money. I hid it somewhere. If you're willing to go with me, I'll let you know. Or ... we can go to Canada with the money."
Kenan could only be dumbfounded—with her crazy idea. He moved his right hand, which was still touching the glass, to massage his temple, which was throbbing with dizziness. At the same time, Freya's grip on her left hand tightened.
"You took me to Canada with that money?" Kenan asked.
Freya couldn't see Kenan's expression at the moment, as he rubbed his face roughly again. So, she nodded vigorously. Shortly afterward, Freya heard a low chuckle that soon became a laugh.
Kenan was laughing—as Freya who was also looking at him expectantly, for the man she loved to accept her invitation.
After his laughter faded, Kenan's expression flattened. Roughly, he removes his hand from Freya's grip, and in the next second. Kenan slammed the table that was the barrier between him and Freya.
All the objects on the table were scattered on the floor in an instant in a form that was no longer intact. The table slammed to the side until there was no longer any barrier between Kenan and the woman.
Freya was stunned as she rounded her eyes at Kenan's reaction, the man's eyes narrowed with a sharp glance—while his breath came in gasps of anger as if his lungs were about to explode.
"You think I'll accept your offer?" his voice was low and flat, "You think I'm okay, after you accused me of that?" Kenan hissed, leaning his face closer—giving Freya—the woman she thought was a parasite—a sharp, piercing stare. How unfortunate for Kenan to know a woman like Freya.
Freya did not answer. Her lips were trembling with eyes that had glazed over. And Kenan sneered at that.
Freya could feel her whole body tense up as she looked into Kenan's cold eyes. Emboldened, she said, "It's because I love you," she said hoarsely.
After Freya expressed her feelings, Kenan raised his hand—wanting to slap her. Suddenly, Freya closed her eyes—ready to take it. However, the next second, she felt nothing for a few moments. Slowly, her closed eyes opened to find Kenan taking a deep breath with his hands clenched in the air. The man's hands trembled, before finally falling to his sides. In that instant, Freya's tears spilled over.
Kenan cursed under his breath, insults and scorn never escaping his eyes whenever he looked at her.
There was silence for a while before Kenan said, "Don't ever see me again, otherwise, I'll never be able to contain my anger in the next encounter."
After saying that, Kenan walked away. Leaving Freya crying in her place.
Ivan came when Kenan called him, the man was a little surprised to look at the messy room. The table had been moved to another place with chaos everywhere. Meanwhile, his eyes only stared coldly at Freya who was still in her position.
"Let's go!" called Kenan, stepping quickly ahead of Ivan who sneered at Freya with a scornful look.
Once they crossed paths with one of the services there, Kenan simply said coldly, "I'll pay for the loss."
***
In the two weeks since the incident, Kenan never went back to Austin's penthouse. He only slept in the Hotel Keano building, more precisely in his room and studied even harder about the company under Bernardi Keano. Although the two met frequently, Kenan only exchanged casual glances—like an employee with his boss. Monsieur Serge often called Austin, asking how Kenan was doing. Austin lied, saying their relationship was getting better even though it wasn't.
Thankfully, his father doesn't go to see him to check on his son's work as often as he used to. So, Austin didn't have to play games with Kenan. Since he came, his father asked him more often about the progress of their relationship. Not wanting to dwell on it, Austin focused his mind on some documents he should have signed moments ago.
Just as Austin was about to ink, a knocking sound from outside the door stopped him in his tracks.
He said, "Come in!"
The knocking sound was replaced by the door knob being opened, and in walked someone who Austin thought was one of the staff in his office. He didn't look up to see who had entered, just busily scribbling ink on paper to form a signature.
"These are the documents that need to be signed, I've checked everything. I'll excuse myself then." Kenan put down the sheets of paper along with the folder without saying much, his voice was filled with an unfamiliar tone, but it was the kind of voice Austin was familiar with.
Austin, who was focused on signing the documents, immediately raised his head to look at the voice's face.
As soon as Kenan turned to leave immediately, Austin instructed him to stop. He said, "Wait!"
His voice sounded stern, like a superior to a subordinate. Oh, wasn't that the position they were in now?
Following Austin's orders, Kenan reluctantly turned around and looked at him. Even so, not a word came out of his mouth.
"Are you going to leave right away?" Austin asked simply, once Kenan's gaze was fixed on him. He even forgot about the sentence he wanted to say after calling Kenan.
"Yes, I still have a lot of work to do." Kenan's tone sounded casual, but his formal style of speaking seemed to strike Austin with an unfamiliar treatment, as if there was no mutual acquaintance between them.
Austin remembered that answer, and he had gotten it before.
Back then, when Kenan had been away from his family for three years. They met in a strange place—by accidentally bumping shoulders. Even now, Austin still vividly remembers the details. How Kenan's expression looked at him at that time as he said, Do I know you?
Kenan, I apologize for what happened that night. You're right, I was drunk. I didn't realize everything, it was all out of my control. As an apology let's go together and have a drink at the bar.
Those few vocabulary words were neatly arranged in Austin's mind, ready to be spoken at any time. However, for some reason his lips wouldn't cooperate with his mind. Instead Austin just stared at Kenan with his lips trembling slightly.
"If you don't have anything to say I'll excuse myself."
Kenan bowed before leaving at a brisk pace, leaving Austin swearing and occasionally pounding on his desk.
After Kenan's departure the man ruffled his hair in frustration as he hissed.
Why is saying sorry so hard? Austin thought. How could it not be, in his entire life the man had only apologized to someone twice. The ego and pride he had since childhood had locked his lips tightly against uttering such words.
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