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Austin Keano yawned as soon as his feet stepped into the main door of his residence. Behind him, a man he knew to be his foster brother followed.
If Austin hadn't stayed up late last night; sitting for hours in the car while enduring the numbness in his thighs—because that part of his body was used to hold Kenan who had fallen asleep after getting drunk, he wouldn't have come home looking haggard.
Actually, Austin could have woken Kenan up to switch places after he carried him to the car before Kenan was fully unconscious. However, he didn't want to do that. Kenan's sweet face was to blame, a face that was so peaceful in sleep when its owner was lying comfortably in his lap. Drowning Austin in its charms to keep him gazing at it, occasionally stroking his dark lover's handsome and sweet face.
Stretching his arms to loosen his muscles, Austin asked without, before responding to the greeting of Rhys' butler who had worked for his family for ten years. "Where's Helena?"
Servant Rhys blinked. "Madame hasn't come home from last night, after she left so soon." Like Austin, the middle-aged man was surprised. He thought Austin knew where his wife had gone, but he didn't.
While beside Austin, Kenan looked at the man who looked visibly worried. His lips twitched to create a lame smile before he turned away and went to his room upstairs with a smile that he had held back a few seconds ago when Austin was still looking at him.
Not even four steps away, Austin called out, "Kenan!"
Kenan turned away, with a smile that had disappeared. "Yes?" His expression was as innocent as possible, looking at Austin who had lost the sleepy look that had been on his face for a while.
"I wanted to talk to you."
Kenan gasped the second his right arm was grasped tightly by Austin's strong fingers, the man led him upstairs without caring about Waiter Rhys who was rather gawking at Austin's drastic change of pulling Kenan and carrying him up the stairs and going to the left wing of the penthouse which was none other than where Kenan was staying while staying with him. Correct the word hitchhiking, because they were lovers from the affair that could be said to be living together.
The brown-painted door was closed tightly by Austin as soon as they arrived and his hand that held Kenan's arm firmly was released.
While his back was leaning against the door, his eyes were staring straight at Kenan who was also looking at him intently. Kenan knew very well what was being said in the man's dark irises to him-even though his lips were still sealed.
"Last night, my wife saw us do it, right?"
It was exactly what Kenan thought. Austin must have asked him that. So, should he be embarrassed like a bitch for getting caught seducing someone's husband? Not just seducing, they even went so far as to have wild sex.
It was still fresh in Kenan's mind every second of her copulation session with this man who was her husband last night.
So, should he be ashamed?
If the word shame is reminded to him, he will automatically remember the time when the man used to invite him to watch a video recording of himself being rotated during group work. At that time, Austin said that his pride was not even more than one rupiah when he threw a piece of money right in front of Kenan as a price for his services to accompany his friends.
So, after everything had passed, should he feel ashamed? Kenan laughed to himself. As they say, rice has become porridge. Then Kenan would add a complementary ingredient to his porridge.
"If so, why?" While smiling sweetly, Kenan asked back in a casual manner that seemed apathetic. His shoulders shuddered briefly before his feet took a step closer. "Are you afraid, Mr. Keano?" he whispered in Austin's ear through a sighing tone of voice.
"Don't wake the sleeping lion! Clean yourself up and get some breakfast, we're going to the office in an hour." Austin grabbed Kenan's shoulder, moving the man's body away slowly with a faint smile. He stroked the man's cheek before leaving him.
The door closed again along with Austin's figure who had disappeared from sight. Leaving Kenan standing alone with a flat expression.
That's how Austin is, he thought. Always avoiding if Kenan talks about something that concerns Helena. Austin's avoidance was none other than because he felt guilty for his wife.
*
The sound of a cell phone greeted the senses as soon as a man opened his eyes. A woman was still lying beside him, still asleep. Silently, he reached for the cell phone that had been ringing on the manuscript table. His eyes stare blankly at the nickname on the screen. Then he glanced at the woman beside him, the one who had once and now filled his heart, Helena.
The man, Ivan, was initially about to let the call continue to ring because the owner of the cell phone, Helena, didn't wake up even after the third call. However, when Ivan was about to put the phone back, without waking Helena—the woman moved and slowly opened her eyes.
The ringing cell phone then caught her hearing, making her stare at Ivan in blurred vision. However, she seemed to have realized where she was. In bed with a man who was not her husband.
A look of surprise, fear, and anxiety flashed briefly across her features before she found herself still fully clothed. Then relief filled her chest, after she had thought she had betrayed Austin by doing something with another man.
"Your phone's ringing," was Ivan's first word after he had spent the night, holding her in his arms.
Helena wordlessly reached for him. Her eyes widened when she saw who was calling, Austin. She quickly picked up the call. Next, there was a male voice from the other side. His tone was worried, but she knew it probably wasn't for her.
"Helen, where are you? Why aren't you home?" Austin forgot the fact that he hadn't come home last night either.
"I ..." Her voice trailed off, while her attention was on Ivan who was also staring at her. Waiting to see what answer she would give as an excuse. "I overslept at a friend's house," she continued. In the end, she looked away from the man in front of her with a guilt-filled expression. After all, it was Ivan she was worried about, not Austin who was her husband.
"Oh..," a casual reply sounded from the other side. Helena knitted her eyebrows. Was Austin really relieved by her answer? She sensed that if Austin didn't care about her, as long as she could hear the good news straight from his lips, he wouldn't worry anymore.
Just as she expected, Austin immediately turned off her call unilaterally without saying any sweet words as usual, when the man named Kenan entered her household.
Ivan, on the other hand, was staring dazedly at Helena, who had her eyes downcast.
"Ivan!" called Helena softly.
Ivan was stunned when he heard the soft voice through the woman's mouth. He was amazed as soon as he met Helena's gaze, a woman he couldn't have, if he had his way, he would.
Helena's gaze darted towards her with a gentle look. Yet, it was full of intent to convey something. Ivan wondered in his mind, what did that look mean? There was emotion in that pair of brown beads. Helena showed it without hesitation, provoking Ivan's desire to ask.
"Is there something you have to say?" he asked.
Helena nodded. "You know Kenan, right?"
Stuck in his position, Ivan hesitated whether to answer truthfully or not, because he knew that Helena wanted him to do something to his best friend.
"You love me, don't you?"
What is this? Why would Helena ask such a question? Skeptical and still doubting the man's feelings for him—after all this time Ivan hadn't let another woman into his heart, Helena who obviously already knew that he loved her so much was now asking such a question.
"I want you to do something for him," Helena threw out, and succeeded in making Ivan unable to move.
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