Part 22.


    The morning sun began to rise, streaming through the gaps in ra’s bedroom curtains.


    Her phone had been ringing several times. There was a call from Joe.


    ra quickly slid the screen of her phone to answer the call from the man.


    “Good morning, Uncle!” ra greeted.


    “Good morning, ra. I’ve already left, sorry I couldn’t take you to school,” the man said from the other end of the phone.


    “But why, Uncle?” ra protested.


    “I feel like your efforts won’t seed, ra. We’ve been pretending to be in a rtionship for almost three weeks now, but… I’m not interested in you at all,” Joe said.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    “But Uncle! This isn’t even halfway through, 45 days is still a long time, Uncle!” ra tried to plead. “Uncle Joe doesn’t intend to terminate the contract agreement before its time, right?” ra added, getting out of bed. Her chest felt tight as if she had just been heartbroken by her lover.


    “No, I just need to focus on my work!” Joe reasoned. He just didn’t want to put ra in a difficult position. If Mrs. Linn felt bothered by ra’s presence, Joe was afraid that his mother would push ra away from his life.


    “But Uncle!”


    “What else, ra?” Joe asked, his tone firmer than before.


    “Didn’t you kiss mest night, Uncle Joe? Doesn’t that mean you like me?” ra asked, recalling the events ofst night. She felt like Joe had kissed her, but she wasn’t sure if it was a dream or real.


    “What? You’re dreaming, ra! I never kissed you! It’s clear that you were dreaming!” the Uncle used. “Don’t be too confident, ra. Your taste may be high, but sorry, you’re not my type,” he said. Joe had to say those harsh words not to hurt ra, but to protect her.


    Click. ra, hurt by Joe’s words, ended the phone call just like that.


    She stood up, grabbed a towel, and headed to the bathroom.


    Ten minutester, ra finished her shower routine. She emerged from the bathroom wearing her uniform.


    After getting ready, ra left her room. She walked quickly down the stairs, apanied by a driver to school.


    Joe watched ra from his balcony. He remembered the events ofst night when he left ra’s room. His father, Mr. Bond, was still in the living room.


    “My wife and I consider ra as family, but that doesn’t mean you two will get married and be husband and wife. Be careful, Joe, or you could lose ra if my wife finds out about this!” Mr. Bond said upon seeing Joeing out of his room.


    His father’s words made Joe take action. He had to take a step back to keep the girl by his side.


    “ra, you’re beautiful and smart. I don’t want to ruin your rtionship with my family. I just have to make sure your future is secure,” Joe muttered as he looked at ra’s picture on his phone screen.


    ==?==


    This morning, the handsome CEO asked Antoni to pick him up. His secretary sat behind the wheel, while Joe sat in the back.


    The man looked gloomy, with his eyes always looking out the window. Something was bothering his mind. However, Joe wasn’t sure what he was feeling.


    “Sir, are you daydreaming?” Antoni asked. “You seem different this morningpared to yesterday,” he added.


    Joe raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?” His voice was t. Antoni was always interested in observing,pared to Vivian, his ex-wife.


    “Yesterday, Mr. Joe, you were always smiling. Especially during lunch, you always smiled while enjoying your lunch… Uh, this morning, I didn’t see the floral pattern paper bag!” Antoni said, looking around.


    Joe remained silent, trying to decipher what was in his heart. As if there was a speck of dust bothering him there.


    “Sir!” his secretary called.


    “What’s your mistake, Antoni?” Joe’s gaze sharpened as he looked sharply at the man.


    “Frankly… I followed you yesterday!” Antoni confessed.


    “You followed me?”


    “Yes, I was very curious about the person who gave you the floral pattern paper bag!” Antoni said, hoping Joe wouldn’t get angry.


    “And then?”


    “Forgive me, sir, I followed you from in front of the house until we arrived at the office!” he confessed.


    Joe nced away.


    “Is it the high school girl who made you lunch and made you very gloomy this morning?” Antoni couldn’t contain his curiosity.


    “Shut your mouth, or I’ll…!”


    “Yes, sir!” Antoni interjected, scared of Joe. He didn’t expect his boss to be this angry.


    ==?==


    “Aren’t you eating, ra?” Nadia asked. Usually, ra would open her lunchbox.


    “No, I’m not hungry,” ra replied, resting her head on the bench. Every break time, ra always sent a message to Joe. But not today. ra even hesitated to open her phone screen. She didn’t want to see Joe’s picture, which always greeted her when she opened her phone.


    “Is this because of Uncle Joe?” Nadia used. Who else could it be but the handsome CEO uncle? ra’s sadness andck of enthusiasm were clear reasons for Nadia.


    “Don’t talk about him for now, please,” ra requested.


    “Okay, okay, I won’t,” Nadiaplied.


    Her friend took another sip of her juice, her eyes always observing ra.


    “Nadia!”


    “Yes?”


    “Do you think I should just give up?” ra asked, feeling desperate.


    “Give up?”


    “Last night, I dreamt that Uncle Joe kissed my forehead. I’m scared, I’m afraid of getting hurt because I’m hoping too much,” ramented.


    “If it makes you happy, go for it. But if it makes you sad and gloomy like this, it’s better to stop before you get hurt,” Nadia advised. Seeing ra sad and without parents, Nadia felt touched. Sad!


    “Okay, Nadia, I understand,” ra replied.


    Ding…


    Ding…


    The bell for thest ss rang. It was time for math ss, ra’s favorite subject.


    Usually, ra would pay full attention during math ss. However, this time she couldn’t focus. Her mind wandered elsewhere. Moreover, when she checked her WhatsApp messages, there wasn’t a single message from the handsome Uncle.


    Until the bell for dismissal rang, ra was still lost in thought. Not a single piece of information entered her mind.


    “Let’s go home!” Nadia invited. ra didn’t hear the dismissal bell. Yesterday, she always looked at the clock above the ckboard because she wanted to call Uncle Joe right away.


    ra followed along and took Nadia’s hand as they walked.


    Arriving at the gate, Nadia, who was no longer in the dormitory, was always picked up by her mother on time. While ra this time was still waiting for the family’s private driver to pick her up.


    A message came in from Mrs. Linn.


    [ra, you go home by yourself, the driver is taking me and Kimmy to the doctor!]


    [Okay, Mrs.]


    ra walked towards the bus stop next to the school gate.


    “I’ll take you home!” Mario said, suddenly appearing beside her. Her ssmate was sitting on his motorcycle.


    ra returned Mario’s gaze.


    “Come on! Don’t refuse, I won’t let anything happen to you!” Mario exined. He just wanted to give ra a ride.


    “Okay,” ra agreed. She took the helmet from Mario and put it on. Then she got on, riding behind Mario.


    “Hold on!” the high school senior instructed ra.


    ra held onto both sides of Mario’s shirt. Thetest model motorcycle from a well-known brand started moving, cutting through the city streets in the afternoon.


    Mario drove slowly. There were a few things he wanted to ask the girl riding behind him.


    “ra!” he called out.


    “Yes?”


    “Why don’t you ever reply to my messages every night?” Marioined. It was tiring to send messages, already checked the blue ticks, but got no reply.


    “I’m studying, we have final exams soon, Mario!” ra reasoned. Although every night, she studied apanied by Joe. She didn’t have time to reply to Mario’s messages, because the time spent with Joe was very valuable.


    “Really? Don’t you have a special guy friend?” he probed.


    “No!” ra adhered to the agreement, she couldn’t tell anyone except Nadia.


    “Oh, thank goodness,” he said. “How about tomorrow afternoon I pick you up?” Mario offered.


    “Where are we going?” ra asked. She had no ns to leave the house, let alone go out with Mario.


    “Did you forget?”


    ra thought for a moment.


    “Tomorrow we have an event at school, a prayer event for the senior students! You’reing, right?” Mario reminded her. He was surprised that ra could forget.


    “Yes, I’ll go,” ra replied.


    “Shall I pick you up?” Mario urged.


    “Yes.”


    Mario arrived in front of Joe’s house. He parked his motorcycle.


    ra got off Mario’s motorcycle.


    “Thank you,” ra said as she returned the helmet to her friend.


    “You’re wee,” Mario replied, shing his sweetest smile for ra.


    She walked away from Mario. Opening the gate and entering the house.


    Mario then started his motorcycle and went home. He felt happy. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow. He wanted to pick up ra with his red Ferrari.


    …


    Not long after, the sound of Joe’s car was heard. The eagle-eyed man arrived at his house.


    “Hasn’t rae home yet?” Joe asked, not seeing Mr. Joko’s car in the garage.


    “ra has alreadye home!” the female servant watering the flowers replied.


    “Where’s Mr. Joko?”


    “Mr. Joko is taking Mrs. Linn and Mr. Bond to the doctor, sir,” she answered.


    “So ra came home alone!” Joe emphasized.


    “ra was brought home by her friend, sir!” she replied again, raising her eyebrows. It was unusual for Joe to ask in such detail.


    “Oh!”


    Joe hurried into the house. He climbed the stairs to the second floor quickly and widely. Two steps at a time.


    The man barged into the room. Impatiently! He turned on the CCTV because he wanted to know who had apanied ra.


    Hisptop screen started ying the event from fifteen minutes ago. Even though she was wearing a helmet, Joe knew who had apanied ra. “That Mama’s boy.”


    “Look, ra! You’re not a faithful girlfriend. Just one day I didn’t pick you up, and you let someone else take you!” Joe eximed. He grimaced harshly, impatiently wanting to talk to ra right away.