IN THE CAGE

49. FIREWORKS

...NORMAL pov...

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"You did your job well, Angga. I'm amazed at how you look tonight." With a smile that does not fade from his face-Evan said while looking at Anggara like an older brother who looked at his own sister. Next to his hand held a wine glass, while the other hand he used to pat Anggara's shoulder.

"Don't be too happy, I'm doing this for Indira." Anggara chiming ketus. The sweet persona he displayed in front of Margot had faded, gone, leaving a stern look full of pent-up resentment.

"Speaking about Indi, where's my sister? Why don't you come with him?"

"Don't worry about it, I take good care of it."

"Are you sure?" Anggara worried about Indira.

Her stone-headed sister was usually the center of the party's attention with her elegance and beauty. The absence of Indira tonight even makes Anggara feel his sister is in a bad condition.

"I'm her husband, Angga." Evan's answer made Anggara swallow the slur that was about to escape from his mouth. The eldest Rashid took a deep breath and exhaled heavily.

"If you say it like that, then I will entrust it to you." Even if it's a lie. Anggara plans to visit Indira later - either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

"Keep Indira, how close is your relationship with our 'target?"

"I've only met him twice, what do you expect?"

"I was expecting something more than nonsense, Angga." Evan laughed faintly, as if his words were no warning. "Did you forget what I said? The safety of your Indira, even me, depends on your ability to figure out the situation in their family."

"...."

"At least make yourself useful, goddamnit!" Evan downed his wine and passed from the front of Anggara who again swallowed insults like swallowing a knife in the esophagus.

"It's no wonder why the Rashid family fell under your leadership!"

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The highlight of the event most anticipated by invited guests tonight was fireworks that he said would be detonated when the time showed at 12 p.m.

Through the balcony that is stuck in a corner of the second floor - not so far from the ballroom and facing perfectly towards the pier where the fireworks will be lit, Vera Hanz - a head bodyguard while Margaret Hunter stood alone on the balcony. A cigarette butt tucked into his lips as he savored the cold night breeze that was wafting to greet his face.

In addition to invited guests, bodyguards are prohibited from entering the ballroom. Due to that rule, Vera and the other bodyguards could only stand like idiots in front of the hall room. At least, for some time-Vera stood there like a fool. Until he finally ran to refresh his head to this place. The other bodyguards were still waiting in front of the tightly-covered hall door and some were sleeping standing up.

"Fyuuuhhh~" A puff of cigarette smoke billowed out from Vera's lips. Mixed in the air with the thick aroma of tobacco. At that moment, along with the puff of smoke that escaped from his lungs - Vera felt a sense of relief and tiredness that clashed.

The job as a bodyguard is exhausting. It's even more tiring when he's got a boss like Margot who is unpredictable at all. Now, thanks to a secret mission Margot gave to David, Vera who filled David's position so do not have time off. It sucks and one time, it feels like torture.

"Remember why you're here, Vera. Remember..." The only way to motivate yourself is to recall the reason he was here. That he had a long debt that needed to be in 

Vera's long-running train of thought came to a halt just as the balcony door opened violently from the inside. A person with a violent leg stomp drove towards the balcony railing, propping both his hands up there and-

"AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!"

A loud shout escaped the lips of the man, making Vera who was near the wall shocked. What is it with these rich people? Come and suddenly scream?

Vera became uncomfortable being there. The newcomer man looked extremely depressed and angry. Vera knows, rich men who are in a depressed and angry mode are not the men she wants to meet, because they remind Vera with her own boss (Ace). They were people with terrible temperament problems.

Convinced and ready to leave, Vera, who still had a cigarette on her fingers, tried to sneak quietly to the half-open balcony door. He stepped up and stepped up and...

"Shut up there!" The man's voice was familiar and not-it wasn't important because now the man was aware of his whereabouts. Goddamnit!

"You think I didn't know you were there?" The man in the donker blue shirt turned to face Vera, his angry eyes instantly stunned when he realized who was now standing clumsy near the open door.

"Veras?"

"Huh, yaaa..." That man is Anggara! Goody! This is amazing. Vera felt she was going to meet her end.

During his meeting with Anggara, Vera always left a bad impression on the man. Helping Anggara in the bathroom is a commendable thing, but berating Anggara when he is drunk is the thing that can make Anggara twist his neck 180 degrees from its original position. 

"So that's you..." Anggara sauntered over to the girl who was now smiling uncomfortably under her eyes. The smell of tobacco and smoke from the cigarette rolling on the floor caught Anggara's attention for a while.

"You smoking?"

That's unsurprising. Anggara did not think Vera was the type of girl who would smoke, instead - she looked like a girl who would keep rabbits in her backyard while wearing strawberry robes and watering flowers.

"Good night, Mr. Anggara." Vera ignored Anggara's question because she thought the answer was obvious. "Sorry to bother you." Even if it's the opposite.

"Don't apologize" said Anggara. His own fault had already appeared to this place and shouted. His reputation as the head of the Rashid family can be tarnished if Vera talks this situation to Margot. 

"I'll say goodbye then." Vera was about to escape, but again, with her words, Anggara prevented the girl from escaping before him.

"Tunjuuu," said Anggara. The short distance left between him and Vera was trimmed step by step. "The fireworks will be lit any minute, stay here."

"N-no..."

"Are you afraid of me?"

"Huh?" The problem is not fear, but discomfort!

"Come.." without waiting for Vera's decision, Anggara pulled the girl's wrist towards the cold balcony railing. Inevitably, Vera followed him with her footsteps dragged.

"Here's a good spot, isn't it?" Anggara said with a joke, in his heart was happy to have made Margaret Hunter's accomplice tremble uncomfortable to be by his side.

"I don't like it very much inside, the place is very crowded" Anggara said again.

"O-oh." Vera stutters. His mind was focused on Anggara's hand anchored on his shoulder.

It shrank in the arms of Anggara. His body was goosebumps and it was not because of the cold sting of the night breeze, all the discomfort that gnawed at his skin was sourced from that tall man scented like cinnamon.

"Sir Angga..., are you okay?" Not knowing what to say, not being able to pretend to be stupid either - Vera brought up what she saw before. Anggara's angry flames were released in the air.

"I.., I'm good." Anggara was a little surprised by the backlash. "I'm sorry, you must be surprised."

"That's okay."

Anggara kept quiet and looked at Vera from the side. Seeing how the girl pursed her lips, the nose shriveled uneasily and the narrowed eyes held in fret.

While the girl was silent with an expression of regretful face, Anggara felt pleasure for the results of his actions that made Vera very tense in her embrace. The reaction that girl gave was adorable.

She's the kind of girl who makes you want to tease her all the time to see her funny reaction.

"Ah.., it's started..." The expression on Vera's face changed as fast as lightning as the first explosion of fireworks scattering in the sky.

Vera turned her head towards Anggara and gasped as her eyes and the man's eyes met. "The fireworks.." muttered Vera.

"I saw it," Anggara chimed in before turning to look towards the sky. Explosions after explosions of colorful light flooded the dark night sky.

For some time, the two stood still in silence. There was only the sound of their breathing blowing faintly, chimeing with the boisterous sounds of fireworks erupting in the distance.

Until finally, the light faded. The beauty presented in that brief moment found its end. The balcony that was previously bathed in colorful light faded again.

Vera's eyes were full of enthusiasm when she felt the vibration of the phone in her shirt pocket. Like flipping a light switch, Vera's attitude changed when she reached into her pocket. Anggara who was at his side was pushed away.

"Hello, Willa? Oh, well. I'll be there soon." Vera intercepted the call asking her to return. After answering the phone, Vera faced Anggara once again.

"Lord Anggara, the party's almost over. I'll go back to my post. Thank you for accompanying me to the fireworks." Vera bowed politely before Anggara, paying her respects before leaving from the man's presence. "Then I'll go."

Just as Vera was about to leave as well, Anggara caught Vera's wrist, pulling the girl strong enough that Vera was drawn to her chest.

"E-uh?"

"Something." said Anggara, eyes on Vera's ears. "Ah...., is this a tattoo?"

"Yes?"

The tip of Anggara's fingers sweeps the tattoo engraved under Vera's earlobes.

Hopeless Romantic.

The words were engraved like calligraphy.

"I'm sorry, I thought it was shit."

Vera pulled herself away immediately from Anggara and gave the man a look of condolence. "No problem."

"You can go." Anggara said at last, releasing Vera from his palm. Vera left from the front of the man with a question mark filling her head.

Is that guy crazy?

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