IN THE CAGE

87. HOW ARE YOU DOING?

...FAWN...

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As far as I can see, this party is going smoothly. I don't feel any outside interference, not to this party, not to Miss Indira who is now dancing with Ace Hunter on the dance floor.

It's so harmonious, I wonder what feeling Evan Caspian is seeing this appearance. Is he okay with his wife dancing with another man?

Well, that doesn't mean it's my business. There are no rules about who should dance with whom. I just feel..Didn't like what I saw, maybe?

I think Miss Indira is better off with Mr. Evan.

Ace too...., is he happy to be able to dance with Miss Indira?

"You're whining."

"I'm not." Uh, wait.., who's talking to me?

Still in shock, I turned around. My eyes met directly with Miss Margot's pair of black eyes that glittered wittyly. He looked at me for a moment, standing next to me with his hands clasping a glass of wine. I established my standing position and took one step away from Miss Margot. Not to be disrespectful, but I want to give it space to feel comfortable.

""How are you, Fawn?"

"I'm good, miss Margot."

"Oooh, Ace is so handsome today, isn't he? Do you have any idea how many women are trying to get close to her?"

"Miss Margot, why are we talking about this?"

Does he think I don't realize how many women are trying to spread their charms to Ace? Did he think I didn't realize Ace was so handsome in a velvet black suit and a red satin tie? He is like a handsome vampire who often plays the lead in adult novels. He's so amazing, my God. I'm not blind!

"What do you think of Ace and Indira?" Miss Margot ignored my question and continued speaking.

"They're compatible."

"really, right? Were it not for Evan, they would have been a charming couple. I think Ace is better at loving women than that Caspian curly."

Oh, maybe that's true. But thinking that Ace loved another woman - no matter how - I kind of disliked that thought. Is Ace that easily in love? Will she fall in love with anyone who is around her? What does it mean that I don't exist at all in his life?

"I thought, if Ace managed to tear down the Caspian family, it would not rule out the possibility that Ace and Indira would be together. That's perfectly natural, isn't it? What do you think?"

"I have no response at all to that." Lazy to respond to Miss Margot again, I left my position-contacting Joseph from the radio and immediately retreated.

"I need to go to the toilet" I told Joseph. With wide strides, I left the hall filled with the sounds of classical music accompanying Ace and Miss Indira to dance. 

'Yeah, shit, you guys are so compatible! Dance till you two're feet are numb, I don't care. I don't care at all. Want you to marry Miss Indira after this, even tonight, it's none of my business at all! Yes, just do it! Haha. Bodo highly!'

"Fawn, where are you going?" On my way to the bathroom, Aidan interrupted me. I stared at the long-spirited man.

"I'm going to the toilet, why?"

"No.., it's just that you look really..."

"Very what?"

Aidan scratched his cheek, "Are you okay? Did Miss Margaret say anything? I saw you guys talking and you got really mad."

Whahuh? Me...? Really angry?

"Don't joke. I'm not mad." Showing emotion while at work is a very unprofessional act. I always rebuked Joseph if he showed his emotions. How can I, I, who understand the rules, show my emotions?

Aidan must be kidding.

"I'm just a little tense because it's the first time I'm back on the pitch. Don't worry about anything." I flicked my hand in front of Aidan's face and forced a smile. "Continue your work, I'll be back in three minutes."

"Hmmm, by the way..."

What else is a fucker?

Aidan stopped my steps with his hand anchored to my shoulder. If he wasn't Mr. Evan's man, I would probably be slamming him right now. Does he want to die?

"What did Miss Margaret whisper to you?"

"..." - ".This bastard, is this his side job to spy on Miss Indira's neighborhood? She spied on me too?

"Ugh, I can pee in my pants if you keep talking to me."

"Fawn," Aidan insists on wanting answers.

"I hope you won't report this to Mr. Evan, "well, it's time to act.

By pretending to be mysterious and very secret-I approached Aidan and grabbed the man's shoulder. Since he was quite tall, I needed to pull him first in order to bend down near my face. "Miss Margaret said.E.ce was more handsome than Mr. Evan, he was quite disappointed that the closeness between Miss Indira and Ace only ended as a friendship."

"Huh?"

Actually it's not like that. Miss Margot's talk is worse. I only report this to a minimum and with a slight deviation. I give you a little spice so that Mr. Evan is jealous to hear this report later.

"Miss Margaret says Miss Indira looks very happy with Ace. I think it's like that."

"Fawn," Aidan looked at me with a frowned. Does he believe, he's gonna believe, right?

"I'm not lying." I said, fingers forming the symbol of peace.

"Are you aware that you've been referring to Mr. Ace by name?"

"..." - ".Fuckin' ass? That right?

"You know that's rude, don't you?"

"Well, aaaaaah..." I shook my hand in panic. What am I supposed to say. "I-I.., that's my old habit of being in Rashid's house. I'm sorry, I mean.., Angga's boss always says Ace's an Ace's-so I'm affected too. I'll fix the way I talk later. Hehe. Then..."

Time to escape. I can't take it anymore. I can't stand having to keep lying in front of the face of a man who, despite being quite handsome, is very annoying. If I keep talking to Aidan, I believe that in 30 minutes, that man will be able to learn the secret I've been keeping. His eyes were like a drill that hollowed out my brain. Frighteningly.

"See you," I said goodbye to Aidan and ran out of the hall. I went out the side door and headed towards the hallway whose suniness was very much different from the crowd of the hall. I set my breath there.

Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds...

My heart felt empty for a moment. As time passed, I wondered if I was the only one still stuck in that place. Stuck on the day I left Ace. Still thinking about it, worrying about the situation.

She must be okay, right?

Damn, this thought tormented me. I don't know what's wrong with myself. All the thoughts that filled my mind, haunting me felt terrible. As if I hadn't gotten out of that cage.

I miss freedom, but I miss it more now.

I didn't want him to suffer, but seeing him doing fine there, smiling faintly at every whisper of Miss Indira, I didn't like it. I hateit. Hated her.

"Damn it!" I cursed my own thinking. I should have worked professionally.

I better get some air.

With that goal in mind, I ended up waltzing towards the balcony at the end of the corridor. The shadow of the white curtain hanging on the door fell on the black marble floor. I walk over the shadow and want to pull the curtain wide, if only! My eye!

Right on the quiet balcony, I seemed to find. He was there, making out with. Wh-what-what the fuck just now? Is this the reason why he wasn't at the party? What the fuck? My eyes.., wait, that woman is familiar. Him, don't tell me that...

It's dark!

Eh?

Someone closed my eyes from behind, pulling me back with a force that, for God's sake, I couldn't bear. Shit, am I gonna get kidnapped again now? I won't let it. I'm going to scream now, huh, Mr. Anggara is going to save me...

Uh-mmpph!

"I believe you won't do that." The man whispered in my ear, the hand that closed my eyes now smothering my mouth. I froze. That voice.

"Shuuushh..., come here." Still pulling me away from the balcony, Ace took me to the other side of the corridor to the north. We entered a room adjacent to the hotel's ballroom. Various unused chairs, cabinets, and various non-essential items were there. It seems like everything that had filled the ballroom was transferred to this place for a while.

Oh, true. Forget about non-essential items and this dim room...

I turned around and immediately pushed the chest of the man who had been pulling me tightly in his arms. My eyes stared at the guts full of vigilance.

"Ace.." I reprimanded. "What are you doing?"

"You alone?"

"I.., I'm looking for fresh air."

"There's nothing fresh on that balcony, Fawnia. Are you being a perverted girl now?"

"Don't judge me." I held up my index finger full of warnings. Shit, realizing that right now I'm just with Ace gives me goosebumps.

"Fawnia..." Ace seemed to be aware of my discomfort. The witty sparkle in his eyes turned even calmer.

"I'm sorry I brought you here, I just can't help myself."

"I'm at work, Ace." I tried to calm my heart which is now stirring.

"I understand. I must have been bothering you."

"Don't exaggerate. You look fine anyway, don't you?" I forced a bland smile. "You look a lot like Miss Indira, to be honest."

Shit, why do I sound disgusting?

"Fawnia..."

"Uh...po-essentially..., don't come near me, okay? I'm not-"

"Fawnia, are you okay?"

"..."

"Are you okay without me?"

Damn, Ace. Why are you asking that? Do you know how much I worry about you? Do you know how hard it is for me to live my life thinking about you?

"Don't do this, Ace..."

I can't lose anymore. I don't want to be weak in front of this guy. He's the worst man in my life, I shouldn't have...

"Fawnia, I'm sorry for all my mistakes. I still love you. I'm not giving up. I'll bring you back to me."

"And lock me up again?" I feel tears in my eyes. I tried to avoid Ace's gaze under the warm light of the dim light. However, when I noticed a slight trace of the wound on his forehead, my heart felt excruciating pain.

Is that because of Jem? I heard he and the fucking Jem had a fight? What's Carcel doing until his boss gets hurt? Didn't he know Ace hated getting hurt?

"I won't repeat the same mistake again, but I'll never let you go." Ace took a step towards me. With a faint smile, her large and warm fingers anchored on my cheeks.

I stood at my place with my feet on the floor. My body trembled in fear, but at the same time - feeling that warmth created a faint feeling of relief in my heart.

I stayed for a long time under Ace's longing gaze. Eyes met eyes, his fingers down and down rubbing my cheeks and jaws, as if he was calming me down. In fact, he himself looks very chaotic with all that sadness.

"I'm sorry" Ace whispered once more. His forehead was anchored at the top of my head.

I.., still the same, heard his words in silence.

It was hard to forgive Ace after all the wounds he had inflicted on my memory. All the insults expressed on his lips, his coercive actions, his sudden rude attitude, I might respond calmly there because I was trying to survive. But now, thinking things back.., I couldn't nod my head at her just like that, couldn't run into her arms just because my feelings for her had changed.

It's not fair to me that he's ever hurt.

"I have to go, Ace." Saying that, I pushed Ace away from me. No words or precautions were spoken from his lips. He just let me go.

While my head was filled with Ace and his shoulder, I continued to rush over and hit someone who had just stepped in from the side of the balcony.

My eyes widened in surprise, greatly shocked as I realized who I had hit.

"Veras?"

So I was not wrong about the figure I saw with Anggara earlier, that figure indeed.., Vera?

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