A Taste Of Billionaire's Temptation

The sound of clinking glasses and cheers echoed through the crowd of people in the spacious, lavishly decorated room. Several circular tables are scattered throughout the room, as well as four VIP-only rectangular tables near the front stage. These cheers were coming from the bar tables serving drinks, specifically from a group of humans who were now sipping as they closed their eyes to savor the sweet taste of the alcohol in their hands.

The taste was a relief. There was no bitterness. This room was full of fun, especially from the group of humans in front of the bar who seemed to be laughing freely after taking a sip of their respective drinks.

"We've exceeded our sales target again!" One of the men among the six cheered. His face was very bright. "Who are we?!"

"The marketing division team!" said a woman with tanned hair that was left down to her back.

"We got quite a bonus after a drastic increase in product sales due to a change in promotion strategy," said another without looking away from the tablet. His eyes were looking at the statistical data graph of the Aedest Beauty company's product sales over the past two months. There were lines that were initially up and down, some even going down almost to the bottom, but at the end of the first month they immediately went up and further up in the second month.

Holding a glass of drink with a grin, another woman said, "It's all thanks to Naira, anyway."

"Naira where's Nairaaa?"

"Thanks to everyone, just don't mention Naira."

A woman appeared suddenly from the back - a direction that none of her six division mates had noticed. She was walking while holding a still full glass. Her eyebrows rose and fell as she stopped two steps behind the woman who had mentioned 'thanks to Naira' earlier. While her six division mates watched from the bottom up, the owner of the name Naira casually sipped the drink in her hand.

It was only after taking a sip that Naira raised her eyebrows, making a questioning face. "What's wrong, how do you look like that? Is something strange?" she asked frantically. She looked frantically at the dress she was wearing, checking if there were any parts that made her look ridiculous to her friends.

"It's weird because you're really pretty tonight! Oh my God, you really didn't mean to dress up like this!"

Naira, who had looked worried, then chuckled with relief. "So you were going to say that, Nadira?"

The woman in front of Naira, Nadira, grinned. "What else is there to say after seeing your current appearance?"

"Naira! I thought you weren't coming, I've been waiting for you!" The man in a suit with a bow tie-only the man was wearing a bow tie-approached Naira after clapping his hands once. "Thank you, yes. Your idea is brilliant, we can increase our product sales and get a big bonus!"

Naira sighed. "All ideas," she corrected with emphasis. "Oh, have all the relations come from the company?"

Glancing at the clock, Daven replied, "They should have all come. It's just that not everyone from the WhiteAction Beauty company has come yet."

"They are our company's collaboration partner, right?" asked another woman who was standing next to Daven.

Daven nodded his head. "Yes. I'm told that their marketing division team is equally great."

"I heard that the marketing team has one member whose identity is invisible because he's always working behind the scenes," Nadira said, her tone casual but her face suggesting enthusiasm. "And tonight he's coming after only the marketing team knew about him."

"The member who works behind the scenes? He's deliberately hiding his identity?" Raka, the man with the only bow tie, chimed in. "How could he? Isn't every company proposal or meeting with other relations, the marketing division team is always there and their faces are always displayed?"

Daven snapped his fingers, agreeing. "Well, that also makes me think. What if there's a company proposal when proposing a collaboration or introducing a product, he's not visible too?"

Nadira shrugged, not understanding but thinking the same thing as her two coworkers. "His face doesn't want to be shown. Maybe whenever there's a meeting with clients or company relations and a product is being discussed, he prefers to be behind the scenes.

Even so, that person always makes the company's products sell well, sales are always increasing and have even been bigger than what we get now. He's almost the same as Naira, so he's the key to the company's progress."

"Nadira..." Naira reprimanded Nadira with a displeased tone of voice after hearing her coworker's last sentence. After Nadira put on another smirk, Naira sighed. "If her identity is unknown, how did you know that?"

"You know, Nor, Nadira is the queen of gossip. She's the sharp-eared one who's always eavesdropping on any news," Raka replied.

Naira couldn't help but smile when he pointed at himself. After that, Naira's conversation with her marketing team ended, coinciding with the shrill sound of the mic signaling that someone was getting ready. Naira and her six marketing friends turned their heads in unison towards the stage. A well-known emcee hired specifically for this gathering was already on stage, looking ready.

"Looks like it's time," Daven said amongst the silence of his friends.

Then the seven of them walked from the bar through the scattered circular tables. Some of the people who had been gathering with teams from other companies to chat or who were in other companies' seats then moved from their respective positions. Everyone moved to find their team seats to watch the event that was about to begin.

"Check... check..." The host ignorantly created a heavy voice that sounded ridiculous, making the few people who were already settled in their places laugh. After clearing his throat a few times, the host adjusted his shirt collar. "Wow, a very luxurious inter-company marketing division team meeting, huh.

Seeing all the elegant, bright-looking people here-not to mention the Aedest Beauty company's marketing team, which I hear has seen a huge increase in product sales in just the last two months, I think tonight is going to be a very pleasant gathering."

Naira and her six coworkers were already standing a few meters away from the stage. They nodded politely in response to the host's words. As the host spoke the opening lines, Naira looked around. Then Naira's gaze fell on a seat not far from where her marketing team was sitting. It was the seat belonging to the marketing team of the WhiteAction Beauty company. There were already a few people there, and the faces were familiar to Naira.

So, who was the 'someone behind the scenes' as Nadira had said earlier?

Everyone was already in the seats. Naira didn't expect that behind the faces of WhiteAction Beauty's marketing team, there was another person that Nora and everyone else didn't recognize. Naira thought Nadira might be spouting some nonsense that was rumored by who-knows-what. After all, how could someone who was key to the company's progress not be recognized by anyone?

Especially considering that the WhiteAction Beauty company often attended these kinds of meetings, their contacts were so extensive, plus of course their marketing division team also attended meetings with clients and other company relations. Wouldn't it be impossible to hide their identity from a bunch of activities that require them to show their face?

Also, how could someone let themselves go unnoticed while being the key to the company and let people only recognize other marketing division team members?

"Okay. We are giving a very special welcome to the Director and owner of the Aedest Beauty company that we know is being discussed. We welcome... Director Edgar Albert!"

A round of applause echoed through the room as a man in his fifties made his way from the VIP seats to the side of the stage. With a smiling face, the man climbed the steps to walk up to the host who accompanied him from the stage steps.

During the excitement, Naira did not pay attention, just clapped her hands without looking away from where the marketing team of the WhiteAction Beauty company was sitting. Even at this hour, that person hadn't arrived yet? Nora became convinced that there was no such person.

"And we know that good cooperation will result in an equally good or even better impact. Aedest Beauty's marketing team has already had their share of hard times when they started as a team in the first year..." Mr. Edgar's voice was heard delivering a speech-like sentence. His face looked so proud, his smile widened.

"I would like to call one of the representatives from our company's marketing division team who has always come up with brilliant ideas for product promotion strategies to accompany me on this stage. Naira Alya Kinara!"

As soon as she received a gentle pat from the side, Naira snapped out of her reverie. She saw Nadira and her friend gesturing for her to come on stage. Naira realized that all pairs of eyes were now on her, including Mr. Edgar on stage. Naira's awkward smile curved before she finally stepped onto the stage.

Applause could be heard from the crowd along with a few smiles thrown at Naira. Especially the people who were in the VIP seats, seemed to like Naira as she walked elegantly.

Once on stage, Naira shook hands with Mr. Edgar with a slight bow in greeting. The two seemed to step aside to make room for the host to reach for the microphone again.

"Now that we've seen the Director and marketing team representative from Aedest Beauty, it wouldn't be complete if we didn't also invite the Director of WhiteAction Beauty and her marketing team representative to the stage."

This was the moment Naira had been waiting for. Naira felt curiosity rising in her chest. Who would be the representative of WhiteAction Beauty's marketing team?

From the side of the stage, after being called, Mr. Dandi-Director of the WhiteAction Beauty company-appeared and walked up to Mr. Edgar. They shook hands briefly before the host smiled.

"This time, the representative of the WhiteAction Beauty company's marketing division team is someone different. Let's go ahead and welcome... Adirga Al Kenaro!"

Naira froze where she stood. No, no way, she thought to herself over and over again.

But when she turned her head, her heart skipped a beat.

The Adirga Al Kenaro mentioned was someone four years ago-someone who left her without a word.

In front of a full-length mirror, Naira stood with both hands on the ceramic edge of the sink. It had been almost fifteen minutes since Nara had moved from her position. After facing her meeting with someone named Dirga earlier, Nora held back the old feelings that boiled up while standing next to Dirga. Once the welcoming ceremony from both sides of the company on stage was over, Nora immediately took the opportunity to say goodbye to escape to the bathroom.

Naira's breathing was irregular as her heartbeat raced. Dirga's arrival was clearly not a good thing for Nora. Someone who had disappeared three years ago without Naira being able to reach him was now back in front of her. She thought Dirga had gone abroad and would never return.

But why was it that after Naira had begun to organize her life better, got used to being without Dirga, and no longer thought about her, he came back in front of her?

Naira sighed for the umpteenth time. As long as she imagined the events of three years ago, Naira could only adjust the rhythm of her heart so as not to race fast enough to make her chest tight. Her eyes closed as her head bowed slowly. Naira shook her head repeatedly to get the unpleasant thoughts out of her head.

How could Dirga suddenly appear?

"So, he's been working at the WhiteAction Beauty company all this time?" Naira muttered still with her eyes closed as she caught her breath. Then she laughed wryly. "How I feel stupid not knowing anything."

Naira's eyes then opened again as her head lifted. Now, Naira looked at her reflection in the long mirror of the sink for a few seconds. It seemed like a long time since Naira had tried to recover from 'that' incident, Naira had never seen her face radiate worry. It had taken years for Naira to put herself back together, was now the time for her to face the things that made her fall apart?

Dirga's arrival made Naira feel very uncomfortable. A little bit of worry was creeping in. The frown lines on her forehead clearly showed her worry. In front of the mirror, Nora straightened up as she practiced calming herself down: taking a deep breath, then letting it out slowly, taking another breath, letting it out slowly.

The effort was repeated over and over again. Naira's fast-paced heartbeat slowly subsided. Although a glimmer of worry remained, Nora looked up and said to herself, "It's okay, Naira. It's just a small problem. You've been through a lot and you can live without him, right?"

Naira once again turned on the tap water to wash her hands. A chill ran down the pores of her skin, sending a coolness that instantly calmed Naira. It was as if the worries fell away and flowed away with the water. Naira occasionally checked the makeup on her face while still washing her hands, then finished washing her hands before stepping outside.

As soon as the door opened, there was a faint sound of the event crowd, Naira was still walking while wiping her hands with a tissue. But a hand from the side suddenly grabbed Naira's wrist and pulled her body to turn around. Nora who gasped spontaneously looked up while simultaneously twisting her own hand to twist the hand of whoever from the side.

"A-ah... gosh, it hurts."

Naira immediately let go of her hand with bulging eyes after seeing a tall male figure in a white suit and long black tie. The man grimaced at Naira and held her hand. Naira was instantly struck by awkwardness, but she covered it up by putting on a normal face as if she didn't feel guilty.

"What's the need, Mr. Dirga?" asked Naira when she was desperately trying to contain her awkwardness. Naira's eyes glanced sharply at the man she called Mr. Dirga. "Instead of holding someone's hand suddenly like that, why don't you call my name? Sorry, I'm not comfortable."

After her shock and surprise, Dirga looked at Naira who threw a sharp gaze. Seeing Naira's appearance now and her elegant aura made Dirga almost speechless. Naira's figure was much different compared to four years ago. More beautiful and sweeter. Why should Dirga let go of this woman first?

But after all, Dirga must not let go of his authority. So, Dirga straightened up as he muttered for a long time, looking for the right words because he actually didn't know why he pulled Nora.

Her movement was so spontaneous after seeing Naira's figure coming out of the door.

"I-I mean, I... eum, I don't have anything to do, actually."

Just like that, Naira sighed and immediately turned around. For the second time, Dirga reflexively grabbed Naira's shoulder from behind. Dirga's movement certainly created an unhappy response from Naira. With a single jerk, Nora brushed off Dirga's hand on her shoulder.

"Mr. Dirga heard what I said earlier, right?"

Naira's tone sounded cold.

Dirga immediately withdrew his hand from Naira's shoulder. He was instantly struck by awkwardness. Watching Naira's sharp eyes seemed to lock Dirga's legs. It was the first time that such a look had been seen in Naira's beautiful eyes. The aura of hatred clearly radiated there. Dirga never thought that it wasn't just Naira's appearance that had changed, but the way she looked at Dirga.

And it was possible that her feelings had changed.

"I'm sorry, I was reflexive," Dirga said quietly, suddenly feeling suffocated by Naira's cold words. "I want to talk to you."

"I've been letting you talk."

"Please don't call me sir," Dirga said quickly, making Nora somehow wince. Dirga's eyes lit up with sadness. "I didn't expect you to be here."

Nora remained silent, not answering anything. Her eyes looked straight into Dirga's eyes. Slowly but surely, Nora began to feel the pain returning to her heart. In a flash of memory, Nora was thrown back to the look in those eyes-the look in those eyes four years ago that hadn't changed: still warm, still soothing. But now it wasn't just warmth and comfort that came to Nora's chest, anger also seeped into the crevices of her heart.

"Me too," Nora finally replied. "Someone else should have been the one behind the scenes of the WhiteAction Beauty company. Or should I not have come here?"

Dirga could clearly hear Naira's resentment in her words. Although Naira masked it with an expressionless face, Dirga knew that Naira would never really be the same as the Naira she once knew.

"If it wasn't you, we wouldn't have met," Dirga replied later.

"Sure. Maybe it would have been fun for each other. Because it seems that Mr. Dirga, who is reportedly very professional, is not comparable to me, who has only been helping to increase sales for the past year."

"Only for you when it comes to fun," Dirga said, making Naira frown. "Not for me. It wouldn't be fun if we didn't meet."

Naira looked at Dirga with a narrowed gaze as a pair of eyebrows drew together. "Why are you talking to me as if you know me so well?" she asked a little unreceptively.

Dirga replied with a very brief chuckle, "No, I don't know you. We don't know each other."

"That's right. That's right. So I think it's better for Mr. Dirga not to cross the line too much," Naira pressed once again without hesitation, her eyes blatantly showing sharpness.

When Naira looked at her sharply, Dirga's head was automatically half bowed. The more she saw how Naira looked at her now, the more Dirga found that Naira was different from the Naira of old.

"Don't be like that. I've actually closed my identity because I felt uncomfortable, but I realized in the end that it's still like this."

Both of Naira's eyebrows rose at Dirga's statement. Naira was well aware that there was a tinge of regret in the man's eyes, but she chose to give him a lopsided smile. "That's right. Don't we all know that hiding yourself is the act of a loser?"

To that sentence, Dirga was taken aback. Naira openly showed a lopsided smile from one corner of her lips. Dirga felt as if that sentence had slammed straight into her chest without warning. It hurt. Tight. A bunch of feelings that Dirga had been harboring suddenly burst out.

"Are you angry with me?" Dirga asked without preamble. It was the question that had been stuck on the tip of his tongue.

Nora looked at Dirga for a moment. She didn't know what to think. But clearly, Naira couldn't help the turmoil of feelings-anger, disappointment, excitement, and fear-mixed together. "Angry?" She smiled wryly, then chuckled. "Mr. Dirga and I just met. Why should I be angry when it's just the first meeting?"

First meeting. A subtle but piercing sentence.

Dirga looked down for a moment because the sentence was clearly intended as an insinuation. "First meeting..." Dirga murmured emphasizing the two words, but Naira could still hear them. "Yes, I forgot this was the first time you and I met."

Without saying anything else, Naira immediately turned around to walk away from Dirga's presence. Leaving Dirga transfixed where she stood with a lump of guilt slowly spreading throughout the heart space. Within seconds Dirga's hands on both sides of his body immediately clenched into fists as the tightness increasingly pressed on his chest.

Naira had really hated her. Dirga saw that.

So is there still a chance for Dirga to fix what she did four years ago?

Dirga and Naira really just want a quiet life without any distractions.

So far, each of them had lived a life that was quite complicated and full of obstacles. Many misfortunes came to disturb their tranquility. Even with a thousand patience moves, Naira and Dirga were still only human. He had often dealt with a thousand-no, maybe more-things that distorted his calculations.

Especially Naira. She had always had one simple wish: for things to go according to her calculations.

That wish might sound trivial to anyone. When everyone wants to achieve this and that, Naira just wants things to go according to her calculations.

Like now.

"DAMN DIRGA! COME HERE!"

Among many misfortunes, Dirga was the ultimate misfortune for Naira.

"I SWEAR I DID NOTHING! WHY ATTACK ME?!"

Naira ignored Dirga's exclamation and continued to chase the man while lifting the bottom of her dress. It was a good thing Naira wasn't wearing a dress with waves down her legs. Other than the fact that she didn't like troublesome things, Naira knew that something like this would happen.

"DIRGA!"

They ran after each other without realizing they had arrived at the hotel ballroom. Several people in formal attire sitting at round tables and standing around chatting with each other turned around to see them suddenly emerge from the path leading to the restrooms. All of them simultaneously glared at Naira who was running while lifting the bottom of her dress and carrying heels.

'Maybe Naira is crazy!' Dirga thought as she tried to escape Naira's reach.

Naira's face looked furious and vengeful at the man who ran a few meters ahead of her. They slipped between several people who were standing in a huddle. The crowded ballroom made it difficult for Naira to catch up with Dirga because of the large number of people from various companies gathered there.

From one corner of the room, four people had covered their faces in unison after letting out a rough sigh.

The four of them had been busy building a good image in the eyes of the higher-ups of the related companies they worked for.

And Naira, instead of gathering with them as team leader, was playing chase with her bare feet throughout the hotel ballroom. Just to chase Dirga, the ex who is hated more than her nemesis.

The good image that the four marketing team members had tried to build was destroyed.

"DIRGA!"

"STOP, NAIRA! ASTAGA!"

Irritated, Naira finally slowed down. Her eyes squinted as she watched Dirga's movements. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Naira separated the two shoes in her hands, then twirled the heels as she ran to find a position. Her eyes targeted Dirga.

On the count of one..., two...,

"LOOK OUT OVER THERE!"

When she was only three meters away from Dirga, Naira sent the heels she had been twirling in her hands flying.

Naira's eyeballs moved to follow the direction her heels flew. Not only Naira, but all the eyes of the people standing along the direction of Naira's shoes were wide-eyed.

Some of them moved out of the way immediately before Naira's heels finally landed perfectly.

Instead of hitting Naira's body, it hit the body of the head of the marketing division team of Haleya Beauty Company-a relation of the company she worked for. And Dirga was hiding behind the team leader's body.

Naira's eyes bulged as she winced. "Damn it!"

Naira shrank instantly after watching the head of Haleya Beauty Company's marketing division team slowly look up. Her piercing gaze was fixed on Jeje. There was no reaction whatsoever on the man's face, only a look of surprise and resignation that made Naira shrink even more.

Because the sharp gaze of the head of the marketing division team of the company where Naira worked who stood beside her seemed to tell something: Naira's life was about to turn into a catastrophe.

And Dirga, behind the body of the head of the marketing division team, stuck out his tongue mocking Naira.

***

Misfortune once again befell Naira.

After an unexpected incident of heels falling on the body of the head of the marketing division team of the Haleya Beauty company, Naira was summoned to a special room for team heads. Not only Naira, but Dirga was also standing next to her. Next to the marketing team leader of Aesva Beauty-the company Naira worked for-was the marketing team leader of Haleya Beauty. The two of them had deliberately brought Naira and Dirga together in this room in order to solve the problem.

Naira honestly had no idea that the head of the marketing team had arrived at the hotel. The estimated time she knew was still an hour away considering they were now in Malang.

The next thing she knew, Mr. Sagar-the head of Naira's marketing team-appeared out of the way of the company officials.

"Naira Alya Kinara, how long are you going to act like a child?"

Naira lowered her head even more in shame as she heard Mr. Sagar's question. Next to Mr. Sagar, Mr. Kim just looked expressionlessly at Naira. It looked like he was still in shock that Naira's heels had suddenly hit him.

"Fire me, sir," Mr. Kim said suddenly, making Naira immediately look up with her eyes widened in panic.

Mr. Sagar also looked panicked. "Uh, sir... don't be so hasty. I brought them here so that we can meet face to face and sort things out."

Mr. Kim took a breath and let it out roughly. Naira didn't dare look Mr. Kim in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kim. I misfired earlier, I should have hit him," Naira replied while giving Dirga a glance at the end of her sentence. She briefly glared at Dirga who had a look of incomprehension on his face, then looked back at Mr. Kim timidly. "I apologize once again, sir, I will not repeat my actions again. I admit I was wrong," she continued with a bow of her head.

Mr. Sagar looked at Naira as if he couldn't understand. That's right. This was the umpteenth time Mr. Sagar had faced Naira's childish behavior. Luckily, Mr. Sagar still had a heart because Naira was the team leader of the marketing division who always led the achievement of customer targets and was clever in developing branding strategies.

"Now I want to ask you, Naira, what exactly did you do earlier?"

"Eum, that was actually-"

"That was, sir-"

Naira and Dirga immediately fell silent after realizing they were both answering in unison. Their gazes implied unacceptance to each other.

Mr. Sagar and Mr. Kim stared at each other not understanding and not expecting it.

"I'll speak first."

"Let me do the talking, sir."

Naira's lips pursed furiously as Dirga again said the same sentence in unison.

"Can I speak first?" asked Naira in a whisper to Dirga.

Dirga leaned closer to Naira's ear and whispered back, "Don't get your hopes up. I know you will slander me."

"Slander from where?!" A second later, Naira was taken aback as she unconsciously raised her voice. Dirga immediately looked down, secretly smiling with laughter. Naira grimaced. "Hold your temper, Naira," he muttered softly.

Naira looked at Mr. Sagar and Mr. Kim in front of her with a grin on her face. "Well... I'm sorry, sir. We used to discuss in a loud tone because Adirga's hearing is a bit problematic as is her mindset. So, let me do the talking."

Dirga immediately looked up and gave Nura a look of disapproval. This boy is sour!

"So long story short, I was in the bathroom. The reason I chased Adirga was because I found a bluetooth device that turned on on my cell phone when I was checking whether there was a hidden camera or not. And when I came out of the bathroom, Adirga was walking out of the women's toilet, sir. I think she was the one who placed the hidden camera-"

"Lies! Slander it, sir!" Dirga deftly refuted Naira's explanation while shaking his head. His face showed panic. "There's no way I would put a hidden camera in the ladies' restroom? How many hours of free time do I have? Ah, it's impossible because I'm busy meeting with the marketing division team of my company's relations."

Naira snorted. "No way. I clearly saw that Adirga was in the ladies' restroom, sir! He must have deliberately installed a hidden camera to see what women were doing in the restroom!"

Dirga's frustration had reached its peak. He leaned closer to Naira, whispering into her ear, "It's too much trouble to install a hidden camera. I'd rather break in directly to get a better look."

Naira was wide-eyed at what Dirga said. They hadn't seen each other in years, and she didn't know how he was doing, but Dirga was still a perverted man!