Love Amidst Shadows

Thin mist enveloped the expanse of tea leaves that had not yet sprouted. The chilling cold tickled and penetrated through the gaps between Tiara's fingers inside her thick jacket. She couldn't keep warming her hands continuously.

There were no tea plantation workers in that foggy morning since Tiara entered the terraced expanse, even though the sun had started to show itself behind the clouds. Tiara continued to walk slowly, parting the fog that lay on both sides. The road ahead was somewhat visible for about a meter, although not very clear.

The atmosphere of the thirty-five-hectare tea plantation only fueled her enthusiasm. Perhaps she would meet the working mothers carrying two baskets filled with tea leaves and their two-year-old toddlers wrapped in cloth slings, just like her visit some time ago. She could engage in conversation while listening to the melodious songs sung by the workers among them. Sometimes, in that way, Tiara didn't feel too empty in her current situation.

Tiara continued to walk along the narrow path on the side of the terraced expanse, nearing the hill. She paused for a moment as she saw a pair of individuals facing each other not far from where she stood.

The fog that had embraced the air throughout the early morning seemed to recede, allowing Tiara to see clearly. The two figures seemed to be at odds. One appeared as if trying to avoid, while the other seemed to want to approach.

The first figure made her freeze, reminding her of him. Must it be that every man with a similar tall figure, standing at two-point-three meters from the ground and with Leonardo DiCaprio-style hair, always made her heart flutter like this?

It seemed like they were having a disagreement, Tiara thought.

Tiara turned her body to the east, moving away from those who were in the west. The path ahead slightly inclined.

Tiara had to bend her knees more than before. With the help of a twig that accompanied her, she managed to climb to the top part of the plantation.

Voices of the working mothers could be heard from below. It seemed they were starting to gather at the foot of the hill.

Tiara took a deep breath and exhaled it with great enthusiasm, as if releasing all the burdens that weighed on her chest.

Suddenly, Tiara was hugged from behind, and a whisper in her left ear said, "Don't move!" accompanied by a gentle bite on her earlobe. Tiara was stunned. This voice?

A voice that had been absent for almost two years! She immediately turned around. And there he was! Standing in front of her, his strong hand still gently embracing her waist.

Tiara widened her eyes, displaying a look of utter surprise. Her body froze. Her eyes blinked rapidly, and her chest seemed to forget how to breathe normally.

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she slowly shook her head in disbelief at what was before her. However, the soft, melancholic brown eyes that gazed at her gently seemed to dispel the astonishment that had been evident on her olive-toned face.

Her black hair, swayed by the wind, partially covered her lips, tempting the large, tanned fingers of the man to gently brush it aside from the rosy lips without lipstick.

Tiara still couldn't believe what she saw, when she noticed a beautiful woman behind the man's back. The woman looked at them with a sad gaze. She remembered, it was the woman who was standing on the hill earlier. Was the man in front of her the pair she saw with that woman?

"She..." Tiara's voice trailed off. The man's eyes followed Tiara's gaze, then turned towards Tiara and reached for her chin, intentionally showing it to the woman.

Tiara's eyes met the man's. The dimples on his face displayed a row of clean, white teeth, capable of melting the confusion on Tiara's face.

She, like the man, began to disregard the presence of the angry woman in the distance.

Tiara gazed closely at the handsome man with a cleft chin, who was getting closer. Their heads met, releasing longing. Then, slowly but surely, her lips and the man's collided, wrestling in the mouth of longing.

Ten minutes ago,

Aryan began to groan, unable to contain his frustration and uncontrollable anger. He scoffed loudly, turning his body away from the beautiful woman in front of him. His face appeared visibly flushed, meanwhile the beautiful woman beside him pleaded.

"I'm asking... accept everything. Don't be like this," her cries began to break.

Aryan closed his eyes for a long time. He raised his head up and opened his eyes. Nothing could be seen, the fog still swept across the entire plantation. The perfect time to kill the woman and leave no trace of the problem. Just like what he had done when disguised in his enemy's territory.

He turned to look at the woman, her pale-red face starting to swell. He still remembered Mr. Budi forcing them to be alone here half an hour ago. Forcing them to attend the event at the peak and forcing them to be here in the chilly early morning.

"Don't force yourself. We can never be together," Aryan replied. The woman's eyes pleaded sadly, her nose starting to turn red. No tissues, a runny nose, and teary eyes, she wiped them with her hands only. Indeed, it was pitiful. But the more I pity, the more I get trapped, Aryan thought silently.

Aryan sighed heavily. He turned his face to the left, momentarily removing the image of the woman standing beside him. However, Aryan furrowed his brows. It seemed like he had mistaken someone. Was there someone else there, besides the workers, at this hour?

Aryan squinted his eyes, making sure of his sight. He turned away from his companion and unconsciously moved slowly towards the intended destination. He didn't hear the woman's calls that he left behind.

His gaze wasn't wrong. His thoughts weren't mistaken. Yes, it was Tiara! As the saying goes, love comes unexpectedly. Love indeed is a savior! A savior from an unpleasant situation.

Aryan immediately hugged the woman he had never dared to long for after getting closer. His arms wrapped around the slender waist of the woman he had never dared to tie. A woman who was different from any other woman who only desired his handsomeness and the power he possessed.

And now, Aryan not only wanted to make his companion angry. But his true feelings, he missed her so much that he couldn't stop devouring the delicate lips of the woman who used to always praise him. And, there was no need to hesitate in the plantation area filled with polite people. No one would dare to disturb them because the entire fog-covered area submitted to his power.

Damansara Hill, the Second Year of College

The twenty-year-old girl ran swiftly in the station area towards the MRT station. The Damansara MRT station was not far from her home. However, she had overslept, which made her late to the station.

The train bound for Berjaya University College should have already arrived, but she still had to climb the stairs to reach the train entrance. Just as she stepped onto the fast-moving train, the doors closed. She then searched for a less crowded corner of seats to rest for a while.

The girl's name was Tiara, majoring in hospitality management. She had been living with the family of Datuk Badrunsyah, the director of Public Bank, since she was seven years old. She was adopted because her biological parents couldn't provide citizenship guarantees for Tiara.

Her biological father was a citizen, while her mother was an undocumented immigrant. Tiara's biological parents couldn't register their marriage, resulting in Tiara not having the right to receive education as a citizen and not being able to work properly and legally in the future.

With a heavy heart, Tiara was given up for adoption to a family in need of a child. Finally, Tiara found herself in the residence of Datuk Badrunsyah with a legal statement from the court, stating that she was the first daughter of Datuk Badrunsyah and Datin Fathima Suhaila.

Tiara lived a prosperous life in her new family. She had the opportunity to go to school and was currently pursuing a bachelor's degree at the second-best hospitality campus in the city. Although Datuk's family eventually had two biological children when Tiara was nine and eleven years old, she still held the status of the firstborn.

Tiara's younger siblings from Datuk's family were now in the elementary school. They loved and cherished Tiara. Every time Tiara came home from campus, they would wait for her at the door, jumping with joy and eagerly surrounding her to chatter and share stories from their day at school.

Tiara arrived at Bukit Bintang MRT Station and walked up the stairs, then walked for nine minutes towards the campus. Tiara refused to be driven by a chauffeur and preferred to take public transportation. Despite being the eldest daughter of the leader of the largest bank in the Asia Pacific, Tiara remained an adopted child. She felt grateful for the kindness of Datuk and his wife.

At the campus, she was respected by professors and students. Not because of her intelligent or accomplished, but because she was the daughter of a prominent figure. If only they knew that my biological parents came from an ordinary family, Tiara thought to herself every time she received excessive respect.

Tiara still vividly remembered the faces of her biological parents, but she never knew their whereabouts. Datuk and his wife never discussed it, nor did the chauffeur or the household assistants. It was never brought up. Even the relatives of Datuk and his wife did not dare to ask about Tiara's origins.

Tiara finished her afternoon classes. Instead of heading straight home, she turned right towards Berjaya Time Square Shopping Mall and went to the lower ground floor. She hurriedly made her way to the Taste of Asia in the western section.

For the past year, she had been working part-time at the food court stall, adjusting her work hours to fit her class schedule. Meanwhile, her other part-time job was at Drop & Wash, a laundry service on the same floor on the eastern side of the mall. She recently took it up to gain a better understanding of room division, which was part of her second-year coursework.

Fortunately, both bosses understood her intentions, being the daughter of a wealthy person. So Tiara used Datuk's name to get the job she desired, to avoid conflicts with her campus schedule, and to gain experience in both fields.

Tiara walked along the sidewalk towards Bukit Bintang Station. It was already half past ten at night, but Bukit Bintang was bustling with nightlife. Cafes in the mall and Arab restaurants were filled with customers. Tiara didn't feel lonely during her journey back home.

Tiara had already descended the stairs towards the train platform, but her body suddenly jerked backward, finding herself in someone's embrace. In an instant, Tiara's body was propelled towards the train entrance and was inside the train as soon as one of the doors opened.

Her body was pressed against the wall while the person faced away from the train door, which was still open. People started crowding at all the entrances.

A group of men in black walked by, searching for someone. But the crowd obstructed them. The train doors then closed, and the group of men in black appeared frustrated as they lost track of their target.

Tiara felt the warm air in the place where she stood. The train was quite crowded, and there were no empty seats available. The train had already started heading towards the next stop.

Tiara sighed heavily. She was about to move from there, but the strong hand of the man who had pulled her earlier stopped her.

"Don't move, Miss!" the man whispered in her ear, reddening Tiara's sensitive ears. She had never been this close to a man before.

Tiara raised her head and stared intently at the man in front of her. He wore a cap and had fair white skin. He was about twenty centimeters taller than Tiara. His red shirt added to his masculine charm.

Tiara felt annoyed but tried to hide it. She didn't want to act recklessly, afraid of endangering herself. Who knew if the man in front of her was a disguised villain! Tiara looked to the left and right. All the passengers were busy with their own situations.

Shortly after, the train stopped at the first station. The passengers started getting off one by one, and the man also got off, leaving Tiara without a word.

Tiara was still bewildered by the lightning-fast incident she had just experienced. She had no intention of chasing after the man and demanding an explanation for what he had done. The train doors closed again.

Tiara, who had been tense all along, sighed heavily. The number of passengers decreased, and there was an empty seat not far from where she stood. She sat down to rest.

Slowly, Tiara closed her eyes for a moment. Fatigue filled her entire body. But in the darkness, the face of the man from earlier appeared. Tiara opened her eyes and gently massaged her forehead, trying to banish the unfamiliar face.

Half an hour earlier,

Baskara Aryan walked out from the direction of Suria KLCC towards the main road. Behind him was KLCC Park, where several colorful fountains danced to alternating music. People coming in and out of the station gate on the Suria KLCC side could easily mislead those who were chasing him.

Now, he walked towards Berjaya Time Square Hotel where he had been staying for a few days. He crossed the road after successfully evading a few experienced men in black near the station. Aryan hailed a passing taxi.

Upon arriving in front of the hotel, Aryan was about to go inside. However, he saw someone he recognized from the photo given by his new boss that morning. The girl with blonde-brown hair was his future target. Aryan decided to follow the steps of his future miss.

Aryan wondered what his boss's daughter was doing out so late at night. But before long, Aryan paused for a moment. He saw two similar-looking men in black running on the north side of the street, and two more on the east side of the station entrance.

He quickly overtook his future miss who was descending the stairs and then embraced and dragged her body into the train.

However, in the end, Aryan decided to get off the train before the experienced men in black could follow him again. He didn't say anything as a farewell that night, remembering the beautiful pair of eyes that shone on his future miss's lovely face.

Aryan reluctantly hailed a taxi and quickly entered the hotel upon arrival.

On the next day,

Tiara woke up late again. Fortunately, Tiara didn't have any morning classes today. She lazily got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

Tiara finished her morning routine and went downstairs to the dining table. Datuk and his wife greeted Tiara cheerfully. Her younger siblings chattered happily to welcome Tiara.

The morning atmosphere was warm. Occasionally, Tiara's adoptive father looked towards the back as if waiting for someone. He looked dignified and authoritative in his Brioni Vanquish II suit and Nomos wristwatch on his left hand. Tiara admired her adoptive father's cool appearance.

Her adoptive mother started a light conversation while enjoying breakfast with a happy heart. Tiara overheard the discussion about her arranged marriage with Shamel, her adoptive father's friend's son and the current CEO of their family company in Selangor. Tiara was stunned to hear the decision.

She sighed softly. She was afraid of offending her adoptive parents if she harshly refused. Her father finished eating and stood up to welcome the new bodyguard assigned to accompany his daughter.

"Tiara, after you finish eating, come here!" her father gently instructed. He was busy talking to the bodyguard who was wearing an unbranded suit. Even though, his suit was slightly wrinkled from being worn the previous night and not having been taken to the laundry to be ironed.

Tiara's adoptive mother and her siblings followed father to the living room sofa. Tiara had also finished eating. Without waiting for Tiara to sit down, her father immediately introduced the new bodyguard.

"Tiara, this is Aryan. From now on, you need to involve him in everything. Aryan, wherever Tiara goes, be ready to accompany her, alright?" her father patted the man named Aryan on the shoulder gently before hurrying away.

Tiara responded with a forced smile. She remembered who the man is. Why did Papa accept a thug as a bodyguard? Wasn't his background checked first?

Berjaya Time Square, Bukit Bintang

Tiara got off the train and hurried to the campus to attend her lecture for that day. Aryan followed Tiara from a distance.

Wherever Aryan went, the gazes of the campus women, including the lecturers and cleaning staff, followed him. Suddenly, Aryan became a celebrity.

Aryan stood outside Tiara's classroom. Some passing female students smiled with excitement. Some students inside the classroom also peeked outside and talked about Aryan.

Aryan looked at his phone screen. A voice from the other side made him move away from there. He left Tiara who was still attending the lecture.

After the class, Tiara came out and didn't see Aryan anywhere. At first, she was worried, but a second later, she smiled happily. She immediately went to the Taste of Asia. She didn't want Aryan to know what she was doing because he would definitely report it to her father.

It was already four o'clock in the afternoon, and Tiara asked her boss for permission to finish her part-time job for that day. She felt a bit tired and planned to go to Drop & Wash to rest for a while before starting her shift.

Tiara hurriedly went from the west side of the mall to the east side. When she arrived there, she went to the staff room and rested after greeting her two friends.

Tiara woke up and realized it was already nighttime. She got up and hurriedly finished her routine before starting her work shift.