Erin had never realized just how beautiful her kitchen was until now! Standing behind the induction stove, she gazed out the window, where she could see the backyard pool. The combination of the blue water, fresh green grass, and the bright morning sky—though covered by a thin layer of clouds—created a refreshing view. Everything seemed perfect.

The delicious aroma of her cooking had filled the kitchen for a while now. Not too overpowering, but with just a hint of spice, it was enough to whet her appetite.


She clapped her hands in satisfaction, admiring the light blue lunch box already filled with fusilli arrabbiata pasta topped with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

Even though Rudolf wasn't her biological father, spending years cooking with him in the same kitchen had gifted her with an uncanny talent. She never had to worry about what spices she had—they were always there. Her skill at adding just the right pinch of seasoning felt almost magical.

Over time, she had become more accustomed to it. The more she cooked, the more variety her dishes had. And this morning, preparing pasta was certainly not her usual routine—there was a special reason for it.


Because she planned to serve this meal sweetly on Amir's table.

Hmm, what would Amir think if he found out this woman who usually only ate bananas could cook such a delicious meal? A dish that could easily be among the most expensive on any restaurant menu.


"One last touch," Erin said, closing the lunch box. If her father saw, he might have scolded her. She remembered how her brother Nathan had been reprimanded for storing their father's homemade spaghetti in a lunch box all day, ruining the dish.

Humming with happiness, Erin placed the lunch box into a small, specially designed bag. But as she turned around...

Her hands froze mid-air. Her father, Rudolf, stood there with his arms crossed, staring her down. "Waking up at five in the morning, cooking in your work shirt without an apron, and smiling to yourself while packing food. Now, tell me—who's the guy?"

"What?" Erin nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You heard me. Who's the man you're making this for?"

Damn it.

Erin had been sure her parents had left early to visit her father's villa in Lembang. Why were they back so soon?

"Don't play innocent. Your mother and I just stopped by the factory, but there was a major traffic jam, so we turned back. Now, answer the question."

Erin carefully analyzed his tone. It was too flat—neither angry nor teasing. But there was a glint in his eye, like he was holding back a smile.

"This..." She hugged the lunch bag to her chest. "This is for me, Dad. For lunch later. I'm tired of eating fruit all the time. I just wanted something savory for a change."

"Oh really? There's a nice café near your office, you know. Pretty good food, too."

"Yes, Dad! I've eaten there. It's great. But I just wanted my own cooking today. Is that a crime?"

"No... but lying is." He opened his hand, revealing a torn piece of blue paper. Erin's eyes darted to the mini bar, where her blue notebook lay open, a pen resting on top of it. Her forehead throbbed as she saw him squinting at the note. "'Eat well, okay? Love, E.'"

"That's not—"

"Erin," her father's tone grew firm, signaling he was getting serious. The lower his voice, the more serious he became. Erin quickly shut her mouth. "You know you can't lie to us. Remember your promise to be a good, honest daughter? Now, who is this message for?"

He waved the note around, making Erin groan internally. How could she have been so careless as to leave it there? Why hadn't she just slipped it into the lunch bag?

But…

Sooner or later, her father would find out. After all, she hoped her relationship with Amir would be serious and long-lasting.

But…

The timing was all wrong! She hadn't even pitched her project idea to Aunt Berta yet. And she wasn't ready to become a factory owner, bouncing back and forth between industrial areas. The whole thing would be a chaotic mess!

"What are you afraid of by being honest?" Her father pressed, pointing at her again.

"Can I explain it later, Dad? I really don't want to be late."

"When?"

"Later, after..."

"After when? Tomorrow? The next day?" His impatience was growing.

Erin let out a long breath. "After I get home from work, I'll tell you everything. Okay?"

"Fine. But..." Rudolf handed her the note, his expression serious. "You better explain it clearly. Got it?"

"Yes, Dad," Erin said, crumpling the paper in her hand. She glanced down, avoiding his gaze, feeling both relieved and frustrated.

She grabbed her maroon bag from the mini bar and packed her things before quickly heading out.

Erin struggled with the bag for a moment—it felt a bit stiff.

'Erin..." her father called out.

She quickly grabbed her pen and turned to face him. 'I forgot something."

She instinctively checked her hand, the lunch box bag, and the pen—it was all there. But when she looked back at her father, he pointed to his cheek.

Thank goodness. For a moment, she thought he was too upset to let her say goodbye like usual.

Erin walked back to him, pressing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

'Where's your smile?" he asked, his eyes softening.

Erin managed a slight smile, though it was somewhat reluctant. But when she saw her father's genuine grin in return, she felt a wave of relief wash over her.

'Alright, go. Be careful on the road, kid."

'Yes, Dad."

As Mr. Rudolf watched Erin leave with a slight bounce in her step, he couldn't help but smile. Her enthusiasm had never changed since she was a child. Her smile was still the same, too—so pure and bright. That's why he'd always been protective. He didn't want any man to take that smile away, to make the light in his beloved wife's daughter fade.

Two minutes earlier, chaos erupted at the company.

An office Avanza was parked haphazardly on the side of the road. Steve was hauling a skinny man, dressed in a ragged t-shirt and blue jersey pants, from the passenger seat. Amir jumped out from the driver's side, moving quickly to separate Steve from the man. Meanwhile, Kia stepped out of the front seat with a large bag in hand.

Drama among employees. Again.

In her panic, Kia dumped the bag's contents onto the terrace—spilling out a laptop and a brand-new Android phone. Her heart sank at the sight of the scratched black Asus.

"You think you're smart, Pian? Did you really think none of us could trace your fake address?" Steve barked, standing over the man like an executioner ready to deliver the final blow. Sofyan, the man in question, crouched helplessly near the entrance.

Amir swiftly grabbed a chair, setting it down beside the office and pulling the laptop from Kia's trembling hands. 'I'll check the data first. Hopefully, it's still intact. Just relax."

Kia nodded, adjusting her glasses as she tried to calm herself. The mess of the situation was overwhelming.

Despite his calm demeanor, Amir wasn't at ease. He fidgeted with the laptop while lighting a cigarette. Ten minutes ticked by as Steve continued to grill Sofyan, who was clearly mentally drained. Kia paced back and forth, nervous that the scene would disturb the meeting inside with potential new teachers. The company's image would suffer if anyone saw Steve manhandling someone dressed in such shabby clothes.

Amir kept his eyes on the laptop screen, a deep frown creasing his brow. The cigarette was almost burnt out, dangling precariously from his lips.

Reflecting on the day, it felt like he and Steve had been on a mission, tracking down criminals. They had chased Sofyan across the city, finally locating him at a cell phone counter where he had pawned his office-issued phone. With Kia's help, they tracked him to the Cipinang area, far from where they started.

'You're just an admin staff!" Steve spat, kicking Sofyan's leg in frustration.

Amir shot a sharp look at Kia, silently telling her to intervene. Steve had a bad habit of putting people down by reminding them of their position.

'How's it going, Amir?" Kia crouched beside him, peering at the laptop.

'The laptop's been swapped," Amir muttered, 'but all the client databases are safe. None of them were exported, and the last edits were from Xavier. Sofyan only tampered with his own device." Amir concluded, shaking his head. Somehow, Sofyan had managed to swap the laptop for an identical one, but the office-issued laptop still couldn't be fooled. The real issue was that it wouldn't function without being plugged into a charger.

'Already a thief, and you can't even swap stuff properly!" Steve cursed again, delivering another sharp kick.

'Koh, enough!" Kia sighed in relief. Knowing the data was safe had lifted a weight off her shoulders. She gently pushed Steve aside. 'Let's handle this civilly. Sofyan, come with me so we can write up an agreement, and you'll need to tell us where the original laptop is."

'Why are you being so soft, miss? Acting like this guy's family?" Steve sneered. 'Amir and I went all over Jakarta tracking down this loser, and now you want to play nice? I thought we were dealing with a hacker, but no, just a small-time thief pawning phones. Pathetic!"

'Let me handle this with Mrs. Berta. I appreciate your and Amir's help, but—"

'But what? Are you scared of Mrs. Berta getting mad at you for hiring a criminal?"

Amir shook his head, sighing at the escalating argument. Just then, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen—Erin had sent him a photo.

A simple, slightly dark photo. But it was enough to catch his attention.

Erin:

Whose lunch box is this in your drawer? It's already rotting, and you're still keeping it?

Shit.

Amir flicked his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out as he dashed past Steve and Kia, paying no mind to their bickering.

He bolted up the stairs, taking two at a time, his destination clear—Erin's room.

The building was mostly empty, everyone on break except for the first-floor staff. By the time he reached the third floor, Amir was out of breath, but he didn't care. He rushed straight to the desk drawer, which was already open.

And there it was—the lunch box.

The lunchbox was a dull pink, with faded writing barely legible. Amir's heart sank as he entered Erin's room. There she stood, arms crossed, eyes sharp as if she was ready to rip him apart.

'Panicking, huh? You should be," Erin quipped, her tone icy.

Of course, Amir was panicking. His throat went dry as he swallowed hard, trying to play it cool. He closed the door behind him, trapping them both in the thick tension of Erin's anger.

"My mom gave me that. I didn't have a lunchbox, so she grabbed this one. Maybe it's my family's..."

"Really?" Erin's eyes narrowed. "And your family's name just happens to be Shena?"

Amir glanced at the lunchbox he used to store broken earphones. The writing was faded, but 'Love, Shena' was still visible.

"Yeah... I guess so. I don't remember all my big families' names, especially the ones in Tangerang."

"Amir," Erin's voice dropped dangerously, "Did you really think you could lie to me? Did you forget I already know the truth?"

Amir froze. "You... you know?"

"Still gonna play dumb?" Erin's lips twisted in a smirk. "I looked at the employee database. You do remember that Kia's full name is Adzkia Shenina, right? Shenina. The faded writing, the fact that she dated you in high school—ringing any bells now?"

Amir's body stiffened as if hit by a brick. Of course, Erin knew. And now she thought the lunchbox was from Kia.

Erin crossed her arms tighter. "Surprised that I'm smart? Yeah, I don't like liars."

"Rin..." Amir rubbed his face, trying not to laugh. "You're mad... over a lunchbox?"

"It's not just any lunchbox! It's hideous, torn at the edges, and you still keep it!"

"Erin, I'm using it to store my earphones!" Amir couldn't help but chuckle.

"Who cares? You should've thrown it away! You can buy a proper cable organizer on Amazon for, what? Less than fifty thousand!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes!" Erin fumed. "Don't joke about this!"

Amir couldn't resist. "How about Lazada? Is it cheaper there?"

Her frustration boiled over, and she grabbed a tissue box from the table, swatting him across the face with it. "You think this is funny?"

"What?!" Amir rubbed his cheek, more bewildered than hurt.

"You think it's funny to make me mad? Do you think I dig through your drawers just for fun? I wake up early to cook for you!" Erin swung the tissue box again, hitting him on the other cheek.

"Okay, okay, stop hitting me!" Amir groaned, trying to block her weak yet relentless attacks. "Where's the food, anyway?"

"You shameless jerk!" Erin gave him another smack before stepping back. "At least apologize! You're so irresponsible!"

"Fine, I'm sorry! But seriously, put down your weapon first!" Amir gestured to the tissue box.

Erin huffed, tossing it back on the table. "There. Now apologize properly!"

Amir grinned as he placed the lunchbox down, then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

The suddenness of the gesture made Erin gasp, her body freezing against his. Her heart raced as her face pressed into Amir's chest, inhaling the faint mix of cigarette smoke and detergent from his clothes.

'W-What's happening?" she thought, her mind spinning.

Amir's hold tightened, his voice soft as he said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset."

Erin's heart fluttered. Wow. She melted into the embrace, hugging him back. She was lost in the warmth of his body, her hands exploring the firm muscles of his back. Amir's body felt exactly like she had imagined—strong, lean, perfect.

But before she could fully savor the moment, Amir gently pushed her away. Erin's face fell into a pout. Why did he stop? That wasn't nearly enough!

"Will you forgive me now?" Amir asked, his gaze locked on hers.

Erin crossed her arms again. "That's it?"

"What more do you want?"

"Kiss me."

Amir smirked, "Hey, that's harassment."

Erin swatted his shoulder, harder this time. "What do you call what you just did?"

"Exactly what you wanted," Amir teased, his voice playful.

"Are you really not going to kiss me?" Erin's brows furrowed, her pout growing more intense.

"Later," Amir said with a shrug.

"Ugh, stop making excuses! Just admit you're not over your ex!" Erin huffed.

"Rin..." Amir's voice softened, but his grin didn't fade. He loved teasing her too much.

Amir's gaze dropped to Erin's lips, but her whole body trembled in response. "I haven't even kissed you yet, but I know your lips could send me straight to heaven."

Oh God, Erin thought. It felt like Amir was getting closer to breaking through her defenses.

"Well, come on then. If you're so brave, come here." Erin leaned in, even though her body was still shaking. It was strange—she had never felt this nervous from just a man's teasing before.

"You're acting tough, but did you really cook for me? Or is this just another one of your tricks?"

Erin groaned and grabbed a tissue, tempted to smack him. How did he manage to change the subject so easily? Instead, she shoved her lunch bag into his hands, pushing him away slightly. "Here, finish this! And give me back the box when you're done—don't use it to store dead cables anymore!"

Amir chuckled at her awkwardness, taking the lunchbox and a spoon. He opened the lid. "Macaroni?"

Erin's eyes widened. "It's fusilli! If you said that in front of my dad, he'd turn you into human curry!"

Amir laughed, enjoying her reaction. He didn't expect much as he took a bite, but then…

His senses were transported. It was as if he'd been lifted into an Italian restaurant, with classical music in the background. The spicy, savory, creamy flavors danced on his tongue, the fresh basil sending him over the edge. He stared at Erin in disbelief.

"It's good, right? My cooking!" Erin beamed with pride.

"Seriously?" Amir blinked, still savoring the taste.

"Of course! If you want, I can make it again!"

"Every day?"

"Sure! Just marry me first!" Erin teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Do you mean it?" Amir leaned in slightly, his tone turning serious.

"Are you asking me?" Erin's heart fluttered, but she quickly tried to play it cool.

"Not really."

"Eww! Then when are you going to ask me out, Amir?"

"Tomorrow, if it's not raining," Amir quipped with a grin.

"Ugh! Annoying!" Erin grabbed the tissue again, swatting him playfully while Amir dodged, laughing.

They didn't notice the figure standing just outside the door. A short-haired girl wiped away her tears as she overheard the intimate exchange. Her heart ached with a deep, simmering pain. Her chest grew tighter with every word, until she couldn't bear it anymore. She pulled off her glasses and ran to her desk, throwing herself down, face buried in her arms. She sobbed quietly, tears soaking the desk as she cursed herself for not being able to cut off her feelings for that man, even after all these years.

***