Stealing The Wife's First Kiss

He was empty and cold.

If a working system or production machine has a KPI as a measure of success, Hendra was a whole human being both in his personal and work life.

Wiryo, his grandfather, planted KPI.

(Key Performance Indicator (KPI) or also known as Key Success Indicator (KSI) is a set of quantitative measures that companies or industries use to measure performance or meet strategic and operational objectives.)

In bad meaning, the blue-eyed man was programmed as the perfect living robot for the Wenceslas family's survival.

"What's the difference?" Surya investigated.

Hendra froze for a moment, holding his temple.

"Too much, seems like I need to meet Diana."

"Do you think I talk more now?" Hendra added.

"Yes! To the point of irritating." Surya sarcastically answered him.

Not only talking a lot, his boss also asked a lot of strange things lately. (Out of his habit)

"But I'm happy, you can easily smile. Sometimes, your anger looks more human than before." Surya added.

Surya clearly remembered. When the CEO was angry, the atmosphere would be freezing because Hendra was silent and immediately made decisions.

Now, his anger was even more expressive and described clearly on his face.

Most importantly, he informed its reason. He could freely shout or threaten.

"Oh, I see." Hendra replied.

His mind continued to wander.

'It turns out that it's not just my feeling. I have indeed changed a lot. I unconsciously hugged a woman (Aruna) in one room.'

A person who had a syndrome sometimes needed to talk to his inner self.

"I was here to tell you that all the crew is ready." Surya reminded Hendra about today's plan.

His boss and Miss Aruna would hold a photo session in a public place as the final strategy to erase the rumours in society.

Hendra used Aruna, his prospective wife, to appear in public for the first time.

In particular, the crew had been prepared as if to secretly capture their activities.

The photos taken were used as a material for the D floor buzzer.

It was one way of changing the negative stigma to be positive.

"Please tell Aruna, and make her want to do it for me."

"I'll get ready."

***

"You can not avoid it, Miss. After all, your marriage is less than a month from now."

"You have to help each other to fix your partner's image." Surya's words broke all the objections Aruna had put up.

The girl was now awkwardly sitting on the edge of the Bentley Continental's car seat.

Hendra's private hotel room incident made her afraid and awkward to just glance at the man beside her.

"You have to look intimate, remember that." Surya asked.

Surya sat in the front with the bodyguard as well as the car driver.

There were two cars behind. One was the crew taking their pictures and the other one was Hendra's bodyguards.

Aruna had a strange feeling.

In the past, Hendra was only accompanied by Surya. Now it seemed more formal.

"Let's just say today is your first date." Surya added.

"Hey, don't talk about weird things! It hurts my ears!" Hendra exclaimed.

Somehow, Aruna didn't speak at all.

Hendra was afraid that Surya's words would make Lesmana's daughter even more depressed.

He really wanted to apologise, but he didn't do it.

If only he said sorry, it would be clear that Hendra was really joking around her.

"You guys never date in the right way. Consider today as the best chance!" Surya's words were disturbing but somehow were true.

Hendra glanced at the tiny girl beside him. Aruna, resignedly silent.

When they arrived at the location, the crew had disappeared earlier.

Meanwhile, a group of Hendra's bodyguards cleverly sneaked up among other mall visitors, including Surya.

"You know what we have to do now, right?" Hendra asked.

Aruna just nodded.

Hendra wandered to find which place they need to go to.

The man spontaneously landed his arms on Aruna's back, herding her towards the place he had decided.

Unfortunately, the girl immediately avoided, moved away, and seemed to object.

"Ah, why is she shy?!" The photographer at the other end looked annoyed.

"Surya, tell Miss Aruna to be more relaxed."

"Let everything look natural. Take the good one. Just delete the unnecessary." Surya calmed down one of the photo crew.

"Well, I won't touch you." Hendra raised his hand.

He knew Aruna was still shocked by the incident in the hotel room earlier.

"We go there. I want to buy you shoes and a bag that matches the clothes you choose." Hendra stood in the middle of a shopping centre.

His tall body was wrapped in a long double-breasted coat, dangling above his knees. With his distinct and stern facial structure, Hendra looked so charming and attracted attention.

His blue eyes asked Aruna to stop being depressed.

The man looked down and peeked at Aruna's face from a close distance, hoping his little girl would be pleased to see him.

His gaze seemed as if saying 'believe me, I will not disturb you this time'. But, Aruna was still trying to avoid it.

She was already afraid of the way this man sniffed her breath earlier.

Aruna always retreated whenever Hendra was approaching.

"Fine..! Now, what do you want?" Hendra asked.

"I don't want to buy shoes or bags. I'm more comfortable using my belongings." Aruna replied.

'I am not your doll which can be dressed up as your wish."

Aruna found herself altogether ending up like the Wenceslas's heir's doll.

Lesmana's youngest daughter's awareness led her to keep the best distance possible so that she could survive for 2 years in Hendra's arms.

***

"What should I do?" Hendra shrugged his shoulders.

He was surender to accept any of Aruna's requests. He was too sorry to see his little girl keep avoiding.

Aruna stood still.

She was confused about what to do. To be honest, the girl wished she could go far away from this place.

She didn't really like being in a mall and preferred to walk in the wide and open outdoors.

Mainly, she didn't like to be around the Wenceslas's sole heir.

She really disliked it.

Suddenly, the man knelt in front of her. Aruna was very surprised.

Not having had time to back away, Hendra caught her leg.

"Tidy up your shoelaces first, so you won't fall." The man spoke while looking up at Aruna who looked away.

"When will you stop getting angry?!" Every of his words was getting no reply.

"Besides being grumpy, my future wife is also stubborn." Hendra stood up, tidying himself, and still trying to find a way to make the girl in front of him happy.

"Do you want ice cream? Eating ice cream can sometimes lighten a bad mood." Hendra showed the direction.

Aruna walked behind by keeping a distance.

Looming ice cream decorated with various toppings didn't seem to be enjoyed.

She was less comfortable and too silent.

Hendra recalled a few moments ago when Aruna enjoyed spicy noodles with the young man.

She always cheerfully laughed and joked at each other. It was different with the current situation.

"I give up. I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable." Hendra felt sorry.

Aruna's mouth looked like she wanted to say, but she pushed back.The girl chose to return to eat her ice cream.

Someone then slowly touched her left finger with a familiar touch gesture.

Aruna glared at Hendra, immediately withdrew her left hand.

The man's touch was similar to the way how Damar touched her.

Aruna began to feel that Hendra was getting weird.

Didn't he always do what he wanted? Why was that man now trying to think about her feelings? He was even looking for ways to entertain Aruna.

'Ah, he's trying to look intimate as what his secretary ordered him.'

'Of course, how could Hendra behave well to me?' Aruna thought.

Hendra was too troublesome for her life.

From the first time he was present in her cheerful and straightforward youth, the man slowly made her light fade away.

"Beep beep beep." Aruna immediately took her phone.

"Hello, Na..."

"Desi, how are you, Sis?"

"Oh ya?? Why did you and your friends rarely come?!"

'My life is complicated Sis'

"Hehe." Aruna lauged.

"It's been a long time that the children didn't get the handicraft classes. They miss you guys."

"Come on, come here again. Aren't you the most diligent one? Why are you so busy like this?!"

The one who spoke was Desi, a friend and the coordinator of social activities, where Aruna and Dea were actively involved there.

Sometimes, Damar and his friends also came along, of course, in the end, they caused a riot.

Their social activities were in self-development programs for orphan children, poor families, and the children who were born to families below the poverty line.

The program was still under the same LKS (Social Welfare Institution) as the BISA program, a group of mothers in partnership with The Magic Letter broadcast.

The mothers received economic intervention from various entrepreneurs. One of which was the Magic Letter start-up.

In contrast, their children received self-development from young volunteers in terms of school materials, arts, and crafts, usually handled by Aruna and Dea.

"Okay, okay, I'll come... when is my schedule?" Aruna asked.

"Don't pretend to forget. It's today!" Desi replied.

"Hehe, don't be angry Sis, huh..."

"How can I not be angry? You didn't come for 2 months in a row, ignoring 4 meetings. I'm really furious...!!" Desi seemed angry.

"Haha sorry.." Aruna replied in a relaxed tone but felt sorry.

"Come anytime. We will welcome you."

Aruna looked at the clock in her hand.

"The schedule is in 3 hours. I'll come today."

"Really??"