My Sweetest Desire

22 : trust

"Ivan!"

Arisha mengetap bibir bila Ivan masih tidak berhenti bejalan. "Ivan, stop!" Dia laju merentap tangannya dari pegangan Ivan, menghentikan langkah mereka. Dadanya turun naik sambil matanya tidak lepas memandang Ivan yang beriak biasa. "What is that?" soalnya.

"What is what?"

Arisha merengus bila mendengar nada Ivan yang langsung tidak terkesan dengan amarahnya. "My date? Who is my date? Who's I'm dancing with on that night?!" Nada Arisha naik seoktaf. Matanya tajam menatap wajah Ivan.

Ivan menghelakan nafasnya sebelum dia melangkah setapak untuk mendekati Arisha namun gadis itu segera menghalang dengan tangannya diangkat di hadapan wajah Ivan. "No, don't touch me and speak where you are right now," ujar Arisha keras.

"Fine," Ivan mencekak pinganggangnya. Keluhan dilepaskan perlahan. "You're not going to the launching event alone, Arisha. You're going there with a date. Your date."

"And who is he?" Arisha mengetap bibir.

Ivan diam. Arisha menyungging senyuman sinis sebelum dia menapak beberapa langkah merapati Ivan. "Listen, I'm not a toy. Don't treat me like what my father treat me. You do not tossed me here and there. You know I don't appreciate it, Ivan," tuturnya tegas. Wajah Ivan dipandang kejap sebelum dia memusingkan badannya untuk beredar.

"Princess."

Langkah Arisha terhenti saat Ivan memanggilnya.

"What makes you think I would let another man touch you? Left alone dance with you?" tutur Ivan sambil dia melangkah perlahan mendekati Arisha. Belakang badan Arisha yang kaku itu dipandang tajam dan dia berhenti tepat di belakang Arisha. Ivan menundukkan kepalanya hingga bibirnya berada di tepi telinga Arisha. "Your date is me, princess."

~

"I need your help."

"Yes of course you wouldn't call me without wanting my help." Ilaria mengambil fail yang diberikan oleh stafnya sebelum melangkah laju ke arah pejabatnya. Ditolaknya pintu pejabatnya dengan menggunakan badannya dan dia melangkah masuk.

Ivan mengeluh perlahan mendengar nada sarkastik Ilaria. "Are you still mad with me about your father?"

Ilaria melepaskan rengusan mendengar soalan daripada sepupunya itu. Tangannya diletakkan di atas meja. "You threaten him. My father. Your uncle. You threaten your own family, Mr. CEO."

"Ilaria, he done something he should not."

"That doesn't give you an excuse to threaten him. You know what? We're not talking about this. Tell me what you want so we can get over this as soon as possible."

"I want Athenia."

"You want what? Athenia? That magical fairytale or whatever clothes brand?"

"So you know about them."

"Of course. Some of my ball gowns are from them."

"Good, so you can get an invitation card from them as easy as that." Ivan melangkah ke arah mangkuk makanan Leo dan melabuhkan punggungnya. Leo yang melihat Ivan membawa bekas makanannya terus berlari laju dan naik ke atas riba Ivan. "Get me an invitation from them for Athenia's launching event next week. Tell them, the CEO of Kyree Group will be there," arahnya sambil menuangkan makanan kucing di dalam mangkuk Leo.

"What? You're going to a launching event? Of a ball gown's brand while at it?"

"Uh-huh." Tangannya mengusap lembut belakang badan Leo. "And I know it's a short notice but is that possible for you to be at the launching event as well?"