Chapter 21

Exactly at six in the morning, Ariana suddenly woke up from her sleep. As soon as he turned to the left, he found a rare sight that he might see for the next year.

There is Samuel who is currently still fast asleep. With a position lying sideways while hugging a bolster, right in front of him.

After last night having struggled with sleep limits, it was finally decided that Ariana would occupy the right side of the bed not far from the window. While Samuel herself has a place on the left which is right next to the electric terminal for charging cellphones.

The two of them also agreed on the penalty if one of them crossed the line, especially if he dared to touch his body without the permission of both parties. This is done so that one of them is not arbitrary or act impudent.

"We'll see who will break it first," said Samuel in a mocking tone.

"At least you. You can see it from your perverted face," Ariana replied no less fiercely.

Samuel rolled her eyes in embarrassment. Anxious also saw Ariana who kept making fun of him.

"You don't need to say much, Ariana. I'm just worried that later you will have a crush on me and ask to be touched first."

"Don't pretend to be cute, Samuel! We'll see what happens in the future. It will be a loss if I pay a fine for touching you."

Ariana could only shake her head when she remembered their fight last night. Ah, not just last night, it seemed like every time he and Samuel spent arguing with each other. For some reason, God had to meet an annoying man like Samuel Walters.

Having been silent for a moment as she looked at her husband's face who was still fast asleep, Ariana slowly chose to edge out of bed. Walking a little precipitated, the woman immediately grabbed a towel then hurriedly went to the bathroom. According to him, this is the right time for him to clean himself without worrying about being seen by Samuel.

Luckily, when he finished taking a bath, Samuel was still fast asleep. Ariana hurriedly put on clothes, then decided to leave the room and immediately went to the kitchen. Because she was used to preparing food for the orphanage children every morning, Ariana thought there was nothing wrong with preparing breakfast for Samuel to eat.

Opening the refrigerator, Ariana noticed one by one the ingredients stored there. Until a few seconds had passed, the idea emerged to make special fried noodles as the first breakfast menu this morning.

Tia, one of Samuel's household assistants, who had just finished cleaning the kitchen, immediately approached. Taking the initiative to help Ariana move the food ingredients that the woman had chosen to put on the sink counter which was not far from the stove.

"What do you want to cook, Mrs. Ariana? Let me cook it," said the 40-year-old woman. Maybe he felt bad seeing the employer's wife who was busy wrestling in the kitchen early in the morning.

"No need. I can do it myself," said Ariana with a smile. "Besides, I just want to cook fried noodles."

Tia nodded. Follow Ariana's orders. But before leaving. Again he offered.

"Then, let me help cut and wash the vegetables, how about that?"

Seeing the sincere expression that was clearly shown on the household assistant's face, Ariana was powerless to refuse. He then nodded, allowing Tia to cut and then clean some of the complementary vegetables before cooking.

"Supposedly, if you want to eat something, Miss Ariana just talk to me or Rina. Later, let us cook it," Tia warned. Regardless, they are paid by Samuel to do all the housework including cooking and preparing food.

"It's okay, Mba Tia. I'm used to cooking myself. Besides, this is an easy job. Unless I'm in a really busy situation."

"Mr. Samuel must be very happy to have a wife who is diligent and good at cooking like Mrs. Ariana. In the past, my father often said that when he got married, he wanted to have a wife who cooked every day and accompanied him to eat when he went to and from work."

Ariana laughed. Flattered by what Tia said.

"Mba Tia can do it. Can't all women really cook?"

"Not really, Mom," Tia shook her head. "Mr. Samuel's girlfriend before Miss Ariana, couldn't cook. When she came here, she only gave orders like a boss. In fact, she often took Mr. Samuel out to eat. In fact, Mr. Samuel prefers to eat home cooked food."

Ariana, who was boiling noodles, immediately turned her head. He became interested in what Tia had just told him.

"Oh, huh? So Mr. Samuel's girlfriend used to come here often?"

Tia nodded.

"In the early days it used to be very frequent. In fact, I often stayed here too," Tia said in a whisper, then soon covered her mouth with her hand. The woman acted like someone who had just blurted out a story. "Sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to."

"It's okay. Just continue the story again, let me hear it. So, Mr. Samuel's previous girlfriend really often stopped here?"

Tia nodded. Getting the green light from Ariana, the woman returned to continue her story.

"Yes, ma'am. But in the past few months, I haven't seen it again. Maybe they fought and broke up. To be honest, my fellow workers and I are grateful that Mr. Samuel finally married someone else. Not his girlfriend yesterday."

Ariana's eyebrows immediately knit together. The statement that Tia had just made made her even more curious about the female figure which indirectly caused her and Samuel to end up in a pretend relationship.

It's not an exaggeration for Ariana to say that. If only Samuel's boyfriend was willing to attend Arabella's mother's birthday party, maybe right now it would be that woman who was side by side with Samuel, not Ariana.

"Why are you even grateful? Besides, you don't really know me yet, do you?"

Tia nodded again and again.

"Yes, ma'am. We've never met before. We were all even surprised when we heard that Mr. Samuel was getting married. But after meeting and talking in person, it did look much different from previous boyfriends. Mba Valerie was arrogant. Where would you want to talk to the workers here . Not to mention that he's too spoiled. Sometimes he even overdoes it with Mr. Samuel. We even thought that Mr. Samuel might get a pellet because in the past, Ms. Valerie really did everything she said."

"Oh, her name is Valerie?"

"Yes, ma'am. He said it was a model."

After a long story, Ariana returned to finish her cooking activities. After the fried noodles were cooked and served perfectly, Ariana hurriedly stepped back into the room. As soon as he entered, he saw Samuel who was in the middle of putting on a tie. Getting ready to go to work.

"Where have you been?" asked Samuel while continuing to tidy up the tie he was wearing.

"Just finished preparing breakfast."

"Breakfast?" asked Samuel.

"Yeah, I'll cook you fried noodles."

Samuel tugged at the corners of her lips, then laughed. In fact, there was nothing funny about what Ariana had just said.

"Thank you. But you need to know, I've never had such a heavy breakfast, Ariana. I prefer toast or sandwiches over what heavy food you made just now."

Ariana chuckled in annoyance. In fact, he had painstakingly took the time to cook so that the man would not starve when he was in the office. After all, what's so hard about appreciating it by tasting it even just a little.

"Instead of you chattering a lot, it's better to taste the food I just prepared. If it's not delicious, tomorrow I won't bother preparing breakfast again for you."

"Besides, there are many assistants in this house. What are you doing with all kinds of cooking?"

"It's a habit at the orphanage," said Ariana. Seeing Samuel, who had never finished putting on her tie, Ariana approached excitedly. Without permission to take over. Help properly match the tie on her husband's shirt collar. "You can tie a tie or not? I haven't had a good feeling since earlier."

"How can it be done, you just keep talking."

"Why so blame me."

Finished pairing a tie, Ariana then turned to the wardrobe. Take out the following work clothes material pants and blazer. After setting it up neatly, he got ready for breakfast then went to work.

Once in the dining room, Ariana could see how Samuel was engrossed in sipping the milk and plain bread on her plate. Not even the slightest intention of trying the fried noodles that Ariana had cooked.

Abai, Ariana chose to eat the food she had cooked herself. Bribing him with great expression. It's time to get Samuel's attention.

"Crazy! My fried noodles have never failed."

Samuel smiled. The man then shook his head.

"No need to overdo it. All fried noodles taste the same."

"Try the noodles I cooked first. If you have tasted them, please comment."

Curious, Samuel reached for the fork that was on the side of her plate. Scooped up a bit and then shoved it right into his mouth.

Samuel slowly chewed what had just entered her mouth. Tasting carefully while trying to decipher the taste arising from the fried noodles he was eating.

After a while, Samuel nodded. Then without hesitation spooned back the noodles on the plate and then quickly fed them.

"How?" asked Ariana mockingly. It would be a lie if he said it wasn't good. Meanwhile, Samuel had put a lot of noodles on her plate.

"Not bad. The taste is according to taste."

"I said what too."

Samuel went back to chewing the food in her mouth. Then unexpectedly, scooped up some of the noodles and sausages that were there, then pointed them at Ariana's mouth.

"What?" asked Ariana confused.

"Yes eaten."

"No, ah," Ariana refused. "I can feed myself."

Samuel didn't care. He kept forcing Ariana to accept the noodles he offered. It wasn't long before the woman finally melted and accepted the bribe Samuel gave her.

"What are you doing, using all kinds of bribes. It's really tacky," Ariana protested when the two of them got into the car, getting ready to go to work.

"Don't worry. I deliberately fed you, let the household assistant report the good things to Mama."

Ariana turned around. Reconfirmed what he had just heard.

"What do you mean? Who reported it?"

"You need to know, the two household members who are in the house, all of them have been paid by Mama to give reports on what I do when I'm at home. That's why, when you're outside your room, you have to act like a real wife. -heart."

"I swear, it's so complicated living with you."

"Actually, it's not complicated if the marriage is real. Since we are married fake, it becomes complicated like this."

Ariana just nodded. Then choose silence. Waiting for the car that he and Samuel were riding in, it sped away towards the Palma Palace building, which is in the center of Jakarta.

***

"ARIANA GREY!"

The call immediately echoed when Ariana had just passed one of the departments in Palma Palace. After separating from Samuel and letting her husband into the special leadership elevator, Ariana chose to walk across the corridors of the building as usual. Not to mention arriving, there was already Chacha who shouted calling, even the woman immediately came over.

"Cieee, newlyweds."

"Husstts!" Ariana hissed. Immediately glared at Chacha while placing his index finger to his lips as a signal so that his best friend would not say loudly. "Don't make a fuss. It will be heard by the others, it won't be good."

"Just let it be, Ariana. Let all employees know that you are now Walters's mistress," the woman joked casually. It seems that she is very proud to have a best friend whose status has now changed from Upik Abu to Cinderella.

"Don't be crazy, Cha! There will be an uproar in one office later."

"But don't the higher-ups know who Mr. Samuel married?"

Ariana then nodded.

"Yes, the high-ranking officials of Palma Palace do know. But they don't gossip like subordinate staff who like to gossip incoherently."

"His name is also an ingrained hobby. You don't know? If they are just now excited."

"What a scene?" Ariana asked curiously. As he stepped into his room, he continued to converse with Chacha.

"Wait until your room, I'll show you what they're making a fuss about."

Impatiently, Ariana pulled Chacha to immediately step into her room. As soon as he arrived, he immediately asked for a promise, what exactly did his friend want to show.

"Hurry up, what else are the hot gossips that are being stirred up by the office people?"

Chacha then took his cellphone from the pocket of the black blazer he was wearing. Opened the online news page, then showed it to Ariana.

"Big businessman Samuel Walters was seen having just landed at Soekarno Hatta airport after holding a private wedding in Bali."

"While holding his wife intimately, well-known businessman Samuel Walters, was caught on camera crossing one of the VVIP lounges at the airport."

"It's still a mystery. Who exactly was the woman who succeeded in becoming the wife of an Artendra Walters."

"Wearing a mask and scarf, the figure that Samuel Walters is intimately holding is believed to be the woman he recently married."

"Jesus Christ! Samuel was right. I thought no journalists were going to take pictures of us coming home."

Chacha laughed. He was amused as to why his best friend could think so innocently. In fact, the woman knew who the figure who married her.

"Have you lost your memory or what? Your husband is Samuel Walters, Ariana. A successful businessman who often becomes the talk of people, how many times has he entered gossip accounts like Mak Lambe's class."

"Yeah, I know," said Ariana. "I just didn't expect it to be this excited."

"That's called a risk. Just be grateful. The one you married is a wealthy businessman."

"It's useless! It's just a pretense, bestie. It's unreachable. It's just a hallucination that will end within a year."

"If you don't want it to end, you just make Pak Samuel have a crush on you and then really love you. Besides, you're beautiful."

Ariana immediately shook her head. It's good that she sacrificed herself to be the real Samuel's wife. Just a few days of pretending to be, he was almost crazy. It's really unimaginable that later it will become a real wife.