Aliana sat quietly, pushing her food around her plate, trying not to think about what she had just seen. Jane kept nudging her to join in, laughing and chatting with the rest of the table, but Aliana only managed to smile faintly every now and then. She felt too drained to pretend.
Then, just as the diary had said, Arman walked into the private room they had booked. His collar was still slightly out of place, and the sight of it made her stomach twist. She looked away instantly.
Jane, delighted, straightened up. "Mr. Arman! What brings you here?"
He hesitated for half a second before replying, voice calm but distant. "I heard the project proposal team was having dinner here, so I thought I'd treat everyone."
The words were polite, yet empty. Aliana could tell this wasn't about generosity—maybe it was damage control. Jane clapped her hands, thrilled. "Well, thank you, boss! Everyone, a round of applause!"
Aliana forced a smile, dropping her fork to join the clapping. "How generous," she said softly, raising her glass of champagne. "Must feel good being in love." She took a sip, letting the bubbles sting her throat, masking the bitterness in her chest. It was her second glass, and she was already feeling lightheaded. Still, she drank again.
Jane, ever the meddler, waved Arman over. "Come on, sit with us! There's a spot right here." She pulled out the chair beside Aliana, ignoring her quick glare.
Arman sat down, composed as always. While answering Jane's questions about the project, he quietly reached for Aliana's glass, swapped it out with water, and pushed the drink out of her reach.
"Hey—why'd you do that? I wasn't done with it," Aliana said, her voice sharp and a little slurred.
"You've had enough," Arman replied flatly. "Drink water. Alcohol doesn't suit you."
Jane tried to hide her laugh, biting her lip, glancing between them. The tension between the two was obvious—too obvious. "We're heading to the bar after this, Arman. You should come! It'll be fun."
He shook his head. "I'm busy."
Jane sighed dramatically. "Shame. Would've been nice."
After a while, dinner ended. As everyone prepared to leave, Arman reappeared by the door. "I'll take Aliana home," he said simply, offering no room for debate.
Jane shot Aliana a knowing grin before whispering something to a colleague. Their smiles didn't go unnoticed, and Aliana hated how easily people assumed things.
Once outside, Arman placed a hand on her arm to guide her toward his car, but she pulled it back. "I'll go with them," she said, nodding toward her coworkers heading out to the bar.
"You never go with them," he replied quietly, brows furrowed.
"Well, maybe I should start." Her tone was sharper now, her words edged with the frustration she had been holding in. "I can't keep… keeping to myself all the time."
Arman looked at her, clearly unsettled by her sudden insistence.
"I just want to try being normal for once," she said, eyes dropping to the ground. "So please, don't make it harder for me."
He stood there silently, his jaw tightening, but before he could say anything more, she turned away and walked toward her colleagues.
Arman had been ready to follow after her when his phone began to ring. He froze mid-step, glanced at the caller ID, and his expression shifted. He hesitated for a moment before answering, his voice low and steady.
"What is it?"
A pause. Then a voice from the other end said, "You were right, Mr. Arman. She's a match."
His breath caught. "What?" he said quietly, disbelief slipping through his tone. For a moment, he stood completely still, his gaze darting toward Aliana, stumbling a little, laughing faintly as Jane guided her. She looked so unaware, so human, that part of him almost wished he hadn't heard what he just did.
"I understand," he said finally, closing his eyes as if trying to steady himself. "Thank you for your efforts."
He slipped the phone back into his pocket, exhaling sharply. A muscle in his jaw twitched before he turned slightly, his eyes catching sight of Beatrice watching him from across the glass. His lips curved a smile perhaps.
"Good to see you again, Aliana," he murmured,
-
At the karaoke bar, the night had turned loud and hazy. The group was laughing, drinks flowing freely, and Aliana was clearly more than a little tipsy. Her mind kept circling back to Arman—the way he'd looked at her, the sound of his voice when he spoke her name. It all churned in her chest like a storm she couldn't calm.
Jane, who had been watching her closely all evening, saw the shift in Aliana's mood. She'd been dying to ask what that little scene with the boss had been about, but she waited for the right moment preferably when Aliana's tongue was loose from the alcohol.
When Aliana took the microphone and began to sing, Jane grinned, joining in. The two of them swayed, arms around each other, singing far too loud and laughing between verses. Aliana's voice carried over the crowd, raw and full, as if she was trying to drown out something heavy buried inside her.
After a while, breathless and flushed, they collapsed back into their seats. The others kept singing, their laughter blending with the music. Jane leaned closer, her eyes glinting. "Why are you so worked up tonight, Aliana?"
"It's nothing," Aliana muttered, reaching for her drink again.
"Is it about our boss?" Jane teased.
Aliana froze for half a second, her hand still around her glass, then glanced sideways. "What makes you think that?"
Jane smirked. "Oh, come on. You think I haven't noticed? The way you look at him—"
Aliana swallowed hard, her voice small. "Was it that obvious?"
Jane raised an eyebrow. "You hid it so well," she said, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Everyone knows you have a crush on the Boss."
Aliana sighed, staring into her drink for a long moment. Then she leaned closer. "Can I tell you a secret? But you can't tell anyone."
Jane perked up immediately. "Alright, I won't."
Aliana lowered her voice. "I'm… actually engaged to Arman. You know, I'm his fiancée."
Jane blinked, stunned, then burst out laughing. "That's impossible! Arman's engaged to the daughter of the Joseph family."
Aliana tilted her head and smiled faintly. "Exactly. And that daughter… is me. Or at least, that's who they think I am...for now."
Her last words came out quieter, almost a mumble, but Jane caught enough to make her jaw drop. "Daughter of the Jospeh family?" Jane was still wrapping her head around it.
Before she could finish, someone from across the bar called out, "Aliana!"
Both women turned. Aliana's eyes lit up for a brief second, her lips curving into a small, tired smile. "Oh… it's you," she said, rising unsteadily to her feet as the noise of the bar faded just a little around her.