EMBRACE YOU: Presence & Poison
Episode 14

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“Doctor Stefan says you have to rest!”

“Why do they speak this whisper? What are you doing?!”

I shook my head slowly, between anxious and amused to hear Bayu's voice on the phone. The clock that showed me at nine and Bayu only informed me after more than five hours I saw him in the hospital.

Maybe because of his job? Is chasing Rey that hard? Though I thought it was so easy to meet him.

Erratum! He came to see me.

“We continue in the message. Okay?”

After hearing his mutter on the phone, I disconnected the connection and then looked forward, making sure Mr. Dani and Ms. Rima did not notice.

Mr. Dani who was driving was busy talking to Rima's mom who was sitting next to him. We are currently on our way to a place outside the city, to a hotel where the company usually holds large meetings.

“Bu rim, haven't seen the news this morning? it says there are *******. This morning many heard the gunshots?”

“Oh yes I saw the news sir, so yes serem ****** is in our city.”

I glared in disbelief, directly leaning forward to join their chatter. “Pak And, really there's that news?”

“Ehh Cha when you didn't see the news? Serem loh it said the terrorists shoot each other. Happened earlier

morning around three.” Mr. Dani glanced at me from the rearview mirror. I quickly searched for the news online, hoping for no name or information if I was on the scene.

Impatiently reading every sentence that was on the online news site, I finally heaved a sigh of relief. The news

does not show a picture of where the incident is, or who is involved. There only describes some residents who heard gunshots and police statements that are still in the investigation stage and they are sure if the sound is indeed from *******.

“Cha, how is it healthy?” Miss Rima suddenly asked me. I smiled widely and nodded.

“Already okay bu Rim.”

“Icha can hold in the central branch it's amazing. If you are mom, you must immediately give me a letter resign.” Rima's mother praised me.

I've heard many administrative heads from other branches such as Bu Rima from the regional branch in this city and Mr. Dani from the western branch of this city say that to me. Once a few times the central manager asked the three of us to take turns to serve in different branches once every year but they both never agreed.

The branch I work for is known as the central branch of the city. A shitty boss place

congregates. A place where people who are hard to control are here. With this kind of work atmosphere that makes me have to put a stronger body, I have to be equally stubborn with the rules that have been set, he said, I should also put on a cold expression and not easily waver if anyone approaches my team for some purpose.

“Iya bu Rim, maybe Icha will also be strong if the administration team is not the current one. They are admin

super.” Hearing my answer, Mr. Dani and Ms. Rima chuckled softly. I'm really grateful to have people on my team who don't falter as easily as they do.

Mr. Dani had a glance at me from the rearview mirror, I know the point, because this middle-aged man had become the head

adminstration at the central branch when I first entered work there as a regular admin staff.

“Iya right Cha. The central admin branch is amazing. They can walk on their own, just need you to control aja.”

I nodded in agreement to Mr. Dani's words.

Suddenly my phone vibrated a sign of a message coming in. It's from Bayu. The message was quite long, he was nagging me because I got out of the hospital without telling him.

***

So tired. It's now half-eleven in the evening and I'm only able to get into the hotel room that the company has booked. When we arrived at this hotel at two in the afternoon, we were supposed to attend a meeting. Many discussions will not be completed in just one day,

I was a little surprised when I walked into this hotel room, in the previous meeting we had at least roommates, but

I'm just here alone. Is it possible because our number is odd so that the one who is alone is me? Yes it might be.

I quickly unpacked my own laptop bag, put it on the table and started

lighted it. I was told by a college friend that yesterday when I was not present there was an essay assignment to collect today, late until twelve tonight.

The professor who taught has sent the task via email, because there is no time to ask for wifi password on this floor, then I use my own cellphone wifi.

My body is very tired, but there is still something to do. This is the risk of a worker and

students like me. But I like all this, I like when I have to do something, when I have to think.

Lucky essay that must be completed on average questions about management. I passed on the master of management S2, having to answer case examples and things around case studies in office management.

In less than an hour I finished sending the professor a reply, and then I checked my phone and

I could not find any message from anyone including Bayu. We communicated in the morning. Now he's gone missing. Maybe he was busy? Of course, the middleman seemed to be busy.

And ah yes, no message from mother or Daniel. They didn't call me when I used to call them first every day. Are they not surprised I didn't contact them for these two days?

Just thinking about it made my mood instantly fall. Nah! I'd better take a shower to refresh my mind. Doctor Stefan told me this morning not to be too stressed. I just felt what's called an inflammation of the stomach due to stress, it really hurts and I don't mean to want to feel it anymore.

While I was busy unpacking the contents of a small suitcase to arrange clothes in the closet, I heard the sound of knocking on the door. The clock shows half twelve. Who meets in the middle of the night like this?

Afraid? Sure was!

I'm a normal woman who gets scared when there's a knock on the door in a hotel room almost midnight like this, but I.

unable to stay still, then I walked slowly closer to the door, it was a pity that there was no small hole to look out.

In the belief that I was a brave child born in the middle of the night, I opened the door by assuming that the knockers were people from my company.

“Sorry to interrupt.” I breathed a sigh of relief as a woman dressed as an employee of this hotel greeted me at the door.

“Ya what's wrong?”

“Someone left this in the lobby this afternoon.” This woman handed me a white rectangular box.

“From whom?”

“He did not mention his name, the man only ordered to deliver a guest named Natasha Icha Davindra who was a meeting participant at this hotel.” A little hesitant, but I received the box. Then this woman left and I closed the door.

Curious about the contents, I opened it immediately.

Whatisthis? Just a rose there. There's no record of anything. Is there maybe someone stupid?

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