If You Met Me First...
Thea Kaget

Ikea Stoughton Massachusetts

Apsarini awaits the arrival of Shane who asks him to be in front of the IKEA store. The girl glanced at the pile of all the boards that she would later stack into cabinets and various other furniture. After waiting for almost twenty minutes, Apsarini saw Shane coming in with an open-top truck that then got parked not far from where the girl was waiting.

Shane went down and approached Apsarini who was smiling sweetly and then his face gawked at the number of items the girl bought.

"Little one, I can take it to my mini Cooper and Shane."

"No problem." Shane then took the boards with a trolley to his Toyota Hilux pickup truck. Together with Apsarini, the two put in the car tub and Shane smiled satisfied to be able to arrange it and then closed with a tarp so as not to be stolen when stopped at a red light.

Apsarini also walked to his car with other smaller items and put them into his Mini Cooper.

"We go hand in hand Sari. I will escort you from behind" Shane said after Apsarini returned the trolley to its place.

"Okay Shane." Apsarini got into her car, followed by Shane walking behind her.

***

Thea Ramadhan Apartment

Thea stared at her MacBook monitor to explore the financial condition of Hugo Melker and Salsabila Melker. With the hacker skills taught by Benjiro Smith, Thea managed to get into the accounts of all the banks belonging to the couple.

Thea knew if all this evidence could not be used in court, if there was a trial for Hugo, but at least she got her picture and information first. Thea checks the back even while Hugo is still struggling to be a writer.

The girl also unravels the background of the lives of Hugo Melker and Salsabila. Hugo Melker was descended from Serbian immigrants decades ago when the Serbian war broke out. Orphaned at the age of 17, Hugo completed his High School by working odd jobs to choose entry into the U. S. Army. Hugo was honorably discharged when he suffered a severe injury that almost took his life while in a conflict area for only three years in the army.

Hugo chose to be a writer of crime stories while recovering in the hospital and it was there that he met Salsabila who drove his mother to check. Hugo fell in love with Salsabila, moreover they were both of Serbian descent. They soon married and Hugo's first novel, Killing Jack, became a hit. The name Hugo Melker began to be reckoned as a future crime novelist.

His second novel Window Watcher became a hit until finally ten novels were made by Hugo and all became best sellers. The economic strata of Hugo and Salsabila also rose and in less than three years, they were able to buy a house quite luxurious.

"Finance is no problem. Hugo keeps giving money every month to Salsabila..." Thea whistling. "A lot of them ! But why did his mom say Hugo was stingy?"

Thea digs up Salsabila's finances again and her mother makes herself a kind of stalker but to satisfy her curiosity. "Lha her mother sent her money was also good... " Thea's researching again. "Wait, what transaction..."

The young lawyer noted everything and was surprised that the money Hugo had given him had been used by Salsabila for strange things.

"What club is this? I don't know... " Thea began opening up HRD Channel data showing Salsabila started working six months ago to match the woman's departure to a club. Thea finds out the club and is shocked to see the results appear on screen.

"Astaghfirullah's... Male strip club*tease? Was the man who met Salsabila from there?" Thea started to see the pattern. Since six months ago, Hugo's money has been sent to an account every month in the name of Jovan Malkovich.

Thea rubs her face and begins to find out who Jovan Malkovich is but her data is sealed. "What's? Sealed? What is Interpol or Law Enforcement?"

The girl decided not to find out more because she had to get in touch with Benjiro Smith for this matter and went on to follow Salsabila's money trail. He could see the money being sent to his mother dwindling and Thea had no idea what Salsabila was saying but it seemed that she was being dishonest to slander Hugo even though the man was routinely putting in monthly money with the same nominal.

"Poor you Hugo. Defamation and cheating on your wife .." Thea muttered. The girl stopped her investigation and decided to take a break due to the amount of information.

"Astaghfirullah's..."

***

Apsarini Apartment in Boston Massachusetts

Shane helps Apsarini bring all the items she bought at IKEA into her apartment. Apsarini then took two bottles of cold mineral water from the refrigerator and gave one to Shane.

"Thanks Sari" smiled Shane who then unscrewed the bottle and then downed it to half.

"Honestly... Yeah. You know, my life is very boring. So if there's something interesting, why not."

"It's like coming to IKEA when you have no business there?" Apsarini's blue eyes stared nosyly at Shane.

"There is Sari. I helped bring you all the things you bought. Instead of you waiting to come delivered, yes mending we bring our own. Besides your car's too cute, Sari."

"I don't like big cars, Shane. Eating place. Oh, I ordered food. You haven't had lunch, have you?" Apsarini took her phone. "What food do you want? Western or Asian?"

"What do you want to order?" Shane asked back.

"Feel the middle east. Wanna?"

"No problem." Shane stood up and walked over to the pile of boards. "While waiting, what if we start installing it? I'm skilled enough to put up a puzzle like this."

"just open. I'm sure you're his hobby of putting together Lego" Apsarini chuckled in his order.

"Kok know?" Shane took his folding knife which he always carried everywhere and began to open the plastic wrapper.

"You're like Lego" Apsarini's tease makes Shane turn.

"Sari, where is my face like Lego. There's no yellow Irishman like a Lego scarecrow." Shane raised his chin. "I'm too handsome for a Lego man anyway."

Apsarini laughs. "Then I see your similarities with Bayu. You two are both narcissistic !"

"Hey, Blair and O'Grady have the same DNA. Narcissistic DNA!" answer Shane jumawa.

"I won't dispute it" Apsarini said.

***

Thea Ramadhan New York Apartment

Thea was enjoying her mint tea when she heard her phone ring and immediately picked it up. His brows seemed to wrinkle when he saw who called him.

"Assalamualaikum bang Omar. What's up?" greet Thea.

"Wa'alaikum salam. Thea, why did you find out about Jovan Malkovich?" omar Zidane, FBI agent and husband of Nadya Blair, cousin of Thea.

"Huh? How bang Omar knows."

"Thea, that man is a dangerous man ! Why are you looking for him?"

Thea just bit her lip. Whats?

***

Yuhuuuu Up Night Yaaaa gaaeeessss

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