Chapter 2. Failed to Move

Crash. Lost in her thoughts, Nadine accidentally bumped into Brian's back as he stopped before the elevator.

"I'm sorry, sir, it was unintentional!" Nadine stammered, fearing her new boss might get angry due to her clumsiness. Nadine herself was confused; she felt uncomfortable working for someone who had once held a place in her heart. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to maintain a professional relationship. She had been a stellar secretary in her previous workplace, and her work had always been excellent.

Without responding, Brian entered the open elevator and followed Nadine from behind.

"Come here, don't stand behind me!" Brian grabbed Nadine's hand without a word, causing her to stumble. Slowly, Nadine released Brian's grip.

"I'm sorry, sir," Nadine said a bit sardonically. Since deciding to make a change in her life, Nadine had been keeping her distance from any non-relative men. She genuinely wanted to repent for her past mistakes with Brian. Due to those mistakes, Nadine couldn't form relationships with men.

Approaching her 27th birthday, it wasn't just once that men had wanted to court Nadine. Even her parents had tried to arrange matches for her, but Nadine always declined. It was difficult for her to fall in love again for some reason.

As Brian sat in the driver's seat, Nadine was torn between sitting next to him or in the backseat. Finally, she decided to sit in the back.

"Why are you sitting in the back? Am I your driver?" Brian remarked without looking, observing Nadine's blushing face from the rearview mirror. Brian grinned broadly as he watched Nadine move to the front seat beside him. He was satisfied to have teased his infatuation. He had deliberately asked his driver, Ebrahim, to take a break, wanting to be alone with his new secretary, who seemed fun to tease. Right in front of an upscale restaurant, the car stopped. Just as Nadine was about to open the car door, Brian suddenly stopped her.

"Wait for me in the car," Brian ordered firmly.

"Alright, sir!" Nadine replied casually, smiling. Unconsciously, Brian moved his face closer to Nadine's.

"Don't ever smile like that in front of other men!" Brian whispered, then flicked his finger against Nadine's forehead as she remained frozen. After closing the car door, Brian approached a beautiful girl wearing a knee-length flowy pink patterned dress standing in front of the restaurant.

Seeing Brian kiss the girl's left and right cheeks, Nadine's heart grew uneasy. Especially when she saw Brian happily embracing the girl and the girl's arm wrapped affectionately around his waist, Nadine realized that Brian had probably forgotten about her; their love had only lasted a few days. They had spent three days together before Nadine left without a word.

While waiting for Brian to have lunch with his girlfriend, girlfriend in Nadine's perspective, she put on her earphones to comfort her heart, which suddenly felt heavy when recalling her tragic love story with Brian. Falling in love had only brought her pain.

Thirty minutes passed, and Brian still had yet to leave the restaurant. Nadine was annoyed – instead of taking her to meet a client, Brian was now using her as his mosquito repellent while he enjoyed his date. Just as Nadine was about to leave the car, Brian appeared, holding hands with the same girl and opening the car door for her. They shared a warm embrace right in front of Nadine.

"Remember, Nadine, and he's not the same Brian from the past. He's your boss now," Nadine's inner voice scolded her to wake up.

"Here, this is for you. You probably haven't eaten yet," Brian said as he entered the car, handing Nadine a lunchbox and a bottle of cold mineral water.

"Thank you, sir!" Nadine replied while accepting the food. In her mind, Nadine grumbled, "Sure, Mr. Brian, you're enjoying your date in there while I'm sweating in the car."

The atmosphere remained silent during the drive as neither initiated a conversation. Nadine felt restless, as her boss had been distant toward her since the morning.

Unconsciously, Nadine observed Brian. He was very different from the Brian of the past – the one who used to be tall and skinny, resembling a Korean oppa. Now, he had a very sexy, well-built body, and Nadine couldn't help but feel a bit melted by his appearance. His youthful executive aura radiated from his expensive suit.

***

Upon arriving at the office, Brian headed straight to his room without acknowledging Danisa, who stood there to greet him. Danisa was puzzled by the radiant expression on Brian's face after his lunch outing with Nadine. She turned to look at Nadine, who was walking behind Brian. Seeing Nadine's downcast expression, Danisa grew suspicious. Could it be that what she had been thinking had happened? Was Brian playing tricks on his new secretary?

Nadine made her way to her desk listlessly. She was starving, having only had a piece of bread and a glass of milk since morning. She arrived at the office promptly at 7 a.m., wanting to make a good impression on her new boss.

"Why do you look so down, Nid? You were out with the boss, but you seem a bit off," Danisa approached curiously.

"I'm starving, Danisa. I haven't eaten since morning, and then I was asked to wait while the boss went on a date!" Nadine replied while opening the lunchbox that Brian had given her.

"Are you serious, Nadine? As far as I know, the boss has never had a girlfriend!" Danisa said, thinking hard. She knew that their young boss had never been in a relationship. Even Cakra and Amanda were puzzled by Brian's attitude of constantly rejecting potential matches their family proposed, despite not having a partner himself. Nadine just shrugged it off and began eating her meal eagerly.

"Turns out Brian still remembers my favorite food!" Nadine whispered to herself, paying no attention to Danisa's confusion.

"Never mind, Danisa, don't overthink about it. I'm hungry. Would you like some?" Nadine offered to Danisa.

"No, thanks, Nadine. I already had lunch with the others," Danisa replied before returning her gaze to the computer screen in front of her, still puzzled. "Could it be true that Mr. Brian has a girlfriend?"

Nadine continued to eat, her mind wandering back to her interaction with Brian during lunch. She tried to shake off her conflicting emotions while focusing on her work.
***

The days had quickly turned into a week since Nadine started working as Brian's secretary. She had grown accustomed to Brian's teasing, although she tried to maintain a neutral stance whenever he complimented her. Despite her heart fluttering, Nadine knew Brian had a girlfriend and understood she was just a fragment of his past. She considered Brian's playful behavior to continue their old dynamic when she was still his student. Nadine admitted to herself that her feelings for Brian hadn't changed. Not a bit.

Nadine entered the office building with a heavy step, convinced that her handsome boss was already at his desk. She found it puzzling how Brian was so engrossed in his work. He left the office daily by 7 p.m. and sometimes as late as 10 p.m. The previous Saturday, they left the office at 5 p.m., despite other employees leaving at noon. As his secretary, Nadine always had to wait until Brian finished his work. Luckily, her apartment was conveniently close to the office, just about 500 meters away. It only took her 10 minutes to get there on her scooter.

Brian pretended to be engrossed in his work as he heard Nadine's footsteps approaching. His workaholic tendencies had intensified, but now he was even crazier. He deliberately lingered at the office to spend more time with Nadine. At least this way, he could gaze at her face for an entire day.

"Good morning, Mr. Brian!" Nadine greeted him politely before taking her seat at her desk. In truth, Nadine felt uncomfortable sharing a room with her boss. It was Brian's request, and she couldn't refuse. Danisa was surprised to learn that Nadine and Brian were sharing a room, as Brian had never agreed to share his workspace with his secretaries. Brian didn't like his privacy being disrupted.

"Good morning, Nadine!" Brian replied briefly without looking up.

"Please let me read out your schedule for today," Brian instructed after about 15 minutes of Nadine's arrival.

"Of course, Mr. Brian!" Opening her agenda book, Nadine read Brian's schedule, which she had prepared the day before.

"Okay, thank you," Brian responded after Nadine had briefed him on his schedule. He had two client meetings lined up for the day.

"Mr. Brian, may I have your permission to take a break for lunch?" Nadine requested as her lunch break approached. But just as she was about to touch the door handle, Brian called out to her.

"Let's have lunch here. I've already placed a delivery order. We'll meet with the clients at 2 p.m. so we won't be late, and you can pray in my private room!" Brian suggested calmly.

"What? Your room?" Nadine was shocked and turned to face Brian, visibly irritated.

"Yes, my room. Is that a problem? It's more efficient to pray here than go to the third floor. We'll save time," Brian explained, pulling out a remote control from his desk drawer. Nadine was surprised as a bookshelf in the room shifted, revealing a door behind it. Curious, Nadine followed Brian into the room. She was amazed by the clean, white ambiance of the space. The room had a king-sized bed, a bathroom, and a desk. Above the bed hung a large and unique abstract painting. The room recalled five years ago when she spent three nights with Brian in Bali.

The sound of the large curtains being drawn interrupted her admiration. Through the large window, Nadine could see the bustling city of Surabaya. She imagined the twinkling city lights at night, a sight that must be truly beautiful from where she stood.

"I spend a lot of time here," Brian's voice brought her back from her reverie. Nadine felt nervous as she heard Brian's gentle voice.

"Would you like to freshen up first? There's a towel in the cupboard." Brian gave Nadine a flat look before removing his jacket and shirt, leaving them on the bed. Nadine's heart raced even faster as she looked at Brian's well-defined chest beneath the sleeveless shirt. She quickly looked away, feeling her cheeks heat up, as Brian disappeared behind the bathroom door.

Under the soothing spray of the shower, Brian tried to calm the sudden turmoil inside him. He had initially intended to perform ablutions, but he decided to take a full shower due to the sudden warmth in his body. Brian wondered why being near Nadine always made him feel like this. It was a feeling he couldn't quite identify. Brian was reminded of his love story with Nadine, which had never ended. He longed to ask Nadine about it directly, but his ego seemed to hold him back.

Five years ago.

"Miss Nadine?" Brian called out, rushing towards Nadine with a slightly breathless voice before bending over and holding his knees.

"Why are you here, Brian? Where are you going? And who are you with?" Nadine bombarded Brian with rapid-fire questions; her eyes focused on Brian as he caught his breath.

"Is it fate, Miss? Oh, by the way, now that I'm not Miss's student anymore, can I call you Nadine?" Brian teased, noticing Nadine's surprised expression.

"Whatever suits you!" Nadine replied casually before quickly leaving. Being her student for just a month and a half had been troublesome enough, and now she was unexpectedly running into Brian at the Ngurah Rai Bali Airport.

"I'm serious, Nadine. Will you marry me?" Brian asked, pulling Nadine's hand and embracing her.

"You're still talking about marriage, huh? Focus on your studies first!" Nadine responded while trying to break free from Brian's embrace. But Nadine's efforts to push Brian away were in vain. Unintentionally, she smiled, enjoying the faint fluttering in her heart.

"Here, I'll carry this for you!" Brian took Nadine's backpack from her and placed it on the bed before guiding her toward the airport exit.

"Let go, Brian. Where are we even going?" Nadine squirmed, trying to free herself from Brian's grasp.

"Just come along, or should I carry you?" Brian teased with a mischievous grin, making Nadine shudder with dread as she shook her head.

They eventually arrived at a luxurious resort near Kuta Beach. As Nadine realized where they were, panic set in. Her panic subsided when Brian led her to a room and placed her backpack on the bed.

"For the next three days, you're mine, baby!" Brian's words echoed as he closed the door behind him.

Nadine planned a three-day vacation in Bali before returning to Kalimantan. She thought spending a vacation with her former student was entertaining.

Nadine and Brian walked along the beach that evening, watching the sunset. They held hands like a couple in love, and with Nadine's youthful appearance and Brian's tall frame, they didn't resemble a teacher and student. They looked more like lovers.

After dinner, they returned to the resort, reminiscing about their school days. But as Nadine stood to say goodnight, Brian suddenly pulled her hand, causing her to fall onto his chest. They locked eyes, and their lips kissed softly before they knew it. Nadine's heart resisted, but her body succumbed to Brian's embrace, spiraling into a night where Brian took something precious from her.

As she stretched, Nadine felt a pain in her lower body. Suddenly, she burst into hysterical tears, realizing she was naked beneath the blanket.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Brian was startled by Nadine's cries.

"It's okay; you can calm down. I'll take full responsibility, sweetheart. I truly love you!" Brian hugged Nadine, trying to soothe her panic. Last night, Brian had lost control, though he had intended to pursue a serious relationship with Nadine. However, he wasn't ready for marriage yet; he still had his dreams to chase.

Flashback off.

The door to the bathroom opened wide, and Nadine was momentarily stunned by Brian stepping out, clad only in a towel wrapped around his waist. She hurriedly entered the bathroom, her heart racing with nervousness.

After her prayers, Nadine rushed out of Brian's private room. Meanwhile, Brian was still engrossed in a lengthy prayer, asking for forgiveness for the sins he had committed. Was this a sign? With Nadine's presence by his side, did he have a chance to make amends for his past mistakes? Brian believed that everything was a positive omen.