Stefan took a taxi to the apartment building. He got off and paid then walked to the building. He saw a security guy at the door. Stefan showed the guard her picture on his phone screen and asked if he saw her or not.
The guy looked at the picture.
"Miss Wirata. No, sir. I haven"t seen her yet."
He said. The security man recognized the beautiful friendly Asian lady who had rented a room in this building.
"Okay. Thanks."
Stefan could not think where else she would go. He looked at the time. It was around 9.30 p.m.
Stefan called to ask Ben. Ben said that she had not yet returned to the penthouse.
"Tell somebody to bring me a car. I am at her apartment."
Stefan told Ben. He needed a car to drive around to look for her. It sounded stupid as he did not have a clue where to find her but Stefan could not just stand here and did nothing. He would have gone mad.
Half an hour later, Ben and James drove two cars to the apartment.
"We can help to search for her, boss."
Ben offered help. He looked at the boss"s solemn face and felt sorry that he should have said firmly to stop him not to take Melissa to the restaurant.
"It"s okay. You two can go now. If she comes back to the penthouse, just let me know."
Stefan said to his men. Ben and James glanced at the boss"s right hand. There were dry blood and scratches but he seemed not to care at all.
"Are you sure you don"t want us to look for her around here?"
James asked. Stefan shook his head.
"It"s my own fault, I will sort it out by myself. Just go to the penthouse. Stay with Summer. And if she returns home, call me right away."
Stefan said to his men.
They bowed to the boss and drove away, left one car for Stefan.
Stefan sat in the car, parked by the side of the quiet road in front of the building. He shoved a hand in his hair and felt the pain. He used it to punch a ceramic plate and he forgot to apologize to the kind lady. There were scratches and it stopped bleeding but still felt sore as h.e.l.l.
His thought was all about Wirata. He clenched his fists when thinking he hurt her feelings. He would never forgive himself for his stupidity and unthinking action tonight.
"f.u.c.king idiot! f.u.c.king stupid!"
He cursed fiercely to himself.
When looking back, Stefan knew how idiot he was. Her mother"s words play in his head. The lady was too kind not to plug him with a kitchen knife for what he did to her daughter.
Stefan called her again but her phone was still off. At about 10.30 when he saw a taxi stopped in front of the apartment building. The slender figure got off. She walked to the gate.
Stefan quickly jumped out of the car and walked to her immediately.
"Wine."
He called her.
She stopped near the concrete wall before the gate and turned to look. Stefan saw her eyes were red indicating that she had cried a lot. Stefan clenched his jaws with anger and tightened his hand into a fist then suddenly sw.a.n.g it on the hard wall. Wirata jerked with the unexpected action he did. His left hand was bleeding instantly.
Wirata widened her eyes in a shock to see him punched his fist onto the concrete wall right in front of her just like that! And not just once, he sw.a.n.g it again for the second time. Wirata reached to grab his arm in time before he did it for the third time.
"Are you crazy?!! Stop now!"
She shouted at him. Seeing his face was tense and his eyes were red with sorrow.
"I am a fool, Wine. I am an a.s.shole. I deserve it!"
He cursed himself and threw the other hand onto the wall. His both hands were cover by blood. Wirata grabbed his arms to stop him.
"Stefan! Stop! Why are you doing this?!"
"Let go of me, Wine. This is just too little compared to how idiot I am... d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"
He pulled his hands off her grabs and then threw it to hit the wall again. Wirata tried to push his big body and stepped in between him and the wall.
He stopped, looking down at her face. His tall body was shaking and his eyes were red with all mixed feelings. Wirata saw tears threatened to spill from his eyes.
"No. Stefan. Please... Don"t do this."
The soft voice said. She reached to touch his face. Stefan blinked back the tears and swallowed a lump in his throat. His heart was so aching with guilt that he hurt her feelings and made her cry so much. Stefan pulled her to hug so tightly. He kissed her hair and put his face on her shoulder.
Wirata could feel his body trembled. She felt her shoulder wet. Wirata could not help but let the tears roll down on her face to know that he was crying. She rolled her face on his chest to dry her tears as he was wiping his face on her shoulder.
"Stefan... Please, don"t..."
She managed to say out with a trembling voice.
He was so quiet. Only the large hands tightened her body more as though he was afraid she would vanish into thin air. Wirata caressed his back gently to soothe him. Both stood still, hugging each other at the front wall of the building.
"I"m sorry, Wine."
Finally, he said out. His voice cracked full of sad emotion. Wirata nodded, tightened her arms around his waist.
"It"s okay. Don"t ever do this crazy thing again. Let me see your hands."
She gently pushed him out a little. he lifted his face up from her shoulder. His eyes were so red with bloodshot, the sorrow was shown.
Wirata reached to wipe tears off his face. Then she grabbed his hands to explore the wounds.
"You are crazy. Why did you have to do this?"
She complained and looked up at his solemn face and bloodshot eyes. She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the elevator, rode it up to her apartment room.
She opened the door, pulled the tall body to sit on the couch.
"Sit here. I"ll bring the first aid box. Your wounds need cleaning and taking care of. "
She told him and then walked to the kitchen zone, opened the wall unit and took out the first aid box.
She came back with the equipment she needed for cleaning his injured hands.
Wirata used a moistened cloth to clean the crusted blood off. There was still some blood running out, so she used the cloth to press on the wound to stop the blood flowing out.
"I"m sorry, Wine. I hate myself right now that I made you cry."
Stefan said. His voice was full of sorrow and regret. He pulled her to hug again and did not care about the wounds on his hands.
"I didn"t mean to hurt you. I missed you all day today. I just wanted to see your face right after work and didn"t want to wait until you get home. I didn"t think about Melissa. I am so sorry. I didn"t know it matters. I was so daft."
He continued to apologize to her and blamed himself. His voice was cracking with emotion again. His chin pressed softly on her head. Wirata leaned her face on his chest. Listening to his words and his heart.
"I didn"t know that bringing Melissa would hurt your feelings. I am stupid and don"t know a lot of things. But the only thing I know is... I love you so much. I just love you so d.a.m.n much, Wine."
He said it clear in her ears. Wirata could not hold her emotions at this point. Tears flowed out quietly.
This madman made her cry twice the same night, with tears of regret, pain, and tears of happiness to hear the most important word she had not thought he would say it to her.
"I won"t ask you to forgive me, Wine. I just want you to know that I love you with all my heart and I am not forcing you to give it back to me. I know now it isn"t easy for you to love me. I am not good enough and I don"t deserve you."
His words flowed out as all the feelings he had for her were overwhelming in his heart.
"Don"t say any more, Stefan."
The tremulous voice. Wirata was crying so hard right now to hear him confess his true feelings to her.
"Please don"t cry, Wine. I hate it when I make you cry like this. I am aching. It so d.a.m.n hurt inside my chest."
He muttered above her head. Wirata wiped her face on his chest again. His s.h.i.+rt was damp because of her tears.
"Please don"t hate me."
He begged. A man like Stefan never begged anyone in his life. But for her, he could do anything to keep her in his life.
"I don"t hate you, Stefan."
The soft trembling voice said. Stefan hugged her tightly.
"Do you love me, Wine? Even only a little. Please tell me. Please let me be happy."
He asked with his quavering voice. He pushed her out a little and used his injured hand to lift her chin up. His eyes looked into her eye with hope.
Stefan saw tears rolling on her beautiful face. He pulled out his handkerchief to wipe it for her.
Wirata looked at his solemn face and injured hands. She reached to touch his face.
"I have told you already about the kind of man I wanted to spend my life with. Do you remember?"
She asked softly.
"Yes. I do remember. Nice, kind, family man, loves, you, loves animals, loves his sibling, loves his people, great at what he does, handsome, honest, faithful, listen to you, respect and treat you right and not mafia."
He did remember all! Wirata had to give out a light smile to see him memorized everything she said.
"And you said you wanted to be that man."
She spoke softly.
"But you never accepted my proposal."
He responded with a sad tone. Wirata kissed on his chin gently. She sighed and tilted her face to look into his bloodshot eyes.
"At first, I was thinking to watch you for one year. But now when I thought about it. I realized that time in our lives is so limited and life is too short to waste and to make somebody"s waiting with hope. If there is an opportunity to meet the person I truly love and I could hardly live without him. hard. So I should seize the opportunity to grab him and hold him tight and letting go of his hands ever."
She gave him a long speech. Stefan was listening carefully to every word she said. When she finished his eyes were glistering with excitement and high hope. Hoped that he did not translate the message wrong.
"Oh, G.o.d. Are you saying that you love me? Right? Please, Wine. Say it to me again. As you know I am a dumba.s.s. Please say it clearly. I am afraid I would get it wrong."
Stefan begged her without shame. There was nothing to shame about to express his honest feelings to the woman he loved.
Wirata smile to the man who was so adorable in front of her. She held his face and stared into his eyes.
"What choice do I have? Because I love you that much, Stefan Mackenzie. I love you with all my heart. Is it clear enough now? I hope it is and you are not translating it in any other way."
She said it out so clearly with teasing tone at the end. Wirata was full of joy and happiness to see his handsome face lighted up instantly with the big smile and he pulled her to hug so tightly.
"Oh, G.o.d. Finally. Thank you. You are making me so nervous, Wine."
The man embraced her tighter. He let out the relief breathing he held for a long minute.
"I am so happy. I am the luckiest man on earth right now to hold you in my arms like this and to hear that you love me the same way I love you. Thank you, Wine, for accepting me."
He said with a trembling voice full of excitement and happiness. They were cuddling each other on the couch. Stefan planted kisses on her forehead and her cheeks. His face wore a big smile.
Today was considered the worst and the best day of his life!