A Pragmatic Couple

Alaric's streak of bad luck was far from over on this particular day. A call from Magdeléne only worsened his mood. Without any pleasantries, Magdeléne informed him that she had to have dinner with Andjani. She didn't give him a chance to speak, abruptly ending the call with a promise to update him through a message.

And so, here he was now, facing Andjani, who looked at him lazily. She retorted with a disdainful expression,

"I don't understand. I've been selective all this time. Why did my father choose you?"

Alaric snorted, "It's your fault for not marrying one of them sooner!"

Andjani scowled, "Seems like Aunt Magdeléne got it wrong all the time. She said you were always better than Aymard. Impossible!" Andjani rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Stop it. If you think Aymard is better, then why didn't you force Uncle Ghiffar to choose him?" Alaric retorted.

Andjani fell silent before suddenly looking at Alaric seriously,

"Don't compare me to you, who's clueless. It's clear I have. But this marriage arrangement with your family is all business! I wonder why Aymard isn't the heir to the Dirdja family! Knowing this, I disagree with my Dad for exploring this bullshit negotiation!" she said, pointing the knife at Alaric.

Alaric merely sneered in response. Andjani and her mouth that always like a heated needle. They had known each other for a long time. They often engaged in pointless arguments, but somehow, Andjani was the perfect partner-in-crimes. Like the time she softened a stern police officer who was about to give Alaric a speeding ticket in Malibu. She sweet-talked the officer, claiming that it was she who forced Alaric to speed, then they got away with a warning. Or the time she escaped Alaric's date out of the dorm. He had dated one of Alaric's friends before, a young man from a prominent family in mainland China whom always at Andjani's beck and call. Poor guy.

"Is Aymard still single?" Andjani murmured.

Alaric laughed dismissively, "You wish! He's never been single."

"Oh, really? When I met Isabel the other day, she said Aymard still isn't back with her," Andjani replied.

Alaric looked at Andjani, her nonchalant attitude often hurtful, "It's not just Isabel who can make Aymard falls in love."

Andjani waved her hand, "Oh, those flings come and go. He gets bored quickly, doesn't he?"

Alaric shrugged, "Say whatever you want. But even if you were with Aymard, could you keep him from getting bored?"

Andjani flashed Alaric an annoying grin, "Who knows?"

Alaric chuckled, "Since when did you have an interest in Mardi?"

"Aymard! Who's Mardi? It's so rude to refer to your brother like that! Honestly, I don't have an interest in Aymard. I admit, he's beyond. Besides, I'm a little scared of his stern and tough personality. But being stuck with you for life? Having children with you?! Damn euwh! Shafina's leftovers!"

"Watch your mouth, you! Don't even dream about getting close to Aymard now. It's too late. He's already in love to the point of insanity."

"Really? Who's the lucky one?"

"Secret."

Andjani tilted her head, "Does Aunt Magda know?"

Alaric shrugged, "Why are you busy complaining? We'd better find a solution to make this arranged marriage fail."

Andjani stared at Alaric for a while before lifting the corners of her lips into a smirk. Soon, she snidely retorted, "You're clueless, aren't you? Beyond redemption! I'm discussing a solution here."

Alaric grew irritated hearing her words, "What solution?"

"I'm going to force my dad to choose Aymard!" Andjani declared nonchalantly.

Alaric was taken aback, surprised. But Andjani remained calm, continuing to eat. She even gracefully waved at everyone she knew. The Loewy was indeed a very busy bistro and almost everyone there recognized them. Alaric finally understood why Andjani chose such a casual place. She just wanted to eat, not to go on a date. It was a relief, but now he was left to deal with the situation on his own. Andjani appeared flawless, elegantly spooning the soup without a drop spilling or tilting her neck even slightly. Clearly, she was ignoring him, so Alaric angrily tossed a tissue at her. Such things would greatly annoy her. Look at her, she looked back at Alaric with a glare. Unperturbed, Alaric firmly told her,

"Don't bother Aymard. He's serious about his current relationship."

"Listen, Alaric, I'm serious. Marriage is a lifelong commitment for me. Haven't you thought about what it would be like to live with me? Forced to have children with me? I mean, you know, we're not friends, but we're often involved in each other's problems. We often have to help each other out, right? So, this time, help me so that I won't get too bored with my future life. At least, I'm curious about your brother. So, every day won't be too tedious if I have to go through it!"

"Andjani and her overconfidence. You're so sure that Aymard wants to be with you!"

"It's already an irrevocable decision, our families are marrying us off. The problem is, I don't want to be with you!"

"And Mardi wouldn't want to be with you either."

"What did you say?"

"He's not interested in your type!"

"So, you're saying I'm unattractive, Alaric?"

"The truth!"

"At least I'm better off, not flaunting faux chinchilla in Chile." Andjani retorted sarcastically.

"Damn it, Nad!"

Andjani pouted, "Fine. Eat before it gets cold. Listen, I want Aymard, and you're going to help me. Must to be."

Alaric grumbled, "I'm not interested."

Andjani, the perfect girl adored by society, always appeared flawless. Even her stubbornness was tolerated, and her coquettish demeanor was considered endearing. Perhaps people were hypnotized by her beautiful face and frighteningly charming attitude. But Alaric knew for sure that Andjani was more deserving of the title "The Queen of Manipulation" rather than anything dramatic. She wasn't pretending or anything; it's just that Andjani was manipulative. She knew well that being a beautiful heiress meant she didn't have to work hard. Though her mind was sharp and her tongue was sharp, she preferred to rely on her smiles and winks to solve problems. She said she would only be intelligent when she met someone worthy. Alaric squinted at Andjani. While eating Brussel Sprouts, he murmured,

"Maybe it's time for you to use your rusty brain if you're really serious about attracting Aymard. Because this woman is very intellectual and mature."

Andjani looked at Alaric for a moment, then flashed a confident smile,

"Is that so? Interesting. Let's see how smart she really is. I hope she's not just the type who pretends to be strong and brilliant in presentations but mixes sex and romance into work as well. Annoying! Women like that easily get emotional and have unrealistic thoughts. If they get a little mistreated, they immediately feel useless. It would be a waste of my energy if he turns out to be like that!"

Alaric chuckled as he continued his meal, while Andjani sat upright, aligning her fork and knife diagonally to the left.

"You make me curious, Burik," she said.

"Well, Ni, what I mean is, we need to find another solution. A Plan B for you," Alaric replied.

"Why? You aren't confident that I can handle it, right?"

Alaric nodded, and Andjani looked at him with a glimmer in her eyes, irritated. But that's just how Andjani is, she doesn't care. Alaric wasn't friends with her, but he understood the real Andjani, whose her true name is Nadjani. The reason she changed her name was simple. When she was little, she, who always wanted to be number one, didn't like being anything other than first on the attendance list. She was sulking for no apparent reason until her mother got angry. When she found out that the attendance list was arranged alphabetically, she insisted on writing her name starting with "A." It was quite troublesome, but her parents complied by writing it as Andjani to appease her. Meanwhile, Alaric had been calling her Nadjani since preschool, as did some of their friends. Even in all legal documents, her name remained Nadjani Ghiffar Jusuf. Frankly, Alaric and his friends were very sure that no man would be willing to marry Andjani. Apart from her dazzling appearance, she was also too selfish. However, he didn't expect Andjani to think so logically. Targeting Aymard was perfectly make sense from anyone's point of view. Alaric should feel relieved, no longer forced to marry hastily, but for some reason, he didn't like the idea of Andjani interfering with Aymard.

And of course, he didn't want it to bother Aisha either.

Alaric, with his mind that believed himself could solve every problem. Suddenly, remembered that he still had to deal with one of his uncles. He had made an appointment for tonight. If only Magdeléne hadn't messed up this dinner Alaric would have finished his business with Rahadi Busro by now. It was the first time Alaric must had dealt with this particular uncle. So, he didn't know how straightforward it would be when face Rahadi Busro.

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