In a grand, luxurious mansion, it was nothing unusual for the harmonious family to start their morning with a little argument.
And more often than not, the subject was the same—Kalix, the only grandchild and sole heir of the family. At thirty-two, he was still unmarried.
"When are you going to get married, Kalix? You're already thirty-two! Don't keep putting it off. Your parents aren't getting any younger, you know. They want grandchildren, and I've been dying to have a great-grandchild," the family's eldest member, Grandma Irina, said firmly.
The thirty-two-year-old man let out a long sigh. "Marriage isn't that simple, Grandma. If I found the right woman, I would marry her. But right now, I haven't met anyone suitable to be my wife."
"Fine, then at least get yourself a girlfriend. I'd feel at peace seeing you with a woman."
Kalix frowned at her words. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, puzzled.
"Well, I've never seen you out with a woman. In fact, I've never even seen you have a female friend. I'm starting to worry you're not interested in women, so—"
"I'm perfectly normal, Grandma," he cut in quickly, his tone sharp.
"Kalix," his mother warned, catching the edge in his voice toward her mother-in-law.
"Then hurry up and find a girlfriend, and introduce her to me," Grandma shot back with equal firmness.
Kalix's mother could only shake her head, baffled by her only son. "You're nothing like your father when he was your age," she said, casting her husband a pointed look. "Your father was the king of playboys."
"Yes, but that was before I met you, darling," Kalix's father replied, winking playfully at his wife.
She rolled her eyes. "This must be karma for all your past sins—having too many girlfriends. Now our son is paying the price. My God, at my age I should already be holding my grandchild."
"How is this my fault?!" her husband protested.
Grandma Irina gave her son a sharp smack on the back. "Of course it's your fault! You went through women like changing clothes, and now your son's paying the price. Look at him—no girlfriend at all. Lord, don't punish my grandson; punish this shameless son of mine instead!"
"Oh, Mother! Don't blame me—this boy is just too picky!" the father grumbled, glaring at Kalix. "Hey, boy! If you don't bring a girl here soon, I'll arrange a marriage for you myself."
Kalix rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'm heading to the office," he said, standing up. He kissed his mother and grandmother on the cheek before striding out.
"That boy…" his father muttered, shaking his head.
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After a twenty-five–minute drive, Kalix finally arrived at his company.
Don't ask how a man his age ended up running such a large corporation—the answer was simple: it was the fruit of his grandfather's hard work. The company had been established long before Kalix was born, and all he had to do was continue what his grandfather and father had built.
Being the only grandson and sole heir of the family meant Kalix had to carry the weight of countless expectations—not only from his relatives, but also from every employee under his leadership.
As always, the staff greeted him with bright smiles, and as always, he returned them with nothing more than a polite nod.
"Hey, bro," a voice called out.
Kalix turned and found his secretary—who also happened to be his best friend—grinning at him. He shot the man a sharp look.
"Whoa, what's with the face? You look like you just swallowed a lemon."
"What happened? Did Queen Irina try to set you up again, or what?" his friend teased.
"Shut it. I'm not in the mood," Kalix replied curtly.
"When are you ever in the mood? All you do every day is bark at people."
Naka laughed as Kalix's expression grew even darker. "Seriously, man, how long do you plan on staying single? No wonder your parents and grandma are annoyed. You're this old and still unmarried—at least get yourself a girlfriend. You should learn from me, so you don't end up as a lifelong bachelor."
Kalix snorted. "Learn from you? You mean follow in your footsteps—getting married, divorced, and then begging to get back with your ex?" he shot back.
Naka's smirk faltered. "And you wonder why you're still single. With a mouth sharper than a chef's knife, no woman's going to get close to you. Honestly, what kind of woman are you even looking for? I'm starting to think you don't know yourself."
"You have no idea how exhausting it is finding you a date. If it weren't for Grandma Irina and Aunt Aila begging me to help, I wouldn't bother playing matchmaker for you," Naka complained.
"Stop talking before you ruin my day completely. Just get the files ready for me to sign," Kalix said flatly.
"Okay, okay, boss."
"Wait. How were yesterday's sales?"
"Exactly what we hoped for—sales exceeded our target," Naka replied, beaming.
"Good. Gather the staff. Tonight, we're holding a small celebration for the success of the new brand."
"My boss is the best," Naka said enthusiastically.
Kalix was about to head to his office when his eyes caught a small crowd gathered in front of the Finance Division's office.
"What are they doing?" he asked, frowning.
"Probably gossiping again," Naka said with a shrug.
"About what?"
"The usual, bro. The queen of the Finance Division is always the hot topic around here," Naka said with a chuckle.
"Not surprising. Out of all the employees in this company, she's the only one with such a… unique sense of style. Of course she's the trending topic," Kalix replied, making Naka burst into loud laughter.
"Tell them to get back to work. Office hours have started," Kalix ordered.
"Got it," Naka said, heading off to disperse the crowd.
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3:30 PM
Knock, knock, knock.
Kalix, who was busy signing a stack of documents, flinched at the sudden sound of knocking.
"Come in," he said, glancing toward the door.
"What is it?" he asked when he saw that it was the Head of the Finance Division who had stepped inside.
"This is the monthly financial report, sir," she said politely.
"Just put it there," Kalix replied without looking up.
The woman set the report on his desk but didn't leave. Instead, she spoke again.
"Would you like anything, sir? Should I make you some tea and bring a few snacks?"
"That won't be necessary," Kalix said flatly.
"Or perhaps you'd like—"
"I said no, and I meant no," he cut in sharply, glaring at the oddly dressed woman.
But Dariella—yes, that was her full name—only smiled. Instead of being offended by his tone, she seemed even more eager to tease him.
"Boss, you're always so grumpy with me. Don't be like that. One day you might just fall for me, you know," she said with a playful wink.
Kalix froze, his jaw dropping at the audacity of this woman—this woman who was constantly the talk of the office because of her bizarre sense of style. Fall for her? This ridiculous-looking woman? Unbelievable. He rubbed his temple, suddenly feeling a headache coming on.
Such a stiff man, Dariella thought, holding back a laugh.
"Well then, I'll excuse myself, sir. I hope you can focus on your work. People around here always tell me my charm is deadly enough to make someone lose all concentration," she said, barely hiding her amusement.
"Oh, you're absolutely right," Kalix replied with biting sarcasm. "You really do mess with people's focus—thanks to that face and… unique fashion sense of yours."
Dariella didn't seem the least bit bothered. She simply bowed politely, gave him another exaggerated wink, and left the room.
Kalix massaged his temples, wondering how he'd put up with this woman for the past four months. If it weren't for the fact that he needed her skills, he would've kicked her out of the company on her first day.
Unfortunately, her abilities were not only exceptional but also vital to the business. Which meant Kalix had no choice but to endure the presence of this strange, wartime-era–looking creature.
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Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Dariella burst into loud laughter the moment she stepped out of Kalix's office.
"Ah… why is it so fun watching that stiff boss of mine get annoyed?" she muttered to herself.
Dariella was the only employee brave enough to openly tease Kalix. Not because she had any real romantic interest in him, but because she wanted to prove something. The other employees often gossiped about how their boss was "immune" to women, and she intended to see for herself if it was true.
And sure enough, he was. The man ignored even the most gorgeous women—so what chance did someone like her, with her peculiar style, possibly have?
"Oh, Miss Dariella, you're here?"
"Ah, Mr. Naka," Dariella greeted warmly.
"Did you win the lottery or something? You look unusually cheerful today."
"Haha, no. I'm just happy I finished my work on time."
"Oh, I see. By the way, Miss, the boss wants to take all the employees out for dinner tonight at that restaurant near the office. I haven't told the finance team yet, so could you pass the message along?"
"Alright, I'll let them know. I'll be going then," she said before walking away.
She must've been teasing Kalix again, Naka thought. I bet his face is sourer than tamarind by now.
He smirked as he stepped into Kalix's office. Sure enough, his boss—and best friend—was sitting with a hand pressed to his forehead, looking like a man drowning in problems. Which, to be fair, he was.
"Let me guess… Miss Dariella distracted you again? Can't blame you though, she's quite a charming woman. No wonder you keep getting caught off guard," Naka teased.
"This is all your fault. Out of all the people in Indonesia, why did you hire that… creature as Head of Finance?" Kalix shot back.
"Because, as you know, I'm an excellent recruiter. I don't judge people by their looks, but by their skills and abilities," Naka said smugly.
"Hey, don't hate her too much. You know what they say—hate can turn into love," Naka added with a mocking grin.
Kalix let out a sarcastic laugh and shot him an annoyed look. "Your comedy act is getting better by the day. Maybe you should consider a career change. Don't worry, I'll happily accept your resignation letter anytime."
That made Naka panic. "Hahaha, don't say that, boss. I'm comfortable working here. I promise I won't mess with you again. Forgive this humble, well-behaved employee of yours."
"Get out of my office if you still want to work here," Kalix said, glaring sharply.
Without another word, Naka hurried out.
"Me? Fall in love with that antique creature? Hah! That widower has no filter when he talks," Kalix muttered in annoyance.