Because I Don't Want to Lose
2 - Searching

“Naira?!” Anaya called her son worriedly.

“Mama!” Naira looked up and immediately approached her mother.

The tall and sturdy man stood up and smiled at him. Anaya hugged Naira tightly. Just as Anaya was about to open her mouth to ask, a screech rang out from the parlor door and the living room.

“Anaya! Waduh, just got home at this hour!” exclaimed a long-haired young man who suddenly appeared while carrying two coffee mugs.

She is Randi, Anaya's older cousin and also a regular client of her event organizer company.

“Hai! How, you didn't say you wanted to come?” ask Anaya wonder.

“Loh! Last week you were going to tell me to come bring an architect and a contractor who wants to renovate this house?”

Anaya remembered that. He is indeed interested in the work of contractors who have built Randi's house, and plans to use his services to renovate his house. However, he did not expect Randi to come suddenly with him, without telling him first. Want him to argue, but sometimes free to defend the opinion on Randi who really likes to be alone.

“Eh! Recognize Zar, this is Anaya, who owns this house!” randi exclaimed to his friend while putting his coffee on the table. I don't know where Mba Kemi, until Randi brought his own drink.

“Goodnight, I Izzar!” The foreign man who had stood up earlier, extended his hand to Anaya. His smile was very well-mannered spread on his handsome face. The hospitality was so clearly implied in his eyes.

“Anaya!” Anaya replied to Izzar's short and flat greeting, then let him sit back.

“Mama, can I color again the same Om Izzar?” ask Naira to interrupt.

Anaya surprised. In his heart he asked, how long has actually been Randi and Izzar in his house, how could-can Naira seemed to have been familiar with the man he just knew, he said,

“Sama Om Randi course yes learn it. Mama wants to chat with Izzar.”  Randi, take over Naira's attention.

With a formal attitude, Anaya conversed with Izzar. He conveyed in outline his desire to renovate the heritage house of his parents. Then, it shows the parts and corners of the building that it wants to repair and overhaul.

“This house can be renovated as will Anaya, Zar?” randi asked Izzar after they sat back in the living room.

“Can. But since it's late, I haven't been able to check the structural conditions of the building in more detail. If Anaya is pleased, tomorrow afternoon I come here again to check and measure everything, then I can make pictures and estimate the cost,” said Izzar answered Randi's question.

“Where, Nay?” Randi looked at Anaya.

“Oke.” Anaya answered briefly.

Sandra appears when Randi and Izzar say goodbye. After the two men died, Sandra pulled Anaya's arm and invited her to sit on the terrace chair.

“Who is he, Nay? handsome, loh!” sandra Goda.

“Architects who want to renovate this house. His friend Randi,” Anaya replied unenthusiasticly. “On the phone, you said there is important information. What, anyway?”

“I've met with Alex, he's Ridwan's father's lawyer. I'm curious about Ridwan's plans for Naira. That's why I took him to lunch and chat for information. Fortunately he had a crush on me,” Sandra replied with a laugh.

Anaya didn't think Sandra would do that. But, he did not mind, instead pleased and became curious.

“So, the main reason why Ridwan wants to ask for full custody of Naira is because his father in the near future will provide inheritance grants with great value to Naira. Since Naira is still a minor, then the property will be handed over to you as his guardian. Hence, Ridwan suddenly insisted on demanding full guardianship over Naira, Nay!” Sandra.

Anaya heard it. So, the reason why Ridwan is very eager to master Naira was only to get the right to manage his property. If so, then he should get married soon. But, with whom?

“Izzar earlier that, can also be Nay!” Sandra gave a suggestion while blinking her eyes.

Anaya. He could see easily Naira was close to Izzar earlier. He said that the innocent heart of a child can distinguish between good people and not. Anaya could also feel the calmness in the man.

Through Randi, Anaya digs up information about Izzar Adhitama. The architect is now single. His fiancee left him two years ago, along with the bankruptcy of his company because he was fooled by a number of fictitious projects and carried away in corruption cases by other parties, to have to deal with court proceedings.

Izzar all-out sold all assets to cover his debts. He only has a simple house and an old car.

Based on the information, Anaya knows, the man is in desperate need of money to immediately pay off the remaining debt, and he can take advantage of the condition to force Izzar to marry her.

When three days later Izzar came to Anaya's office, submitted a proposal to estimate the cost of renovating his house, Anaya read it at a glance.

Anaya looked at Izzar's handsome face. He took a breath before answering.

“In essence, I agree with this proposal. In fact I will give you an additional five times the value of the fee that you submit, but, on one condition .." Anaya did not continue his speech.

“What are the terms?” ask Izzar.

“You must marry me.” Anaya uttered the sentence in as flat a tone as possible.

However, Izzar was surprised. The man stared at Anaya with barely blinking eyes.

Anaya did not care about Izzar's shock. He then explains the reason why he asked Izzar to marry him.

Izzar's mouth was open, but not a word came out. He stared at Anaya's face once again for quite a while. He was surprised to see a woman as beautiful as Anaya so desperate to find a husband. However, he soon realized, there was something in Anaya's attitude that did make this woman like an ivory tower that was difficult to approach.

“This is serious?” Izzar asked because he still could not believe it.

“Serious!” answer Anaya.

“If I refuse?” fishing rod Izzar.

“The renovation project is off, and I will ask Randi not to help you find any more work projects.” Anaya threatened.

Izzar. He leaned his body on the chair. Randi is a friend who still believes in him and is kind to him. Izzar so lost all vocabulary in his brain to respond to the situation as if intended to ensnare him.

Finally, Izzar searched safely by asking for time to think about it. Although he did need money, and the profits from home renovation financing and the rewards Anaya offered were enough to pay off all the remaining debt, he did not want to be rash.

After leaving Anaya's office, Izzar chose to sit alone in a coffee shop. He thought about Anaya's offer. Part of his heart encourages him to accept it, because the compensation to be given can immediately release him from the crush of his debt. However, the other half of his heart dodged because he had no interest in Anaya. His meeting with Anaya, which had already taken place three times, only gave birth to the impression that the woman was arrogant, and seemed to look down on him.

While he was thinking about it all, his phone rang and his screen flashed his mother's name. Izzar answered immediately.

“Where are you, Zar?”

“On the road, there was a meeting earlier. Why, Ma?”

“So your friend came here. He said make a pact with you at my mom's house. Mama said, you don't leave a message if you want a friend to come. Continue, he goes and order like this : Just say it to Izzar, Adrian was here.”

The deg! Izzar's chest jerks. Adrian is a scheming investor who drags him into a dirty business game that leaves Izzar broke and in debt. Why did the man come to his mother's house?

“You know that Adrian, Zar?” ask mama.

“Iya I know, Ma. I'm sorry, I forgot I knew that I planned to go to my mom's house today and make a deal with her, I haven't had time to tell him I'm late. My mom calmed down. Let me call him first, yeah!” Izzar calmed his mother.

Izzar hung up. He was furious that Adrian, who used to be his business partner, dared to come to his parents' house. He knew it was Adrian's strategy to put pressure on him to pay off his debt, which was a month away.

Just as Izzar was looking for Adrian's name in his cell phone contact, the cynical man called him.

“Halo, Izzar!”

“Hei! Why did you come to my mother's house? Did I tell you, don't put my family in our trouble?” Izzar directly questioned him without further ado.

“To remind you that you have obligations that you have not completed to me.”

“I remember my obligation!” sahut Izzar riled.

“Good! Because if you don't, I'll go back to your mother's house. Don't let me do what you don't want there!”

Adrian's tone of voice is so cold and implied sadistic, to make Izzar shudder.

***