Aslena really felt that the man in front of her had no conscience.

For a moment, Aslena was silent. He didn't expect to just listen to condescending words instead of sympathizing with the deceased. Aslena thought this strange man was really strange.

"How can you say a sentence like that?" asked Aslena with a sarcastic laugh.

A few steps in front of Aslena, Benny didn't look the least bit guilty. With an unconcerned expression while rolling up his shirt sleeves again, Benny's heavy sigh was heard.

"If you can't accept what I'm saying, I don't care. After all, I would still want to take responsibility for an accident caused by one of my subordinates." Benny reached out, asking George for papers.

George gave Benny the paper from inside the special document envelope. Casually, Benny read the contents of the paper.

"This is a paper history of payments totaling the cost of all treatment. I have already paid for your parents' surgery, your hospitalization, and the funeral payment... wait." Benny paused for a moment. His brow furrowed. "Why is it so expensive? The funeral will be held—"

"Excuse me sir... whatever your name is," Aslena interjected which made Benny and George shift their gazes. "I don't care what you said earlier. You, even though you weren't the crasher, you do have an obligation to take responsibility."

Benny frowned for a moment, then raised the paper in his hand a little higher.

"This? Didn't you see my payment history?" asked Benny.

Aslena was still silent, trying to contain her irritation. Why does this man look so wimpy?

"I am indeed responsible, Miss, but I do not fully admit that the accident and death of your parents was my company's fault," said Benny firmly, continuing his words. As if not to think about how Aslena must have felt when she said that.

"Wow..." Aslena shook her head slowly with a cynical laugh. He looked away, not wanting to look at Benny. "Did I hear right?"

"No, of course."

Benny was about to continue, but Aslena cut him off saying, "You really are a lousy bastard."

There was no reaction from Benny. The room was silent. Halmey and Aldrick were shocked to panic after Aslena swore at Benny. So did George who immediately held Benny's shoulder and patted him very gently. Giving a sign so that Benny doesn't get emotional from Aslena's words.

"A lousy bastard man?" repeated Benny. Instead of feeling emotion, he just took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It's fine. At least this lousy bastard paid for your parents' funeral."

"Because it is your duty!" Aslena's tone rose suddenly. The emotion was so clear from his eyes.

The tension in the room's atmosphere became even more intense. But Benny didn't seem bothered at all. He raised the payment history paper in his hand again.

"So I paid your inpatient room six million per night. Junior room suite. You've been here eight days. Are you still calling me a lousy son of a bitch?"

Aslena felt her breath rushing as her heart heated up. He didn't answer Benny's question. Only his gaze sharpened.

"Yes, you lousy bastard. Get out of this room now. I don't want to see a murderer's face," Aslena said emphatically.

Benny noticed the hatred in Aslena's eyes. Also, understanding why Aslena was being so emotional towards him. Although Benny still denies that the Henderson Group is entirely at fault for the death of Aslena's parents.

"Okay," said Benny, nodding confidently. "I'm going. Nice to meet you."

Aslena frowned in surprise when Benny gave her a smirk at the end. But he said nothing, letting Benny walk out of the room with George.

While outside the room, when walking down the special hallway of the Junior Suite inpatient room, Benny handed a paper envelope to George.

"Make sure she's not in a crazy state. I have nothing to do with someone like that woman." Benny gave George a stern warning.

George just nodded obediently.

Even though he was irritated, Benny managed to read the nameplate on the woman's bed. Aslena Jezlyn Zwetta. Remembering that name somehow made the corners of his lips curl up.

No one spoke to him as loudly as Zwetta did—Benny liked that nickname.

***

One week passed.

Aslena has been given permission to go home from the hospital. Treatment is still continuing, but no longer undergoing hospitalization. Now, after both her parents died, Aslena was forced to return to Halmey's house. Coincidentally, the woman only lives alone because she divorced her husband two years ago, and does not have children.

Halmey placed his tote bag on the living room couch, while Aslena leaned her suitcase against the wall. Aslena's gaze focused on the only framed photo of Halmey and her husband still hanging on the long table.

For some reason Aslena remembered a photo of her parents

Aslena was about to touch it, but Halmey's voice rebuking her made her stop.

"Aslena, you can enjoy your food at that table," Halmey said, pointing to the living room table.

Reluctantly, Aslena nodded and walked over to the living room couch. He already realized that Halmey was holding a document envelope that looked exactly like the document envelope in the hands of Benny—the jerk who appeared in his inpatient room a few days ago.

"What's wrong Auntie? Do you also want to show me your payment history while I'm in the hospital?" Aslena asked as she sat down on the sofa.

Halmey made a questioning face. "Huh?"

Aslena pointed at the object in Halmey's hand with a glance. Halmey just noticed and immediately laughed awkwardly.

"Oh, this... no, not payment history," Halmey replied. For a moment, he seemed hesitant to explain. "This is actually something your father had left before the accident happened."

Aslena's brows furrowed. Before he could ask anything, Halmey then handed the document envelope to Aslena.

Aslena was well aware that the look on Halmey's face was hiding something. He suddenly felt uneasy, and began to imagine the worst possibilities.

Curious, Aslena took the brown envelope and pulled out one of the papers. Aslena saw the writing on the very top of this envelope:

A TESTAMENT FOR ASLENA.

A testament?

Aslena's heart fluttered. Although worried, Aslena still forced herself to read the rest of the writing below.

The letter contains:

'Aslena, I'm sorry I never told you. You will be surprised to read this letter. Long before something bad happened to our family, someone actually intended to harm us all. Someone in my company—yes, I own the Hudge Group, New York's third largest real estate company. You didn't think so, did you?

All this time I feel that the company has experienced a drastic decline in profits, and I have also sensed the presence of traitors. But maybe I won't have time to find out more because the threat from someone unknown is getting worse.

So, if you read this letter later, I want you to take over the company. I want you to marry Benny—the granddaughter of the owner of the Henderson Group that I've known for a long time, and we are bound by a promise to set you two up.

Take his heart. Cooperate with the Henderson Group because only that company can strengthen our company's defense. If necessary, subdue Benny so that he is weak so that our company becomes the best position.

I want you to use all your wits to find out who the traitor is in our company. I'm sorry for burdening you all of a sudden.

Signed,

Joshua Ryul Osaka.'

Aslena really couldn't move after reading the letter in her hand. For a few seconds, she tried to process sentence by sentence that ahe had just read.

"Dad ... is the owner of the Hudge Group?" Aslena spoke softly, then lifted her face and looked at Halmey in disbelief. "What secret is this again?"

"Why did grandfather have to ask me to do such a ridiculous thing?" Benny protested after Benjamin told him something he didn't expect. When he was still busy signing a cooperation proposal with the Hudge Group real estate company, Benjamin asked him to find a date.

"What do you think is ridiculous?" Benjamin looked at Benny through probing eyes. "The only ridiculous thing is you haven't had a date in years. Wouldn't you like to take your time a bit?"

Benny just shook his head briefly while laughing at Benjamin's question. He is still busy reading documents regarding the planning of the Anderson Group's largest home-hills development project.

"It's impossible, Grandpa. It's impossible to relax a little while I'm still working on a housing project," argued Benny who was no less stubborn.

After all for Benny, it's really troublesome to think about things like dating and love. Benny's work was piling up, and Benjamin shouldn't have recommended him to do something trivial. It's not that Benny isn't attracted to women at all, but he won't do anything that doesn't benefit him.

Love for him is a thing that will not be profitable.

"You," Benjamin growled, "can't you stop being so serious, even for a moment?"

Finished reading the document and closing it, Benny sighed. He raised his head and looked at Benjamin with a faint smile.

"I will stop being serious after my work is done, but at that time I will not date or find love," Benny replied seriously but still looked relaxed. He ended his words with a chuckle, causing Benjamin to sigh heavily watching his grandson's behavior.

Benjamin immediately supported his chin and massaged slowly. In fact, this wasn't the first time he had tried to persuade Benny to go on a date, even though there was no guarantee that he would end up being a good match. But unfortunately Benny always firmly refused.

In this year, Benjamin thought Benny would change his mind. Even though Benjamin deliberately gave distance to persuade Benny.

"Why do I feel so tired?" Benny said while stretching his neck muscles.

"Hey, Benny, grandpa won't let you this time." Benjamin suddenly straightened up and raised his index finger. "Today there's going to be the Amazingly Glitz Night party, the annual regular Anderson Group party. Do you remember?"

Benny seemed to think for a moment, then nodded with a short cough. "Uh-hum, so what?"

Benjamin leaned over in his seat and placed his intertwined hands on his thighs. Benny's eyes looked sharp and serious.

"You have to come there," Benjamin insisted.

Benny's eyes widened. "What?" he then laughed sarcastically, suddenly awkward. "That show is for those who want to find a partner. Grandpa told me—"

"Yes, I told you to come to the event. And now, grandpa doesn't want to hear the umpteenth time rejection."

"Really?" Benny was stunned to hear what Benjamin said to him. Even though after two years in a row, Benjamin never again asked him to come to the Amazingly Glitz Night event. "Grandfather, don't joke with me. I won't come to such an event in my life."

Benjamin had an indifferent expression on his face. Casually, Benjamin sipped his hot tea before letting out a rough sigh.

"You didn't hear what I said?" he asked. "If you are stubborn, grandpa will become even more stubborn."

"But this is so unfair—"

"Nothing's unfair. You just need to come."

"For what?" Benny still sounded unacceptable and tried to persuade Benjamin.

Benny's reaction was actually expected by Benjamin. That's why Benjamin has also prepared his determination not to care about Benny's rejection.

"You are the CEO of the Anderson Group, why don't you want to come to the event just to meet your employees?" Benjamin purposely said implied sedition.

Benny didn't fully believe that Benjamin's reason for persuading him was because he wanted him to meet other employees. Indeed, while working as a CEO whose office was on a special floor and at the very top, Benny rarely saw employees face to face. Except for important matters.

"Grandpa wouldn't want me to find a partner on that party, right?" guessed Benny with a probing look at Benjamin.

Feeling challenged, Benjamin looked no less sharply at Benny. "Wuh, look at that look of yours. Are you starting to want to act on your own now?" he asked.

"It's not like that, Grandpa..."

"Grandpa doesn't want to know. Anyway, you have to come to the event tonight. Or else..."

Benny, with a worried expression on his face, waited for Benny to continue his words.

"Or what, Grandpa?" asked Benny impatiently.

"The home-hills project that you hold will be transferred to someone else's hands. So you don't have to handle it anymore."

"What?!"

***

"Okay, Ladies and Gentleman! All of you who have attended tonight's program, you must be looking forward to our opening session: Kissing Queen and King Party. Who will be the Queen and King tonightiiiiii?"

This is where Aslena is.

Honestly, Aslena had never been in a crowd at a party like this. If it wasn't for her reading the will from Joshua, her father, Aslena would not have come to the regular annual event held by the Henderson Group.

A few hours ago Halmey said that Benny would probably come to the party tonight. That's why Aslena came to meet Benny, but who would have thought that there would be a 'Kissing Queen and King Party'?

Kissing. What kind of ludicrous session was that?

"So, as has always been done before, every invited guest—namely everyone who is part of the Anderson Group and thirty selected general guests—will be given a secret envelope at the entrance..."

Aslena raised her eyebrows and saw an envelope with a silver pattern down the center of the flap. He watched for a moment, then shrugged. He didn't really care about this session.

The only thing Aslena noticed was Benny's presence. Aslena had been looking around for a while, but Benny wasn't there at all.

'Where exactly is he?' Asleena was curious.

"Inside the envelope, there will be the symbol of the King and Queen Party. Only two people, a couple, will get the emblem. If the contents of the paper in your envelope are blank without any symbols, then you are out of luck."

Boisterous applause. Everyone is enthusiastic. While Aslena still occasionally stood on tiptoe to look for Benny's whereabouts while turning her gaze around.

"Please open your letter!"

Aslena was quite jerked by the hand of the person next to her who was opening the envelope in a hurry. For a few seconds, Aslena watched. After opening the contents of the envelope, the expression on the face of the person beside Aslena immediately turned listless.

"Shit! There isn't a simbol!" She cursed annoyed. She suddenly turned her eyes to Aslena, then looked confused. "Hey, you didn't open your letter?"

"Huh?" Aslena was taken aback a second time. "This?" he asked, holding up the envelope. "Ah, this... I was just about to open."

Aslena then opened the envelope in her hand. The foreign woman next to him kept watching curiously.

After Aslena took out the paper and unfolded it, she saw a silhouette of a woman wearing a crown. Aslena was taken aback, but suddenly the woman next to her gave a startled shriek.

"THIS WOMAN GOT THE QUEEN SYMBOL!"

Then everyone turned to Aslena which made her flinch for a second.

The MC peered through the crowd, smiled broadly as he waved at Aslena.

"You! The one with the queen's crest, please step forward!"

'Shit! Why did I get this symbol?!' Aslena grimaced, biting her lip worriedly.

Feeling pressured by the stares of the crowd—especially since she couldn't escape, Aslena was forced to step forward. Everyone around her looked so enthusiastic the whole time Aslena walked past them.

"For the man to get the king's crest... oh? Wait! Was this not a dream?! Someone who got king symbol tonight is..."

Arriving at the end of the crowd and walking to the podium, Aslena looked to the side. How surprised he was when he saw Benny's figure coming out of the crowd to advance to the podium, just like himself.

"...Mr. Benny?!"

Aslena was dumbfounded, Benny was also flabbergasted.

Both of them didn't move for a split second because they both couldn't believe it.

"AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE! Please Mr. Benny step up to this podium!"

As she walked, Aslena didn't take her eyes off Benny. Until finally Aslena and Benny climbed onto the podium long and wide enough for four people, standing with the spotlight shining on them.

"A very unexpected thing," said Benny almost in a whisper when he was in front of Aslena.

Aslena was stunned. Why is it like this?

"For tonight's King and Queen Party, you are required to... kiss each other!"

This is crazy. Aslena really couldn't move.

Everyone cheered urging them to kiss each other immediately. But Aslena and Benny couldn't do anything at all. The two of them just looked at each other, confused and doubtful.

Aslena would not start. He shook his head, signaling Benny not to kiss.

Unfortunately, unexpectedly, Benny suddenly stepped forward. One step..., two steps..., then Benny grabbed Aslena by the waist to close the distance between them.

Aslena didn't have time to fight back against Benny's sudden movement. When their faces were only two inches apart, it took three seconds for their eyes to meet.

'Don't do it,' Aslena thought pleadingly.

Too bad.

Benny seems don't understand what Asleena told through her speechless eyes.

Suddenly, without any words, Benny pulled Aslena's neck until there was no more distance, then pressed his lips against Aslena's. It was only five seconds before Benny's lips began to pulverize.

All the female guests covered their mouths, stifling happy squeals.

While Aslena froze and glared in surprise. Wait, why her blood feel rippling?!

***

"Tell me. What kind of crazy fate am I walking into right now?" Aslena muttered before the mirror in the private room. His face looked frustrated, a faint black color formed under his eyes, and his hair was messy.

This was something crazy—correctly, this driving Aslena crazy.

What really happened? Aslena tried to guess what had happened since the first time she met Benny: an accident which resulted in the death of both of her parents and it turned out that the CEO of the Henderson Group was responsible for the accident.

Then his father, who turns out to be hiding his identity as the owner of the Hudge Group, asks him to seize control of the Henderson Group company by marrying the CEO of that company, then last night... Aslena's second meeting with Benny which ends them kissing!

Everything that happened in just one week was completely beyond Aslena's expectations. As a result, as now, Aslena often looked at herself in the mirror with her temples propped up.

"I ... have to marry her?" Aslena returned to muttering under her breath. He shook his head in amusement and frustration. "How... how could I marry someone who killed both my parents?"

All right, Aslena knows that Benny wasn't the one who hit her parents' delivery car. But still. The car that crashed was the Anderson Group car and was under the control of the company's employees. But the worst thing is that Benny doesn't want to fully admit his guilt in the accident.

Aslena let out a rough breath. Can't imagine what it would be like if she had a relationship, let alone marriage, with Benny.

"Aissh!" Aslena ruffled her hair. "I haven't had time to accept that mom and dad died. Why did dad have to ask me something like that?"

Knock! Knock!

The bedroom door suddenly opened, revealing Halmey's figure peeking slightly. Halmey saw Aslena stop ruffling her hair and look at her with a frustrated expression on her face.

"Aslena," Halmey called, then stepped inside and paid a brief look. "What's wrong with you?"