—
The warm light from the glass window woke up Juliane from a long nap. She sat and stretched her hands high up in the air. Oh, she's covered in a trench coat… but whose coat was it?
"You're finally awake. Aren't you too laid back?" Amon commented as he sat on the opposite sofa.
"Ah, thanks for the breakfast… and the trench coat-"
"Let's not waste time, I'm busy, as you can see," he pointed to the pile of documents on his table, "Let's talk about what kinds of men you prefer."
"Wait… Wait! I would like to take back my father's farm, so you don't have to set me up with someone-"
"You can't take back the farm. It's already been sold. You're not stupid, and you know how business deals happen. I have a duly notarized contract with your mother, and I plan to fulfill all clauses."
Juliane pursed her lips, at a loss for words. According to her knowledge, having a notarized contract is one of the fundamentals of having a proper and legitimate agreement. If that's the case, was there nothing she could do?
Amon continued, trying to make Juliane understand, "The farm will be even more profitable when I convert it to a Fruits and Vegetables Trading Center. Once your father returns, I will explain all the details of the contract to him, so do not worry too much. Right now, I need you to accept the current situation so we can move on."
"Then… please allow me to cultivate our family's potatoes."
Amon recalled how large Juliane's potatoes were back then. "Fine, I will give you one-fourth of the farm area for that purpose, but you must sell all your potatoes exclusively to me. Deal?"
Juliane stood up from her seat and offered to shake hands, "Deal…!"
The young master stood up and shook hands with the potato lady. After a lot of twists and turns, Juliane Johara and Amon Midas finally reached a compromise!
A subtle smirk appeared on Amon's face. His gut feeling told him that the deal with the Joharas would enable him to expand his business into other parts of the world. Golden profit, in exchange for the Joharas' better life? It was a good deal for both parties, but on the surface it might be viewed as some kind of a shady deal if other people were to know about it.
Amon got distracted with his thoughts when Juliane suddenly tugged his shirt.
"Mister, I want to see my sister," Juliane requested, looking at him with puppy eyes.
The young master glanced momentarily at the pile of papers on his table. He's a busy man, and he had no free time to accompany the lady… but the more he stared into her dolly gray eyes, the more he got convinced to be her chaperone.
What was that compelling feeling? Was it his gut feeling… or was it something else?
Wait…
Why would he specially accompany a lady he barely even knew? It was more than enough to let her stay overnight and treat her as a guest, despite her rude entrance!
"I'm busy," Amon turned his back on her, "Since we have reached a conclusion for our deal, you may leave the mansion… I guess you're old enough to find your way?"
Juliane wanted a free ride, but she wasn't one to be demanding. She nodded. "I always push my cart of potatoes around the city... Don't worry, I won't get lost."
"Don't be mistaken, I'm not worried. Not one bit."
The potato lady rolled her eyes. "Of course, of course. I know, sir... Then, I shall take my leave. Thank you for everything."
Amon waited until he heard the door close before looking back. Great, the annoying lady was gone, and he could get back to work.
The only sound Amon heard was the ticking of the clock, but he couldn't concentrate. An hour passed, but he had barely touched his documents. What was distracting him?
And why did he regret not dropping Juliane Johara off at the hospital?
That ominous, lingering feeling made him stand up from his seat. Whenever he made a bad decision, he always had this strong feeling—the kind that made him wish he could turn back time. Since his intuition and gut feelings were usually very accurate, shouldn't he look for Juliane immediately? What if something bad had happened to her?
But for a nobody like Juliane, what else could happen?
Amon tried to convince himself that he was just overthinking. He shook his head, attempting to rid himself of the ominous feeling, but it was no use.
Suddenly, his telephone rang.
As the young master picked up the phone, his heart was beating fast, as if a lion was chasing him. In a low tone, he said, "Hello, Midas residence. This is Amon Midas speaking."
"Amon Midas, Amon Midas," a man with a rough voice muttered, followed by a laugh. "Guess who's with me."
"Mister, please save me!" a familiar voice shouted in the background.
No doubt, it was someone he had been with an hour ago... Juliane Johara!
Despite the dangerous situation, Amon tried to speak calmly, though he was clenching the phone tightly. "No... I do not know her. Maybe you've got the wrong person—"
"You can't fool me. We've been watching the Golden Mansion for a few days now... And you were with this woman last night!"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't mess with me, Amon Midas! It was straight from her own lips! This woman confessed that she spent the night in the mansion as your guest! And not only that... I confirmed that she's your woman because that's what our spy said."
Spy? So, an enemy had already infiltrated the Golden Mansion? It looked like he needed to investigate everyone and tighten security.
The young master recalled his activities over the past few days. The kidnappers could be related to his business dealings or perhaps to his stepmother, stepbrother, or step-uncle... Damn, he had too many enemies and couldn't narrow down his list!
Amon sighed, frustration evident in his voice. "What do you want?"
"Finally, you've asked!" the man laughed hysterically. "I want a hundred thousand pieces of gold bars in exchange for your woman."