But why had Sujatmiko hired her when they had Jeslyn? That girl was far more famous and profitable to work with than Elana. Was it because Jeslyn had settled down and built her career in Singapore? Because she was already so wealthy that she no longer needed support from her family? Maybe that was it.
Then she started wondering again. Her eyes swept over the luxurious lounge, filling with awe as she smiled happily. This was Elana's first time here. She rarely, almost never, flew business class; Elana always traveled economy with Tama and the other staff. This was the first time Elana had gotten to move up a class, and of course, it was all thanks to Sujatmiko's support.
Tama, several other staff members, and Manda had left earlier because the plane that was supposed to take her was scheduled to take off at eleven that morning. She had to wait an hour because they were flying with different airlines. Seriously, Elana was starting to wonder just how rich Derin Sujatmiko was to be willing to give her a Qatar Airlines business-class ticket that surely cost more than fifty million.
While she was busy reflecting and thinking about the things that had been bothering her since last night, all while enjoying the complimentary meal, an announcement that her flight was about to depart made Elana get up at once. She quickly gathered her belongings, making sure she hadn't left anything behind, then hurried out of the lounge toward the plane.
Elana smiled warmly at the flight attendants who greeted her and escorted her to her seat. They even cleaned the seat before she sat down, explained the various features at her station, showed her all sorts of things, and kindly helped her arrange her carry-on. Elana smiled after the flight attendant finished helping her and walked away.
Her eyes wandered over the people around her, each busy in their own seats. Some called a flight attendant for help, others made complaints, some sat quietly, while others bustled back and forth. There was plenty more going on. She let out a heavy sigh. Her seat was in the middle, because the seating arrangement in business class was different from economy.
The seats were arranged one-two-one. Usually, she'd sit with Tama and Manda in a three-seat row, but apparently she now had to sit beside a stranger.
She wasn't trying to be ungrateful, but why hadn't they booked her a single seat by the window? Elana sighed. It was fine, not a problem. She should be grateful to be flying in a business-class seat that was so much more comfortable and spacious than economy. Hopefully the person beside her would be a woman—or, if possible, no one at all.
As Elana busied herself retrieving her iPad from her bag, the arrival of someone who seemed to be the passenger in the seat beside her made her look up. She fell silent, placing her iPad on the small table, and watched the man speak with a flight attendant before setting his small bag on the table and sitting down after the attendant walked away.
The man took off his sunglasses, then turned to look at Elana, who was now looking at him too. Wait a second! Elana frowned as she tried to place that familiar-looking face. She felt as if she'd met him before, but where?
Before Elana could find the answer to her own question, the man raised an eyebrow.
“Is something wrong?” His soft, quiet voice startled Elana. She blinked, suddenly flustered, and quickly shook her head.
“S-sorry... No, I-I just... um...” Elana blinked in confusion when the man chuckled and slowly shook his head.
“Don't panic!”
Elana smiled awkwardly, then raised her eyebrows when she finally remembered and found the answer to her question. Now she knew why the man looked familiar. Wasn't he the one she'd seen yesterday in the lobby with that whole crowd of formally dressed people—the one who'd stood out the most beside Derin Sujatmiko?
“Sorry to ask,” Elana said quietly, making the man, who had been looking at his phone, turn back to her. “You were the one who came to my agency yesterday, right? To Polimnia?” she asked softly and uncertainly.
The man was silent for a moment before giving her a faint smile. “So you remember me,” he said, making Elana tilt her head. “Don't call me ‘sir’! I'm not that old.”
“Sorry...”
The man smiled and looked at Elana, who was looking back at him. Just as he was about to say his name so she wouldn't have to call him “sir” anymore, the girl spoke again, leaving him silent, frowning, and at a loss for words.
“You're... Derin Sujatmiko's friend?” Elana asked, her brow furrowed. The man stared at her with an unreadable expression before tilting his head and propping it up with the hand resting on the table.
“Which Derin Sujatmiko?” the man asked, making Elana fall silent for a moment.
“The... tall one?” she answered uncertainly.
“Why do you think he's Derin?” he asked again, making Elana frown before slowly shrugging.
“Jeslyn Sujatmiko is my friend... She's tall and has tan skin like him, but I'm sorry if I got it wrong...” Elana explained softly, still clearly uncertain and nervous. The man fell silent, then smiled and nodded in understanding. He held out his hand to Elana.
“I'm Haga, vice director and Derin Sujatmiko's lackey. Just call me Haga. No fancy titles!”
Elana was silent for a moment as she stared at his long fingers. She looked up at him again before tentatively shaking his hand. Huh? Was it normal for a man to have palms this soft and moisturized? Just look at him—even his skin tone was much lighter than hers. This country was so hot. Had this man never been exposed to sunlight? Was he really Sujatmiko's lackey?
But considering his position as vice director, it shouldn't be that strange, right? What director washed dishes or did laundry until detergent made his hands rough? And look at that Christian Dior shirt. It was outrageously expensive; even Elana had to think twice before buying one. That's only because you're so frugal!
“Elana.” She smiled warmly, then let go of his hand when someone interrupted them.
She turned to a flight attendant who had come to give her a welcome drink, then accepted the menu the woman handed her. Of course, she had no idea that the man beside her never once looked away from her, no idea that Derin's heart had nearly dropped into his stomach when Elana shook his hand, and no idea that Derin had nearly lost his mind simply because Elana had spoken to him.
It didn't matter if Elana didn't know that he was Derin Sujatmiko. He didn't care if he had to pretend to be Haga for the time being. As long as he could talk to the girl without making Elana feel intimidated or pressured, Derin didn't mind any of it. Seeing how frightened Elana had looked when she said his name earlier was enough for Derin to understand. Perhaps Sujatmiko was a little frightening in the girl's eyes.
Well... since when had Elana known Jeslyn, and why was this the first he'd heard of it?