20. Ariana and Andre's Meeting

"Well, this is safe. No one will recognize me if I disguise myself like this."

Andre offered Rudi a wad of money, and the food delivery man was interested and immediately agreed. After getting his share, Rudi lent Andre a special kitchen uniform. Clothes like those worn by Rudi and his friends. Not to forget the mask to cover the mouth and nose, and a special hat. No one would have thought that behind that simple appearance, Andre, a high-ranking official at Tan's Industries, was hiding.

"It wasn't in vain that I gave Rudi a wad of money. It turns out that Fatso is also a money-hungry person."

Andre checked his appearance again. Andre turned around and looked into the mirror in the dressing room. After making sure his disguise was perfect, he immediately came out of the dressing room and approached Rudi.

"This one is for the room in the VVIP ward. There is already a room name and number, okay?"

Rudi explained what tasks Andre had to do and which rooms the food would be delivered to. Andre noted all the information in his brain and immediately pushed the food trolley towards the VVIP ward.

"Damn! Because of Leon's bodyguard, I was forced to disguise myself like this. Huh, it's so troublesome!"

Andre kept pushing the food trolley, then turned into a room several times, delivering food. Like it or not, Andre also replaced Rudi's duties. If not, of course people would be suspicious because they saw two food delivery officers.

Andre was forced to put on a friendly face behind his mask. Smiling and answering greetings from people who passed by or from the patient's family who were waiting.

"Huh! That fat guy won a lot. It was my job to handle it, he got money too. Annoying!"

Andre cursed softly, he felt annoyed with Rudi. But what else could he do, that was the only way he could think of to outwit Leon's bodyguard.

Not long after, Andre arrived in front of Veronica's room. He knocked softly on the door and Ariana's face peeked out from behind it.

"Lunch for Mrs. Veronica," Andre said with a nod.

"Please."

Ariana immediately stepped aside from the door, making way for Andre to enter. Andre pushed the trolley and stopped near the table, placing the food there while silently observing Veronica's condition. After completing his task, Andre turned around.

"Madam, someone gave me this. He said it was for Mrs. Ariana."

Andre said that and then walked over to Ariana who was sitting on the sofa. He gave her a folded paper, then turned towards his trolley. Andre acted like he was going to push the trolley, but was actually waiting for Ariana's reaction.

Ariana herself immediately unfolded the paper, then read it while frowning.

'Mrs. Ariana. I want to meet you. There is something important I want to talk about. Please come to the canteen at 13.00 this afternoon.'

Ariana reflexively looked at the diamond-studded watch wrapped around her left wrist. There was still an hour left for the meeting.

"Wait. Who gave you this? What did they say?"

Ariana tried to prevent Andre from leaving because she was curious, who and what important thing he wanted to meet her. Talking about what important thing? She didn't even know him. Did that person recognize her?

"He just said, please give it to Mrs. Ariana, Mrs. Veronica's mother. That's it, Ma'am. Excuse me, I have to deliver food to the other patients."

Andre just said that and hurriedly said goodbye, he did it on purpose to make Ariana curious. Andre just wanted to meet and give the letter directly to Ariana, not wanting to entrust it to someone else. He also wanted to see Veronica's condition, so he could plan the right strategy.

"Okay. You may go."

Andre felt relieved because Ariana didn't ask much more. Andre just didn't want the two women to feel suspicious of him. He immediately pushed the food trolley and left the room.

"Good. Mrs. Ariana seems very curious. Okay, wait for me, Madam, we'll meet soon."

Andre returned to delivering food in several other rooms and returned to the kitchen with a sullen face.

"Huh! What if someone finds out that the top brass of Tan's Industries delivers food from door to door. My pride will fall. Damn! This is all because of Leon. If only he didn't order the bodyguards to guard, I wouldn't have to disguise myself."

Andre continued to grumble and blamed Leon. In fact, Leon was not at fault, Andre was the only one who secretly wanted to meet Ariana without having to conflict with Leon's bodyguard. However, he did not realize his mistake, instead he blamed it on someone else.

Arriving at the kitchen, Andre immediately met Rudi and asked for the items that he had left with him. After changing his clothes, Andre left the public kitchen. He prepared to go to the canteen and wait for Ariana's arrival. He was so sure that Ariana would definitely come to fulfill his invitation.

Andre was forced to order food at the canteen because there was no time to eat lunch outside. He remembered his promise with Ariana.

"It's been so long. Where's Mrs. Ariana? Maybe she doesn't want to come."

Andre checked his watch once again, to make sure how much longer he had to wait. A little anxious and trying to guess, whether Ariana would come or not.

"Five more minutes. Coming or not, huh?"

As soon as his order arrived, Andre tried to forget about Ariana for a moment and devoured his food. He ate leisurely, trying to think positively, maybe Ariana was on her way to that place.

Meanwhile, in Veronica's room, after Andre who was disguised as a food delivery person left.

"What did that person give you, Mom? From whom?" asked Veronica who was curious because she had seen what happened earlier.

"Mommy doesn't know, Vero. Mommy doesn't know him," Ariana replied and sat down beside her daughter. She was still considering whether to come or not.

"Can Vero see it, Mom?"

Without answering, Ariana gave the paper from Andre earlier. Veronica read it briefly and asked, "Mommy wants to meet him?"

"I don't know, Vero. Mommy is confused."

Veronica returned the paper to Ariana's hand. "Mommy should just meet him, who knows it's really important."

Ariana shook her head. "Mommy doesn't know him, Vero," she said firmly.

"But he knows Mommy. Maybe he's an old friend of Mommy's. Just meet him, Mom. Vero doesn't mind being left behind."

"What if he does something?"

Veronica shook her head. "Mom, don't be afraid. We'll meet during the day, there are lots of people in the canteen. Not at night and in a quiet place. What are you afraid of?"

Ariana was silent for a moment, she thought what her daughter said was true. "Okay. Mom will think about it again," she said with a smile.

Andre had finished eating and even his dirty plates had been cleaned. The man glanced at his watch. It was already fifteen minutes past one in the afternoon, but Ariana was still nowhere to be seen.

"It looks like she won't come. What should I do? What else should I do? Do I send another message via the food delivery person?"

Andre called the waiter and ordered a cup of coffee. For some reason, his instincts told him that Ariana would come. So he wanted to wait for his mother Veronica's arrival while sipping a cup of coffee.

Not waiting long, the waiter came to deliver Andre's order. The waiter carefully placed a cup of black coffee with a little sugar that was still steaming.

"Please, sir," said the waiter in the salted egg blue shirt kindly.

"Thank you."

Firmly and coldly, Andre answered the waiter's words. Making the waiter not dare to talk much and immediately left Andre alone. Andre lifted the cup of coffee, inhaled the aroma deeply, then began to sip it.

"It tastes pretty good," Andre praised, he addressed it to the waiter who had made him such delicious coffee, but of course the waiter wouldn't hear him.

Andre looked around. The canteen was starting to get quiet because lunch time had passed. There was only the canteen owner and two of his waiters. The two waiters were tidying up the cutlery left on the tables, then taking it to the sink. Then they were seen working together to clean the table.

Andre, who was sitting in the corner of the canteen, could clearly see the canteen owner counting the money from his sales. Andre took another sip of his half-empty coffee, then smiled as his gaze caught the figure he had been waiting for had arrived.

After weighing and rethinking, Ariana did decide to meet the sender of the message, none other than Andre. Veronica did not mind being left behind, in fact she supported Ariana to meet the person. It was just that Veronica told Ariana not to talk to the person for too long.

Ariana arrived at the canteen at 13.20. Already twenty minutes late, it could be said to be very late from the time given by the sender of the message. When it comes to business, usually being five minutes late is no longer tolerable. However, Ariana was only determined to try her luck.

Ariana thought, if the person was still waiting for her, it was a stroke of luck. However, if it turned out that the person had left, Ariana would never care either. After all, she didn't know the person, and it could be said that there was no profit or loss for her. That was according to Ariana.

So, here Ariana was. Ordering a glass of mango juice to enjoy while waiting, maybe someone would approach her later. She herself was confused, how to contact the person who wanted to meet her earlier. The person didn't leave a phone number or any instructions.

"Tsk! 20 minutes late. Really undisciplined. Does she think I don't have a job to keep waiting for her? How important does she think she is?"

Even though he was secretly grumbling because Ariana was late, Andre felt relieved that the woman wanted to meet him.  Andre finished the rest of his coffee and moved over to Ariana who was sitting not far from the door.  Waiting for my order of mango juice to arrive.

A waiter came to deliver the juice Ariana ordered.  Once the waiter left, Ariana drank her juice while looking around.  There was only the canteen owner and two servants, himself, and a man sitting in the corner of the canteen, Andre.

Ariana and Andre's gazes met, but a few seconds later Ariana broke it off. Andre hoped Ariana would come over to him and ask, but it turned out Andre's hopes were in vain. In fact Ariana hoped Andre or whoever it was who invited her to the canteen would quickly come and meet her.

"Maybe that man wants to see me. But why is he just silent?" Ariana muttered, she felt restless because she remembered Veronica's message to come back quickly.

As if he could read Ariana's restlessness, Andre got up from his seat and walked over to Ariana. Making Veronica's mother's heart pound in anticipation.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Ariana. I'm Andre Zega Tan. I asked you to come here."

Andre said that while bowing his body in respect, then sat right in front of Ariana.

"Excuse me, Mr. Andre. I don't think I know you. Is the important thing you want to talk about related to me?" Ariana asked, she didn't want to beat around the bush anymore.

"That's right, Ma'am. What I'm going to talk about is very closely related to you and also Miss Veronica."

"Just tell me what's wrong. I don't like beating around the bush!"