3. Jevan Baven

“Is this your first day at work?”

A guy in the same uniform as Kiran greeted her at the reception desk of Baven Technology. Although he briefly eyed Kiran’s appearance as if evaluating her, he eventually smiled at her.

“I’m Dika, Andika Ramansyah. I’m also a receptionist,” he said, extending his hand towards Kiran. “You’re Kiran, right? I was supposed to brief you about our job. It’s actually the PR team’s job, but they’re all busy upstairs preparing for Baven Group’s birthday party.”

Kiran awkwardly nodded while shaking Dika’s hand. Considering it was her first time working in an office, she still felt quite unfamiliar with everything there.

“You got in here with Mr. Aldi’s help, didn’t you?” the guy suddenly — and without hesitation—asked Kiran. “I saw you having lunch with Mr. Aldi, and he seemed really friendly to you.”

“Maybe,” Kiran replied innocently, defying expectations. Normally, people wouldn’t conceal any connections related to a job, but Kiran wasn’t someone who understood such simple social rules. “Aldi was my high school friend. Maybe because he saw my CV, he immediately hired me here.”

Hearing that, Dika suddenly leaned closer to Kiran with an enthusiastic demeanor. “Ah, that explains it! Don’t be surprised, from now on, I might be sucking up to you, Kiran! I need to feel safer in a place like this.”

“A place like this?” Kiran repeated with a confused expression. Nevertheless, she then decided to ask something more important to her at that moment. “Um, Aldi said earlier… we have to dress very neatly and attractively here?”

Dika nodded. “Yes, HR asked me to tell you to quickly arrange for a replacement of your uniform with a better-fitting size. I was also told to inform you that receptionists can use the makeup tools in the PR team’s makeup room. Women under the PR team mustn’t look sloppy and are required to wear makeup here.”

“We’re under the PR team?”

“Receptionists, customer service, and PR staff, all fall under the PR Department. Basically, anything related to outward information and the company’s image, that’s always the PR Department’s business.”

“You have to be careful with our PR team, Kiran,” Dika continued, suddenly gossiping. “You might not have met them yet because you’re new, and they’re all busy with Baven Group’s birthday stuff upstairs. But I’ll warn you, I’ve never encountered any PR staff who aren’t annoying.”

“Here and in other Baven Group subsidiaries, the Marketing Department and the PR Department always have very high influence in Baven Group. Marketing is the spearhead of any sales, while PR is always the one maintaining the company’s image as neatly as possible. So, people in these two departments are usually a bit arrogant and bossy because they’re always being favored.”

“The most famous Baven Group subsidiaries are those in energy and property. But, we’ve been gaining traction lately. I admit, the performance of the PR and marketing teams here in promoting Baven Technology is outstanding. That’s why, lately, we’ve been getting special attention from the top brass of Baven Group.”

“Baven Group’s birthday is next Friday, and maybe Mr. Aldi will receive an award then,” he continued. “Usually, there are two events at every Baven Group birthday. On Friday, all employees in this building will be off for half a day for feasting, participating in certain prize-winning games, and so on.”

“On Saturday, there’s a more formal event for important guests outside of Baven Group. This event is usually grand, and receptionist teams like ours are always involved in receiving guests or other tasks. This year, I don’t know yet what tasks we’ll get, but rumor has it, we might be asked to guard the rooms of Baven Group’s top executives.”

“Guard the rooms?” Kiran asked.

“It’s like being the attendants for the top executive people,” Dika replied. “It may sound fun, but many are always afraid of suddenly becoming attendants for people at that level.”

“The problem is,” the guy continued, “they’re the ones who can make snap decisions about our fate. Facing them directly can make us feel uneasy and vulnerable to being fired. Hopefully, we won’t be asked to guard the rooms later, especially Mr. Jevan’s room. He’s the owner of Baven Group.”

Throughout the day, Kiran’s heart skipped a beat every time Jevan’s name was mentioned. “Wh—what’s wrong with Mr. Jevan?”

Dika suddenly glanced around cautiously.

“Mr. Jevan is notorious for being the least caring and quick to fire people,” Dika whispered. “Do you know that the dismissal rate of employees around him is the highest in all of Baven Group? Luckily, the people he usually fires are from the middle to higher levels, not low-level employees like us. But… it still makes you nervous, doesn’t it?”

“He’s handsome and young, but often avoided because he’s frightening. Many say that people who have betrayed Baven Group or made significant mistakes to him often disappear mysteriously.”

“Haha, really?” Kiran laughed, but cold sweat started trickling down her back. “H—he’s that vengeful?”

“There’s a rumor that he became the sole heir of Baven Group by killing his brother’s family and his brother’s assistant in Tangerang,” Dika said with a serious expression. “He also often gets into legal trouble outside the office because he’s quite brutal and often uses violence to get what he wants.”

“Mr. Paskal, his assistant, and also Ms. Selia, his fiancée, often go back and forth to the police station to handle issues related to Mr. Jevan. Despite being very smart, many other shareholders don’t like Mr. Jevan’s behavior, but they can’t do anything because Mr. Jevan is the largest shareholder. Moreover, Baven Group’s stocks always strangely remain profitable and even become more expensive.”

“Will we… often deal with people like that?” Kiran asked, starting to panic.

Dika laughed immediately. “Fortunately, no. At most, we’ll just see him passing by. If we do have to deal with him, it might only happen once a year during Baven Group’s birthday. And even then, it’s only if people like us happen to be selected to work in his room.”

“But, I don’t think Mr. Jevan will communicate directly with people like us because he has his own assistants,” Dika continued, this time with a laugh that sounded relieved. “Just relax, Kiran, in the entire history of Baven Group, Mr. Jevan dealing with employees as small as us — has never happened once. So, on this matter, we’ll be safe.”

___

House of Jevan Baven, 8:00 PM

“You just got home?”

That night, Jevan Baven was in an exceptionally bad mood. He had just arrived from Singapore and hadn’t even had a chance to enter his room when he was immediately confronted with a question from his aunt, Lina Baven, who had apparently been waiting for him in the living room of his house.

Of all the things Jevan wanted to do that night, meeting with Lina was clearly not on his list. His father’s sister was always very cynical towards him, suspicious of him, and above all… always trying to find something wrong with him. That’s why Jevan always felt hesitant whenever he had to meet Lina.

“They say you were involved in a fight in Singapore and even almost got arrested by the police there?” Lina continued. “Tsk! You never stop embarrassing the Baven family name ever since you stepped into this house!”

“Not only have you already killed Adrian’s family, who should have been the rightful heir to Baven Group, and killed Selia’s parents, the only eyewitnesses, you also always seek trouble and break the law wherever you are! Disgraceful bastards like you who steal everything from the Baven family are truly disgusting!”

Upon hearing that, Jevan turned to the row of maids trailing behind him, carrying his luggage. The man briefly took a paper bag from one of them before motioning his head to signal them all to leave immediately.

After that, he turned back to his aunt and walked towards the woman, still carrying the paper bag. “I forgot, I bought some souvenirs for you from Singapore. Paskal said you have a unique taste. So when I saw this in Singapore, I immediately thought of you and bought it specially for you.”

He then handed the paper bag to his aunt. Lina, feeling surprised and confused by Jevan’s suddenly kind demeanor, reflexively accepted the paper bag. However, as soon as she opened it, the woman jumped in shock and threw the paper bag on the floor.

“You bastard!” she yelled with a flushed face. “How dare you give me stuff like this! You really have no respect for your elders!”

Jevan looked at the sex toys and a magazine containing scantily clad young men scattered on the floor from inside the paper bag, then back at Lina.

“Why, Aunt?” the man asked with a thin smile—very thin. “I heard you have a hobby of going to the fitness center and getting close to some young muscular men there?”

He then walked closer to his aunt and whispered, “They say you often book a suite room at a certain hotel and spends time there with them? You also bought a car and an apartment for one of them, right?”

Lina immediately widened her eyes in shock. “Y—you…”

“Be careful, Aunt,” Jevan continued with a suddenly threatening tone. “If the media hears about this, they’ll feast on making news about you for weeks. Especially, since you are known for your charitable foundation. Scandals involving certain people are always the media’s favorite dish. You know this, right?”

The man then patted Lina’s shoulder, as if trying to console her. “Don’t worry, Aunt. You have the right to do it anyway, since you’re a widow. Besides, there are many old women out there who are also hypersexual and enjoy young men, even willing to splurge money on them.”

“O—old women, you say?” Lina said, her eyes widening even more. “Y—you ungrateful brat! You really have no manners like your late mother who was just a maid here before! You’re also worthy of dying like your cheap and greedy mother!”

“Mom!”

A shout from the front room suddenly startled Lina. The woman turned and immediately fell silent when she saw her only son, Paskal Baven, walking towards her with a visibly angry face.

“Stop talking nonsense about Jevan’s mother!” Paskal said loudly. “Isn’t it embarrassing for you to keep insulting Jevan and his late mother, while you also receive Baven Group shares from Jevan and has been allowed to live in his house all this time?!”

“F—from the beginning, the Baven Group shares belong to the original Baven family, as does this house!” Lina replied, feeling caught red-handed by her own son. “He suddenly appeared here and took everything from Adrian and me! He even killed Adrian along with his wife and child just to become the sole heir of the Baven family fortune!”

“Forget that Jevan also has Baven family blood flowing through him?!” Paskal replied, still in a raised voice. “After Uncle Adrian passed away, Jevan as his stepbrother clearly has the right to inherit all of Uncle Sigit’s estate — regardless of whoever Jevan’s mother is!”

“You’re just Uncle Sigit’s sister, while Jevan and Mas Adrian were his children,” Paskal continued. “It’s only natural for Uncle Sigit to pass Baven Group to his own children, and not to his sister like you! We actually have no rights here at all! That’s why, stop embarrassing me, especially since Jevan has given shares to you and funded our entire lives!”

“Paskal, you’re my son; why do you always defend him?!” Lina exclaimed, looking devastated. “I have done everything for you, who actually has the true Baven family blood! He’s just an illegitimate child born out of wedlock who was long thrown away to an orphanage! He’s a murderer, but… but why do you always side with him?!”

Lina suddenly burst into hysterical tears. “Do you know how I feel when he, an illegitimate child, makes you, who has genuine Baven blood, just his assistant in the office? Do you know how embarrassed I feel when I see him appointing Selia, someone from outside our family, as the corporate secretary of Baven Group, while you’re just his assistant?!”

“I don’t mind at all,” replied Paskal honestly. “You should understand that your ambitions and mine are very different. I’ve never aspired to take what isn’t mine.”

“Jevan has been kind enough to think about our family when your own brother, Uncle Sigit, didn’t leave anything for you. Jevan gave you ten percent of Baven Group shares for free. He also funded my studies in America along with Selia.”

“How can I not feel embarrassed seeing you always insulting him after all he’s given us?” Paskal continued with frustration. “Do you forget? When you squandered all of your money on young men out there until we went bankrupt and had no home, Jevan allowed us to stay in this house!”

Slap!

A hard slap from Lina landed on Paskal’s face. The 51-year-old woman now shed tears again as she looked angrily at her own son.

“So, it’s you who told Jevan about my scandals out there, so he dared to bring trash souvenirs for me from Singapore? You’re betraying me continuously, while I have always fought for you to get something better from all of this?”

Lina then wiped her tears. “You forget one thing, Paskal. Regardless of what he does, he’s still a murderer! Someday you’ll understand how dangerous it is to be constantly near a psychopath like him!”

After saying that, Lina immediately left. Paskal himself, feeling guilty towards Jevan, turned to his boss and cousin.

“Jevan, I’m sorry, my mom just…”

Paskal’s words trailed off. The man he had worried about and defended so fiercely was already sitting casually on the sofa where Paskal’s mother had been sitting earlier and munching on her leftover snacks from the table.

“You two, mother and son, are really quite dramatic,” commented Jevan as he chewed on Lina’s snacks without feeling guilty towards Paskal, who had poured out his feelings for him.

“Do you think you’re watching a drama?! You bastard!” Paskal cursed irritably. “I forgot that you’re not the type of person worth defending!”

“I never feel the need to fight against women,” muttered Jevan. The guy then picked up the sex toy and men’s magazine he gave for Lina from the floor, and now looked at them. “Why did your mom reject this? I bought this for her very sincerely. The seller said it’s the latest bestseller and highly favored by women.”

“You’ve embarrassed my mom and you’re still asking why she rejected it?” Paskal responded angrily.

“Do women really like fake stuff like this?” Jevan asked, still focusing on the ‘toys’ in his hand.

“How should I know! Just ask Selia about it!”

“I’ve never touched Selia,” Jevan replied, surprisingly.

“What? Are you kidding?”

Jevan looked up at Paskal with his characteristic expressionless face. “I really haven’t touched her. I… never had that desire for Selia.”

Paskal now closed his own mouth with a shocked look. “You’ve been with a Type A girl like Selia for years, but never touched her at all???”

“Jevan, could it be… you’re really a psychopath?” continued Paskal with his mouth still agape. “Only those who are frigid, have certain diseases, or psychopaths find it difficult to be aroused by the opposite sex. Now I understand why Selia keeps trying to seduce you.”

“She’s trying to seduce me?”

“Every time she’s here, she wears mini skirts and low-cut tops, and she often bends over in front of you on purpose. Don’t you notice that?” asked Paskal, even more astonished.

“So, if a woman bends over like that… it means they’re trying to seduce me?”

“She’s trying to show off her assets, idiot!” said Paskal, gesturing to his own chest. “Didn’t you ever date anyone before Selia, so you don’t know these simple codes?”

“I’ve never dated before. When Selia said she wanted me to be her boyfriend, I just said yes. I only found out later that we’ve actually been dating since then,” Jevan replied flatly.

“Huh? Then how did you two get engaged? Did she say something similar and you said yes again?”

Jevan nodded. “Exactly. I thought it wasn’t a very burdensome idea for me.”

Paskal’s face now turned pale. “Jevan, could it be… you like men?”

“Hmm, men are less troublesome than women and are easier to engage in roughhousing, playing games, or other heavy stuff.”

“Stop playing stupid! That’s not what I mean! Do you like men sexually or not? For example, do you feel happy seeing certain men and imagining them in bed?”

Jevan suddenly furrowed his brow. “Why does that sound disgusting?”

Hearing that, Paskal breathed a sigh of relief. “Ah, that means you’re straight. Maybe you’re just a frigid psychopath.”

He then took his mother’s teapot and cup, pouring its contents to drink.

“But, Jevan,” he continued, “don’t you realize that by constantly agreeing with everything Selia says over the years, it might have negative consequences in the future?”

“What do you mean?”

After sipping his warm tea, Paskal turned to Jevan once more. “I know you’ve always felt greatly indebted to Selia because of the case eight years ago. That’s why you always agree with whatever Selia says, even when she tries to control your personal life. But, what if someday you fall for someone else?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Don’t you think that could be dangerous? You’ve already given Selia huge access to all aspects of your life. If you suddenly like another girl, Selia will be extremely angry. You and I know her true nature.”

“You just don’t like Selia,” commented Jevan casually.

“That’s true, but there’s a reason for it. We’re the same age, and she was in the same department as me when we were in US. During the four years there, I got to know a lot about her daily life because she’s somewhat similar to my mom. The difference is, Selia is much more manipulative and harder to read than my mom.”

“All this time, she’s been fine and always loyal to you because she’s already gotten everything she wants in life,” added Paskal. “But what if everything changes between you and her? You’re smart, you must know what someone like Selia might do, right?”

“Regardless of how she actually is, I still don’t like hearing her being bad-mouthed,” Jevan replied, after being silent for quite a while. “Rest assured, nothing will change from me about this. I’m not interested in having special feelings for another woman that could disrupt my life’s stability.”

“Selia knows about this, which is why she’s exploiting my indifferent side to directly bind me,” he continued, standing up from his chair. “But I don’t mind what she’s doing. Only Selia can match me, and she… is the kind of woman I want in my life.”

Paskal sighed. “You’re human too and still young, you know that, right? It’s too early for you to say that. Just be careful with your overconfidence, because later if you suddenly like another girl… you’ll regret letting Selia feel like she has full control over you all this time.”