Always Hindered

"Mike, I just want to see my sister. What's the harm in that?" Maya said irritably, continuing to walk towards the tall, broad-shouldered man.

"No! You'll mess everything up!"

"Mess everything up? What plans do you have?"

"Miya!" Mike called loudly. "Come with me quickly!"

Maya stopped in her tracks and turned towards Miya, who stood frozen next to the man rumored to have made her pregnant. Maya's twin seemed terrified, having no choice but to follow Mike's orders.

"Hurry!" Mike repeated, gripping Miya's hand tightly.

"MIYA!"

"What's going on?" asked Yuki, who suddenly appeared behind Maya.

"My sister! Something's wrong with them. They won't let me get close!"

"Alright," Yuki glanced towards a large tree near where they were standing. "Don't confront him here."

"Ugh! Spies."

"Yes, exactly! They're watching us. You have to be careful."

"Annoying!" Maya growled, approaching the tall man dressed in black standing behind the tree near them.

Without permission, Maya grabbed the stranger's hand, ready to confront him, but when she saw his face clearly, she froze. "You!"

"You know him?" Yuki was startled by Maya's words.

"You! What are you doing here?" Maya asked again.

"Miss, you still recognize me?"

"Who is he?" Yuki's curiosity grew.

"Miss, forgive me. I've been following you under Mrs. Mala's orders," the stranger bowed his head in embarrassment, his mission to protect Maya exposed.

"Oh, so this is my mother's order? Thank goodness!"

Maya smiled broadly, taking the hand of the man named Ikbal.

"Who is he?" Yuki asked again.

"He's Ikbal. He's been working for my mother for a long time."

"Well, that's a relief. I thought he was a stranger planning to harm you."

Ikbal chuckled. "No, Miss. I don't intend to harm you. I've been following you because someone suspicious has been around you."

"Suspicious? Who?" Maya recalled the incident a few days ago when a man chased the car driven by Ray. "Could it be the man who chased us the other day?"

"Yes, that's him! That man works for Inaya. He's dangerous! He carries a gun, and I'm afraid he will hurt you."

Maya nodded slowly, agreeing with Ikbal's assessment.

"Oh my! He carries a gun? For what?" Yuki asked, making Maya reconsider her safety.

"So what should I do now, Ikbal?"

"Don't worry! I will continue to protect you, even if you can't always see me."

"Yes, thank you. Now go back to your work, and I will continue my mission!" Maya bid farewell to Ikbal and then walked back to her class for today's lecture.

With Yuki, she walked as if to tell everyone on campus that Mr. Winata's daughter was not afraid of anything that might happen today.

"There he is!" Yuki pointed to a fleeting shadow that passed in front of them.

"Who?" Maya asked, not seeing the figure her friend pointed out.

"He was just there. It seems he ran away as soon as you arrived."

"Must be Inaya's henchman!" Maya said, smiling.

"Aren't you afraid of him?"

"Why should I be afraid! I've done nothing wrong to them. They should be afraid of me because I am the rightful owner of all the wealth they're trying to take!" Maya said confidently.

Maya continued her stride into the classroom, which was already bustling with students.

Maya sat in the front row while Mike and Miya chose seats at the very back.

"He also goes to college?" Yuki whispered when she caught sight of Mike's unfriendly face.

"Yes, I will show them that I will continue my studies even though I've left my house."

"You left your luxurious house?!"

Shhhhttt!

Maya's hand moved to her friend's lips, and her wide eyes made Yuki realize her voice was too loud.

"Oh, sorry! I thought it was a secret!"

"I have indeed left my father's luxurious house, but they forget that I still have my mother. I live with her now. Oh, and my father too!"

"Good! I think it's better than living in that haunted house."

Maya nodded in agreement with her friend. "You stay here until the lecture ends. I don't want to sit next to Mike like before. His face makes me sick!"

"Yes, of course! I can't leave anyway. Can't you see the seats are all full?"

They finally spent the day attending their lectures, with two subjects ending precisely at 1 PM.

"Where are we going now?" Yuki asked, faithfully walking beside Maya.

"Let's go to the canteen. I'm hungry!" Maya said, rubbing her growling stomach.

"Why not go to that stall over there!" Yuki pointed out, spotting Ikbal, Mrs. Mala's agent, sitting with one leg up.

"Wow, you're right! I really want to talk to that guy," Maya said, quickening her pace toward the quiet stall.

The stall was a place for drivers to eat while the students were in class, so no other students were eating there.

"You're back," Ikbal greeted, lowering the leg he had propped up like a driver eating in a typical stall.

"Yes, Ikbal! What are you eating? Eat a lot, I'll pay for it!" Maya said, leaning against the stall's wall.

"Is it okay for you to be in a stall like this?"

"Why not?"

"This is a stall for drivers. No rich students like you eat here."

"Eh, who said I'm here to eat? I just want to talk to you."

"Oh!" Ikbal chuckled, scratching his neck. "I thought you wanted to eat with me."

"No! I just want to know what happened to my father while I was away. You must have been there, right?"

"Oh, when Mrs. Mala took the master away from that haunted house?"

"Wow, we have the same opinion about that luxurious house," Yuki chimed in, chuckling.

"Yes, that house is indeed a haunted house for the master. He always said it never felt comfortable living there," Ikbal said, looking down sadly.

"What happened that day?" Maya asked again.

"That day, I was asked to keep an eye on your house, and I saw a doctor trying to inject something into your father's arm."

"What! What did you say?" Maya's eyes widened at the new revelation from Ikbal.

"Yes, it seems Inaya was trying to kill your father!"

"Impossible! That's too cruel!"