THE CEO AND DOCTOR'S ISOLATION

Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... The sound of the wall clock in the room made her uncomfortable. She found it more comforting to listen to hymns at the Cathedral church next to the apartment than to the ticking of the wall clock. The sound seemed to drown out the beating of her heart.

Rose slowly opened her eyes and looked towards the window. She was still aware that she was in Rome. She was trapped in this city and couldn't travel anywhere. She remembered vividly what she had experienced yesterday; she had to leave the hotel because it was going to be used for COVID-19 patients. The hotel she stayed in would be occupied by coronavirus-infected patients.

Rose raised her head with a pillow and gazed out of the window. It had been exactly one week since she had been in Italy, the pizza-producing country, and they had been forced to implement a strict lockdown since last Tuesday to break the chain of the increasing coronavirus outbreak throughout the country.

She had watched the news yesterday, and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had proposed extending the lockdown until next month due to the drastic rise in positive cases of the virus in Rome. The TV constantly provided updates on the latest news about virus-infected victims. Today, she received a notification on her phone indicating that there were 35,700 virus cases in the country, making it the second-largest outbreak after China.

It wasn't just the physical health that was affected; her mental health was also deteriorating because she couldn't go anywhere, feeling like a prisoner in her apartment. Rose could only resign herself to sitting in her room, playing with her phone, and looking out of the window at the quiet surroundings. Only the sound of ambulance cars passing by behind the window, in the park, and in public places, and the presence of policemen on duty, could be heard.

As a tourist herself, she was also affected by the lockdown, so she followed the government's rules. If residents wanted to leave the city, they had to fill out a form. The Prime Minister had also informed that commercial stores were closed, except for banks, supermarkets, food stores, and post offices. If she wanted to go out shopping or visit other public places, she had to fill out a form stating the reason for leaving the house, which would be presented to the police on duty.

Rose knew very well why Italy had the highest infection rate; it was because this country was one of the most visited by foreign tourists, and the Italian cultural habits of socializing, gathering with family, unwinding at bars, had caused the virus to spread rapidly.

Honestly, she had made a mistake. She had come here to mend her broken heart, but now her life was even more miserable, trapped in lockdown in Italy. Initially, when she arrived, the flights were very normal, but a few days later, the pandemic struck, not only in Italy but also worldwide.

Rose pushed back the bedcover and headed to the bathroom. It was a habit for Indonesians to take a shower twice a day, sometimes at least once a day. She couldn't go a day without a shower; she wasn't like Europeans who rarely bathed. After showering, Rose put on a red spaghetti strap dress.

Rose applied light makeup, and she chose a nude lipstick. She caught the scent of instant noodles in the air and was confident that it was Aslan, her apartment mate, who was cooking them.

She still remembered when she was about to rent this apartment, the apartment owner had suggested that they live together. Considering there was only one apartment left, the apartment owner recommended cohabiting during the pandemic, especially since this apartment had two bedrooms and there were no other options. Meanwhile, outside, the government had already implemented a lockdown.

So, whether she liked it or not, Rose shared an apartment with a man named Aslan, a name that sounded very distinctive. Rose looked at his face; he actually looked like an Arab prince from Dubai. Don't ask about his handsomeness; his face was perfect, like a Greek god's sculpture. She didn't know him very well because they had just met.

Rose left her room and saw Aslan in the kitchen, preparing cup noodles and a cup of coffee. He was wearing a black t-shirt and matching Puma shorts. He had a strong jawline, thick eyebrows, and a sharp nose. There were soft hairs intentionally left unshaved on his strong jaw. Rose gave her best smile.

"Hi," Rose greeted, wanting to engage in some small talk.

Aslan looked at the woman named Rose; her face was typical of Asian beauty. Her natural V-shaped face was coveted by many women, with beautifully shaped eyebrows, a petite yet elegant nose, and fair, clear skin. Instantly, he thought of Arum, a woman he had known before who was an actress. Was she an actress too? Where did she come from? Was it Indonesia or the Philippines, considering that both countries produced beautiful women in Asia? Her face was perfect, and he couldn't lie to himself that she was very beautiful.

"Hi," Aslan replied, giving his best smile.

"Did you just wake up?" Aslan asked.