Chapter: Ch 2r“Are you certain you want to open this now, Damon?” Clara asked softly. The night wind sighed through the silence of the hidden workroom deep beneath the Vance family’s private villa. Before them stood a massive steel safe, carved with ancient patterns—once the property of Damon’s late father, Richard Vance, only recently recovered from Kaelen’s secret headquarters by Mark and his security team. Damon stood close behind her, his strong left arm wrapped firmly around her waist. Though the bandages on his right shoulder were still neatly in place, the tightness in his face betrayed a deep, raw vulnerability. Julian’s revelation about the secret documents left behind by his father had ignited the greatest curiosity of Damon’s life—and also his deepest fear. “I have to open it, Clara,” Damon’s voice came rough and low, close to her ear. He breathed in the soft scent of lavender in her hair, drawing strength from the woman beside him. “For fifteen years
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-02
Chapter: Ch 24Chapter 27: The Fire of Jealousy and a Stand Made Clear “Do not take another single step, Julian,” Damon hissed, his voice rough and low. That heavy, dangerous tone cut through the stillness of the underground parking garage like a blade of ice. His jaw clenched tight as stone, while his hold on Clara’s hand locked into an unyielding grip. The aura of a ruthless killer that had finally begun to fade away now surged back out from his powerful frame, radiating such pure, soul-shaking terror that Julian froze stiff where he knelt on the concrete floor. Julian trembled violently, staring up at Damon with eyes wide and wild with fear. “Damon… I never meant to disturb you… I just need help to get away… to escape…” “You took advantage of Clara’s kindness years ago, you hurt her, you destroyed everything you had… and now you dare crawl before her like a beggar, trying to play on her sympathy?” Damon took one long, deliberate step forward, positioning
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-02
Chapter: Ch 22 “Let me handle this, Clara,” Damon whispered, his voice low and rough—calm, yet brimming with unshakable authority. He cupped her face gently in both hands, brushing away the single tear that rolled down her cheek. Just beyond the soundproof doors of the main hall, the roar of hundreds of camera shutters and the clamor of reporters from every major national media outlet echoed loudly. The manipulated video footage that had been released, carefully crafted to paint Clara as a villain, had already sparked wild, dangerous speculation across the country. Clara gripped his wrists, her eyes locked deep into his dark gaze. “Damon, you haven’t fully healed yet. If you go out there and your emotions get the better of you—” “I will never let anyone turn you into prey, Clara,” Damon cut in softly, pressing a warm, reassuring kiss to her forehead. “For fifteen years, I hid my love for you deep in the shadows. But today… today I will let th
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-02
Chapter: Ch 21“Straighten your collar, Damon,” Clara said softly, breaking the quiet stillness inside the private office at the very top of the Zephyr Group building. Her slender fingers moved with careful precision, adjusting the black silk tie around his neck. Damon stood perfectly still, letting her tend to his appearance. Even though he still wore a white shirt layered over a medical compression vest covering the stitches and scars on his shoulder, his commanding presence had not diminished in the slightest. Yet the gaze that once radiated cold menace now rested on Clara with nothing but deep, unwavering admiration. Clara looked breathtaking. A tailored deep maroon blazer dress hugged her figure perfectly, matched with the emerald heirloom ring glowing brilliantly on her left hand. There was no trace left of the woman who once lived trapped within illusions and despair; standing there now was a Chief Executive Officer fully ready to reclaim her rightful throne.
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-02
Chapter: Ch 20“Why are you looking at me like that, Clara?” Damon’s voice came soft and low, breaking the quiet stillness of the master bedroom, wrapped in the gentle patter of falling rain.Slowly, Damon opened his eyes to find Clara sitting at the edge of the bed, her gaze warm and tender as she watched him. He tried to push himself up, bracing against the dull ache still lingering in his chest, though the sharp pain had finally begun to fade. The dim glow of the bedside lamp cast a soft golden light across Clara’s face—but Damon’s attention was drawn instantly to the fingers of her left hand.There, resting on her ring finger, sat the platinum band etched with delicate roses, its center stone—a vivid emerald—glowing with deep, brilliant fire.Damon’s breath caught in his throat. His dark eyes trembled, laid bare with a raw mix of shock and vulnerability. “You… you found the box?”Clara did not answer right away. She lifted her hand slowly, letting the lamplight catch and reflect the rich green s
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-02
Chapter: Ch 19The sharp, biting scent of medical antiseptics slowly faded, replaced by the warm, gentle fragrance of lavender oil and pine wood. Damon’s private villa by the lake—once damaged and left in ruins—had been fully restored, transformed into a secluded sanctuary protected by the most advanced security systems available. The storm of conspiracy woven by General Arthur Sterling and the Kaelen Consortium had finally passed. Justice had prevailed, yet the scars left behind on Damon’s body and soul still demanded time and care to heal.Inside the spacious upper-floor master bedroom, overlooking the calm surface of the lake, silence hung heavy and soothing. Damon lay resting on a king-sized bed, sterile bandages still wrapped firmly around his chest and right shoulder. Just two days prior, he had undergone critical surgery to clean deep infections and repair torn muscle tissue sustained during the confrontation in the server room. The operation had been a success, but the physical toll left the
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-02
A Contract With The Devil in a Suit
“I don't need a partner. I only need someone who knows their place.”
Darren Wijaya is a young billionaire who commands power and fear in the business world. Behind his seemingly perfect life, however, lie secrets that must never be exposed to the public.
One night, he meets Ezra, a university student on the verge of dropping out due to financial hardship. When every door seems closed, Darren presents him with an offer that is impossible to ignore.
A luxurious apartment.
A monthly allowance worth more than enough to live comfortably.
Every expense taken care of.
In return, Ezra only has to belong to him.
Not as a boyfriend.
Not as a partner.
Just someone who will always be there whenever Darren needs him.
For the sake of his future, Ezra accepts the arrangement. He promises himself that he will never let emotions become involved in a relationship that is, from the very beginning, nothing more than a transaction.
But as time passes and he gets to know Darren better, Ezra begins to see the man behind the power—a loneliness hidden beneath authority, scars concealed behind a cold exterior, and small acts of kindness that slowly make his heart waver.
The problem is that, to Darren, Ezra is nothing more than a kept companion.
At least, that's what he keeps telling himself.
Until the day he realizes that losing Ezra is far more terrifying than losing every cent of his fortune.
Baca
Chapter: Chapter 50“Don’t move, or this pen will pierce your carotid artery before your guards can even take a breath.” Dante Adrian’s voice sounded like ice scraping against glass—cold, sharp, and unwavering. In his hand, a titanium tactical pen pressed lightly against the neck of a large man who had tried to ambush him in a dark alley behind the Grand Théâtre de Genève. Dante didn’t need a gun to prove he was Leonard Virelli’s finest student; all he needed was lethal composure. “Wait! I’m not an enemy!” the man choked, raising both hands. “I’m just a courier! The lady wants to meet you.” Dante applied a little more pressure, letting the sharp tip draw a faint bead of red on the man’s skin. His quiet life as an anonymous writer in Switzerland had just been shattered in seconds. “Which lady? I don’t know any woman in this city who sends thugs as dinner invitations.” “Isabella… Isabella Moretti,” the man whispered, trembling. The name hit Dante like a sledgehammer. Moretti. A family that should have
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-28
Chapter: Chapter 49The funicular descended into the abyssal maw of the Lauterbrunnen Valley with a mechanical, rhythmic hum that felt like a funeral dirge. Behind them, high atop the jagged peaks, the villa was a dying star. The secondary explosions sent tremors through the mountain, muffled by the thick winter air, until the once-proud stone fortress was nothing more than a jagged silhouette against a pillar of fire.Dante sat on the floor of the small cable car, his back pressed against the vibrating metal wall. Marco lay beside him, his breathing shallow but stable, his head resting on a bunched-up tactical jacket. Dante’s hands were stained with a mixture of Leonard’s blood and the soot of the medical wing. He looked down at his palms, the tremors finally catching up to him.The debt was paid. The words echoed in his mind, louder than the wind whistling through the funicular’s cables. Leonard was gone. The man who had been his god, his jailer, and his twisted father figure had chosen a Viking funera
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 48The villa trembled as the first volley of high-caliber rounds shattered the floor-to-ceiling windows of the library. Shards of expensive Bohemian glass rained down like diamond dust, glinting in the firelight before embedding themselves into the mahogany floor. Leonard didn't flinch. He stood amidst the carnage with the serenity of a conductor waiting for the first note of a macabre symphony."Down!" Dante lunged forward, his survival instinct overriding his hatred. He tackled Leonard behind the massive oak desk just as a red laser dot danced across the leather chair where the older man had been sitting a second ago."Always so protective, Dante," Leonard remarked, his voice barely a whisper against the backdrop of chaos. He adjusted his silk tie, seemingly unbothered by the fact that the Surya Group had just turned his sanctuary into a kill zone. "It’s a reflex you’ll never truly lose.""Shut up," Dante hissed, checking the magazine of his pistol. "You said Akash was on your payroll.
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 47The icy rain of Zurich felt like needles against Dante’s skin as he ducked into a narrow alleyway behind the Bahnhofstrasse. His lungs burned, each breath a sharp reminder of the violence he had just committed in the bowels of the bank. In his satchel, the titanium case clattered—a heavy, silent witness to the ghost of Leonard Virelli.He didn't head for the main station. The Surya Group would have the terminals crawling with "cleaners" within minutes. Instead, he navigated the winding, cobblestone streets of the Altstadt, his mind operating on a cold, tactical frequency he thought he had buried in Brooklyn. He needed a ghost—not the one in Alaska, but a living one.Dante reached a weathered oak door tucked between a watchmaker’s shop and a chocolatier. He knocked a rhythmic sequence: three slow, two fast.The door creaked open to reveal a woman with silver hair cropped close to her scalp and eyes as hard as Alpine granite. This was Elena, a former "logistics specialist" for the Virel
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 46The sky over JFK International Airport was a bruised purple, heavy with the threat of another Atlantic storm. Dante sat in the back of a black car, his eyes fixed on the rain-slicked tarmac. In his pocket, the Roman coin felt like a hot coal against his thigh, a constant reminder of the chaos he had left behind at the hospital.His phone buzzed. A secure notification from a burner app Marco had set up months ago. It was a news alert from a fringe international wire service, the kind that reported the truths the mainstream media was too slow to catch."MASSIVE BLAZE AT ALASKA MAXIMUM SECURITY FACILITY; NO SURVIVORS REPORTED IN SECTOR 4."Dante’s breath hitched. Sector 4 was where Leonard had been held.He stared at the screen until the words blurred into meaningless black lines. No survivors. The phrase should have brought him peace. It should have been the final nail in the coffin of his past. Instead, it felt like a cold hand tightening around his throat. Leonard Virelli was many thi
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-21
Chapter: Chapter 45The sharp scent of floor disinfectant and the rhythmic beeping of vital sign monitors formed a suffocating background for Dante. He sat in the corridor outside the ICU, his head resting against the cold concrete wall. His expensive suit was now wrinkled, stained with Marco’s blood and dried rain. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the flash of headlights from the black sedan and felt the violent impact that had nearly taken the life of the only person he trusted.“Mr. Adrian.”Dante looked up. Detective Miller stood before him, still holding his small notebook, his expression worn with the fatigue of a city steeped in crime. Behind him stood a well-dressed man with a federal badge clipped to his belt.“Detective,” Dante greeted shortly. “Marco’s still unconscious. If you’re here for his statement, you’re wasting your time.”“I’m not here for him, Dante,” Miller said, sitting beside him while the federal agent remained standing, observing Dante like a specimen under glass. “This is
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-21
Chapter: Chapter 39“Don’t move, or we’ll all end up at the bottom of this strait!” Dewangga shouted, his hoarse voice cutting through the unstable roar of the boat’s engine.He jerked his arm back, pulling Sarah behind him just as a powerful flashlight suddenly beamed from the stern. The old motorboat rocked violently. A man in a black leather jacket stood there, holding a gleaming dagger that caught the dim light of the storm lamp. He was not part of the crew they had hired.“You think running away is that easy, Writer?” the man sneered, stepping carefully across the slick, seawater-soaked deck. “Baskoro sent me to make sure that key doesn’t have a ‘copy’ left in your memory.”Dewangga reached for his bag, his heart pounding. “Sarah, get into the engine room. Now!”“No, Dewangga! He has a weapon!” Sarah cried, her fingers clutching his sleeve in panic.“Go!” Dewangga shoved her away just as the man lunged forward.Slash!Dewangga dodged to the side, feeling the tip of the blade tear through his flannel
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-28
Chapter: Chapter 38Vivian demanded a manuscript. The mysterious enemy demanded a key. And Dewangga? He wanted only one thing—to hear Sarah’s breathing again with his own ears, not through a horrifying digital distortion.So he began to write. But not the narrative of Surya Group’s rise that Vivian demanded. He wrote a plan. Every word he etched onto the page was a code—a carefully constructed storyline designed to trap both sides fighting over him.In an old warehouse on the outskirts of North Jakarta, the cold air from the harbor seeped through cracks in the concrete. Sarah sat bound, her head hanging as she struggled to stay conscious. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Dewangga’s face beneath the mountain rain. She remembered his confession about the fire in Puncak—the burden he had carried alone for years.“He’s not coming,” a deep voice emerged from the darkness in front of her.The mysterious man stepped into the light. No longer hidden behind shadows or screens, he revealed himself—a middle-
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 37The helicopter tore through the storm with a deafening roar, yet inside the cabin, the atmosphere was as cold as a grave. Dewangga sat with his hands bound, his head hanging weakly from the blow he had taken, dried blood lining his temple. Across from him, Vivian sat calmly, drying her hair with a small towel as if she had just returned from a slightly chaotic party—not from a scene of fire and murder.Dewangga stared out the small window. Below, the blaze on the hill where their cabin once stood was slowly shrinking, swallowed by the darkness of the forest and the relentless rain. His heart felt hollow. Davian was gone in that explosion—a brutal sacrifice he had never asked for. And Sarah—he could only hope she had reached the darkness of the northern cliff before Vivian’s hunters found her.“You look so grief-stricken, my dear,” Vivian’s voice cut through the hum of the rotors. She leaned forward, her cold fingers lifting Dewangga’s chin, forcing him to meet her gaze. “When you shou
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 36“You’ve always had a flair for drama when choosing meeting places, Dewangga,” Vivian’s voice flowed softly, almost drowned by the roar of the storm. “A banyan tree, a raging downpour, and secrets from the past. You truly are a writer to your very core.”“Let them go, Vivian,” Dewangga hissed. His voice was low, trembling with restrained fury. “You want me. Take me. But let them leave.”Vivian let out a soft laugh, a sound like a blade brushing against silk. “You still don’t understand, do you? This isn’t about negotiation. It’s about ownership. Davian is a failure that needs to be erased, and that doctor… she’s an unnecessary distraction.”Meanwhile, at the surrounded cabin, Davian peered through the crack of a broken window. Vivian’s tactical vehicles had cut their lights, but the presence of hired killers hung in the air like electricity. He turned to Sarah, who was packing an emergency medical bag with trembling hands.“Sarah, listen to me,” Davian said suddenly, his voice unnatura
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 35Davian stood at the doorway, his shadow stretching long beneath the dimming glow of the oil lamp. In his hand, he held an old pistol—one of the few relics he had salvaged from the ruins of their past.“Are you sure about this?” Davian’s voice was hoarse, his scarred eyes locking onto Dewangga with a rare intensity. “Meeting a ‘ghost’ under that banyan tree could be a trap far deadlier than Vivian.”“Vivian wants to own me, Davian. She wants me back in her golden cage,” Dewangga replied as he buttoned his jacket. “But whoever sent that letter… he knew who I was before I became a Surya. I need to know why.”“If you don’t come back in two hours, I’ll take Sarah down through the northern path. I won’t let all of us die here because of your curiosity.”Dewangga gave a short nod. He stepped outside, into a fog so thick he could barely see the tips of his own shoes. His path led him toward the dispensary. He had to say goodbye to Sarah, even if he knew words would never be enough.Inside the
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 34That night, the fog did not only blanket the mountain peak—it seemed to seep into the very pores of Dewangga’s skin. Inside the cabin, the atmosphere felt like a war bunker. Davian paced back and forth with an impatient limp, his wooden cane striking the floor in a relentless tap… tap… tap that echoed deafeningly through the silence of the night.Dewangga sat at his wooden desk, staring at the golden pen now gleaming under the dim light of an oil lamp. It felt foreign, like an artifact from a cursed life he had long buried. The scent of jasmine from the box still lingered, filling the room and choking what little oxygen remained.“He won’t wait until morning, Dewangga,” Davian growled, stopping before the tightly shut window. “Vivian isn’t the type to give her prey time to pack. She’s down there, at the foot of the mountain, laughing while counting down the seconds to our destruction.”Dewangga said nothing. He opened his laptop with mechanical precision. The blank white screen stared
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 32The silence in that grand house felt far more suffocating than the explosions at the Jakarta harbor months ago. Serena woke with a hollow ache gnawing at her chest. Usually, the aroma of coffee and Haris’s laughter as he joked with Clarisa in the dining room served as her natural alarm. But this morning, there was only a cold, empty quiet.Haris truly hadn’t come home. A brief message from Marcus informed her that Haris had chosen to stay at his office apartment “to cool off.” Serena stared at her reflection in the mirror—her eyes swollen, her face pale. On the vanity table, the investment documents from Julian Pratama lay coiled like a snake ready to strike.“Ma’am, you have a guest downstairs,” the house assistant’s voice startled her.“Who? Haris?” Serena asked, hope slipping into her tone.“No, Ma’am. Mr. Julian Pratama.”Serena frowned. It was too early for business matters. But curiosity—and perhaps the desire to distract herself from her guilt toward Haris—pushed her to go down
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 31“Is Mommy going out?” Clarisa’s small voice broke Serena’s train of thought.Serena turned, forcing a warm smile for her daughter. “Yes, sweetheart. Mommy has a lunch meeting for a bit. You’ll study with Miss Nanny, okay?”“Is Haris coming?” Clarisa asked innocently.The question felt like a small stab to Serena’s chest. “No, dear. Haris is busy at his office.”Serena knew she wasn’t entirely honest. Haris wasn’t just busy—he was angry. Ever since the studio launch event last night, he had kept a cold distance. No morning texts, no calls to make sure she had eaten. His silence hurt far more than his explosive anger ever did.The upscale restaurant in SCBD was highly private. Julian had reserved a table in the most secluded corner, overlooking the city through thick glass panels. As Serena stepped in, Julian immediately stood. He wasn’t wearing a formal suit today—just a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, giving him a relaxed yet commanding presence.“Right on time, as a
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 30Vivian demanded a manuscript. The mysterious enemy demanded a key. And Dewangga? He wanted only one thing—to hear Sarah’s breathing again with his own ears, not through a horrifying digital distortion.So he began to write. But not the narrative of Surya Group’s rise that Vivian demanded. He wrote a plan. Every word he etched onto the page was a code—a carefully constructed storyline designed to trap both sides fighting over him.In an old warehouse on the outskirts of North Jakarta, the cold air from the harbor seeped through cracks in the concrete. Sarah sat bound, her head hanging as she struggled to stay conscious. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Dewangga’s face beneath the mountain rain. She remembered his confession about the fire in Puncak—the burden he had carried alone for years.“He’s not coming,” a deep voice emerged from the darkness in front of her.The mysterious man stepped into the light. No longer hidden behind shadows or screens, he revealed himself—a middle-
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 29The launch event for Zea-Nasution Studios was supposed to be the crowning achievement of Serena’s professional rebirth. The grand ballroom of the studio’s new headquarters in South Jakarta was filled with the scent of expensive lilies and the low hum of influential voices. Dressed in a sleek, ivory silk gown that hugged her figure with effortless grace, Serena stood beside Haris, greeting the titans of the industry.Haris was in his element. His hand remained firmly, yet gently, anchored to the small of Serena’s back—a silent declaration of his support and, perhaps, his possession. To the world, they were the ultimate power couple: the visionary director and the tycoon who had made her dreams possible.“You’re distracted,” Haris whispered, leaning closer so only she could hear. His breath was warm against her ear, a familiar comfort.Serena forced a smile, adjusting the diamond earring that felt suddenly heavy. “Just a bit of nerves, Haris. It’s a big night.”“You’ve faced down minist
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-24
Chapter: Chapter 28The mist in Puncak was not like the mist in Paris. In the French capital, the fog felt like a romantic veil, a soft blur that turned the city into a painting. Here, amidst the charred ruins of the Zea estate, the mist felt like cold breath against the back of Serena’s neck—the exhalation of a mountain that had witnessed her family’s destruction.Serena sat in the back of Haris’s SUV, her fingers tracing the worn leather cover of her father’s journal. The microchips were tucked safely into the inner pocket of her coat, pressed against her heart like a hidden shield. They hadn't spoken since leaving the cellar. The gravity of what they had found was a physical presence in the car, a third passenger that demanded total silence.Beside her, Haris stared out at the winding mountain road. His jaw was set, a telltale sign that his mind was already moving ten steps ahead, calculating the geopolitical and economic fallout of the names written in that book. These weren't just common criminals o
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-13
Chapter: Chapter 27The glitz of the gala had faded into the rearview mirror, replaced by the rhythmic hum of the car as it wound through the quiet streets of Menteng. Inside the vehicle, Serena leaned her head against the cool leather headrest, watching the streetlamps flicker past like silent sentinels. The emerald silk of her kebaya felt heavier now, a regal uniform that she was finally ready to shed.Beside her, Haris remained quiet, sensing the contemplative shift in her mood. He didn’t push for conversation. Instead, he simply reached over and laced his fingers through hers. His hand was warm, steady, and certain—a stark contrast to the cold, calculating world she had navigated for the past month.“You were incredible tonight,” Haris said softly, breaking the silence as they pulled into the driveway of her new residence. “My mother used to say that some people carry light, and others reflect it. Tonight, Serena, you were the source.”Serena offered a weary but genuine smile. “I just wanted to make
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-13
Masuk
