LOGINWhen twenty-four-year-old law intern Selena Vale joins the hit reality dating show The Soulmate Experiment, she isn’t looking for fame or fairy-tale romance. Still grieving the sudden death of her best friend, Selena only wants one thing: to feel alive again. But everything changes the moment she meets Cassian Blake. Mysterious, dangerously attractive, and emotionally unreadable, Cassian is the breakout star of the show—and somehow Selena’s nearly perfect soulmate match. Their explosive chemistry instantly turns them into HeartLock Island’s favorite couple, capturing the attention of millions watching around the world. At first, Selena tries to ignore the connection growing between them. The stolen glances. The late-night conversations. The way Cassian understands parts of her she keeps hidden from everyone else. But inside HeartLock, love is never simple. The producers manipulate emotions for ratings. Secrets are exposed publicly. Trust becomes a competition. And as tensions inside the villa grow, Selena begins noticing cracks in Cassian’s perfect image. Because Cassian is hiding something. Something connected to his past. Something powerful enough to destroy everything between them. Then anonymous footage leaks during a live broadcast, showing Cassian with his famous ex-girlfriend only weeks before filming began. Suddenly, the internet turns against him. Contestants begin questioning him. And Selena no longer knows what’s real. In a place built on cameras, manipulation, and lies, Selena must decide whether her connection with Cassian is genuine… or just another carefully created illusion for television. Because on HeartLock Island, falling in love might be the most dangerous game of all.
View MoreLangit sore itu mendung. Awan menggantung rendah di atas kompleks perumahan padat di daerah Cibinong. Bau hujan menggantung di udara saat Arven menarik koper hitamnya melewati jalan kecil yang dipenuhi pohon mangga, jemuran, dan suara burung murai yang dikurung di teras rumah warga.
Di ujung jalan, berdiri rumah dua lantai berwarna hijau pucat dengan pagar besi sederhana. Plang kayu kecil tergantung di sisi gerbang: “Kos Eksklusif Putra – Ny. Ravika” Arven berhenti sejenak, mengusap peluh dari keningnya. Ia mengenakan hoodie abu-abu, celana jeans pudar, dan ransel hitam. Wajahnya tampak lelah, tapi matanya tetap awas. Ia menekan bel yang terdengar nyaring di dalam rumah. Tak lama kemudian, pintu kayu terbuka. Dan di sanalah ia berdiri. Ravika. Perempuan muda berambut sebahu, pirang karamel, dengan kulit bening dan tatapan yang sulit ditebak. Ia mengenakan daster abu-abu tipis dengan motif bunga samar. Daster itu menggantung longgar di tubuhnya, namun tidak sepenuhnya menyembunyikan lekuk-lekuk yang membuat Arven refleks menundukkan pandangan. Ada getaran aneh di dadanya yang belum pernah ia rasakan pada pertemuan pertama dengan siapa pun. “Arven, ya?” tanyanya lembut. “Iya, Bu.” Suaranya agak serak. “Jangan panggil saya ‘Bu’. Saya masih 29 tahun, bukan nenek-nenek,” ujarnya sambil tersenyum tipis. Senyum itu seperti menyambar langsung ke dada Arven, membuatnya kehilangan kata-kata sesaat sebelum akhirnya mengangguk kaku. “Mari, saya antar ke kamar.” Mereka berjalan menyusuri lorong kecil menuju kamar di paling ujung. Rumah itu terasa sepi, hanya terdengar suara jam dinding berdetak dan angin sore yang menyelusup lewat ventilasi. Langkah Ravika yang tenang di depannya entah kenapa membuat Arven memperhatikan setiap gerakannya—daster abu-abu itu bergoyang pelan mengikuti irama langkahnya, seolah tanpa sengaja memancing pikirannya. “Kamar kamu ini agak jauh dari kamar penghuni lain. Di lantai bawah cuma ada dua kamar: satu kosong, satu lagi ini,” kata Ravika sambil membuka pintu. Ruangan itu bersih. Ada tempat tidur single, lemari kayu, meja belajar, dan jendela yang menghadap ke taman kecil di belakang rumah. Sepintas sederhana, tapi nyaman. “Kalau mau air panas, pakai pemanas di kamar mandi luar. Jangan lupa matikan setelah pakai. Dan kalau kamu dengar suara-suara aneh dari dapur malam-malam…” Ravika menatapnya agak lama, bibirnya terangkat sedikit seperti menahan senyum. “Abaikan saja.” Arven sempat menatapnya penuh tanya, tapi tak bertanya lebih lanjut. “Ada penghuni lain?” ia akhirnya bertanya. “Cuma dua lagi. Anak magang dari bengkel dekat sini, dan satunya kuliah malam. Mereka jarang di rumah. Biasanya kamu bakal sering sendirian di lantai ini.” Arven mengangguk pelan. Setelah Ravika meninggalkan kamar, ia mulai menata barangnya. Namun pikirannya belum tenang. Ada sesuatu yang menggelitik rasa ingin tahunya—dan itu bukan cuma dari daster tipis ibu kosnya. --- Malamnya, Arven memutuskan keluar membeli makan. Saat kembali, rumah sudah gelap. Hanya lampu di dekat dapur yang menyala samar. Ia berjalan pelan melewati lorong menuju kamarnya. Tapi langkahnya terhenti. Suara. Seperti kursi yang ditarik pelan. Dari arah dapur. Ia menoleh. Dapur berada di pojok rumah, hanya diterangi lampu temaram. Tak ada orang. Tapi suara itu jelas tadi. Ia berjalan pelan mendekat. Di atas meja makan, sebuah gelas tampak bergeser sendiri. Tidak jauh. Tapi cukup untuk membuat bulu kuduknya berdiri. “Arven?” suara lembut itu mengejutkannya dari belakang. Ia menoleh cepat. Ravika berdiri tak jauh dari sana. Masih mengenakan daster abu-abu, rambutnya kini terurai lebih longgar, matanya redup. “Kamu ngapain?” tanyanya pelan. “Tadi… saya dengar suara.” Ravika tersenyum samar. “Oh. Kamu memang bisa dengar, ya…” Arven mematung. “Maksudnya?” Ravika tidak menjawab. Ia hanya berjalan pelan ke arah dapur, mengambil gelas, dan mencucinya di wastafel seolah tak terjadi apa-apa. “Kamar kamu cukup hangat?” tanyanya sambil membelakangi Arven. “Iya,” jawab Arven, meski kini tengkuknya terasa dingin. “Bagus. Tidurlah. Besok kamu pasti lelah.” Ia menoleh sebentar. Senyumnya tetap ada, tapi tatapannya mengarah ke luar jendela dapur. Kosong. Diam. Arven berjalan kembali ke kamarnya dengan langkah hati-hati. Setiba di kasur, ia merebahkan diri, tapi matanya tetap terbuka menatap langit-langit. Ibu kos ini… bukan perempuan biasa. Bukan hanya karena misterinya, tapi juga karena setiap senyumnya seolah menyimpan rahasia yang membuat Arven ingin memecahkannya—meski itu berarti ia harus semakin dekat dengannya. ---Cassian guided the car along a familiar coastal road, one hand resting lightly on the steering wheel while the other remained intertwined with Selena’s. Soft sunlight filtered through the windshield, bathing everything in a warm golden glow.Neither of them spoke very much. They didn’t need to. Some journeys deserved silence.A few minutes later, the elegant entrance gates appeared in the distance. Selena’s eyes immediately softened.The property looked different. The large wooden sign that had once proudly displayed HeartLock was gone.In its place stood an elegant stone monument engraved with the resort’s new name.Beautiful gardens framed the entrance, and modern fountains replaced the old decorative pathway. “It really has changed,” Selena whispered.Cassian looked at her with a gentle smile. “Not everything.” He squeezed her hand before driving through the gates.After checking into their suite like every other guest, neither of them felt any desire to unpack.The room could wait
The first hint of dawn had barely begun to color the sky when Cassian quietly slipped out of bed.The house was still.Outside, the world hadn’t fully awakened yet.He glanced at the clock before leaning over and brushing a strand of hair away from Selena’s face.“Selena,” he whispered gently.She stirred, blinking sleepily. “What time is it?”“Early.” She frowned playfully. “That’s not a real answer.” He chuckled. “It’ll make sense soon.”She sat up, rubbing her eyes. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”Cassian smiled, the same mysterious smile he’d worn the night before. “I wanted us to come here together.”She studied him for a moment before sighing dramatically. “You know, one day your surprises are going to give me gray hair.”“I’ll love every one of them.” She laughed softly, shaking her head. “I suppose I’d better trust you.”“You always have.”The city was unusually quiet as they drove through the nearly empty streets.Soft music played through the speakers, but nei
Morning sunlight filled the kitchen. The once-empty house now felt comfortably lived in.Wedding photographs decorated the walls. Fresh flowers sat on the dining table. The bookshelves were fuller. The garden had grown greener.Laughter seemed to linger naturally within the rooms.Selena adjusted the sleeve of her blazer while finishing her coffee.Cassian grabbed his keys from the counter. “You’ll be late.”“So will you.” He walked over and kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you tonight.”“You promise?”“I always do.” She smiled.Together they walked to the front door.Before either of them stepped outside, Cassian reached for her hand. One quick kiss.Their morning routine. Simple. Perfect.Selena drove toward her office.Cassian headed for the recording studio, where the young artists he mentored were already waiting.Their lives were busy again. But now…They were building them side by side.As Selena stepped into the lobby of her office building, her phone vibrated. A message from Et
Cassian kept his eyes on the road, though the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth gave him away.“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”“You’ve been smiling like that for fifteen minutes.”“I just got married.”“Mm-hmm.”“And I’m driving with my wife.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “You’re impossible.”“So I’ve been told.” She folded her arms, pretending to be annoyed. “Fine.”“Fine?”“I won’t ask where we’re going anymore.”“Good.”“I’ll just guess.” Cassian chuckled. “I can live with that.”Selena looked out the window. “The hotel?” “No.”“My parents’ house?” “No.”“Your parents’ house?” “No.”“The airport?”He laughed outright. “On our wedding night?” “You’ve done stranger things.”“I don’t think I have.”She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Then…”She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You kidnapped me.” Cassian gasped in mock offense. “I married you legally less than three hours ago.”“Exactly.”“That’s terrible logic.”“It makes perfect sense.”He shook his head, unab
“The contestants who already knew each other before entering HeartLock…” Orion repeated lazily, clearly enjoying every second of the panic spreading through the kitchen. “…will be exposed tonight.”Everyone started talking at once.“You’ve got to be kidding me.”“Wait—someone lied during casting?”
Selena barely slept.Every time she closed her eyes, she saw flashing cameras, silver locks, and Cassian Blake’s unreadable gray eyes staring directly at her.Worse?Orion’s final announcement kept replaying in her mind.One contestant already knew another contestant before the show began.The prod
The applause refused to stop.Gold confetti rained from the ceiling while the audience screamed loud enough to shake the stage. Giant screens behind Selena and Cassian flashed repeatedly:98% COMPATIBILITY MATCHHIGHEST SCORE THIS SEASONSelena still couldn’t believe it.Ninety-eight percent?Besid
The first thing Selena Vale noticed about the studio was the cold.Not the air-conditioning blasting from hidden vents above the massive soundstage, but the kind of cold that settled deep inside your chest when you realized your life was about to change forever.Bright lights flashed across the poli












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