LOGINWhen her family faces ruin, Elena Harper signs a contract to marry the nation’s most feared billionaire, Damian Cross—a CEO known for his ruthless decisions and colder-than-ice demeanor. But what begins as a business arrangement quickly spirals into a dangerous dance of power, secrets, and hidden desires. Behind his flawless empire lies a man tormented by betrayal, haunted by a secret past. Behind her fragile smile hides a woman stronger than he could ever imagine. Love was never part of the deal… but in a world of lies, obsession, and betrayal, love might be the only thing that saves them both.
View MoreDi tengah hiruk-pikuk ibu kota, dua gadis SMA dengan seragam rompi pink kotak-kotak dan dasi senada tampak celingak-celinguk di depan sebuah gedung pencakar langit. Vanderwick Corp. Nama itu terpampang megah dengan huruf emas di atas lobi yang luasnya hampir selapangan bola.
"La, mending kita pulang aja yuk? Perasaanku nggak enak," rengek Sisi sambil membetulkan letak kacamatanya yang melorot karena keringat dingin. "Nggak bisa, Sisi! Kalau barang ini nggak nyampai ke tangan asisten itu, Ibu tiri kamu bakal motong uang jajan kamu sebulan! Kamu mau makan promag doang di kantin?" balas Lala menggebu-gebu sambil memeluk sebuah kotak kecil. Lala menengadah, menatap gedung di depannya sampai lehernya pegal. "Gila, ini kantor apa tangga menuju surga? Tinggi amat! Pasti yang punya gedung ini sombongnya minta ampun," gumam Lala takjub sekaligus nyinyir. "Aduh, Sisi! Cepetan lari! Kalau kita telat, Ibu Tiri kamu bisa berubah jadi Maleficent!" ucap Lala menarik tangan sahabatnya paksa. Sementara itu, di dalam lobi yang dingin karena AC sentral, aroma maskulin yang mahal menguar saat pintu kaca otomatis terbuka. Alistair Julian Vanderwick berjalan dengan langkah tegap, didampingi Leon yang merupakan asisten setianya dan seorang pria berwajah dingin dengan aura gelap di sampingnya. “Sudah aku katakan, hentikan tabiat burukmu itu. Aku tidak berurusan dengan seorang mafia,” ketus Alistair dengan suara rendah yang berwibawa. “Tch, jangan sombong. Perusahaanmu juga memerlukan dana haramku, bukan? Jadi jangan menolak, aku butuh bantuanmu,” sahut Kenzo datar, mengabaikan tatapan tajam orang-orang di lobi. “Kenzo, lebih baik kau pergi. Mau umurmu sampai selama pohon Robin Hood pun, aku tak akan mengatakan ya,” pungkas Alistair tegas. Lala tidak melihat rombongan pria berjas itu. Dia terlalu fokus menarik Sisi menembus kerumunan karyawan. "Tenang aja, Si! Kita cuma anter barang, terus kab—" BRAAAKKK! Dunia seolah berhenti berputar. Lala menabrak sesuatu yang sekeras tembok beton. Byuurrr! Es kopi di tangan kiri Lala terlepas, muncrat dengan estetik tepat ke arah kemeja putih mahal dan jam tangan perak yang melingkar di pergelangan tangan pria di depannya. Lala mendongak. Di depannya berdiri pria jangkung dengan wajah blasteran yang sangat tampan, tapi tatapannya seolah ingin melempar Lala dari lantai paling atas gedung ini. "Aduh! Maaf, Om! Sumpah Lala nggak sengaja!" Lala panik. Tanpa pikir panjang, dia menarik ujung seragam SMA-nya untuk mengelap jam tangan pria itu. "Jam Om nanti Lala ganti deh. Tapi cicil ya? Sebulan sepuluh ribu, gimana?" Alistair Julian Vanderwick membeku. Dia menatap jam tangannya dengan rahang mengeras. "Kamu panggil saya apa? Om? Dan kamu mau ganti jam tangan seharga satu unit apartemen ini dengan sepuluh ribu sebulan?" Lala mengerjapkan mata polos. "Ya... habisnya muka Om kelihatan dewasa banget. Galak lagi. Jadi pantesnya dipanggil Om, kan? Masa Kakak? Nggak cocok!" Alistair memejamkan mata, menahan urat lehernya agar tidak meledak. Dewasa? Gue baru dua puluh delapan tahun! Ini bocah ingusan manggil gue Om?! Alistair melirik Sisi yang bersembunyi di belakang Lala sambil gemetaran. "Kamu temannya juga? Kamu harus ikut tanggung jawab." Melihat Sisi mau menangis, jiwa pahlawan Lala bangkit. Dia merentangkan tangan, melindungi Sisi. "Heh Om Al-apa-tadi! Urusan jam itu sama aku! Jangan nakutin temenku, dia nggak tahu apa-apa!" gertak Lala berani. "Lagian jam tangan doang, masa CEO pelit banget!" Alistair menaikkan sebelah alis. Menarik. Baru kali ini ada anak SMA yang berani membentaknya. "Oh ya? Terus kalau saya tetap mau lapor polisi, kamu mau apa?" Lala melirik Leon, lalu melirik pintu keluar. Satu... dua... tiga! "Aku mau... KABUR! SEKARANG! SISI, LARI!!!" Lala menarik paksa Sisi. Alistair yang tidak siap hampir tersungkur karena didorong. Sebelum hilang di balik pintu, Lala berbalik sebentar, menarik bawah matanya dan memeletkan lidahnya lebar-lebar. "WLEEEEEEE! Kejar aja kalau bisa, Om Tuaaaa! Jangan kangen yaaa!" Suasana lobi mendadak hening. Alistair mematung, wajahnya merah padam menahan malu dan amarah. Di sampingnya, Kenzo Alessandro Moretti justru terkekeh pelan. Mata elangnya menatap punggung gadis culun yang ditarik Lala tadi. "Menarik," gumam Kenzo. "Alistair, sepertinya kita punya mainan baru." Alistair meremas kartu namanya sendiri sampai hancur. "Leon!" "Ya, tuan?" Leon sigap mendekat, mati-matian menahan tawa. "Cari identitas bocah itu sekarang. Aku mau dia berlutut dan minta maaf sebelum matahari terbenam besok!" Lala dan Sisi terus berlari tanpa menoleh ke belakang. Mereka menerjang trotoar, menyalip pejalan kaki, bahkan hampir menabrak tukang siomay di depan gedung. Jantung Lala serasa mau melompat keluar, bukan karena jatuh cinta, tapi karena takut dipolisikan oleh pria yang dia panggil Om Tua tadi. "La... hosh... hosh... berhenti dulu, La! Kakiku mau lepas!" Sisi ambruk di sebuah halte bus yang cukup jauh dari gedung Vanderwick Corp. Wajahnya sudah sepucat kertas HVS. Lala ikut berhenti, membungkuk sambil memegangi lututnya yang gemetar. Napasnya memburu. "Gila... hosh... itu tadi hampir saja! Sisi, kamu lihat nggak muka Om-Om tadi? Merah banget kayak kepiting rebus! Hahaha!" "Kamu malah ketawa!" Sisi memukul lengan Lala pelan, air mata hampir jatuh dari balik kacamatanya. "Gimana kalau dia beneran lapor polisi? Itu jam tangan mahal, Lala! Harganya bisa buat beli seisi sekolah kita!" Lala menyeka keringat di dahinya, lalu menyengir lebar, berusaha menutupi rasa takutnya sendiri. "Tenang aja, Si. Dia itu CEO sibuk. Mana mungkin dia punya waktu buat nyari dua anak SMA kayak kita. Dunia ini luas, Sisi! Besok juga dia udah lupa sama muka imut kita." Lala kembali merogoh tasnya, memastikan barang titipan Ibu Tiri Sisi masih aman. "Lagian, kita kan nggak sebutin nama. Dia nggak tahu kita siapa, sekolah di mana. Anggap aja tadi itu olahraga jantung gratis." "Tapi La—" "Sssttt! Udah, sekarang kita pulang, mandi, terus tidur. Besok adalah hari baru. Lupakan Om Galak itu, oke?" Lala merangkul Sisi, mencoba meyakinkan sahabatnya meskipun dalam hati dia juga sedikit was-was. Malam itu, Lala tidur dengan sangat nyenyak, sama sekali tidak menyadari bahwa di sebuah kantor penthouse mewah, berlembar-lembar data pribadinya sudah tersaji di atas meja kerja Alistair Julian Vanderwick. Keesokan Harinya di SMA Bakti Bangsa. Lala berjalan menyusuri koridor sekolah dengan santai sambil mengunyah permen karet. Dia merasa menang. Kejadian kemarin sudah dia kubur dalam-dalam. Baginya, Alistair hanyalah Bos Sombong yang lewat dalam hidupnya. "Pagi, Sisi! Masih hidup, kan?" sapa Lala ceria saat melihat Sisi duduk gemetaran di bangku kelas. "La... kamu belum lihat di depan gerbang?" tanya Sisi dengan suara bergetar. "Lihat apa? Ada tukang seblak baru?" "Bukan... itu..." Tiba-tiba, suara pengeras suara sekolah berbunyi, memecah suasana pagi yang tenang. "Panggilan kepada siswi bernama Mikaila Laluna Putri dari kelas [12-IPA 1]. Segera menuju ke lapangan utama sekarang juga. Sekali lagi, Mikaila Laluna Putri..." Lala mengernyit. "Dih, perasaan aku nggak telat. Ngapain dipanggil?" Dengan langkah santai dan rasa penasaran, Lala berjalan menuju lapangan. Namun, langkahnya mendadak terkunci saat melihat pemandangan di depannya. Di tengah lapangan, terparkir sebuah mobil Rolls-Royce hitam mengkilap yang sangat kontras dengan lingkungan sekolah. Kepala Sekolah berdiri dengan sikap sangat sopan nyaris membungkuk di samping seorang pria jangkung yang mengenakan setelan jas abu-abu gelap dan kacamata hitam. Aura pria itu begitu kuat, membuat seluruh siswi yang mengintip dari jendela kelas menjerit histeris. Pria itu perlahan melepas kacamata hitamnya, menatap tajam ke arah Lala yang mematung di pinggir lapangan. Lala ingin berbalik dan lari, tapi kakinya serasa terpaku ke aspal saat pria itu mulai melangkah mendekat. Setiap ketukan sepatunya di lantai semen lapangan terdengar seperti lonceng kematian bagi Lala. Pria itu berhenti tepat di depan Lala, membuat bayangannya yang tinggi menutupi tubuh mungil gadis itu. Dia membungkuk sedikit, menyejajarkan wajahnya dengan wajah Lala yang mendadak pucat pasi. Senyum miring yang sangat tipis muncul di bibir pria itu. Senyum yang tidak terlihat ramah sama sekali. "Mau kabur ke mana lagi, bocah?" bisik Alistair dengan suara rendah yang sangat seksi sekaligus mengerikan. Lala menelan ludah susah payah. "O-om... kok tahu sekolah Lala?" Alistair meraih sejumput rambut Lala, lalu menyentil kening gadis itu pelan dengan kartu nama mahalnya. "Ketemu kau, Biang Kerok."Time felt different when Elena woke up.Not lighter. Not heavier. Just… honest.Sunlight filtered through sheer curtains, soft and warm without demanding anything from her. She lay still for a moment, listening—not for tension, not for dread—but for presence.Breathing. Steady. Close.Damian was beside her, not wrapped around her possessively, not distant at the edge of the bed, but simply there. His arm rested loosely near her waist, as if he trusted she wouldn’t disappear if he let go.That realization did something dangerous to her heart.She turned slightly, studying him as he slept. Without the sharp suit, without the armor of authority, he looked younger. Less like a legend. More like a man who had finally allowed himself rest.Memories flickered through her mind: the first cold dinner, the unspoken rules, the nights she cried in silence, the fights that left wounds no apology could immediately heal.And then—the moments that followed. His breakdown. Her strength. The distance t
Somewhere between what had been lost and what still dared to exist, Elena realized her hands were trembling.Not from fear—she had lived with fear too long for it to surprise her—but from the quiet, unbearable weight of everything this moment carried. The city below the glass-walled penthouse pulsed with light, unaware that the empire towering above it had nearly fallen apart, unaware that two people standing inches apart had nearly destroyed each other in the process.Damian stood near the window, jacket discarded, sleeves rolled up, the rigid posture of the man she had first married long gone. He looked… human now. Tired. Bare. Vulnerable in a way she had never seen before.Silence stretched, heavy but not hostile.Elena took a breath that felt like crossing a border she could never return from.“So,” she said softly, voice steady despite the storm inside her, “this is it.”Damian turned, slowly. His eyes—those once-glacial eyes that had terrified boardrooms and broken rivals—held s
Understanding arrived quietly, without spectacle.Elena noticed it first not as a revelation, but as an absence—the absence of fear that had lived beneath her ribs for so long she had mistaken it for part of herself. She stood in the private conference room overlooking the city, hands resting on the polished table, breathing evenly.Today felt different.Not lighter. Not easier.Clearer.Damian entered moments later, jacket folded over his arm, expression composed but intent. He had the look of a man who had already made his decision and was simply waiting for the world to catch up.“You’re early,” he said.“I didn’t want to rush this,” Elena replied. “Whatever happens today… I want to be present for it.”He nodded. “So do I.”They had agreed to face this day together, not as CEO and spouse bound by history, but as partners bound by choice. Marcus’s silence had stretched too long to be coincidence. Julian’s sudden compliance felt staged. Pieces were moving into place.And clarity, Ele
Silence lingered between them in a way it never had before.Not the heavy, uncertain quiet that once carried doubt, but a settled stillness—one born from battles survived and truths faced head-on. Elena stood near the wide glass window of the penthouse, watching the city breathe beneath the fading sky, her reflection faint against the lights.Behind her, Damian closed the door gently.No rush. No tension.Just presence.“You didn’t say anything on the drive back,” he noted, voice low, careful not to disturb what felt fragile and sacred at the same time.Elena exhaled slowly before turning. “I was listening,” she said. “To everything that didn’t need words.”Damian studied her, as though trying to memorize a moment he feared time might steal. For years, he had believed love came with sharp edges—demands, leverage, conditions written between the lines. What stood before him now was something else entirely.Peace didn’t weaken him.It steadied him.“You were incredible today,” he said.E
Tension clung to every corner of Cross Enterprises like a stubborn shadow. Elena Harper felt it the moment she stepped off the elevator—silent gazes, whispers clipped mid-sentence, a sense of anticipation that made the air heavy enough to weigh on her chest. She had learned to navigate these subtle
Whispers moved faster than truth.They slid through Cross Enterprises like invisible smoke, curling into offices, elevators, private lounges, and boardroom corners—soft voices that carried sharp edges. By midday, the rumor had found lungs strong enough to breathe it into life.Elena didn’t hear it
Footsteps echoed faintly along the marble corridor, not loud enough to draw attention, yet heavy enough to announce intent.Elena felt the shift before she fully understood it.The kiss she and Damian had shared still lingered in her chest—warm, grounding, dangerous in how much it had changed. But
Stillness settled over the city in a way Elena Harper didn’t trust.Not silence—never silence—but a peculiar pause, as though the world had inhaled and was waiting to see what happened next. From the passenger seat of Adrian’s car, she watched glass towers slide past, their reflections fractured by
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