Mag-log in"Aku akan membantumu asal kamu mau mengikuti semua permintaanku serta syarat yang aku berikan." Sebuah pernyataan yang keluar dari mulut seorang Calvin Adelio Darwish kepada wanita yang tanpa sengaja masuk ke dalam mobilnya dalam keadaan berlumur darah. Apakah Aruna akan menerima tawaran yang disampaikan oleh Calvin? Atau Aruna menolaknya? Lalu apa yang menjadi alasan Aruna masuk ke dalam mobil pria yang tidak dikenal?
view moreThe air in my father’s study smelled of expensive bourbon and desperate lies. It was a scent I had grown to loathe, almost as much as the heavy, silver-bound ledger sitting on his mahogany desk.
You did what?" I whispered, the words feeling like shards of glass in my throat. My father, Julian Vance, couldn't look me in the eye. He stared at the window, watching the rain lash against the glass of our estate. Once, the Vance name meant something in Oakhaven. We were the "Ink" the record keepers, the information brokers of the underworld. But looking at the slump of his shoulders, I realized we were nothing more than a dying flame. The debt reached its limit, Elara, he muttered, his voice shaking. The Syndicate doesn't take IOUs anymore. They wanted collateral. Substantial collateral. I stepped forward, my hand hovering over the edge of his desk. I fought the urge to touch the wood. If I did, I would see everything his trembling hands as he signed the papers, his cowardice, his greed. My gift, the ability to read the history of objects, was a curse in a house built on secrets. I am your daughter, I snapped, my voice rising. Not a bartering chip. Who did you sell me to? The Morettis? The Petrovs? No, he said, finally looking at me. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with a terrifying mix of pity and relief. "The Vane Syndicate." The blood drained from my face. My heart didn't just skip a beat; it felt like it stopped entirely. Dante Vane? You sold me to the Shadow Walker? Everyone in the Oakhaven underworld knew the stories. Dante Vane wasn't just a Don; he was a myth wrapped in a bespoke suit. They said he was born from the very shadows of the city's foundations. They said he hadn't touched a living soul in ten years because his skin carried a curse of rot and ruin. He was the "Iron" that kept the supernatural factions in line, and he was a monster. lt was the only way to keep us alive!" my father cried out, reaching for my hand. I flinched back, my fingers grazing a heavy brass letter opener on the desk. Static. A sudden, violent flash of imagery flooded my mind. I saw the letter opener being held by a man with hands like carved marble pale, strong, and terrifyingly steady. I felt a coldness so deep it felt like winter in my marrow. I heard a voice, smooth as dark silk and just as dangerous: *“Bring me the girl, or I will burn this house with you inside it.”* I gasped, pulling my hand away, my chest heaving. The vision faded, but the cold remained. He's coming tonight, Elara, my father said, his voice sounding far away. "To collect." "I won't go," I said, backing toward the door. I'll run. I’ll disappear into the city You can't run from a Shadow-Walker!" my father yelled. "His reach is everywhere. He has eyes in the walls and ears in the wind. If you leave, he will kill me. He’ll kill everyone on the payroll. Is that what you want? I stopped at the door, my hand on the cold iron handle. The irony wasn't lost on me. I was trapped between two types of monsters: the one who raised me and the one who had just bought me. A sudden hush fell over the house. The distant sound of my mother’s weeping in the hallway silenced. Even the rain seemed to quiet its frantic drumming. Then came the knock. It wasn't loud, but it resonated through the floorboards, vibrating in my very bones. Three slow, rhythmic strikes. Thud. Thud. Thud. "He's here," my father whispered, his face turning a sickly shade of grey. I straightened my spine, smoothing the silk of my dress. If I was going to be led to the slaughter, I wouldn't go whimpering. I reached into the hidden pocket of my skirt and felt the small, silver dagger I kept there. It was an antique, passed down through the Vance women. It was cold, sharp, and had a history of shedding blood. I opened the study door and walked toward the grand foyer. The front doors were already open. Four men stood there, dressed in suits so black they seemed to swallow the light. But it was the man in the center who demanded the world's attention. Dante Vane was taller than the stories suggested. His hair was the color of midnight, swept back from a face that was hauntingly handsome but carved from stone. His eyes were the most striking part a piercing, unnatural silver that seemed to see right through my skin and into my soul. He didn't wear gloves, yet his hands were tucked into his pockets, as if he were restraining himself. "Elara Vance," he said. His voice was the same one from my vision the dark silk that promised both a bed and a grave. "Mr. Vane," I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. "I believe you’re here for a debt." Dante stepped into the light of the chandelier, and for a brief second, the shadows at his feet seemed to ripple like water, reaching toward me. l am here for a wife," he corrected, his silver eyes narrowing. Though I suspect you'll be much more difficult to manage than a ledger. He moved closer, and the temperature in the room dropped ten degrees. He stopped just inches from me. I could smell cedarwood, rain, and something metallic like old coins or fresh blood. "Do you know what I am, Elara?" he asked, his voice dropping to a low, intimate growl. "A monster," I whispered. A ghost of a smile touched his lips, but there was no warmth in it. "Good. Then we won't have to waste time on pleasantries. Pack your things. Your life as a Vance ended the moment your father signed that paper. You belong to the shadows now.Calvin duduk di tepi ranjang dengan jantung berdebar kencang, wajahnya merah padam saat Aruna menatapnya tajam. Mata Aruna tak berkedip, menelusuri setiap gerak-geriknya yang canggung. "Apa sebenarnya niatmu ada di sini, dekat aku saat aku tidur?" suara Aruna pelan tapi penuh makna, membuat Calvin hampir kehilangan kata-kata. Tubuh Calvin sedikit mundur, seolah ingin menjauh agar niatnya untuk mencium Aruna tidak ketahuan, namun Aruna sepertinya menyelidik apa yang ingin dilakukan Calvin. "Aku... aku cuma ingin merapikan rambutmu," jawab Calvin terbata-bata sambil berdiri untuk menjauhi Aruna. "Kalau rambutmu nutupin hidung, kamu pasti susah napas saat tidur." Aruna duduk tegak, tangannya meraba-raba rambutnya dengan ragu, matanya menyimpan pertanyaan yang belum terjawab. Namun sebelum dia sempat bertanya lebih jauh, Calvin tiba-tiba menarik napas panjang dan berkata dengan nada serius, "Malam ini aku tidak tidur di ru
"Ada apa dengannya? Semakin aneh! Tapi tidak masalah dia pergi lebih cepat dari pada dia terus menanyai soal Ayahnya dan aku tidak tahu harus mengatakan apa." Aruna juga ikut masuk ke dalam rumah. Aruna memilih ke dapur untuk bertanya kepada pelayan apa yang akan mereka siapkan untuk makan malam. Tuan Darwish melangkah keluar dari rumah putranya dengan wajah memerah dan alis berkerut tajam. Rasa kesal menguasai seluruh tubuhnya setelah usahanya mengancam Aruna agar menjauh dari Calvin gagal total. Dalam bisikannya yang penuh amarah, ia mengutuk wanita itu dengan kata-kata kasar yang nyaris tak terkendali. Begitu sampai di mobil, tangan besarnya mencengkeram setir dengan erat, lalu tiba-tiba memukulnya keras hingga terdengar dentuman nyaring. Napasnya memburu, dadanya naik turun tidak teratur, tanda jelas luapan emosi yang membara di dalam dirinya. “Sialan! Wanita itu pikir dia siapa? Aku tak akan diam saja!” geramnya sambil menggertakkan
Aruna menatap kertas yang terlipat rapi di tangannya, angka besar di cek itu seolah berkilau memanggil-manggil hasrat dan kebingungan sekaligus. Matanya membelalak, jantungnya berdegup tak menentu. "Apa maksud Ayah dengan ini?" suaranya terdengar lirih, namun ada getar ketegangan yang sulit disembunyikan. Tuan Darwish yang berdiri di hadapannya, malah mengalihkan pandangan ke taman luas yang dibangun Calvin, napasnya panjang sebelum akhirnya menatap tajam ke arah Aruna. "Aku tidak suka kau memanggilku ayah. Aku tidak mengakui kau sebagai menantuku," ucapnya dingin, kata-katanya menusuk seperti pisau yang membuat Aruna tercekat. Aruna terdiam, matanya menunduk, dada sesak seolah beban penolakan itu menekan seluruh tubuhnya. Hatinya hancur, tapi tak ada setetes air mata yang jatuh. Dia tahu, dalam diam itu, dia dianggap asing, bahkan oleh pria yang seharusnya menjadi keluarga walaupun pernikahan ini hanya sebuah pernikahan dengan perjanjian.
Stevani melangkah keluar dari sebuah kafe yang tidak terlalu ramai bahkan tidak begitu dikenal orang. Stevani sengaja membuat janji dengan Paman Darwish dilokasi itu agar pertemuan mereka tidak diketahui oleh siapapun. Stevani keluar dengan mata yang bersinar penuh kemenangan setelah berhasil mengajak Ayah Calvin terjerat dalam rencana liciknya. Wajahnya yang tadinya tegang kini berubah menjadi senyum tipis penuh arti. Tak jauh dari situ, sosok Harry sudah menunggu dengan sabar, mengenakan jaket kulit hitam yang menambah pesonanya sebagai model majalah dewasa. Tanpa ragu, Stevani mendekat dan berjabat tangan erat dengan Harry. Tangannya yang lentik menyentuh tangan pria itu seolah memberi sinyal bahwa mereka adalah pasangan yang tak terpisahkan. Dengan gerakan lembut, Stevani memberikan kecupan ringan di pipi kiri Harry, kemudian beralih ke pipi kanannya. Senyum manisnya merekah sempurna, memperlihatkan kepercayaan diri yang memikat. Kemu


















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