LOGIN"Never be vulnerable." Those were the words Adrian Blackwood’s father left him before his death. Now, as the most powerful billionaire in San Francisco, Adrian has built his life around that rule—untouchable, invincible, and ruthless. But what he doesn’t know is that his survival has never been his own doing. Elena Martinez, a humble cleaning manager, has been secretly saving him from the shadows—again and again. And despite his coldness, despite his sharp tongue, she never stops. He doesn’t know her name. He doesn’t know her face. But every time danger closes in, she’s there, risking everything for a man who sees her as nothing. Yet, something unexpected stirs between them—a connection neither of them understands. But what happens when Adrian discovers the truth? When he realizes the woman he’s overlooked holds the key to his life? Will he embrace th8e only person who has ever truly protected him, or will his pride destroy them both? Because secrets don’t stay buried forever. And when Adrian finally uncovers his hidden savior, it might be too late…
View More“Sheza agak cemberut gue tinggal touring. Padahal pulang touring gue janji bakal ngajak makan malam di luar. Dio juga udah rewel banget minta mainan VR.” Prabu harus sedikit berteriak agar Satria menangkap suaranya dari balik helm.
“Kenapa nggak bilang kalau lo punya janji di rumah? Dua minggu lagi ada touring lain. Harusnya kita bisa ikut yang itu aja. Gue jadi nggak enak, Prabu …. Kan gue yang ngajak. Ck!” Satria mengacungkan tinjunya. “Gue cuma kasian sama duda kalau nggak ada yang nemenin. Coba Roman doyan motor dan masuk club kita. Bisa berduaan terus lo berdua karena berstatus pria single,” seru Prabu lagi. “Roman, sih, doyannya night club, bukan club motor!” balas Satria, terbahak di motornya. “Atau sekali-kali lo ikut Roman ke night club. Biar aura lajang Roman nular. Lo nggak kayak duda anak satu lagi!” Prabu lalu tertawa terbahak-bahak. Setengah jam saling berbalas omongan, jalan yang ditempuh semakin mendaki. Permainan gas, kopling dan rem dilakukan dengan handal oleh peserta tour agar motor tetap stabil di tanjakan. Jalan berliku-liku dan mereka nyaris tiba di titik istirahat pertama saat hujan mulai turun. Awalnya hujan tipis, namun kemudian semakin deras. Airnya meluncur membasahi jaket kulit yang membalut rapat tubuh mereka. Dua pria bertubuh nyaris sama tinggi dan tegapnya saling pandang. Satria melirik langit. Terlihat awan gelap bergulung makin menebal. Di sisi kirinya, Prabu menoleh sambil tertawa kecil. "Gas, nggak?" "Tunggu reda dikit, Bu. Anginnya kenceng banget. Neduh dulu, yuk.” Satria menyalakan lampu sen, menuju bawah jembatan kecil. Satria tidak punya firasat apa pun. Pagi itu semuanya normal dan semuanya baik-baik saja. Prabu ada janji dengan keluarga kecilnya dan ia sendiri berjanji akan menjemput Nayla; putrinya di rumah mantan istrinya. Akhir pekan adalah giliran ia menjalankan co-parenting untuk gadis kecil semata wayangnya. Bagi Satria sendiri, ia merasa tidak ada yang berbeda dengannya. Prabu juga cerita seperti biasa. Kecuali kalau boleh dibilang agak berbeda, Prabu memang kadang-kadang diam dan mengecek ponselnya sedikit lebih lama. Prabu kadang berdecak dan menghela napas panjang. Meski sepintas, Satria melihat perubahan wajah sahabatnya itu. “Ada masalah?” tanya Satria saat mereka berdiri bersisian di bawah jembatan. “Nggak adalah. Memangnya muka gue keliatan muka pria ada masalah?” Prabu meninju lengan Satria sambil tertawa. Sama cerianya seperti kemarin-kemarin. "Itu yang lain udah pada jalan. Ada iring-iringan club mobil juga kayaknya. Kita ikut aja. Biar cepet sampai." Prabu naik ke motor dan menyalakannya. "Udah, santai aja. Kita nggak perlu nyusulin yang lain. Masih deras,” kata Satria, berjalan ke tepi jembatan dan mendongak. “Ayo, deh. Gue nggak mau kalau Sheza dan Dio nunggu gue kelamaan.” Prabu bersiap-siap memakai sarung tangannya. Satria meraih lengan Prabu, menahannya. Rautnya jadi ikut gelisah. “Lo tuh, ya. Kalau memang ada janji sama Sheza dan Dio harusnya nggak perlu iyain kalau gue ajak. Asli gue jadi kasian sama mereka. Mau digas sekarang juga jalanan licin, Bu.” Jawaban Prabu saat itu hanya mengangkat bahu. Ia menepuk lengan Satria sebelum melaju. “Ayo, Sat! Gue tinggal juga, nih,” katanya. Entah karena memang firasat, atau entah karena ia yang ingin menghabiskan waktu sedikit lebih lama untuk bercakap-cakap sesama pria. Yang jelas, tak ada alasan lagi untuk berdiri di bawah jembatan kecil itu tanpa Prabu. Satria segera menyalakan motor dan melesat untuk memperpendek jarak dengan sahabatnya. Tikungan sempit. Aspal basah. Kabut putih menelan pandangan. Satria menahan napas. Ia tak melihat lampu belakang motor Prabu. Tangan kanannya menekan gas tapi kemudian urung karena dari arah berlawanan terlihat padat. Ketika pikiran ragu-ragu itu muncul, sebuah bunyi memekakkan telinga membuat matanya terpejam sepersekian detik. BRAAAK! Raungan klakson panjang. Suara besi menghantam besi. Suara yang membuat ulu hati siapa pun mencelos. Satria baru saja keluar dari tikungan ketika dunia dirasanya melambat. Ia melihat sesuatu terlempar ke udara. Sebentuk siluet yang sangat ia kenal. Helm pecah dan serpihannya melayang bersama air hujan. Mata Satria tertuju pada sesuatu. Motor Prabu yang menghantam pembatas jalan, lalu tergilas keras oleh truk kontainer yang tak sempat mengerem. Dentuman logam menggemuruh membuat detik itu tangannya reflek menarik rem. Semua kendaraan di depannya kini terhenti dan gaduh. Satria melompat turun dari motornya. Jantungnya berdebar tak karuan. Ia berlari dengan teriakan tanpa suara. Tak tahu harus berlari ke mana. Darah di mana-mana. Helm Prabu pecah. Ringsek. Tangannya terangkat ke atas. Gemetar menggapai udara. Memegangi kepalanya dengan linglung. “PRABU!” jerit Satria. “Prabu …!” Satria kembali menjerit. Tubuh sahabatnya itu tergeletak di bawah truk. Masih bernapas. Ia masih melihat Prabu menghela napas meski kepayahan. Matanya separuh terbuka. Bibirnya terbuka pelan. Mencoba mengatakan sesuatu yang tak bisa ditangkap telinga. “Tolong! Tolong!” jerit Satria, meraba-raba ponsel dan menekan nomor darurat yang bisa diingatnya saat itu. ***** (IGD Rumah Sakit Pinggiran Kota) Satria berdiri membeku. Bajunya basah kuyup. Sepatunya berlumpur. Jaket kulitnya tertempel bercak darah yang sudah mengering. Sejak tadi tatapannya tak beranjak dari sosok tampan yang kini bergeming dengan wajah penuh luka lecet. Bagian sisi kanan kepalanya ada jahitan besar. Seorang dokter menutup catatan medis, suaranya datar. “Kepalanya parah, ada pendarahan masif. Kami sudah berusaha, Pak.” Kalimat itu seperti palu godam, tapi Satria bergeming. Rahangnya mengeras, matanya memerah. Ia hanya menatap kain putih yang kini menutupi sahabatnya hingga dada. Tangan Prabu sudah rapi disedekapkan. Suster berjalan pelan ke arahnya. "Bapak kenal korban?" Satria mengangguk seraya menelan ludah. Rahangnya tiba-tiba saja mengeras. "Saya kenal istrinya. Biar saya yang kasih tau,” ucapnya. Entah sudah berapa kali ia mengusap wajahnya sejak tadi. Air mata yang berusaha dihalaunya tak kunjung berhenti. “Bapak telepon atau kita….” “Saya yang kabari langsung. Saya ke rumahnya sekarang.” Satria menggigit bibir bawahnya. “Sekalian urus surat-suratnya juga,” tambahnya pelan. Kali ini sepertinya ia harus benar-benar meninggalkan perawat itu. …Adrian didn’t expect university to feel this new.The place was big, the buildings wide and full of people. Every hallway smelled like paper and strong coffee. He wore his regular jeans and sneakers, trying not to stand out too much. No one knew he was the son of a billionaire—and that was just how he liked it.He was studying Energy and Mineral Resources Management—a course that mixed science and business. They learned about oil, gold, and how to find valuable things deep under the earth. It was hard, but he liked it.He sat in front during classes, always taking notes. Some of his classmates already respected him, not because of who he was, but because he worked hard and asked smart questions.But even with all of that, he still thought about Susan sometimes.He hadn’t seen her since graduation. He didn’t know where she went, or if she still remembered him. Maybe she had moved on. He tried to stop thinking about her, but some people are just hard to forget.One afternoon, after clas
Rafiq, Jonathan, and Susan were standing in the middle of the hallway. Behind them, some students were holding a huge, fancy cake. It looked expensive, and it had bright colors with the words “Welcome Back, Champion!” written in shiny gold icing.Adrian stopped walking and stared. He was shocked—in a good way. Then his eyes landed on Susan. She was smiling a little, her hands behind her back. Something about seeing her there made his heart beat faster.“Thank you! Thank you, all of you!” Adrian said, smiling big.Then he looked right at Susan. Their eyes met, and he held her gaze. She looked down quickly, her cheeks turning pink.“Thank you,” he said again, this time just to her.Classes were put on hold. Music played from someone’s speaker. People laughed, danced, and passed slices of cake around. It felt like a dream.---Days went by, and exams were getting closer. Adrian had something on his mind—Susan.Lately, she had been acting cold. She didn’t wait for him after class. She sto
It was finally time. Adrian sat with his teammates, Luke and Richard, their eyes locked on the other team just a few feet away. The air was thick with tension. No one moved. No one blinked. Even the audience had gone quiet. The announcer stepped up to the mic. “For this final round,” he said, “each team will get their own questions. If you answer all your questions right, you’ll gain the lead. But if you miss any question, you lose points—and your question goes to the other team as a bonus. If both teams get all their questions right, there will be one final question for both of you. First team to answer it wins.” Everyone listened closely. “Right now, both teams are very close in points. So this could go either way. Pay attention and don’t panic.” Adrian nodded slowly, trying to calm the storm in his chest. Luke’s leg bounced nervously. Richard was stiff, focused like a hawk. “Team Solaris, come forward,” the announcer called. Adrian's stomach turned. They wanted the other team
The next question came up on the screen.Before anyone could even breathe, Adrian hit the answer button.“Option C,” he said quickly.The judges blinked, surprised. Nobody had answered that fast since the competition began.The whole room went silent for a moment.“Did he just—?” one of the judges whispered.Luke looked at Adrian with wide eyes. “Bro… are you secretly a robot?”Adrian grinned. “If I am, I need better batteries. These questions are getting harder.”And they were. Each round was tougher than the last. Everyone was thinking harder, breathing faster. Some students looked like they were ready to cry.One by one, teams were knocked out.After about one hour and forty-seven minutes, only four teams were left. Adrian’s team was still in—but just barely. They were now in fourth place. The rest—eleven full teams—were gone.The room felt hotter now. Some students were sweating like they had just run a marathon.Luke wiped his face with his sleeve. “This is crazy.”Richard leaned


















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