Chapter 5

The burning sensation on his cheek still lingered as Arka Mahendra unconsciously tightened his grip on Keira Adhistya's wrist. The gaze that had previously been filled with complicated emotions now turned cold and sharp. He was no stranger to pain, but a slap born from a misunderstanding felt different. It felt more like an insult to his dignity than a physical attack.

Keira's shout shattered the silence of the living room. The pain in her wrist, combined with the cold aura radiating from Arka, gradually pulled her out of the haze of alcohol. Her blurred vision slowly cleared.

The man standing before her was not Reza Dirgantara. That gaze was too cold, too sharp, and devoid of the warmth she remembered. The Reza she knew had never looked at her like a predator ready to pounce, much less made her feel pressure intense enough to border on pain.

That realization arrived together with a piercing sense of embarrassment and panic.

“Let go of me!” Keira struggled, her voice trembling between anger and a loss of control. “Arka! I told you to leave! Didn't you hear me?!”

Arka looked at her for several seconds before slowly releasing her hand. His movements were controlled, as though he were restraining something far greater within himself. Keira immediately stepped back, gripping the sofa for support and maintaining her distance like a cornered animal.

“Miss Adhistya,” Arka said quietly. His voice was calm, but flat. “You were the one who called me, and you were the one who attacked first.”

There was no accusation in his tone, only a statement of fact. That made Keira feel even more humiliated.

Her gaze fell upon the half-empty bottle and the old photographs on the table. Memories of what had just happened returned with painful clarity. She had cried in her own bodyguard's arms, called him by another man's name, and then slapped him.

The shame nearly made it difficult to breathe.

“Get out!” Keira pointed toward the door, her breathing uneven. Her face turned cold again, like a mask hastily put back in place. “Right now! Don't ever enter this house again without my permission.”

Arka looked at her for a long moment. His gaze seemed to pierce through that forced composure and see the anxiety she was trying to hide. Yet he said nothing.

“Understood.”

He turned around and walked toward the door, his steps steady and without hesitation. The door opened, then quietly closed behind him. He never looked back.

The silence that remained felt heavy.

The moment she was alone, Keira's legs gave out. She sank onto the floor, surrounded by the disordered room. Tears flowed again, but this time not because of the past. There was anger directed at herself, unbearable exhaustion, and a trace of regret she refused to acknowledge. Especially whenever she remembered the cold look in Arka's eyes before he left.

In the apartment next door, Arka stood before the bathroom sink. Cold water ran across his face, soothing the lingering heat. He stared at his reflection in the mirror and noticed the faint red mark on his cheek.

Substitute.

The word tasted bitter in his mind.

A former member of the Garuda Fang Unit, a man who had once stood on the front lines of the Shadow Zone, was now chosen because his face resembled another man's. His pride felt wounded, but reality remained unchanged. The costs of his grandfather's treatment and rehabilitation were still far from over, and the contract had already begun.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened them again, his expression had already returned to calm. Emotion was a luxury he could not afford right now. His task was simple: fulfill the contract, protect his employer, and ensure his grandfather recovered.

Everything else was none of his concern.

But the world rarely allowed anyone to live in peace.

***

The next morning, Arka woke up right on time.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

Keira's voice on the other end of the line was cold and professional once again, as though the events of the previous night had never happened.

“Wait in the garage in thirty minutes. We're heading to the office.”

“Understood.”

The call ended without any unnecessary conversation.

Arka put on the black suit that had been prepared for him and arrived at the underground parking garage precisely on time. When Keira arrived, he opened the car door for her without saying a word. He could feel the distance she was deliberately creating, colder than before.

The car left the residential district and merged into the morning traffic of Mahatara City. As usual, Arka's eyes constantly observed his surroundings. It was an old habit that had never disappeared.

As they stopped at a red light, his gaze unintentionally met a BMW that had come to a stop behind them.

In the driver's seat, a woman in a red dress rested her chin on her hand and looked directly at their vehicle. A faint smile filled with curiosity rested on her lips.

Mireya Pradana.

Their eyes met briefly. The woman did not look away. Instead, her smile deepened, and she silently moved her lips.

Arka's pupils narrowed. He understood the message clearly.

[I've found you.]

Those three silent words slipped through the car windows and the noise of the morning traffic.

Arka looked away without expression, as if he had seen nothing. His attention returned to the traffic light ahead. To someone who had survived the Shadow Zone, that kind of provocation was nothing more than a minor annoyance. He had no interest in playing a game that so obviously invited trouble.

In the back seat, Keira noticed the subtle change. Ever since the embarrassing incident the previous night, her emotions had become far more sensitive. The BMW that kept following them and Mireya's gaze that was clearly fixed on the driver's seat did not escape her notice.

Keira's brows furrowed slightly. ‘That woman again.’

Since their university days, they had competed in everything. Achievements, business, even influence. It was not an exaggeration to describe their relationship as a rivalry that had never truly cooled.

The light turned green, and Arka smoothly drove forward. Yet the BMW continued following behind them, maintaining a distance of several vehicles like a shadow unwilling to disappear.

Keira's expression hardened. She sent a quick message through her phone, instructing someone to investigate Mireya's movements today.

The rest of the journey passed in tense silence. Arka remained focused on driving, but the cold atmosphere from the back seat felt almost tangible. When they stopped at the next intersection, he glanced at the rearview mirror. Keira was staring straight ahead with a blank expression, while the BMW's silhouette was still visible behind them.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

‘Interesting...’

On a more crowded road, the BMW finally pulled alongside them. The window rolled down, and Mireya casually rested her arm on the frame. Her red dress glowed beneath the sunlight, attracting the attention of nearby drivers.

She completely ignored Keira.

“Hey,” she called lightly, her smile sharp. “Handsome bodyguard up front.”

Arka did not turn his head.

Keira spoke first, her voice as cold as ice. “Miss Mireya, causing a scene on the road is not a good habit.”

Mireya pretended to be surprised. “Oh? Miss Keira is here too?” A faint smile appeared on her lips. “Sorry, I was too focused on looking at something interesting.”