MasukEki stopped in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen, staring at Nurul.“What?”“Together. I want to take a shower too. It's so damn hot. If I still feel this sticky afterward, I won't be able to sleep.”“Yeah, but why together? What kind of logic is that?”Nurul clicked her tongue in annoyance.“Come on! You guys secretly dream about having something like this happen, don't you? You've definitely done it before, with some female friend in high school or college. When she said she was going to take a shower, you teased her by saying, ‘Let's shower together!’. Yes or no? Or was it all just talk because you were actually too chicken?”Eki fell silent.“Well... yeah, but...”“But what? Besides, I want revenge. You already saw me naked the other day. Now it's my turn to see you like that! And your mom isn't here. Perfect opportunity.”She shrugged.“But if you don't want to, fine. Move. I'm going first.”Eki could only stare blankly as Nurul walked past him.The girl's natur
Windi stared at Eki in disbelief.“Seriously? Nina's family is a mafia family?”“That’s what she said herself. And judging from what she told me, I think the possibility actually makes sense.”“So what are mafias really like? I once read a novel by a famous author. It said mafias could make presidents or kings rise and fall whenever they wanted, they accepted payment in gold bars instead of money, and they were always fighting using Japanese bushido techniques and Filipino gunmen. Is that really how it works?”Eki clicked his tongue in annoyance as he drove.“That’s the kind of nonsense written by someone who knows nothing but doesn’t bother doing any research! Mafia activity is basically organized crime. Ordinary crimes like mugging, robbery, or hate speech on social media usually happen occasionally and independently. With a mafia organization, crime is carefully coordinated by a large group with a hierarchy resembling a corporation, or even a government. Everyone has their own role
For several moments, silence filled the room.Jani, Nathan, Dini, Benny, and Vika sat around the dining table, which had now taken on an entirely different purpose. Just moments earlier, they had been having dinner together. The meal had been all about goat meat, from satay and gule to an incredibly delicious tongseng.But the dinner had ended with shocking news. Now, with coffee, tea, and pastries replacing the dinner dishes on the table, none of them had much appetite left.The tea prepared by the household's cooks was excellent, but Jani was in no state of mind to enjoy it. She only caught a brief whiff of its aroma before her thoughts returned to the crisis at hand.Especially now that, as far as Orion was concerned, only she and Nathan were left to "steer the ship"."This may not lead anywhere," Dini finally murmured. "But there is one party we could consider as being behind all these shocking events. Just consider it a possibility, though. I'm not saying they're definitely the m
Eki reached the third floor of the house and stared in disbelief. What the hell was this? An arcade at a shopping mall?Because practically everything normally found in a mall game center was right there.Several vintage arcade machines from the 1980s and 1990s. A few pinball machines blinking and waiting for players. Four computers connected through a LAN for multiplayer gaming. Two huge TVs, each with a game console in front of it. A pool table.And a ping-pong table.When he walked farther into the room, he found two complete simulator rigs for racing games and truck-driving simulators.He wandered around with an expression that was a mixture of happiness, emotion, and mild possession.Cold sweat trickled down his back from the adrenaline. He had absolutely no idea which game to play first.Then he noticed the time. It was already approaching 4:30 PM. His heart sank. Why had he only dared to come up here now? Nina would probably tell him to go back to Bogor soon.“This is Adrian an
Vika, with her fair skin, delicate features, and strikingly elegant appearance, looked back and forth between Jani and Dini. To Jani, Vika instantly brought Shahnaz Mahendra to mind. They belonged to the same social circle, the same world of high society. Surely they had crossed paths many times at exclusive parties and gala dinners attended by Jakarta’s elite.“S-Since when...?” Vika asked, unable to hide the shock in her tear-swollen eyes.“Do you remember the Tara Ariani murder case back in 2017?” Dini replied. “That was where it all started. Not Aksan’s side business, but my involvement in all of this.”With a casual movement, Dini pulled something from behind her back.A semi-automatic pistol.Jani, who was sitting right beside her, jumped in surprise. Dini chuckled softly before slipping the weapon back into its holster.“But I’m not part of Red Cell,” she continued. “This is strictly for self-defense. And mine is completely legal. Licensed, registered, proper training and every
Nina walked out of Adrian’s bedroom with Eki following behind her. For once, Eki saw Nina laughing and shaking her head.“It’s funny how a coma can change a person,” she said.“Was Adrian really not like that before?” Eki asked as they walked toward the stairs and went downstairs.“Quite the opposite. He was stubborn, authoritarian, like he lived inside his own little bubble where nobody else existed. I ran away to Bogor because we had a huge fight after he started ordering me around about going to college in Sydney, telling me which major I had to take and which ones I wasn’t allowed to take. Who did he think he was? My parent? Did he have the right to decide everything about my life!?”“But just now, he was laughing and telling me about the time he, you, and Nathan played in the rain, got lost, and had no idea how to find your way home.”Nina laughed even harder.“Yeah. I was in first grade back then. Then Dad slapped Adrian because he thought Adrian was encouraging his younger sibl







