THE GRADUATION STAKES
I am Erika Setyani Atmaja—a final-year business student trapped in a perpetual state of "almost." Haunted by the shadow of my father’s mounting ultimatums and the threat of being cut off, I find myself pushed to the brink. This year, failure is no longer an option.
Desperation leads me to Pak Jefri, the cold, formidable gatekeeper of my future. To secure my degree, I am prepared to play any game, no matter how dangerous.
"Dit... help me out. What do I have to do to get Jefri to sign off on my thesis?"
"Just sleep with him."
What began as a calculated move to manipulate a man I despised soon spirals into a labyrinth of forbidden desire. Somewhere between the cold clinicality of academia and the heat of stolen moments, the lines of hatred began to blur.
Will I emerge with my degree, or will I lose myself in a love that was never meant to exist?