Masuk"Bas... I'm so nervous," Aurelia murmured, pulling her jacket tighter around herself. They stood outside the IELTS testing center, where the crisp Melbourne morning air stung her ears.
Baskara glanced at her, his expression as calm as ever.
"You've studied. You're ready, Lia. Don't overthink it."
Aurelia let out a small huff, her eyes drifting toward the building's sign.
"What if my mind goes blank? The speaking section is terrifying, you know."
"If you can
The campus was quieter than usual.A gentle afternoon breeze drifted through the rows of shady trees as the sun slowly sank toward the horizon.Aurelia walked at an easy pace, though she tired more quickly these days.There was a new glow about her.A happiness she could no longer hide.Halfway down the faculty hallway, she stopped when a cheerful voice called out."Lia!"She turned.Wulan, her long hair tied back in a simple ponytail, hurried toward her. A moment later, Doni caught up, balancing a stack of books in his arms.The three of them had once been inseparable in class, but Aurelia had fallen behind after taking a leave of absence to attend a short course in Sydney a few months earlier."Oh my gosh, we finally get to hang out again," Wulan said, wrapping Aurelia in a quick hug."You look... different," Doni added, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me I'm seeing things. You're pregnant, aren't you?"
Gian couldn't get Baskara's words out of his head.The sentence had been spoken so casually, yet it clung to him like poison, circling endlessly, slipping into every corner of his mind.The steering wheel felt slick beneath his grip.Jakarta's traffic, usually nothing more than the city's everyday congestion, now felt like a fog-covered forest where he couldn't see what lay ahead.Beside him, Aurelia sat quietly, exploring her new phone, the replacement for the one she'd gotten only a few hours earlier. Every now and then, a small smile appeared on her lips. Maybe she was reading messages from her friends or looking through the pictures they had just taken with Caca.Gian stole a glance at her.Her smile was so genuine.So innocent.And somehow, that only made his chest tighten.Was that same smile just as sincere when she looked at Baskara?"Sweetheart, are you hungry?" Aurelia asked softly, breaking the
"Relax. I'm just taking Caca to the restroom for a minute. You don't have to come. Stay here with Baskara," Aurelia said when Gian instinctively started to stand.Caca immediately burst into giggles."Prince Uncle, don't worry. We'll be right back. The restroom's just over there."Gian let out a quiet sigh before finally giving in."All right. Don't be too long."Aurelia took Caca's hand, and the two of them walked away with light, carefree steps.The moment they disappeared into the crowd, Gian felt as though he'd been left alone in the middle of a battlefield.Now only he and Baskara remained.Two grown men sat across from each other in heavy silence.The faint clinking of spoons against glass from nearby tables drifted through the café. Other customers laughed and chatted, but to Gian, their voices sounded distant and meaningless.The atmosphere at their table was cold.Oppressive.Almost suffocating.Baskara looked completely at ease.He leaned back comfortably in his chair, light
Gian let out a low growl, his jaw tightening the moment he saw the scene unfolding before him.A grown man was walking toward them at an easy pace, holding the hand of a little girl in a white dress covered with tiny floral prints.Even from a distance, Gian knew exactly who they were.And he was right."Big Sis Lia!" the little girl squealed the instant she spotted Aurelia.Aurelia immediately turned around.A bright smile spread across her face, filled with genuine surprise."Caca?" she whispered in disbelief. "I thought I was mistaken. It really is you."Gian remained standing beside his wife, silently holding his breath."Caca, why didn't you tell me you were back in Jakarta?" Aurelia asked as she crouched down and opened her arms. "I thought you were still enjoying your vacation."The little girl rushed into her embrace, the familiar scent of baby powder filling the air.For Gian, it stirred memories he wished had stayed buried."We only got back two days ago," Caca said, pouting
Gian was in the middle of a meeting with an important guest in his office, a Singaporean investor interested in Mahesa Group's latest expansion project. Dressed in an expensive tailored suit, the man went on at length about market opportunities across Southeast Asia.Gian listened attentively, nodding at the appropriate moments, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the viral social media post from the night before. It showed Aurelia and Baskara leaving an OB-GYN clinic beneath a cheap, sensational caption accusing his wife of having an affair.He forced himself to stay composed and professional, but the weight in his chest refused to ease. The thought of that gossip disturbing Aurelia's peace of mind gnawed at him.Half an hour later, the meeting finally ended. After seeing the investor out with a firm handshake, Gian let out a quiet breath and checked his watch.He still had an hour before he was supposed to pick Aurelia up to buy her a new phone.
"A Businessman's Wife Seen Visiting an OB-GYN with Another Man."Gian frowned as he read the headline on his phone.The message had come from Rafi, his trusted assistant, in the middle of the night. Attached was a link to a social media post that had already gone viral.The photo showed Aurelia and Baskara walking out of an OB-GYN clinic. Aurelia wore a faint smile as she carried an envelope containing her examination results, while Baskara walked beside her in a quietly protective manner. The picture had been taken from a distance, but it was clear enough to send the comment section into a frenzy.Gian let out a slow, frustrated breath, forcing himself to suppress the anger rising inside him.His heart pounded, not because he was jealous. He knew Baskara was simply Aurelia's friend, whether or not the man secretly had feelings for her. But why did it have to become gossip?Lately, the public had started treating him like some kind
“Typical gold-digger!”That was the first thing that flew out of Mrs. Lestari’s mouth this morning. Her tone was sharp, cutting, like a whip cracking across bare skin. The usually quiet house was now heavy with tension.Aurelia stayed silent. Her head bowed, her eyes fixed on the floor. She knew th
Gian moved toward Aurelia slowly, almost soundless, closing the small distance between them. His warm breath brushed her face, and it felt like the room itself was shrinking around them.Aurelia swallowed hard. Her body went stiff, her instincts firing off warnings.“What do you want me to do?” she
“I want to ask you something,” Gian said quietly, though his voice carried an unmistakable firmness. “Who exactly were you trying to please?”Aurelia froze. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.Madam Lestari folded her arms even tighter across her chest. “Certainly not me, Gian,” she snapped.Si
“You’re going to take your sister’s place and marry Mr. Gian.”The words fell from her father’s mouth with a coldness that sliced straight through her bones. As if he were asking her to run to the corner store for salt, not telling her to hand over her entire life to a man she’d never even met.Aur







