...Raka walked to the window again, staring out across the city skyline, his voice calm but full of weight. “We freeze. every consolidation of Mahardika’s partners, vendors, and channels. One by one. smoothly. Until everything he thinks belongs to him…” He looked back at her. “Is already ours.” "of Course". Selene said warmly. Raka didn’t say anything afterwards . He simply turned back to the large glass window that looking over to Jakarta’s skyline, the night lights glowing like scattered embers across the vast stretch of the city. Selene watched him in silence, arms gently folded, the low hum of the air conditioning the only sound between them. “You’ve been carrying so much,” she said softly, walking closer. “Even when we’re alone, your eyes are always on the war ahead.” can you just loosen them sometimes... for me? Raka’s shoulders shifted slightly. He turned, his eyes meeting hers. “I carry it for us,” he said. “For you. For everything we would achieve.” "I know",

The sun hadn’t yet opened over the haze in Jakarta when Raka Pratama stood by the wide glass wall of his office, staring at the skyline like a man looking to capture a view. Raka turned to his team of three, seated quietly in the boardroom behind him. No journalists. No board announcements. Not even a whisper in the corporate circles. This meeting was off the books, and its codename was Operation Backbone. "The world thinks Pratama is taking a hit. That we’re bleeding," Raka said quietly. "Let them believe it. But while they cheer, we build." He looked at Andi Saputra, now fully embedded within Mahardika International. To the world, Andi was a foreign conglomerate tycoon and a close ally of Reza Mahardika. But in truth, he remained Pratama’s blade in the shadows. "Begin full infrastructure overhaul," Raka said. "Logistics, digital security, and overseas operations. Keep it off grid. No links to Pratama." Selene leaned forward. "We’ll run the build through one of our smalle

The next day, on a Saturday morning at the Santoso estate, The house was alive with soft music and scented lights everywhere. It was one of Rini Santoso’s famed morning gatherings, of her circle of elite women gathered around the garden’s private tea lounge, sipping imported blends, all draped in luxury. They laughed without care, all the time they meet , their words were dipped in gossip and Rini's golden pride of her current status. And at the heart of it that morning sat Rini, this time she was dressed in a deep emerald silk, her hair was pinned with fine stones, and her face glowing with satisfaction. “You all saw the news, didn’t you?” she said, waving a slender hand. “Reza’s empire is expanding like wildfire. Jakarta is finally in the hands of someone who knows how to move mountains.” The women clapped lightly, agreeing with practiced smiles. " A luck, he is". That boy, what is his name again? The ladies leaned in, eyes bright with curiosity. "Raka". the name

Dicky was sitting at the far end of the table, he had dressed in tailored blue linen and polished shoes, but his eyes carried something heavier... it was tension. Behind his polite nods and family smiles, the storm was already brewing. The room that evening shimmered with laughter. Rini Santoso, adorned in gold and pride, raised her glass once again as she relished in the moment. “Our Reza is making history,” she declared to her few circle of socialites who she had invited to her family dinner. “This is no longer just about Mahardika International, it’s about shaping the whole region.” A woman beside her chuckled. “And that poor boy you used to call your son in-law, what was his name? Raka?” Rini scoffed. “He was always beneath her. And I will say this again and again, My daughter made the right choice. Love doesn’t build empires, ambition does.” The elites nod in agreement. Dicky watched from across the room. He remembered when Rini used to beg for help from her siblings,

The recording leaked faster than wildfire. in few days, it was no longer just an internal whisper. It had made its way into the hands of the press...first as an anonymous quote, then as a full blown exposé. “CEO of Mahardika Caught in Leaked Audio: ‘Let the Dogs Bark’” The article dissected every syllable, every pause. It painted Reza as a tyrant, dismissive of his board, erratic in judgment, and possibly unfit to lead a company of Mahardika’s scale through international waters. Back at Pratama Group Raka read the article silently from his desk. then Andi’s voice broke the calm from the other end of the line. “Shall we send the next wave?” Raka’s answer was cold and calculated. “No not yet. Let him dance in the fire first. The true weakness would reveals itself when pride meets pressure.” Selene entered the room with her tab and a message through an email. “This came from the regulatory office. Discrepancies in Mahardika’s permit renewals, timelines that don’t align