Sony’s phone vibrated violently in his pocket. A short message arrived, making his heart nearly leap out of his chest. "I already know where you’re hiding. Hand over the key, or Aruna dies in five minutes."Sony looked at Aruna, who sat huddled beside him. The woman was no longer crying. Her eyes stared blankly ahead, as if her soul had long since left her body. Outside, a torrential downpour lashed Jakarta, creating a curtain of water that limited visibility. They were in a car speeding toward the dark outskirts of the city, driven by an unknown man they only referred to as "The Driver.""Aruna," Sony whispered, his voice raspy. "What is actually on this flash drive? Why is everyone—from your father, to that man in black, to this guy seemingly ready to kill us for this little thing?"Aruna turned slowly. Her lips were dry and pale. "It’s not just data, Sony. It’s a transaction list of every Baskoro Group asset laundered through my mother’s charitable foundation. If that data reaches

The door to Baskoro’s office slammed shut so hard it made the crystal ornaments on the desk vibrate. The air inside the room felt thinner, suffocating, and smelled of metal the scent of money starting to rot. Baskoro stood with his back to the door, staring at the glittering city of Jakarta from behind the glass window of the 42nd floor. His shoulders looked stiff, like steel ready to snap."My sweet daughter just destroyed the reputation I've spent thirty years building," Baskoro hissed without turning around. "And you, Sony... you are the son-in-law I bought at a high price, yet you’ve become a parasite eating away at my house."Sony stood tall in the middle of the room. He no longer bowed his head. Beneath his shirt, his heart was racing, but his muscles were locked tight. "I'm not a parasite, sir. I’m just the man you forced into this hell."Baskoro turned around. His eyes were bloodshot, not from exhaustion, but from a seething rage. He th

The heavy rain outside the parking garage sounded like a relentless barrage of gunfire. Beneath the flickering, dying neon lights, Sony stood frozen. The chill of the rain seeping through the cracks in the concrete ceiling was nothing compared to the cold muzzle of Aruna’s gun pressing into his back. Ahead, Baskoro stood calmly beside his mother's wheelchair, his wrinkled face looking like a satisfied devil’s mask."Hand that flash drive over to me, Sony," Baskoro's voice broke the silence, calm yet full of threat. "Or you’ll watch your mother take her last breath right before your eyes."Sony felt Aruna’s breath behind his ear. "Don’t listen to him, Sony," Aruna whispered, her voice now cold as ice. "If you give that to Father, we’re finished. He’ll take us out the moment he knows the secrets on that drive are safe in his hands."Sony turned slightly, glancing at Aruna from the corner of his eye. "Then what do you want,

Baskoro collapsed, his breath coming in gasps on the wet garden grass. The man standing over him Sony's mysterious twin calmly cocked his weapon. The sound of metal clashing sounded like a death knell in Sony's ears."No!" Aruna screamed, her voice hoarse. She gripped Sony's arm as hard as she could until her nails nearly punctured his skin.The scarred man turned toward Sony. His face was a mirror image of Sony’s, but his eyes were empty, devoid of even a spark of empathy. "Why, Sony? You want to be a hero? This man at your feet is the one who ruined your life. He's the one who sent your mother to the hospital with death threats. He's the one who made you a slave.""He's my father-in-law!" Sony retorted, his voice trembling between anger and hesitation."He's not your father-in-law," the man smirked a smirk that felt utterly alien to Sony. "He's just an investor suffering a loss. And you? You're just expired merchandise."Baskoro laughed a ragged laugh as blood began to soak his shir

The ballroom’s chandeliers, which had been brilliantly lit, were now completely dead, leaving behind a thick, suffocating darkness. The faint smell of smoke from severed wires began to fill the room, mingling with the scent of expensive perfume that now felt nauseating. Sony couldn't see a thing, but he could feel Aruna’s heavy breathing right beside him. His heart hammered so loudly in his ears it matched the hysterical screams of the guests who were beginning to panic in the dark."Sony? Where are you?" Aruna’s voice trembled, barely a whisper swallowed by the surrounding noise."Right here," Sony reached out, his hand grabbing Aruna’s sleeve. "Don't let go, or you'll get trampled to death by the crowd."Suddenly, a spotlight from backstage flickered on, cutting through the gloom. Its blinding beam swept across the room, searching for something or someone. Sony immediately pulled Aruna to hide behind a sturdy stage support pillar."They’re looking for us," Sony whispered sharply. "W