The CEO's Dirty Secret: Why the Billionaire Is Hiding?

Chapter 8: The Double Life

The splintered door creaked on its hinges, a jagged monument to Ginting’s descent into madness. Rian didn’t move. He stood, hand firm on Elvina’s shoulder, a wall of cool composure against the storm of Ginting’s resentment.

"You’re finished, Rian," Ginting wheezed, his suit soaked through, his tie hanging like a noose. "The board is already voting. They’ve seen the evidence. They know about the mess you’ve made of your assets."

Rian didn't blink. "You’re out of breath, Ginting. Take a seat. Or, better yet, find a hobby. Gardening is excellent for the nerves."

"I don't need a hobby! I need to know why you’re here, hiding in a kindergarten with the most important CEO in the city."

"It’s called a career pivot. You should try it. That, or a tailor who actually knows how to fit a shoulder."

Ginting stepped into the room, his eyes darting to Elvina, who stood with her arms crossed, her face a mask of iron. "Elvina, please. Tell me he’s forcing you. Tell me this is some kind of sick, twisted blackmail."

"Does it look like blackmail, Ginting?" Elvina asked, her voice dropping into a dangerous, low hum.

"It looks like insanity!"

"It looks like clarity," Rian corrected, sliding a hand into his pocket. "Something you wouldn't recognize if it hit you with a boardroom gavel."

"I’m going to make you pay for this, Rian. Every cent."

"You’g been saying that for months. I’m still waiting for the invoice."

"You’re going to get it. When I’m done with my investigation, you won't even be able to afford a becak, let alone a seat at the Polonia table."

Rian chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "An investigation? Do you have a magnifying glass? A trench coat?"

"I have enough to bury you."

"Good. It’ll save me the trouble of digging my own grave."

Ginting spun on his heel, his face pale and distorted. "This isn't over. I’m going to find out exactly what you’re hiding behind that fake smile."

As Ginting vanished into the pouring Medan rain, Rian let out a long, ragged breath. He looked at the door, then back to Elvina.

"He’s going to be a problem, isn't he?"

"He’s already a problem, Rian. You just turned him into a crusade."

"I suppose I did. I have a board meeting in two hours. They’re going to be looking for blood."

"Then go. Your team is outside. They’ll get you to the city."

"I don't want to leave."

"You have to. You built a kingdom; you can’t just let it crumble because you like the smell of sawdust."

"I like the company better than the kingdom."

"Go, Rian. Before I change my mind about whether or not you’re a total disaster."

Two hours later, the boardroom of a sleek tower overlooking Jalan Imam Bonjol was a tomb. The air was sterile, smelling of burnt coffee and impending terminations. Rian pushed open the heavy oak doors, his clothes changed into a crisp, charcoal suit, his hair slicked back. The transformation was instantaneous—the volunteer in the hoodie was dead.

"You’re late, Rian," the Chairman said, his voice echoing off the glass walls. "And you’re facing a vote of no confidence."

"I apologize," Rian said, sliding into his chair. "I was conducting an audit of our community outreach programs. It was eye-opening."

"Community outreach?" The Chairman scoffed. "You’ve been missing for forty-eight hours. The market in Medan is reacting to your silence."

"The market is fickle. I’s not. Let’s get to the agenda."

"The agenda is your resignation."

"I’m afraid that’s not on the table."

"It’s not a request," a board member hissed. "We’ve seen the reports. You’ve been liquidating assets in private. Where is the money going?"

"Diversification. The future isn't in glass towers; it’s in human infrastructure."

"Are you insane?"

"I’m profitable. Which is more than I can say for the rest of you."

Rian navigated the meeting with a cold, surgical precision that left the room stunned. He dismantled their arguments, deflected the accusations, and held his ground with the same predatory grace that had built his empire. But underneath, he felt the pull of the sandbox at Taman Beringin, the phantom weight of blue paint on his skin.

The sun was setting over the city as he drove back to the school. He pulled up just as the last of the afternoon light faded. Elvina was there, clearing the last of the art supplies.

"You made it back," she said, not looking up.

"I’m a man of my word."

"You look like a shark again."

"It’s the suit. I can take it off."

"Don't bother. Ginting was here five minutes ago."

Rian froze, his hand on the car door. "He came back?"

"He wasn't alone. He had someone with him. A guy in a nondescript sedan."

"Did he say anything?"

"He just watched, Rian. He sat in his car and watched the playground. He took notes."

Rian turned, scanning the perimeter of the school. In the distance, tucked under the shadow of a large angsana tree, the tail-lights of a gray sedan blinked to life. A private investigator.

"He’s not going to stop, is he?" Rian muttered.

"He’s looking for the one thing that will break you," Elvina said, finally looking up. Her eyes were searching, filled with a mixture of warning and something softer. "He thinks your obsession with me is the crack in your armor."

"It’s not a crack, Elvina. It’s the only thing that’s real."

"That’s exactly what he’s going to use against you."

Rian stared at the gray sedan. The engine hummed, a low vibration that seemed to echo the instability of his new life. "Let him look. If he wants to see the truth, I’m going to give him a show."

"You’re going to provoke him?"

"I’m going to lead him exactly where he wants to go. And then, I’m going to shut him down."

"You’re playing a dangerous game, Rian."

"I’m done playing games," he said, stepping toward her. "I’m moving on to the endgame."

As he leaned in, a camera shutter clicked from the darkness under the angsana tree. The light of the flash was a tiny, sharp spark in the Medan night, a silent declaration of war.

Rian didn't pull away. He looked directly at the distant car, his face hardening into a mask of cold, calculated defiance.

"Let them watch," he whispered to Elvina. "Tomorrow, I’m going to make sure they see everything."