"I'm going to the restroom first," Jenny said, getting up from her seat, leaving Tiffany sitting alone once more.

The sound of Jenny's footsteps faded, growing dimmer, as if pulling away the only support Tiffany had at that moment. The room felt cold; the AC blasted bone-chilling air, yet Tiffany felt a burning heat in her chest. Her mother still lay helpless behind that white door, connected to tubes and machines that pulsed softly, sustaining a life now hanging by a thread.

Her hands trembled as she pulled her phone from her jacket pocket. Dozens of times she had tried calling her father, but only voicemail answered.

"Dad... why won't you pick up my calls?" she whispered hoarsely, tears she had been holding back now forcing their way out, streaming down her cheeks.

The mounting hospital bills also loomed over her, crushing her with bitter reality.

---

Meanwhile, at the end of the corridor, Jenny halted when her foot stepped on something.

Jenny picked it up, her eyes studying it in confusion. "A button?" Her fingers traced the texture of the button. She felt an intricate engraving and discovered the letters "AV" etched in the center of a royal crown silhouette. This was no ordinary button. Its deep black onyx material emitted a mysterious gleam, and its size-slightly larger than typical suit buttons-made it feel significant in her palm.

Jenny glanced behind her, scanning the surroundings to make sure no one else was around.

But the dim, shadowy corridor made it hard to see clearly. Only a faint glow from the emergency light at the far end illuminated the space.

"No one's here. Whose shirt button could this be?"

---

Staring at his reflection in the mirror, his sharp eyes narrowed as he realized he had forgotten to fasten his button.

"W-what? Ah, it must be in my jacket." He strode over and grabbed the jacket lying on the bed. Upon inspecting it, he found the button missing. It was the last button from a special set given by his late grandfather-a symbol of lineage that could never be replaced.

"Oh no! I swear I had the button with me earlier. Why isn't it here now!" He grumbled in frustration, tapping his forehead, trying to think back. Cold sweat began to bead on his temples. He clearly remembered the feel of the button in his hand when he was in a hurry earlier.

"What if... the button fell there?" His eyes widened in shock. He nodded confidently, certain that he had dashed out of the room.

That button was vital. The royal crown logo was exclusive to his family crest.

"No one must find my button! If my family identity is exposed, it'll be a disaster!" he muttered, pressing the gas pedal, accelerating his car.

---

"Empty?" Celine stared blankly into her empty refrigerator. She clicked her tongue in annoyance. If this was the case, she'd have to go shopping at the minimart.

Since the minimart was quite far, Celine chose the red sports car her father rarely used.

After arriving at the minimart, Celine picked up several ingredients for cooking.

A smile lingered on her lips. After double-checking that she had everything, she carried a basket filled with vegetables to the cashier.

Celine took her wallet from her shoulder bag and handed a gold card to the cashier.

After swiping Celine's card, the cashier looked at her hesitantly. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but your card can't be processed. Do you have another card? Or would you like to pay with cash?"

"Huh? What do you mean it can't be processed? Try again," Celine snapped. That gold card was the only asset she always carried with her.

Again and again-the third time-the cashier shook her head. "It's not working. Do you have another card? It seems this one has been blocked." She returned the gold card to Celine.

Celine let out an exasperated sigh. *'Great. All my money is transferred to this gold card,'* she muttered inwardly.

"I'll pay for it. How much is the total?"

Celine quickly turned to see a tall man, his face hidden under a cap.

"Four hundred and fifty thousand rupiah."

He handed over five hundred-thousand-rupiah bills, then simply walked away.

"Wait!" Celine called out, clutching her plastic bag as she chased after the man.

But the stranger who had helped her had already gotten into a taxi and left.

"Whoever he was, I owe him one," Celine breathed a sigh of relief. She had almost been embarrassed, unable to pay for her own groceries just because her gold card was blocked.

Meanwhile, sitting in the back seat of the taxi, the man smiled to himself.

"So... she really is that beautiful."

His voice was unfamiliar, yet it carried a note of satisfaction.

---

It took Celine two hours to cook the stir-fried vegetables. Once it was done, she plated it, garnishing it with sausage and egg toppings shaped into a sweet smiley face.

"I hope Zack likes it," Celine murmured proudly. The taste was perfect. She planned to give it to him for lunch, her beloved boyfriend. The smile on her lips wouldn't fade as she imagined Zack's reaction.

At the University of Indonesia. Celine made her way to the Faculty of Economics. At 9 a.m., Zack would surely still be teaching.

And sure enough, when Celine peeked through the window, Zack was lecturing his students. Her eyes sparkled with affection-finally, she could see Zack again. She had missed him so much. Not long after, the class ended. Several students filed out, glancing curiously at Celine standing in front of the economics classroom as if waiting for someone. Whispers began to ripple among them, making Celine feel slightly uncomfortable, but she ignored it-all for Zack.

Zack walked with his head lowered, adjusting his glasses, until he bumped into someone. He looked up at the person, and Celine?

"You?" Zack asked in surprise, his tone flat, devoid of emotion, causing the smile on Celine's lips to fade slightly. Her sudden appearance made him wary; he glanced around nervously, as if afraid someone might see them together.

"Follow me," Zack said, walking ahead. He had already noticed several students alternating their gazes between him and Celine, clearly curious about who she was.

But the way Zack spoke and walked-as if Celine was a disgrace-pierced her heart.

"Where? Don't run away from me!" Celine called out, annoyed, jogging to keep up with Zack from behind. The man stood around 195 cm tall.

At a secluded spot behind the campus. Only Zack and Celine. Silence filled the space between them, but this time it was suffocating, thick with unspoken tension. Zack kept his back to Celine, his shoulders rigid, as if unwilling to face her.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, Celine gathered her courage. "I brought you lunch," she said, holding out the stacked food container-three tiers-toward Zack.

Zack raised an eyebrow, eyeing the container Celine offered. But he quickly looked away.

"Why are you here?" Zack asked seriously. His voice was colder than before.

"I miss you. Is that not allowed?" Celine replied weakly, tilting her head up to look at Zack, who refused to meet her gaze. She longed to wrap her arms around him, but she held back.

Zack let out a long sigh, a gesture of frustration that made Celine's heart sink. "Celine, you know the situation, don't you?" His voice was soft, but each word struck like a heavy blow. "I can't act like this on campus. It's... dangerous."

Celine furrowed her brow. "Dangerous? What do you mean?" Her eyes revealed confusion and a hint of pain. She didn't understand what could be so dangerous about a girlfriend bringing lunch.

"I've told you, don't come see me here," Zack finally turned around, looking at Celine, but it wasn't the longing gaze she had hoped for. It was a hard look-there was even a hint of annoyance. "Do you understand what could happen if someone sees us?" Zack's tone was filled with warning, as if an invisible threat lurked nearby.

"I... I just wanted to bring you lunch," Celine's voice shrank. She felt so small in front of Zack, who had suddenly turned so cold. Was it wrong of her to want to see him? The longing that had swelled in her chest now turned into anguish.

Zack examined the food container again, this time with an unreadable expression. "Keep it. I'm not hungry," he said with a firm refusal. His eyes showed no trace of pity-just emptiness.

"But... I made it especially for you," Celine tried to persuade him, her voice fragile with hope. She thought Zack would accept her food, but instead, he rejected it outright along with her emotions.

"I said, I don't need it." Zack grabbed the container from Celine's hand with a rough motion, as if it were a burdensome, repulsive object. "And don't ever come here again."

Celine flinched, her chest tightening as Zack roughly snatched the container from her. She closed her eyes, hiding the tears that were about to spill.

Celine could only stare blankly at Zack's back as he disappeared behind the building. She didn't know what to feel. Angry? Sad? Disappointed? Everything swirled together into one painful mess. She looked down, her eyes fixed on the spot where Zack had stood, as if wishing he would come back.

Her gaze followed Zack, who grew smaller and smaller at the corner of the hallway. But she could still see him clearly.

Suddenly, from a distance, she saw something. She saw Zack's arm move. A throwing motion. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

After Zack left, Celine rushed forward and ran. No! He threw her food away!

She ran, tears streaming down her cheeks. Celine sobbed brokenly.

Her feet stopped right in front of the green trash bin. There it was-her stir-fried vegetables, complete with the sausage and egg toppings she had arranged with so much love, now lying discarded beside a pile of garbage. As if it were trash. Something worthless. Something repulsive to even touch.

Celine's breath caught. The world around her suddenly spun. She felt a blow far more painful than Zack's direct rejection. Zack... threw away her food?

Celine's body crumpled to the floor. She wept over her meal, which had ended up in the trash. Really, was this the Zack she knew? The man who had always been warm, gentle, and attentive? Why had he become this cold and harsh? Was there something wrong with her? Or had Zack never truly loved her?

---

Her slender fingers reached for the pink Teddy bear, the small stuffed toy Zack had given her on their first date. A gift that once felt so sweet now tasted bitter in her grasp.

She cradled the bear in her arms, imagining it was Zack holding her. The incident earlier kept replaying in her mind-her food container thrown away as if it were rotten trash unfit to eat.

In the early hours of the morning, Celine couldn't sleep. The clock showed 12:17 a.m., yet her eyes remained wide open, staring at the dark ceiling of her room. She checked her phone again. Rows of unsent apologies remained unread, alongside her old messages from three days ago. She was confused. Why was Zack avoiding her?

"Sweetheart, please don't ever hate me, okay?" Celine whispered, her voice trembling. She wanted to cry again. Her index finger traced the wallpaper photo of Zack from their first date, when she had accepted his love. In that photo, Zack was smiling warmly, holding her tight, gazing at her with so much affection.

A sound came from Celine's stomach. She pressed her hand against it-empty. She hadn't eaten anything all day.

Not because there was no food, but because her throat felt tight. Her appetite had vanished along with her shattered heart. She felt hollow, empty, as if there was a gaping hole in her chest. Should she apologize? But for what? She didn't feel she had done anything wrong. Was this a sign that their relationship was on the verge of collapse?

---

Meanwhile, at an internet café, someone had just finished clicking and uploading chat contents that should never have been made public.

"He'll find out who Zack really is. Tch, this despicable man doesn't deserve to be loved," they breathed a sigh of relief after hacking into Zack's phone. Remembering the tears still preserved in their memory, that beautiful face crying over Zack.

---

Celine decided to open social media, hoping to find a distraction. She scrolled through her Instagram feed, looking at her friends' posts. Suddenly, her eyes stopped on a story recently uploaded by Zack's account. Her heart pounded. This was strange-Zack rarely posted stories.

Celine tapped on the story. The screen displayed a screenshot of a chat conversation. The conversation appeared to be from a messaging app, with the sender's name unknown. But the content of the messages made Celine stop breathing.

It was a blatant proposition. An offer from a woman with a very sexy, beautiful profile picture, set against the glittering lights of a nightclub. The words in the chat were so explicit:

*Hi, darling... when can we meet again? Last night was so fun, I want more... There's a special offer for you tonight at The Black Dahlia. Come, I'll be waiting.*

And Zack's reply confirmed it.

*Yes, sweetheart, wait for me tonight. Don't worry, you're the most expensive of all the women I've met.*

A sly smile formed on Celine's lips as she nodded in understanding. "So this is why you've been inactive and rarely texted me," she muttered, her voice steadier now. Her fingers moved, replying to Zack's story.

*So this is your bad behavior behind my back? Cheating on me with another woman?*

And as it happened, Zack was online. On the other side, Zack, receiving Celine's sharp interrogation, was shocked beyond belief.

When Zack read Celine's message, his eyes narrowed as he thought curiously. A chat story? As far as he remembered, he hadn't posted anything like that.

Zack's eyes widened. He immediately hurled his phone violently, shattering it beyond recognition. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, his heart racing. He looked around anxiously.

"Damn it! Who the hell dared to hack my phone?" Zack muttered, running his hands through his hair in frustration. The story had already been viewed by thousands of people.

The scorching morning sun pierced through the cream-colored bedroom curtains. Celine yawned, her eyes still feeling heavy. She glanced at the clock, which showed 6 a.m.

"Even Father doesn't wake me up anymore," Celine murmured. Every morning, Adiwangsa used to come to her room, wake her up, and tell her to get ready for breakfast together.

Celine's eyes stung from crying last night. As if yesterday had only been a nightmare, she wanted to confirm again that Zack's story wasn't reality. But the story was still there, and her messages from yesterday had been read with no reply from Zack.

She took a deep breath. Now, Celine knew what she had to do.

After freshening up, Celine headed to the kitchen. As she passed the dining table, she only saw an empty glass. Adiwangsa hadn't had breakfast.

From the kitchen window-which had a not-too-high glass pane-Celine saw Adiwangsa starting his car engine.

Celine wanted to run outside and call out to her father, but that was impossible. Adiwangsa was still angry with her.

Fried instant noodles and a glass of plain water became Celine's breakfast. She hurriedly finished her meal, rushing through it. But then-

Crash!

The sound of something falling. Celine quickly turned her head toward the source of the noise-it came from Adiwangsa's room.

"Who's there?" Celine raised her voice slightly, clutching her skirt. Fear crept into her chest.

Celine mustered the courage to open Adiwangsa's bedroom door. No one was there. Nothing was out of place-everything was neat.

She ran to the window and peeked outside, only catching a glimpse of a black sedan speeding away.

"Damn it! He ran away! A thief! I have to tell Father."

---

Just as she stepped foot into the office parking lot, the cold blast of air conditioning greeted her. But that wasn't what made the hairs on the back of Celine's neck stand up. Not the cold AC, but the fleeting glances from several coworkers she happened to pass by.

"Does she know?" whispered one employee who walked past Celine.

"How pitiful."

Celine's throat tightened. She lowered her head and quickened her pace, walking away from them. Her ears were already sick of those whispers.

When she arrived at her office, Celine turned on her computer and saw a newly received email from HR. An email from HR with the subject: "Urgent Notification Regarding Security Incident."

Celine's heart pounded violently. Was this about this morning's incident at home? Or was there something bigger she had missed?

Her hand trembled as she clicked the email. The message was partially cut off, but the words "data breach" and "internal investigation" were enough to send cold dread through her veins.

Celine opened the email fully. Her eyes swept rapidly across each line-every word felt like a punch.

The announcement explained that a serious cybersecurity incident had resulted in the leak of critical client data. All employees were requested to cooperate in the upcoming investigation, and most shockingly, the email also stated that one of the company's main servers had been hacked, and illegal access was detected from an IP address traced to... the residential area of Adiwangsa-her father.

The intercom on her desk buzzed, shattering her focus. "Celine, come to Mr. Adiwangsa's office now." Her father's secretary's voice sounded flat and serious.

Celine stood up, her legs trembling. The whispers around her grew louder, and this time, she could feel suspicious stares following her.

"I never thought Mr. Adiwangsa would be this careless."

"They're both in on it together!"

They must have all read the email. And they all knew who her father was.

---

When Celine stepped into her father's office, the atmosphere felt frozen. Adiwangsa sat behind his large desk, his usually composed face now pale and tense, deep furrows etched between his brows.

"Sit down, Celine," Adiwangsa ordered, his voice low and hoarse-almost unrecognizable. "Did you read the email from HR?"

Celine nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes, Father. But... why...?"

Adiwangsa exhaled heavily, leaning forward. "This is a disaster, Celine. Our client data... all of it leaked. And worse, they traced the IP address to our house." His eyes sharpened, as if searching for answers on Celine's face. "I swear, I don't know anything about this. I didn't even turn on my work computer at home last night. But this evidence... it incriminates me."

Adiwangsa roughly wiped his face, frustrated. "I didn't even have time for breakfast this morning. Something strange happened at home-I don't know who broke in, but... who would believe me? Everyone will think I'm the culprit." His voice rose, mixing anger and despair. "This must be someone's scheme to bring me down!"

Adiwangsa then fell silent, massaging his temples. His gaze shifted to Celine, hesitant and laced with faint suspicion. "You... you don't know anything about this, do you, Celine? Did anyone come to the house while I was away?" His voice lowered, suspicious-as if he were questioning his own daughter.

---

Remaining in the company made Celine feel as if a heavy stone was pressing down on her heart. Her head throbbed painfully. During this lunch hour, she wanted to get out and meet Zack.

When she arrived on campus, Celine spotted Zack sitting alone under a tree. Luckily, Zack was easy to find.

She sat down beside Zack, offering him a smile.

Sensing someone's presence, Zack quickly turned his head. "You again?" His eyes widened in anger.

Celine's smile instantly faded. Was her arrival bothering him?

"I came here because I wanted to have lunch together. Is that okay?" Celine spoke as if asking for permission, afraid Zack would reject her again.

But Zack didn't move away. He stayed in place. "This is your lunch break at the office. Just eat there. No need to come all the way here. It's a waste of fare," he grumbled disapprovingly, his tone laced with emphasized annoyance.

Celine smiled bitterly. To her, spending a little extra money meant nothing if it meant receiving warmth from the person she loved.

Celine took out a snack from her bag and handed it to Zack. "I happened to buy this earlier-your favorite wheat biscuits."

Zack glanced at it briefly, uninterested. "Eat it yourself. I'm not hungry."

Celine lowered her head sadly. "You can make me happy, can't you?" She looked up, gazing at Zack's expressionless face. He wouldn't even look at her, not even for a second.

"Happy?" Zack stood up, looking down at Celine. *This woman has a strong heart,* he thought. Instead of giving up and leaving him, she was still holding on.

"What? Do you still like buying other women? Am I not enough, huh?" Celine stood up too, glaring sharply at Zack. Her hand crushed the snack until it crumpled.

Zack nodded. "Look at yourself in the mirror. Boring. You're not as beautiful as you used to be. Don't blame me for playing around with other women," Zack said proudly, insulting Celine relentlessly.

"Are you insane, huh? That's because your eyes are blind!" Celine cried out in frustration and struck Zack.

*Sret!*

He grabbed Celine's hair, making her scream in pain. "You ungrateful wretch! Get lost!"

"Akhhh! That hurts, Zack!" Celine's scream drew the attention of students nearby.