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.

The more Celine winced in pain, Zack did not release his grip. He seemed to savor Celine's flushed, pained expression. "What's the point of having a girlfriend like you?" Zack hissed sharply.

Celine tried to pry Zack's hand from her hair, but his strength was far greater. "L-let go! It...it hurts!" Her whimpering plea dissolved into pitiful sobs.

Zack shoved Celine roughly, and she sprawled onto the ground.

"As of this moment, we're through!" Zack declared with grave emphasis, then walked away. He paid no attention to Celine, still crumpled on the ground.

The students who had witnessed the scene exchanged whispers.

"Oh, so Mr. Zack actually has a girlfriend? I thought she'd be pretty," one female student sneered, covering her mouth with a chuckle.

"Goodness, Mr. Zack's taste is so low. She's lucky to be dumped."

Wiping her tears, Celine struggled to her feet. She tidied her disheveled hair-Zack's handiwork.

Refusing to remain silent, Celine fixed her gaze upon them all.

"Just wait! Your lecturer is a lecherous man who buys women!" Celine shouted, her voice hoarse but blazing with fury. Her red-rimmed eyes bore sharply into each face that had been smirking moments before. A momentary hush fell.

The whispers ceased, replaced by awkward silence. Several students looked stunned, while others exchanged uncertain glances.

One female student-the same one who had spoken earlier-retorted swiftly, "Nonsense! You're just bitter because he dumped you! Stop spreading slander!"

"Slander?" Celine let out a hollow laugh, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "You think that's why he always has money to blow on parties? You think that's why he can afford expensive things without working hard? He pays for everything! Including... including the women he sleeps with!" Celine's voice rose, drawing the attention of more passersby. Some lecturers even began to turn their heads, frowning.

Inside, Celine felt a surge of grim satisfaction. Adding a little embellishment wouldn't hurt. She no longer cared if Zack's reputation at this campus was ruined.

The tension in the air thickened. The students who had been sneering now looked uncomfortable; some even appeared frightened by Celine's fiery gaze. Her words struck deep, shattering their assumptions about their admired lecturer.

"I have proof!" Celine continued, her voice trembling slightly, but her stare unwavering. She pulled out her phone, opened her gallery, and displayed the screenshot she had saved-Zack's story post.

"None of you know how rotten that man is beneath his mask of a respectable lecturer! Look! You can read it yourself. Zack is my boyfriend. I even introduced him to my father-Adiwangsa." Her final words made several female students gasp, their faces paling.

Adiwangsa? The Adiwangsa who owned Adiwangsa Property?

"How dare you speak like that!" Suddenly, a deep voice rang out from behind the crowd.

Zack had returned. His face was flushed red, his glare menacing. He strode toward Celine, fists clenched. The atmosphere grew even more oppressive.

Celine held her breath but did not retreat. Fear mingled with anger in her eyes. "You're back? What do you want? Trying to silence me? Go ahead! I'm not afraid of you anymore, Zack!" she challenged, though her body trembled slightly.

Zack stopped right in front of Celine, bending slightly so his eyes met hers. "You'll regret saying all that, Celine," he hissed softly, yet his tone was far more terrifying than his earlier shouts. "You don't know who you're dealing with."

"I do know! I'm dealing with a coward who abuses his power!" Celine retorted, her voice rising as she drew a deep breath. "You think I'd just stay silent after what you did to me? After treating me like garbage?"

A flash of memory surfaced-how she had tried so hard for Zack, yet he had never appreciated her efforts, as if she were beneath him. Of course, it had shattered her heart.

Zack's eyes narrowed. He glanced around, realizing more and more eyes were watching. His face, previously flushed with anger, now paled slightly with concern for his reputation. Yet he could not let Celine continue speaking.

'Damn you, Celine! I won't let you live in peace!' Zack seethed inwardly. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Shut your mouth!" Zack snapped, this time at a much higher volume, making several students jump in surprise. He raised his hand as if to slap Celine, but thought better of it when he noticed other lecturers now approaching, drawn by the commotion.

Celine did not flinch. She knew this was her chance. "I will expose everything! All your depraved deeds! I won't let them stay neatly buried!"

Zack clenched his fists at his sides, his jaw hardening. A flash of serious threat gleamed in his eyes. "You won't be able to do that, Celine. Believe me. You'll only make your life harder." The corner of his lips curled into a sly smile.

Fear crept into Celine's eyes. She looked at Zack wistfully-the chance of him reverting to who he once was seemed impossibly remote. Yet she quickly dismissed the thought. She had come too far to back down now. "I'll prove it!"

---

Upon arriving at Adiwangsa Property, Celine received a message from her father to come to the executive office immediately.

Ignoring the still-cynical stares from employees, Celine ran down the office corridor. She took the elevator to the second floor.

No sooner had she opened the door than Celine was startled to find Adiwangsa standing right in front of her. She pressed her hand to her chest, steadying her pounding heart.

"Father! Why did you have to startle me like that?" Celine snapped, annoyed. It wasn't like Adiwangsa to be this abrupt.

"Why weren't you resting in the cafeteria?" Adiwangsa asked coldly, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. He had received a report from the front security guard that Celine had taken her car out of the office parking lot.

Celine averted her gaze from her father and cleared her throat. "I... I wanted to eat at a nearby restaurant, Father," she answered, making an excuse.

A weary sigh made Celine nervous. Did Adiwangsa know she had gone to campus to meet Zack?

"That nearby restaurant is north of here, Celine! Not east! You're trying to lie to me, aren't you?" Adiwangsa pressed, dismantling Celine's utterly implausible excuse.

"And look at this," Adiwangsa strode back to his desk, grabbed a document, and hurled it directly at Celine's face.

Startled, Celine reflexively shut her eyes as the document struck her roughly. She gazed at her father with doleful eyes. Day by day, Adiwangsa was becoming harsher.

Celine bent down and picked up the document from the floor. She opened it-and was shocked to see that the company's finances had plummeted drastically.

Adiwangsa stepped closer, his eyes boring into his only daughter. "You're incompetent! I never should have relied on you. Your performance is getting worse." He jabbed Celine's shoulder with his index finger, as if she were utterly worthless.

The small commotion piqued the curiosity of several employees, who paused at the threshold of the executive office to watch.

Slowly, tears began to fall down Celine's cheeks. She shook her head. "I've tried my best, Father! I even made sure your properties were accepted by a foreign company!" Her hoarse voice rose, refuting Adiwangsa's accusations.

"Accepted?" Adiwangsa nodded curtly. "Listen to this." He took out his phone and played a recording of a call he'd received a few days ago from an investor in Singapore.

The voice on the phone was clear, with a thick foreign accent. "I've considered your proposal, Adiwangsa. But I'm sorry, we cannot accept the property. There are certain risks we're unable to take." The voice sounded friendly, yet the decision was final and firm. The recording ended, leaving a suffocating silence in the executive office.

After the recording finished, Adiwangsa put away his phone and stared at Celine. "See? That's what you call 'accepted'?"

The employees watching the commotion began whispering among themselves, gazing at Celine with pity. Celine felt humiliated, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to run away, to hide. "Father... please..." she pleaded softly.

But Adiwangsa didn't care. He looked at Celine with eyes full of hatred.

"You were never worthy of being my daughter," Adiwangsa said, his voice cold.

Celine felt as if her world had crumbled. She stared at her father. "Father..." she whispered, her voice trembling as she fought back sobs, though her tears were impossible to stop and continued soaking her cheeks.

"Get out!" Adiwangsa shouted, pointing at the door. "I don't want to see you here again! You're fired!"

Celine was stunned. She looked at Adiwangsa in disbelief. "Father... I beg you..." She dragged herself closer to Adiwangsa, clutching his leg tightly. For the first time in her life, she knelt before her own father.

"Get out!" Adiwangsa repeated, kicking Celine's hand away.

"Arghh," Celine whimpered in pain as her hand made a sound like cracking bone. She blew on her injured hand. Once more, she looked up at Adiwangsa, desperately searching his face for a gentle gaze, for mercy-but found nothing except a vicious stare that cut right through her.

She struggled to stand, though her body felt weak. In an instant, Celine experienced what it was like to be hated by a father-who should have been her protector, a loving figure who cherished his child. But from this moment on, Adiwangsa was none of that.

She closed her eyes, her hands clenching into fists. *How could Father humiliate me like this in front of all the employees? He could have talked to me privately, not made me his scapegoat like this. I know-Father is blaming me because he doesn't want to look like a failure in everyone's eyes,* Celine thought bitterly. Her shoulders felt weighed down as if carrying a massive boulder.

Celine felt shattered. She lowered her head again, her tears dripping onto the floor. She turned and walked out of the room with unsteady steps, leaving her father and the employees who watched her with pitying gazes.

"Oh my God, did Mr. Adiwangsa really fire Celine?"

"Huh? This must be staged, right? Impossible! Celine is Mr. Adiwangsa's only daughter!"

"He has no heart. Mr. Adiwangsa is cruel. Let's get out of here."

Celine kept walking, passing through the office exit. She glanced back at the magnificent office building and smiled bitterly. "I'll prove it to you, Father. I can succeed without you," she whispered, then turned and walked away, disappearing into the city crowd.

---

Several hours after that incident, the man who had relentlessly blamed Celine now sat leaning back in his grand chair. He sighed several times.

He looked at Celine's photo displayed on his desk-a small, plain black frame. Adiwangsa reached for it.

"Celine... I'm sorry. Father went too far." He traced the photo of Celine, his voice weak and listless. His words earlier must have hurt Celine deeply.

"Father... only wants what's best for you. And for you to learn from this mistake." Not wanting to be seen as a cruel man, Adiwangsa was only trying to teach Celine not to give up easily or overlook small details.

---

Celine had been walking for some time now, making her way alone along the main road. She refused to use the car Adiwangsa had given her. Just remembering what happened made her heart ache with disappointment.

Tears still faithfully traced Celine's beautiful face. Her light makeup had faded, washed away by her sorrowful tears.

The faint sound of rushing water reached her ears. Celine gazed at the swift current of the river below.

Her fingers gripped the cold iron railing tightly. "If I am no longer Father's daughter, then so be it. Now... I no longer have a father," Celine declared, her voice resolute. All this time, she had only had Adiwangsa-the only parent she loved. But now, after he had cast her out and no longer considered her his child...

Celine lowered her head, the corner of her lips lifting into a faint smile. "Then I promise-I will never appear before Father again. Not... ever!"

The wind swept through Celine's free-flowing hair. She leaned forward, hoisting herself onto the railing.

In a matter of seconds, Celine would leap and plunge freely off this bridge into the raging river below.

One...

Two...

Three...

Unable to keep her eyes open, Celine squeezed them shut.

"Goodbye, Father." And Celine jumped off the bridge.

But then...

Celine's body dangled mid-air. A hand had caught her.

"Are you insane, huh? Why would you jump off a bridge? Seriously, you want to die and throw your life away like that?" A deep voice, high with emotion, shouted at Celine in anger.

Startled, Celine looked at the person who had so kindly reached out and saved her. A man with blue eyes, thick perfect brown eyebrows, and fair skin-distinctly foreign-looking.

"W-who are you?" Celine stammered, her hands reflexively gripping the man tightly. If his strength gave out, her body would certainly fall into the raging river.

Without answering, the man pulled Celine's arm and lifted her back up. He hoisted her seemingly weightless body to safety.

Embarrassed, Celine could only look down. "Sorry for troubling you," she murmured, facing this blue-eyed man made her nervous. His piercing gaze felt as if it could devour her whole.

"If I had been one second late, you'd have died a senseless death, swept away by the river," he snapped cynically. He honestly couldn't fathom the woman standing before him.

He clicked his tongue in irritation. "If you have a problem, just talk about it. Don't just-" Before he could finish, Celine cut him off.

"I was cast out by my father. I was fired by my own father. He no longer considers me his daughter." In a single breath, Celine explained everything so quickly. Yet somehow, her heart felt slightly lighter. Before, it had been so heavy with burden. And again, her tears forced their way out, freely streaming down her cheeks.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS, HUH? TO NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED A CHILD?" Celine screamed, unleashing her emotions. Her sobs grew heavier, constricting her chest until her breath felt shallow and tight. It was unbearably painful-being this honest now.

His sharp gaze instantly softened, a flicker of guilt surfacing. Hearing the pitiful cries of a woman other than his mother stirred something painful inside him.

Without hesitation, his hand reached out and pulled Celine into his chest, embracing her. He nodded slowly. "From now on, don't keep things buried inside, okay? Your life's journey is still long... so don't give up so easily."

Celine pulled back and looked at his face. It seemed... familiar.