Bara immediately stood up and headed into the bathroom. After washing her face and steadying her breath, she quickly prepared herself to go to the clinic. Today, she would visit the little angel who had unknowingly given her the strength to face the harsh reality of her life. Bara hoped that this moment-this simple act of seeing the baby-would become the beginning of a new spirit within her. A spirit that would help her stand on her own feet, fight for her life, and uncover the truth buried for the past ten years.

Her life had felt increasingly strange after witnessing the suspicious behavior of Uncle Burhan-actions that hinted at deeper rottenness hidden behind his calm demeanor. And now, after hearing yet another lie from her uncle's mouth, Bara knew there was something he desperately wanted to conceal.

Meanwhile, in the Delano residence, Nayzilla had been restlessly searching for her niece. Upon returning from the hotel, she immediately sensed something was wrong. All of Bara's clothes and belongings were gone from the room. That alone was enough to make her heart tremble with worry. But her fear deepened when her husband casually said that Bara had gone home to live with his wife.

"There's no way Bara wouldn't say goodbye to me if he truly meant to move in with his wife. Something must have happened," Nayzilla murmured, her chest tightening with unease.

With trembling fingers, she scrolled through her contacts and dialed Bara's number. Yet, after their brief conversation, her uneasiness only grew stronger. Bara sounded off-hiding something, choosing her words too carefully.

When she finally came downstairs, she saw Burhan preparing to leave again. She immediately stepped closer.

"Has Bara really moved to live with his wife?" she asked, this time staring directly into his eyes.

"Yes," Burhan replied curtly.

"Why didn't Bara tell me anything?" she pressed again, trying to settle her growing doubts.

"I don't know. Look, I have to go to the office now-there's an important meeting," Burhan quickly reasoned before hurrying out.

As soon as he left, Nayzilla exhaled deeply and made another call.

"Hello, madam," greeted the person on the other end.

"Mr. Li Zhang Wei. I need your help," she said quietly. She had contacted their private attorney.

"Of course, Mrs. Nayzilla. What can I do for you?" the lawyer asked.

"I want you to find a detective," she whispered, lowering her voice even more.

"A... detective?" Mr. Li sounded startled.

"Yes. Something has happened to the Young Master," she said firmly. "You know what you need to do, Mr. Li."

"...Understood, madam. I'll send you a number shortly," he replied, suddenly tense. Something must indeed be seriously wrong with the only heir of the largest construction company.

"Thank you, Mr. Li. I'll be waiting," Nayzilla said before ending the call.

A few moments later, her phone vibrated. She immediately opened the message and dialed the number given to her.

"Good morning, Mrs. Nayzilla," said a calm voice.

"Morning. Is your name Li Bao Yu?" she asked, slightly frowning.

"Yes, madam. I am Mr. Zhang Wei's nephew."

"Oh, no wonder your names sound similar. Then I believe you already know what I need from you?" she asked directly. Mr. Li had likely briefed him.

"Yes, madam. I'm ready," the young man replied without hesitation.

"Good. Your first task is to find the address of Young Master Baracio Delano's wife, and confirm whether Young Master Bara is there or not. Do not leave any trace. Can you handle that?"

"Absolutely, madam."

"Very well. I'll be waiting for good news, Li Bao Yu."

"I will do my best," he replied, then the call ended.

"Please let my suspicions be wrong... I truly hope Bara is just at his wife's house," Nayzilla whispered, sinking into deep worry.

---

By the time Bara arrived at the clinic, she immediately walked inside and headed straight for the special room where the tiny baby rested.

"Good evening, sir," the nurse on duty greeted politely as Bara stepped in.

"Good evening. How is my daughter?" Bara asked softly, closing the door behind her.

The nurse blinked in surprise. Hearing the young man refer to the abandoned infant as his daughter moved her deeply, especially knowing how the baby had been cruelly thrown away by her biological parents.

"Why, Nurse? Is there something wrong with my daughter?" Bara asked anxiously when he noticed the nurse had fallen silent.

"Oh-no, no. There's no problem. The little princess is much better now. In a few days, she might even be able to go home," the nurse assured.

"Oh, thank goodness." Bara breathed in relief. "May I be alone with her for a moment?"

"Of course, sir. I'll be right outside. Call me if you need anything," the nurse said before quietly stepping out.

Bara approached the incubator and touched the glass gently with trembling fingers.

"Hi, Bellyca. Did you miss Daddy?" he whispered. "Daddy is here, sweetheart. Daddy will always be here for you. So you must get well soon, okay? Daddy wants to take you home..."

His eyes turned red. Since losing his parents, this was the first time he had felt such warmth, such overwhelming emotion. Seeing this tiny, perfect life created by God stirred memories of how lovingly his own parents had held him as a baby.

"Mom... Dad... is this how you felt when you first saw me in your arms?" Bara whispered, tears finally falling-tears he had held in for years.

For a long time, he stood there watching the little baby stretch, twitch, and fall back asleep, each tiny movement curling a faint smile on his lips.

Click.

Bara opened the door.

"Nurse, I'll be leaving now. I'll come again tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir," she replied.

Bara walked out of the clinic and into a small restaurant across the street. After dinner, he headed home and began working on the plan he had been forming since yesterday.

With his expertise in architecture, Bara started designing various models of luxury homes, villas, and office buildings. He began establishing his new business-an online architecture service.

By three in the morning, exhausted but satisfied, Bara finally went to sleep. Now all he could do was wait for someone to discover his work and contact him.

The next morning, he immediately opened his laptop and checked the website he had created the night before. There were no inquiries yet-no company, no individual had seen his designs.

After washing up, he made himself a cup of coffee and ate a simple breakfast of bread. Then he sat down again to create more unique, eye-catching designs that might attract potential clients.

Days passed in this quiet routine-wake up, design, visit Bellyca, return home, and continue working. Until the fourth day finally arrived, when Bara was able to take the now-recovered Bellyca home.

"Young Master, are you... married?" Doctor Lissa asked, surprised to see him holding the tiny baby so fondly.

...

Bara remained silent. He didn't give any answer-not because he didn't want to, but because he had no idea how to explain his situation. Yes, he was married, but the marriage was only ceremonial. Legally, it meant nothing. He hadn't signed a single document before or after the wedding. No marriage registration, no report to the Civil Registry Office, and no record at the Implementing Agency.

In other words, his marriage did not exist in the eyes of the law. And because of that, he wouldn't need a divorce certificate if he chose to separate from his so-called wife.

"Master Bara?" Doctor Lissa called when she noticed he was lost in thought.

"It's fine. I'm married," Bara finally replied flatly.

"Oh-my apologies. I didn't know. I've never seen your wife come here. In that case, you probably won't need a babysitter to help take care of your daughter," Doctor Lissa said gently. She sounded more concerned about the baby's future care than about Bara's personal life.

"Yes. Thank you again, Doctor, for taking such good care of my daughter. I'm sorry-I have to go," Bara said before quickly excusing himself.

He had already ordered an online taxi earlier. Now, with some difficulty, he got into the car while holding tiny Bellyca. Even though Bara had watched countless tutorials on Google-how to carry a newborn, how to care for one, what to prepare-everything still felt awkward and foreign to him.

After arriving at the small rented house, Bara paid the driver, stepped inside, and placed Bellyca gently into the crib he had bought the day before.

Only after making sure she was settled did he return to his laptop to resume his work.

But the moment he placed his hands on the keyboard, a small cry pierced the room.

Bara shot up and went to the crib. "What's wrong, Bellyca? Is Daddy's little girl hungry?" he asked softly, touching her tiny hand with gentle worry.

But the baby only cried louder.

Bara quickly prepared formula milk, glancing back and forth at her as she cried. Thankfully, he had placed all the supplies in his room to make feeding easier.

After shaking the bottle and checking the temperature-just like the nurse taught him-he lifted the baby again.

"The milk is ready. Come here, sweetheart," he whispered, placing the bottle at her lips.

Immediately, Bellyca latched on hungrily. Bara held the bottle patiently until she finished her fill and slowly drifted back to sleep.

"Are you full now? Daddy's going to get back to work, alright?" he whispered to the peacefully sleeping baby.

Bara washed the bottle in the kitchen before returning to the desk. He focused on his design work again.

But two hours later-

"Waaah...!"

The baby cried again.

Bara sighed softly, feeling both tired and amused. He rose, prepared another bottle, and fed her again. Once full, she slept once more.

However, the moment Bara sat down again-

"Waaah...!"

"What is it now, honey? Didn't you just drink milk?" he muttered, feeling his panic rise.

He immediately searched Google: Why does a baby cry even after feeding?

The answer was clear.

Bara quickly lifted her and placed her on the bed. When he opened her swaddle, he saw that the cloth underneath was already drenched.

"Oh gosh... your diaper is full. Daddy is so sorry, sweetheart. Daddy forgot to check," he said with an embarrassed smile as he changed her diaper.

Wrapping her back in a swaddle was another challenge. Bara tried several times, but no matter how he folded it, the wrap still looked messy and loose-even though the nurse had taught him yesterday.

"Bellyca, why is this so hard? Never mind... a little messy is okay. Daddy tried," Bara chuckled helplessly.

He cleaned the small carpet underneath her bed, then placed her back in the crib. Thankfully, Bellyca fell asleep again, breathing softly.

---

And that became Bara's life for the next two exhausting yet meaningful weeks-working while caring for his infant daughter day and night. Feed, clean, soothe, work, repeat.

Until one day...

His phone rang.

"Yes, hello?" Bara answered, seeing an unknown number.

"Are you the architect who goes by the name Bara Bellyca?" the caller asked.

The mention of his pseudonym immediately made Bara realize-this must be his first potential client from the website he had created yesterday.

"Yes, that's me."

"I am the Manager of The King Hotel. We've reviewed your portfolio and design capabilities. Our company has decided to use your services to design the new hotel we will be building. Are you available?" the man asked directly.

"The King Hotel..." Bara whispered. The name sparked a memory.

"Yes. We are partnering with Barcio Asian Corporate for construction. They do have their own in-house architect team, but after seeing your designs, our Young Lady was impressed and insisted on working with you personally. This hotel project will be her private property. So, are you ready, sir?" the manager asked.

"Oh-yes, I'm ready, sir!" Bara said, unable to hide his excitement.

"Then tomorrow, Mr. Bara-"

"Barbell," Bara corrected politely. "That's my nickname, sir."

"Very well. Mr. Barbell, could you spare some time to meet us in person as soon as possible?" the manager asked.

"Yes, of course, sir. I'll come tomorrow. Thank you," Bara said, smiling widely for the first time in a long while.

"Excellent. I'll send the address shortly. We look forward to meeting you, Mr. Barbell," said the manager warmly.

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Bara ended the call, his heart pounding.

He quickly opened his laptop and searched for The King Hotel.

"There it is... It's real!" Bara muttered, his eyes sparkling with disbelief and excitement.

The King Hotel was one of the establishments he had been investigating. Just yesterday, while out buying baby supplies, Bara had accidentally seen Uncle Burhan enter that very hotel-together with several associates, each with a woman in their arms.

...

"This is a golden opportunity for me. With this, I can investigate everything and finally find out what really happened. And... could it be that the owner of The King Hotel is also an ally of Mister Burhan?!"

That was what ran through Bara's mind, his chest trembling with rage as he remembered his uncle-whom he had caught countless times betraying his aunt behind her back.

"With this chance, I can also monitor my father's company. What exactly has Mister Burhan been doing all this time? Why does he always insist the company's finances are in trouble when everything seems perfectly fine?"

"Bellyca... Daddy is really happy today, Bell. This is all your luck, my little girl. I hope everything goes smoothly, sweetheart," Bara said, holding his tiny daughter close and gently brushing their noses together.

"Okay. Daddy needs to find a babysitter for you, dear. From now on, Daddy will be traveling a lot."

Bara paused, thinking over his options. A babysitter would probably take good care of his baby.

Suddenly, he remembered someone-Aunt Ming, his neighbor who had helped look after Bellyca the day before when he had to go out shopping.

Aunt Ming was a middle-aged woman in her fifties. She lived at her brother's house and had been alone ever since her husband passed away. Coincidentally, their houses were right next to each other.

Yesterday, when little Bellyca wouldn't stop crying, Aunt Ming knocked on Bara's rented house to check on them. She was able to calm the baby immediately. Bara had explained that the baby's mother had left, and he was taking care of his daughter alone, with no parents left to help him. Since then, Aunt Ming often stopped by whenever she heard Bellyca's loud, nonstop crying because she felt sorry for Bara doing everything by himself.

Because Aunt Ming was kind, gentle, and genuinely caring, Bara had begun asking her to watch his daughter whenever he needed to step out briefly.

After putting his little girl to sleep, Bara stepped out of his rented room and walked over to the neighboring house-Aunt Ming's brother's house. He knocked.

Soon, the door opened.

"Oh, Mister Bara, please come in," said the woman politely.

"It's alright, Ma'am. Is Aunt Ming home?" Bara asked politely. Despite his cool, intimidating appearance, he always spoke respectfully to older people.

"She's here. Wait a moment."

She went inside to call her, and soon Aunt Ming stepped out.

"What is it, Bara?" Aunt Ming asked warmly.

"Aunt Ming... starting tomorrow I'll begin working. Could you help take care of my daughter?" Bara asked.

"Oh, of course! Of course I can. Every morning, I'll come to your house to take care of her," Aunt Ming replied, clearly delighted.

"Thank you so much, Aunt Ming. I'll head home now," Bara said gratefully.

"Yes, dear," she replied gently.

Bara smiled all the way home. Finally, he had found someone he trusted to care for his daughter while he was away.

---

The next morning, just as promised, Bara prepared to leave for a well-known hotel-The King Hotel.

He tried to tidy himself and the room as much as possible. Bellyca had been fussy all night, leaving the room slightly messy.

Knock... knock... knock...!

Someone knocked on Bara's door.

Bara, carrying his daughter who had just finished drinking her milk, quickly walked to open it.

Click!

The door opened.

"Good morning, Bara," said Aunt Ming, already standing at the doorway.

"Good morning, Aunt Ming. Please come in. I was just about to head out," Bara said as he stepped aside. Aunt Ming followed him in.

"Aunt Ming, Bellyca just finished her milk. Later, please help bathe her, Aunt," Bara said softly, kissing his daughter's round chubby cheeks several times.

"Yes, don't worry, Bara. I'll take good care of her," Aunt Ming said reassuringly, stretching out her hands to take the baby.

"Bellyca, dear... Daddy's going now. Stay with Auntie, okay?" Bara whispered affectionately before gently handing her over.

"Alright, Aunt Ming. I'll go first. Please take good care of her," Bara said with a smile, picking up his bag containing his laptop.

He quickly got into the online taxi he had booked earlier and gave the address for his meeting with The King Hotel's Manager.

Brrrrt... brrrrt...

His phone vibrated.

"Hello, sir."

"Good morning, Mr. Barabell," said the voice on the phone. It was the Manager he was supposed to meet.

"Yes, Mr. Manager," Bara answered, not yet knowing his name.

"Just call me Erlang," the Manager replied with a light chuckle.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Erlang. I'll arrive shortly at our meeting point," Bara informed him.

"Actually, Mr. Barabell, our Young Lady suddenly requested to meet you as well. She wants to hear your presentation in person. So we'll be meeting at the hotel, Mr. Barabell. We'll be waiting for you in the meeting room."

"Oh, I understand. Alright, Mr. Erlang. I'll be there soon."

Bara hung up and quickly gave the taxi driver the updated destination.

Upon arriving, Bara stepped out and walked into the grand lobby of the luxurious hotel. With steady footsteps and full confidence, he entered carrying his laptop bag.

"This is my first real client. I must give them my best, convince them, and make sure they're satisfied with my presentation. If I succeed, everything else will become easier," Bara whispered to himself, steadying his slightly racing heart.

"Good morning," Bara greeted the reception desk.

"Good morning, sir. How can we help?" the hotel staff asked politely and in unison.

"I have an appointment with the Manager, Mr. Erlang. May I meet him?" Bara said. The women at the counter kept stealing glances at him.

"One moment, sir. May I know your name?" asked one of them.

"Barbell."

"Mr. Barabell? Please wait a moment," she said before making a call.

A few seconds later, she put down the phone.

"All right, sir. Please go up to the twentieth floor. Manager Erlang is waiting for you there."

"Thank you."

Bara walked past the employees, who continued to stare wide-eyed.

"Oh my gosh, he's so handsome!"

"Lord Barabell is exactly my type!"

"I think I've fallen in love!"

Their excited whispers were loud enough for Bara to hear, but he remained indifferent as he continued walking toward the elevator.

...