Episode 3

The next morning.

The sky was still gray when the doors of the civil registry office opened. The cold morning air greeted the three people who emerged, Rudi pushing the wheelchair, Arman in a neat black suit, and Kinara walking beside them, clutching a small maroon book.

A marriage certificate, still new, still smelling of ink, but it felt like a burden as heavy as a mountain in Kinara's hands. Meanwhile, for Arman, the book was just a legal paper.

Rudi handed Arman's marriage certificate to his lap.

"Everything is complete, Sir."

Arman nodded flatly. There was no happy expression, no bridegroom's smile, no holding hands. Only a sharp, piercing, and calculating cold gaze on anyone nearby.

He turned to Kinara.

"From now on," he said softly, but firmly like a judge's gavel, "you are Aksa's caregiver."

Kinara stopped in her tracks.

Arman continued, "Your job is simple. Take care of him, pay attention to him. Don't act beyond the limits, you are not..."

Kinara turned around, looking sharply at Arman, her voice rising.

"Stop."

Rudi was startled. Kinara gripped the marriage certificate even tighter.

"Don't call me a caregiver."

Arman raised an eyebrow. "That's the reality."

"No." Kinara stepped closer, standing right in front of the man, eyes meeting eyes, one full of fire, one frozen cold.

"I am your wife, Mr. Arman. And I am Aksa's stepmother, like it or not. This marriage is legal. My name is on that book. I will not pretend to be a babysitter."

Arman held his breath for a moment. No woman had dared to defy him so closely since the accident, his gaze hardened.

"This is a contract."

"Contract or not, my status is still your wife." Kinara leaned in slightly, both eyebrows raised in defiance.

"And I will love Aksa... yes, say whatever you want."

Rudi was stunned, even the birds above seemed to stop chirping. Arman narrowed his eyes, clearly displeased.

"You..."

"Like it or not," Kinara cut in quickly, "I am not a robot carrying out your task list. I will hug him if he cries. I will scold him if he is naughty. I will act like a mother, not a babysitter you can fire if you don't like it."

Arman was silent, only his jaw hardened.

The morning breeze blew the ends of Kinara's hair. The woman stood tall, not retreating, not intimidated even though she was facing a CEO who was known to be untouchable by anyone.

Finally, Arman only frowned and turned away.

"Rudi, let's go home!"

His shoulders were tense, his tone was cold, but in his eyes there was something else, something he didn't admit, surprise and a bit of annoyance and for some reason there was interest.

Meanwhile, Kinara followed behind, holding her marriage certificate. With steady steps, with a heart that had not faltered in the slightest.

They were just about to head to the car when a luxury sedan slammed on the brakes right in front of the civil registry office door. The door opened quickly, and out came a young man in a neat suit along with a beautiful woman with heavy make-up.

Kinara froze, she saw the man, he was Rayyan, her ex-lover whom she once loved with all her heart before he stabbed her in the back.

And the woman beside him, she was Mimi, Kinara's stepsister who kicked her out of the house after Kinara's father died.

The world felt small, Rayyan saw Kinara then glanced at the marriage certificate in her hand and a look of disgust immediately appeared on his face.

"Oh," he said cynically, "so this is how you get back on your feet after breaking up with me, Kinara? Find a crippled man, so you can exploit his money?"

Mimi nudged Rayyan's arm while laughing.

"No wonder she disappeared from the house. Turns out you're selling yourself in a new form, huh. A rich crippled man? Wow, Kinara, I have to admit... you can do anything for money."

Rudi looked at Kinara with a tense face, waiting for her to get angry, or cry, or run away. Arman did not react, his gaze was empty, flat, but his jaw hardened. Kinara sighed, then raised her chin.

"What's important," she said loudly, "is that my current husband is rich with a lot of money."

Rayyan immediately stopped laughing. Kinara stepped closer, a thin smile forming on her lips.

"And you, Rayyan? A poor man whose life can only leech off women. What do you want to say about me?"

Rayyan's face turned red. Mimi gasped, not expecting Kinara to be so biting.

Rayyan stepped forward, snapping, "You will regret it, Kinara! Because starting today, I am officially working with a big company, Mission Bar! A company that will make me much higher than your position!"

Rudi turned his head slowly towards Arman. The CEO's face did not change, only one thing was visible, Arman's forehead furrowed. Mission Bar, that company belonged to him. But Arman remained silent, there was no need to explain anything to strangers. There was no need to retaliate. Arman Pramudya did not lower his level. Kinara, without knowing this, just laughed lightly.

"Oh?" She leaned in slightly. "Good for you, but don't forget... you've only been able to get into a company if someone else carries you."

Rayyan was really about to explode. But before he had a chance to get any closer Kinara moved quickly. She stood beside Arman's wheelchair, holding the side of the backrest then said in a sweet, contemptuous voice,

"Let's go home, my husband."

She glanced at Rayyan and Mimi.

"Don't mind crazy people."

Rudi almost smiled, and really almost smiled seeing Kinara's brave attitude against her ex-lover and stepsister.

Rayyan froze, Mimi snorted roughly, her face turning as red as a rotten tomato. Kinara got into the car elegantly, as if those two were nobody in her life. Rudi pushed Arman's wheelchair in, closing the door gently.

Rayyan was still shouting outside, but the sound faded as the car started moving.

Inside the car, it was quiet and felt very quiet. Kinara looked straight ahead, but could feel Arman's piercing gaze from beside her.

A gaze that was difficult to read, a gaze that was either appreciating her courage or was actually assessing her stupidity.

However, that day, in front of her ex-lover and stepsister, Kinara finally felt something that had been lost for a long time.

'This woman is hard to guess, is she crying?' Arman thought as he saw Kinara secretly wiping the sides of her eyes.

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