Episode 1

She was 24 years old, a recent graduate from a well-known university with a degree in pharmacy. This should have been the beginning of a new life. But after her father, Mr. Arun, passed away a year ago, her life changed drastically. Her stepmother, who used to smile sweetly, suddenly kicked her out, throwing all her belongings out of the house without any pity.

And now, the orphanage where she lived was also being evicted and could no longer accommodate her.

"The orphanage is only for children, dear... not for adult women," said the Mother Superior sadly. There was nothing wrong with it, but it still felt painful.

That afternoon, Kinara wandered through an elite residential area in the city center, trying to find a cheap rental, something impossible in such an expensive area. But hope often appears in the wrong places.

Her steps stopped when she saw three boys crowding around a little boy. They were pushing him, laughing at his weakness.

Reflexively, Kinara stepped forward, "Hey, what are you doing?!"

The children were surprised and stepped back. The bullied boy had pale white skin, big wet eyes, and neatly combed hair. He looked at Kinara as if he had just seen a savior.

Then that voice echoed, "Mommy!"

Kinara froze. "W-what?"

But the boy immediately burst into a hysterical cry.

"Mommy doesn't want Aska anymore, does she? Mommy wants to throw Aska away!" His voice broke the afternoon's calm.

Residents nearby stopped. Judging gazes began to rain down.

"Oh my god... she wants to abandon her child?"

"How cruel of the mother..."

"Beautiful, but like that..."

Kinara almost collapsed. "No! I'm not..."

But Aska's crying grew louder until her ears rang. Kinara panicked terribly.

"Hey, hey... don't cry, people will misunderstand..."

Suddenly the boy moved closer and whispered quickly, "If the pretty sister wants to pretend to be Aska's Mommy... Aska will be quiet."

Kinara almost howled. "W-what?!"

His crying became even more piercing. Finally, Kinara raised her hand as if surrendering to fate.

"Okay! Okay! I'm your Mommy! Now be quiet, okay!"

In an instant, the crying stopped. Aska blinked sweetly, wiped his own cheeks, and then grabbed Kinara's hand.

"Let's go home."

"Home?! Home where?!"

Aska turned, pretending to cry again. Kinara hurriedly covered his mouth.

"Don't cry! Oh my god... are you playing a trick on me?!"

Aska giggled, then loudly scared the children who had been bullying him.

"Watch out! This is my Mommy! The most evil stepmother, a monster who eats naughty children!"

The three boys immediately ran away in fear. Kinara held her waist, frustrated.

"Oh my god... what's wrong with you?!"

Aska immediately hugged her thigh.

"Mommy come home with Aska... please..."

Just for a moment, just for a moment, and but that innocent gaze shattered all of Kinara's defenses. She finally nodded in surrender. The house they arrived at was not a house but more like a palace.

A large gate opened automatically, a well-maintained green garden, high glass walls, rows of luxury cars. Servants lined up to welcome Aska's arrival.

"Young Master Aska!" exclaimed a servant. "We have contacted Mr. Arman. We were very worried..." The servant's words hung in the air when he saw Kinara standing next to Aksa.

Aska pointed at Kinara.

"Mommy come inside, okay. If Mommy doesn't come in, Aska doesn't want to come in either!"

The servants simultaneously stared at Kinara as if seeing a creature from another planet.

"Mommy...?"

Kinara wanted to disappear from the face of the earth. She was led into a magnificent living room with sparkling crystal chandeliers. The servants stood surrounding her like security guards watching over a class A prisoner.

Then outside a few moments later, the sound of a car was heard. All the servants immediately straightened their bodies, lined up neatly, and bowed.

The main door opened, a man entered the house with an aura that made the air turn cold. A firm jaw, a handsome face without a smile, eyes as cold as steel, but he was sitting in a wheelchair. Accompanied by his assistant, Rudi.

He is Mr. Arman Pramudya. A young CEO, known to be ruthless in business, cold in his personal life. And now, a soul-searching gaze fell right on Kinara.

Aska ran to hug the legs of his father's wheelchair. "Daddy! This is Aska's new Mommy!"

Rudi froze, the servants held their breath. Kinara wanted to escape through the window. But Arman stared at her without blinking, without a sound, without expression but enough to make Kinara's heart almost stop.

The hanging silence felt so thick that Kinara could hear her own heartbeat. Arman kept staring at her as if analyzing a threat, not a young woman who didn't even know what was happening.

Without taking his eyes off Kinara, Arman said coldly,

"Rudi."

His assistant immediately bowed. "Yes, Sir."

"Ask her... how much money she needs."

Kinara's eyes widened, Rudi swallowed hard, turning hesitantly towards Kinara.

"E... Miss. Mr. Arman wants to know... the amount of money you expect."

'Money?' Kinara felt the blood rush to her head. She stood up from the sofa roughly, making the servants tense up simultaneously.

"What do you mean by asking that?!"

Arman was still silent. His gaze remained cold, unshakable in the slightest. Kinara pointed at Aska.

"Your son dragged me all the way here! I didn't come begging for money!"

'Father? Am I that old?' Arman frowned.

The servants were immediately shocked. Some covered their mouths, some bowed, even Rudi held his chest in shock. Kinara continued, her voice rising uncontrollably.

"I don't need your money! I didn't even know whose house this was until I came in! Aska kept forcing me to come along! So don't you dare accuse me as if I came here to ask for payment!"

The room suddenly became incredibly deadly silent. The servants were stunned. No one had ever heard anyone talk to Arman Pramudya like that.

A senior servant even whispered softly,

"Oh my god... this is the first time anyone has dared to scold Mr. Arman since the accident..."

Arman did not move, did not blink. Showing not the slightest surprise. His gaze changed not to anger, not to annoyance but like someone who had found a new puzzle that he had never seen before. Aska instead smiled widely, incredibly proud.

"Daddy, Mommy is brave, right? Isn't she cool?"

Kinara almost grabbed the child and covered his mouth.

Rudi swallowed hard. "Sir... should I..."

Arman raised his hand slightly, stopping the sentence. He finally opened his mouth, low and flat.

"Women usually come to this house for two reasons," he said softly, but the coldness pierced to the bone. "Money... or attention."

Kinara snorted in annoyance. "Then I'm not the usual woman."

Arman raised his eyebrow slightly as if that was the biggest expression of surprise he could show.

He looked at Rudi again.

"Take her to the study."

Rudi's eyes widened. "To... the study, Sir?"

All the servants turned with disbelieving expressions. No foreign women or even business partners had been allowed into Arman's study since the accident.

Arman looked back at Kinara.

"If you're telling the truth," he said coldly, "you'll explain it directly to me. Without the child's drama."

Kinara gritted her teeth. Aska immediately hugged Kinara's legs tightly.

"Mommy has to come along! Daddy don't be mad at Mommy, okay!"

Arman looked at his son, for a moment there was a soft glimmer but it disappeared as quickly as a breath. Kinara swallowed hard, looking at Arman's wheelchair, looking at his cold gaze, the man had never even smiled since entering the room.

"Rudi,"

"Yes, Sir."

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