Episode 2

"This... this is your coffee, Madam."

The porcelain cup clinked on the glass table. Mina's hands trembled, spilling a little of the thick, dark liquid. She quickly stepped back, as if afraid of being pounced on.

Elena ignored the fear. She snatched the cup, took a sip. Hot. Bitter. Without sugar. Perfect.

"Not bad," Elena muttered. The caffeine assaulted her nervous system, burning away the fog in her brain. She stared sharply at Mina. "Where's the laptop?"

Mina handed over the thin, rose gold MacBook. "The battery is low, Madam. The charger is nowhere to be found."

Elena snorted. Sora probably thought the laptop was just a dressing table accessory.

"Get out."

"But Mr. Kairo is already in the lobby..."

"Let him be. If he asks, tell him I'm crying blood. Whatever your imagination conjures."

Mina scurried away, closing the door tightly.

Elena opened the laptop. The screen lit up, requesting a password.

"Let's think like an obsessive woman," she muttered.

Wedding anniversary? Access Denied.

Kairo's birthday? Access Denied.

Elena rolled her eyes, typing the most narcissistic combination Sora's lovesick brain could possibly think of.

KairoDarlingForever.

Click. Opened.

"Oh my god," Elena hissed. "Cybersecurity is a big zero. If I were his business enemy, Kairo would be ruined. Idiot."

Ignoring the wallpaper of Kairo's close-up face, Elena's fingers danced nimbly on the trackpad. Browser opened. Internet banking, email, credit card bills. In five minutes, the "Female Shark" went into full audit mode.

"Let's see the financial balance."

She opened the account statements. Incoming: 500 million rupiah per month.

"Quite royal," Elena commented. But her eyes narrowed as she looked at the expenditure column.

Debit: 150 million (Limited edition bag).

Debit: 50 million (Beauty clinic).

Debit: 200 million (Dog's birthday party).

Final balance: USD 354,000.

"Crazy," she cursed roughly. "Income of half a billion, left with three hundred thousand? This is moral bankruptcy! Garbage cash flow management."

She switched to credit cards. Three platinum cards, all maxed out. Total debt of one billion. Elena leaned back, staring at the empty ceiling. She understood why Kairo was disgusted. Sora was a high-risk asset with a negative ROI. If Kairo divorced her tomorrow, this woman would die suffocated by debt.

"Okay, audit conclusion," Elena spoke to herself in a cold tone. "The position as Mrs. Diwantara is unsustainable. Toxic boss, bad work environment, no guarantee of the future."

Elena straightened up. Her eyes flashed.

"I have to resign. But I need severance pay to build my kingdom again."

She opened a word processing application. A blank white page challenged her. Elena didn't write a tearful love letter. She typed in business contract format.

PROPOSAL FOR TERMINATION OF MARRIAGE COOPERATION AND ASSET LIQUIDATION

First Party: Kairo Diwantara.

Second Party: Sora Araminta.

Article 1: The Second Party is willing to relinquish the status of legal wife without complicated property claims, on condition of Full and Final Settlement compensation:

Settlement of all credit card debts (Clearing goodwill in BI Checking is an absolute priority).

One studio apartment in the city center (Strategic residence for work mobility).

Cash of 5 billion as business capital.

For Kairo, whose assets are trillions, 5 billion is pocket change. A cheap price to buy his freedom from a parasitic wife.

"Win-win solution," Elena muttered.

Dug. Dug. Dug.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the corridor. Firm, rhythmic, and full of authority. Sora's physical heart pounded hard due to fearful memory. Elena pressed her chest forcefully.

"Don't be afraid. He's just a man who needs emotional therapy."

Laptop battery 2%. Blinking red.

Elena pressed Print. The old wireless printer in the corner of the room turned on, whirring slowly. Ngiiing... sret... sret...

The sound of footsteps stopped right in front of the door. Silence. Terrifying. Even the dust seemed to stop moving. Elena imagined Kairo behind the door, catching his breath from the anger of having to come home and take care of his dramatic wife.

The printer spat out the last sheet.

Elena snatched the still-warm paper. The resignation letter from the position of wife was ready.

The door handle moved down.

Click.

BRAK!

The door slammed wide open. Cold wind and dark aura burst in.

Kairo Diwantara stood towering in the doorway. White shirt rolled up messily, tie loose, jacket slung over his hand. His face was as handsome as a god, but his expression was as hard as granite. His jet-black eyes burned with the fire of anger.

The sharp gaze swept the room. From the bathtub, to the dressing table, and locked on the sofa near the window.

There, Elena sat cross-legged casually. A cup of coffee on the table, a stack of documents in hand.

Their gazes met. A clash of two dominations.

Kairo expected tears. He expected Sora to hug his legs and beg for forgiveness. But there were no tears. No drama. The woman stared back at him with a clear, calm, and cold look—as if she was assessing the price of his suit.

"You..."

Kairo's voice came out low, dangerous, like the growl of a wild beast. He stepped inside, kicking the door shut behind him without breaking eye contact.

"Still have the nerve to look at me like that after the mess you made?"

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