Episode 5

"Net total credited to the account... one point two billion rupiah."

Elena closed the mobile banking app with a satisfied smile. The number was far more beautiful than Kairo's angry face. In two hours, she had turned a pile of useless junk into liquid capital.

"Good job, Mina. You have a talent for being an admin," Elena praised while tossing the phone onto the bed.

Mina was still trembling, holding the ring light, her face pale. "Madam... you're so reckless. That's Master's favorite watch. He could..."

"Could what? Get angry? Let him," Elena interrupted casually, stretching her weak body, Sora's body. "The important thing is the money came in. The transaction is legal. Your master can't cancel the sale."

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Firm, rhythmic knocks were heard. Mina jumped. "That's Mr. Reza!"

"Come in," Elena ordered, busy rolling up the sleeves of Kairo's oversized white shirt, which she had stolen from the closet.

The door opened. Reza, Kairo's loyal assistant, entered in a neat suit. His eyes radiated disapproval at seeing the room as messy as a shipwreck.

"Good evening, Madam."

"Evening, Reza. Want to buy a bag? Sold out," Elena retorted sarcastically.

Reza cleared his throat. "Master Kairo is waiting in the dining room. He ordered Madam to come down immediately."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "I thought he was full of pride."

"Master insists. If Madam doesn't come down in five minutes, he will drag Madam down himself," Reza conveyed the barbaric message in a polite tone. "And Master's message: wear something appropriate."

Elena snorted, laughing. She looked at her reflection in the mirror: hair tied up haphazardly, no makeup, an oversized men's shirt, and house shorts. Far from Sora's usual "appropriate attire" of evening gowns.

"Alright. Tell him I'm coming down."

Reza stared in horror. "Wearing that?"

"Why? It's Armani. Your boss's too," Elena replied casually, stepping out. "A hungry person doesn't need an evening gown."

Elena descended the marble staircase barefoot. The aroma of wagyu steak wafted, making Sora's usually strict-diet stomach rumble loudly.

At the end of the spacious dining room, Kairo sat in the main chair. A black polo shirt molded to his muscles, a glass of wine in his hand. The atmosphere was chillingly tense. The servants bowed in fear.

Kairo didn't turn around. He cut the meat with calm but intimidating movements. A silver knife clinked against a porcelain plate. Ting.

Elena pulled out a chair at the opposite end of the table. Sreeet. The scraping sound broke the silence.

Kairo stopped. He raised his face, his gaze locked on the shirt Elena was wearing. His favorite shirt that had gone missing.

"You..." Kairo's voice was dangerously low. "Don't you have any other clothes? Your closet is full of dresses worth a car, and you come down wearing my shirt?"

Elena poured herself water. "Those dresses are complicated, hard to breathe in. This shirt is comfortable. Don't worry, I didn't sell it on the live stream earlier."

Kairo's jaw tightened. He slammed the knife down gently.

"You are really testing my patience, Sora," he hissed. "You sold my watch. You turned this house into a flea market. You embarrassed me in front of seventy thousand people. And now you're sitting there casually?"

"I didn't embarrass you. I rebranded you," Elena corrected, cutting the meat precisely. "The live's theme was 'Independent Wife'. Netizens like the rise narrative. Your company's image is helped, people think the CEO's wife is down-to-earth because she recycles used goods."

"Down-to-earth?" Kairo laughed cynically. "Selling a fifty-million Rolex is down-to-earth?"

"That's a steal deal. The buyer must be a rich, stingy person who needs status," Elena quipped, swallowing the meat. "Delicious. Medium rare. The chef deserves a raise."

Kairo stared in disbelief. This woman was eating heartily, treating his anger as a passing breeze.

"I bought them," Kairo said suddenly.

Elena stopped chewing. "What?"

"All your junk. I told people to buy it all," Kairo stared sharply, looking for a sign of shame. "The money you're so proud of is my money too. You're just moving money from my left pocket to your right."

Elena swallowed the meat, drank slowly, then smiled wryly.

"Oh, so you're the account 'SultanGabut007'?" Elena chuckled. "Thanks, Boss. Loyal customer. Next time, just transfer directly, no need to go through e-commerce, there are admin fees. What a waste, right?"

Kairo's face flushed red. His attack turned into a joke. He felt like he was punching cotton.

Kairo was about to retaliate, but the sound of business news on TV diverted his attention.

"...IHSG weakens. Diwantara Group (DWTR) shares fell 5.4% following rumors of failed land acquisition..."

The dining room atmosphere froze. Kairo clenched his fist. The news was the source of his headache all day.

He glanced at Elena, waiting for a stupid comment about the red color on the screen. But Elena put down her fork, her eyes narrowed sharply as she read the data on the TV screen.

"Five point four percent," Elena murmured softly but clearly. "Even though the fundamentals are good. This decline is not normal if it's just because of rumors."

Kairo snorted dismissively. "What do you know about stocks, Sora? Finish your meal."

"It's not the rumors that are making it fall," Elena continued, ignoring his order. Her voice was full of authority. "It's negative sentiment due to operational cash flow. Investors looked at the last quarterly report. Your short-term debt ratio is too high."

Kairo's hand movement stopped completely. The knife hung in the air. He looked at Elena with a deeply furrowed brow.

"Where did you hear that term?"

Elena turned her head, her gaze turned serious. The aura of the spoiled wife disappeared, replaced by the aura of a "Female Shark."

"Kairo, you're being too aggressive expanding into residential property. You're using short-term funds for long-term projects. That's a maturity mismatch. Dangerous. Interest rates are rising, interest burden is swelling, profits are eroded. Investors are fleeing."

Kairo was silent, his mouth slightly open. His heart was pounding from shock. That was the exact same analysis as his CFO in the closed meeting this afternoon! A secret analysis!

"Sora..." Kairo's voice choked. "Who told you? Reza? Did you eavesdrop on my phone?"

"Eavesdrop?" Elena chuckled, taking a broccoli. "The data is on the screen, Kairo. In the running text. Diwantara's Debt to Equity Ratio has risen to 2.5 times. That's a yellow light."

Elena pointed to the TV screen with her fork.

"And one more thing. Stop forcing the 'Green Light City' project in Cikarang. Land acquisition is stalled due to disputes with residents, but you're throwing money at PR stunts as if it's going smoothly. The market knows you're lying. That's why your shares are being punished."

Kairo froze. He felt naked. How could Sora know the details of the Debt to Equity Ratio and the Cikarang dispute?

"You..." Kairo swallowed dryly. He looked at Elena as if seeing a foreign creature. "You're not Sora."

Elena smiled mysteriously. She wiped her mouth, stood up, and walked slowly around the long table.

Kairo didn't move, his eyes followed Elena's every step.

Elena stopped right next to Kairo's chair. She leaned over, bringing her face close to her husband's ear. The scent of rose shampoo mixed with dominant pheromones wafted.

"I'm not the Sora you knew. That Sora died in the bathtub this morning."

Elena's whisper was soft but as sharp as a razor.

"If you want your shares to be green tomorrow morning, sell the unproductive assets in the loss-making retail sector. Cut loss now. Then announce a share buyback with the remaining cash. That will restore market confidence."

Elena pulled away, patting Kairo's shoulder gently as if patting an intern.

"Enjoy your meal, Husband. Think about my advice. It's a free consultation. If it's tomorrow, it will cost a lot."

Elena strolled out of the dining room, leaving Kairo still sitting frozen with a fork in the air and his mouth tightly locked.

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