Chapter 4 Who

The scorching morning sun pierced through the cream-colored bedroom curtains. Celine yawned, her eyes still feeling heavy. She glanced at the clock, which showed 6 a.m.

"Even Father doesn't wake me up anymore," Celine murmured. Every morning, Adiwangsa used to come to her room, wake her up, and tell her to get ready for breakfast together.

Celine's eyes stung from crying last night. As if yesterday had only been a nightmare, she wanted to confirm again that Zack's story wasn't reality. But the story was still there, and her messages from yesterday had been read with no reply from Zack.

She took a deep breath. Now, Celine knew what she had to do.

After freshening up, Celine headed to the kitchen. As she passed the dining table, she only saw an empty glass. Adiwangsa hadn't had breakfast.

From the kitchen window-which had a not-too-high glass pane-Celine saw Adiwangsa starting his car engine.

Celine wanted to run outside and call out to her father, but that was impossible. Adiwangsa was still angry with her.

Fried instant noodles and a glass of plain water became Celine's breakfast. She hurriedly finished her meal, rushing through it. But then-

Crash!

The sound of something falling. Celine quickly turned her head toward the source of the noise-it came from Adiwangsa's room.

"Who's there?" Celine raised her voice slightly, clutching her skirt. Fear crept into her chest.

Celine mustered the courage to open Adiwangsa's bedroom door. No one was there. Nothing was out of place-everything was neat.

She ran to the window and peeked outside, only catching a glimpse of a black sedan speeding away.

"Damn it! He ran away! A thief! I have to tell Father."

---

Just as she stepped foot into the office parking lot, the cold blast of air conditioning greeted her. But that wasn't what made the hairs on the back of Celine's neck stand up. Not the cold AC, but the fleeting glances from several coworkers she happened to pass by.

"Does she know?" whispered one employee who walked past Celine.

"How pitiful."

Celine's throat tightened. She lowered her head and quickened her pace, walking away from them. Her ears were already sick of those whispers.

When she arrived at her office, Celine turned on her computer and saw a newly received email from HR. An email from HR with the subject: "Urgent Notification Regarding Security Incident."

Celine's heart pounded violently. Was this about this morning's incident at home? Or was there something bigger she had missed?

Her hand trembled as she clicked the email. The message was partially cut off, but the words "data breach" and "internal investigation" were enough to send cold dread through her veins.

Celine opened the email fully. Her eyes swept rapidly across each line-every word felt like a punch.

The announcement explained that a serious cybersecurity incident had resulted in the leak of critical client data. All employees were requested to cooperate in the upcoming investigation, and most shockingly, the email also stated that one of the company's main servers had been hacked, and illegal access was detected from an IP address traced to... the residential area of Adiwangsa-her father.

The intercom on her desk buzzed, shattering her focus. "Celine, come to Mr. Adiwangsa's office now." Her father's secretary's voice sounded flat and serious.

Celine stood up, her legs trembling. The whispers around her grew louder, and this time, she could feel suspicious stares following her.

"I never thought Mr. Adiwangsa would be this careless."

"They're both in on it together!"

They must have all read the email. And they all knew who her father was.

---

When Celine stepped into her father's office, the atmosphere felt frozen. Adiwangsa sat behind his large desk, his usually composed face now pale and tense, deep furrows etched between his brows.

"Sit down, Celine," Adiwangsa ordered, his voice low and hoarse-almost unrecognizable. "Did you read the email from HR?"

Celine nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes, Father. But... why...?"

Adiwangsa exhaled heavily, leaning forward. "This is a disaster, Celine. Our client data... all of it leaked. And worse, they traced the IP address to our house." His eyes sharpened, as if searching for answers on Celine's face. "I swear, I don't know anything about this. I didn't even turn on my work computer at home last night. But this evidence... it incriminates me."

Adiwangsa roughly wiped his face, frustrated. "I didn't even have time for breakfast this morning. Something strange happened at home-I don't know who broke in, but... who would believe me? Everyone will think I'm the culprit." His voice rose, mixing anger and despair. "This must be someone's scheme to bring me down!"

Adiwangsa then fell silent, massaging his temples. His gaze shifted to Celine, hesitant and laced with faint suspicion. "You... you don't know anything about this, do you, Celine? Did anyone come to the house while I was away?" His voice lowered, suspicious-as if he were questioning his own daughter.

---

Remaining in the company made Celine feel as if a heavy stone was pressing down on her heart. Her head throbbed painfully. During this lunch hour, she wanted to get out and meet Zack.

When she arrived on campus, Celine spotted Zack sitting alone under a tree. Luckily, Zack was easy to find.

She sat down beside Zack, offering him a smile.

Sensing someone's presence, Zack quickly turned his head. "You again?" His eyes widened in anger.

Celine's smile instantly faded. Was her arrival bothering him?

"I came here because I wanted to have lunch together. Is that okay?" Celine spoke as if asking for permission, afraid Zack would reject her again.

But Zack didn't move away. He stayed in place. "This is your lunch break at the office. Just eat there. No need to come all the way here. It's a waste of fare," he grumbled disapprovingly, his tone laced with emphasized annoyance.

Celine smiled bitterly. To her, spending a little extra money meant nothing if it meant receiving warmth from the person she loved.

Celine took out a snack from her bag and handed it to Zack. "I happened to buy this earlier-your favorite wheat biscuits."

Zack glanced at it briefly, uninterested. "Eat it yourself. I'm not hungry."

Celine lowered her head sadly. "You can make me happy, can't you?" She looked up, gazing at Zack's expressionless face. He wouldn't even look at her, not even for a second.

"Happy?" Zack stood up, looking down at Celine. *This woman has a strong heart,* he thought. Instead of giving up and leaving him, she was still holding on.

"What? Do you still like buying other women? Am I not enough, huh?" Celine stood up too, glaring sharply at Zack. Her hand crushed the snack until it crumpled.

Zack nodded. "Look at yourself in the mirror. Boring. You're not as beautiful as you used to be. Don't blame me for playing around with other women," Zack said proudly, insulting Celine relentlessly.

"Are you insane, huh? That's because your eyes are blind!" Celine cried out in frustration and struck Zack.

*Sret!*

He grabbed Celine's hair, making her scream in pain. "You ungrateful wretch! Get lost!"

"Akhhh! That hurts, Zack!" Celine's scream drew the attention of students nearby.