Chapter 5 Adiwangsa Reputation

The more Celine winced in pain, Zack did not release his grip. He seemed to savor Celine's flushed, pained expression. "What's the point of having a girlfriend like you?" Zack hissed sharply.

Celine tried to pry Zack's hand from her hair, but his strength was far greater. "L-let go! It...it hurts!" Her whimpering plea dissolved into pitiful sobs.

Zack shoved Celine roughly, and she sprawled onto the ground.

"As of this moment, we're through!" Zack declared with grave emphasis, then walked away. He paid no attention to Celine, still crumpled on the ground.

The students who had witnessed the scene exchanged whispers.

"Oh, so Mr. Zack actually has a girlfriend? I thought she'd be pretty," one female student sneered, covering her mouth with a chuckle.

"Goodness, Mr. Zack's taste is so low. She's lucky to be dumped."

Wiping her tears, Celine struggled to her feet. She tidied her disheveled hair-Zack's handiwork.

Refusing to remain silent, Celine fixed her gaze upon them all.

"Just wait! Your lecturer is a lecherous man who buys women!" Celine shouted, her voice hoarse but blazing with fury. Her red-rimmed eyes bore sharply into each face that had been smirking moments before. A momentary hush fell.

The whispers ceased, replaced by awkward silence. Several students looked stunned, while others exchanged uncertain glances.

One female student-the same one who had spoken earlier-retorted swiftly, "Nonsense! You're just bitter because he dumped you! Stop spreading slander!"

"Slander?" Celine let out a hollow laugh, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "You think that's why he always has money to blow on parties? You think that's why he can afford expensive things without working hard? He pays for everything! Including... including the women he sleeps with!" Celine's voice rose, drawing the attention of more passersby. Some lecturers even began to turn their heads, frowning.

Inside, Celine felt a surge of grim satisfaction. Adding a little embellishment wouldn't hurt. She no longer cared if Zack's reputation at this campus was ruined.

The tension in the air thickened. The students who had been sneering now looked uncomfortable; some even appeared frightened by Celine's fiery gaze. Her words struck deep, shattering their assumptions about their admired lecturer.

"I have proof!" Celine continued, her voice trembling slightly, but her stare unwavering. She pulled out her phone, opened her gallery, and displayed the screenshot she had saved-Zack's story post.

"None of you know how rotten that man is beneath his mask of a respectable lecturer! Look! You can read it yourself. Zack is my boyfriend. I even introduced him to my father-Adiwangsa." Her final words made several female students gasp, their faces paling.

Adiwangsa? The Adiwangsa who owned Adiwangsa Property?

"How dare you speak like that!" Suddenly, a deep voice rang out from behind the crowd.

Zack had returned. His face was flushed red, his glare menacing. He strode toward Celine, fists clenched. The atmosphere grew even more oppressive.

Celine held her breath but did not retreat. Fear mingled with anger in her eyes. "You're back? What do you want? Trying to silence me? Go ahead! I'm not afraid of you anymore, Zack!" she challenged, though her body trembled slightly.

Zack stopped right in front of Celine, bending slightly so his eyes met hers. "You'll regret saying all that, Celine," he hissed softly, yet his tone was far more terrifying than his earlier shouts. "You don't know who you're dealing with."

"I do know! I'm dealing with a coward who abuses his power!" Celine retorted, her voice rising as she drew a deep breath. "You think I'd just stay silent after what you did to me? After treating me like garbage?"

A flash of memory surfaced-how she had tried so hard for Zack, yet he had never appreciated her efforts, as if she were beneath him. Of course, it had shattered her heart.

Zack's eyes narrowed. He glanced around, realizing more and more eyes were watching. His face, previously flushed with anger, now paled slightly with concern for his reputation. Yet he could not let Celine continue speaking.

'Damn you, Celine! I won't let you live in peace!' Zack seethed inwardly. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Shut your mouth!" Zack snapped, this time at a much higher volume, making several students jump in surprise. He raised his hand as if to slap Celine, but thought better of it when he noticed other lecturers now approaching, drawn by the commotion.

Celine did not flinch. She knew this was her chance. "I will expose everything! All your depraved deeds! I won't let them stay neatly buried!"

Zack clenched his fists at his sides, his jaw hardening. A flash of serious threat gleamed in his eyes. "You won't be able to do that, Celine. Believe me. You'll only make your life harder." The corner of his lips curled into a sly smile.

Fear crept into Celine's eyes. She looked at Zack wistfully-the chance of him reverting to who he once was seemed impossibly remote. Yet she quickly dismissed the thought. She had come too far to back down now. "I'll prove it!"

---

Upon arriving at Adiwangsa Property, Celine received a message from her father to come to the executive office immediately.

Ignoring the still-cynical stares from employees, Celine ran down the office corridor. She took the elevator to the second floor.

No sooner had she opened the door than Celine was startled to find Adiwangsa standing right in front of her. She pressed her hand to her chest, steadying her pounding heart.

"Father! Why did you have to startle me like that?" Celine snapped, annoyed. It wasn't like Adiwangsa to be this abrupt.

"Why weren't you resting in the cafeteria?" Adiwangsa asked coldly, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. He had received a report from the front security guard that Celine had taken her car out of the office parking lot.

Celine averted her gaze from her father and cleared her throat. "I... I wanted to eat at a nearby restaurant, Father," she answered, making an excuse.

A weary sigh made Celine nervous. Did Adiwangsa know she had gone to campus to meet Zack?

"That nearby restaurant is north of here, Celine! Not east! You're trying to lie to me, aren't you?" Adiwangsa pressed, dismantling Celine's utterly implausible excuse.

"And look at this," Adiwangsa strode back to his desk, grabbed a document, and hurled it directly at Celine's face.

Startled, Celine reflexively shut her eyes as the document struck her roughly. She gazed at her father with doleful eyes. Day by day, Adiwangsa was becoming harsher.

Celine bent down and picked up the document from the floor. She opened it-and was shocked to see that the company's finances had plummeted drastically.

Adiwangsa stepped closer, his eyes boring into his only daughter. "You're incompetent! I never should have relied on you. Your performance is getting worse." He jabbed Celine's shoulder with his index finger, as if she were utterly worthless.

The small commotion piqued the curiosity of several employees, who paused at the threshold of the executive office to watch.

Slowly, tears began to fall down Celine's cheeks. She shook her head. "I've tried my best, Father! I even made sure your properties were accepted by a foreign company!" Her hoarse voice rose, refuting Adiwangsa's accusations.