The Dirgantara estate was even more intimidating up close than it was from the road. It wasn't just a house; it was a monument to wealth and isolation. The driveway was lined with perfectly manicured hedges that looked like they were trimmed with a ruler, and the gravel crunching under the car tires sounded expensive. When the driver opened the door for Liana, she stepped out holding her battered cardboard box of paints, feeling like a speck of dust in a museum.
"Welcome, Miss Liana," a man said, standing at the massive mahogany front doors. He was older, dressed in a sharp black suit, and had a face that looked like it hadn't smiled since the late nineties. "I am Hadi, the head of the household staff. Master Adrian is currently in his study and is not to be disturbed. I will show you to your quarters."
Liana nodded, trying to keep her chin up. "And Mika?"
"The young mistress is currently having her dinner. You will join her shortly," Hadi replied, his tone neutral but slightly guarded. He looked at Liana's box with a faint wrinkle of his nose. "I will have someone take... that... to your room."
"No, thank you. I can carry it myself," Liana said, tightening her grip. It was the only thing she owned that still felt like it belonged to the girl who had dreams.
The interior of the house was a nightmare of minimalism. White marble floors, grey silk rugs, and glass everywhere. It felt like walking through a refrigerator. There were no family photos on the walls, no stray toys, no signs of life. It was a house built for a man who wanted to control every shadow.
Hadi led her to the second floor. Her room was tucked away in a quiet wing, far from Adrian's master suite but close enough to Mika's. To her surprise, it was beautiful, but in a cold way. The windows were massive, offering a view of the dark, sprawling gardens.
"Master Adrian has designated the adjoining sunroom as your studio," Hadi said, gesturing to a smaller room connected by a sliding glass door. "The light is best in the morning. Your hours for 'personal pursuits' are between 5 AM and 7 AM, before the young mistress wakes."
Liana almost laughed. Of course. Adrian didn't just give her time; he gave her the time when most of the world was still asleep. "He's very generous," she said sarcastically.
Hadi didn't catch the tone-or he ignored it. "Dinner is in ten minutes. Please freshen up."
After a quick change into the cleanest clothes she had-a simple black sweater and jeans-Liana made her way to the dining room. It was a cavernous space with a table that could easily seat twenty people. At one end sat Mika, looking tiny and lost in a high-backed velvet chair.
"Princess!" Mika squealed, nearly dropping her spoon.
"Hey, kiddo," Liana smiled, sitting down next to her. The warmth she felt for the girl was the only thing keeping her from running back out the front door. "How's the food?"
"Boring," Mika whispered. "Hadi makes me eat broccoli. Every day."
"Well, maybe we can negotiate a broccoli-to-ice-cream ratio later," Liana winked.
Mika giggled, and for a moment, the room felt a little less like a tomb. But the warmth didn't last long. The heavy doors at the end of the hall opened, and Adrian walked in. He didn't look like a man coming home to relax. He looked like a man coming to inspect a factory. He didn't even change out of his suit; he just removed his tie.
He sat at the head of the table, miles away from them. A maid immediately placed a plate in front of him. He didn't say hello. He didn't look at Liana. He just started cutting his steak with clinical precision.
"Did you find your room acceptable?" he asked, his voice echoing. He still didn't look up.
"It's fine," Liana said. "The studio has good light. Though I think the 5 AM start time is a bit of a power move."
Adrian's knife paused for a fraction of a second. "It is the only time when your presence is not required by my daughter. My money pays for your focus, Liana. Not your sleep."
Liana felt the fire in her chest flare up. "I'm not a machine, Mr. Dirgantara. But don't worry, I can paint in the dark if I have to. I've done it before."
Adrian finally looked up. His eyes were dark, searching her face for a sign of weakness. "In this house, we follow schedules. Mika has school at 8 AM. You will accompany her. You will be back by 3 PM for her art and French lessons. In between, you are free to do as you wish, provided you stay on the grounds."
"French lessons? She's six," Liana protested. "When does she get to just... play?"
"Play is a luxury for those without responsibilities," Adrian said coldly. "Mika is a Dirgantara. She will be prepared for her future."
Mika's head was down, her spoon moving slowly through her soup. She looked miserable. Liana looked at the little girl, then back at the man who seemed to be made of stone. This wasn't just a job anymore. This was a rescue mission.
"Responsibility is important," Liana said, her voice dropping to a softer but firmer tone. "But a child who doesn't know how to imagine will grow up to be a man who doesn't know how to feel. Is that what you want for her?"
The tension in the room became thick enough to choke on. The maids stood frozen by the sideboard. Adrian set his fork down with a loud clank.
"You are here to care for her, not to lecture me on parenting," he said, his voice dangerously low. "Remember your place."
"My place is whatever I make it," Liana shot back.
Adrian stared at her. He looked genuinely baffled that this girl-this "placeholder" of an employee-had the nerve to challenge him twice in one day. Most people crumbled under his gaze. Liana just tilted her chin up, her eyes bright with defiance.
"Daddy, don't be mean," Mika whispered, her voice trembling.
Adrian looked at his daughter, and for a split second, a crack appeared in his mask. A flicker of guilt, or perhaps just exhaustion. He rubbed his temples and stood up.
"I have work to finish," he said, turning away without finishing his meal. "Hadi will give you the rest of the rules. Goodnight, Mika."
He walked out, his footsteps receding down the long hallway. Liana watched him go, feeling a strange mix of anger and curiosity. He wasn't just a jerk; he was a man who seemed to be fighting a war with himself.
"Is Daddy mad?" Mika asked, her eyes welling with tears.
Liana moved her chair closer and wrapped an arm around the girl. "No, sweetie. Your daddy is just... he's just forgotten how to be a person. But we're going to help him remember, okay?"
Mika looked up, hopeful. "How?"
Liana smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "We're going to start with a little bit of color. But first, let's finish that broccoli so we can find where they hide the chocolate."
That night, after Liana tucked Mika into bed, she couldn't sleep. The house was too quiet. Every creak of the floorboards felt like a whisper. She wandered down to the kitchen to get a glass of water, but as she passed the library, she saw a light glowing under the door.
Curiosity got the better of her. She pushed the door open just a crack.
Adrian was there, sitting at a massive desk covered in blueprints and spreadsheets. But he wasn't working. He was holding a small, framed photograph in his hands, staring at it with an expression Liana hadn't seen before. He looked broken. He looked human.
She stepped back, her heart racing. She realized then that the "Ice Architect" wasn't cold because he lacked a heart; he was cold because he was freezing his pain to keep it from shattering him.
She went back to her room and opened her paint box. She took out a fresh canvas. She didn't paint the landscapes she usually loved. Instead, she took a glob of deep, dark blue and a streak of stark, cold white.
"You want a machine, Adrian?" she whispered to the empty room. "Too bad. You got an artist."
She stayed up long past midnight, her brush moving frantically. She was painting the man in the library-not his face, but the feeling of him. The loneliness, the steel, the hidden cracks.
At 5 AM, just as the sun began to bleed into the horizon, Liana put her brush down. Her hands were stained with blue paint, and her eyes were burning with fatigue. She looked at her work. It was raw and messy, but it was honest.
She realized then that her "tekad" to make him fall in love wasn't just about winning a game or securing her future. It was about seeing if there was anything left inside that fortress worth saving.
She cleaned her brushes, her mind already buzzing with the next day's plan. She had to deal with the school run, the cold glares from the staff, and the looming presence of a man who hated everything she stood for.
But as she looked out at the garden, she saw a single bird land on a frozen fountain. It pecked at the ice, stubborn and persistent.
Liana smiled. "I feel you, little guy," she murmured. "We'll break through eventually."
She had 257 chapters to go, and she knew every single one of them would be a battle. But as she finally climbed into bed, she didn't feel like a janda or a failure. She felt like a woman with a mission. And Adrian Dirgantara had no idea what was coming for him.
