The rain showed no mercy that night, as if the sky had decided to release all of its fury at once.
Sheets of water slammed against the wide glass windows of the private café on the upper floor of an old business building, the noise sharp and relentless, cutting through the silence. Lightning flashed from time to time, flooding the room with white light and briefly illuminating the silhouettes of two people seated across from each other at a corner table.
The crystal chandelier above them glowed dimly. Its golden light was soft, elegant—but not nearly warm enough to dissolve the tension hanging thick in the air.
Elena sat with her back straight.
The black business suit she wore looked expensive and immaculate, as if freshly pressed straight from a boutique rack. Her dark brown hair was swept into a flawless bun. Her face was calm, nearly unreadable—the expression of a woman long practiced in concealing whatever turmoil raged inside her.
Across from her, Hans looked like the very opposite of the word perfect.
His white shirt was wrinkled, the collar faintly stained by rain. His tie hung loose around his neck, as though he no longer had the energy to care. Dark circles rested beneath his eyes, evidence of sleepless nights filled with anxiety and regret.
Just a month ago, Hans had been hailed as one of the most promising young entrepreneurs of his generation—the heir to a respected, stable family company.
Then came the betrayal.
Forged documents. Phantom investments. Debt that appeared overnight and grew into a monster.
Now, he sat across from Elena—the woman who was supposed to remain a part of a past he never wanted to revisit.
Elena broke the silence by sliding a black leather folder to the center of the table.
"Read it," she said flatly. No pleasantries. "I don't like wasting time."
Hans stared at the folder for several seconds. His heart began to pound harder, as if his instincts already knew that whatever lay inside was anything but trivial.
He opened it slowly.
It wasn't a business proposal.
It wasn't a partnership agreement.
Hans froze.
On the very first page was a marriage certificate. Official. Stamped. With his full legal name printed clearly—right beside Elena's.
His breath caught.
The next page was even crueler. A detailed settlement of fifty billion rupiah in debt under his father's company's name—the very number that had haunted his sleep and waking thoughts alike.
"What is this?" Hans's voice came out rough, barely more than a whisper. "Are you trying to… buy me?"
Elena didn't answer right away.
She lifted her cup of black coffee and took a slow sip. Thin steam curled upward, carrying a bitter aroma that clashed sharply with the café's artificial sweetness.
"Think of it as an investment," she said at last.
Hans let out a short laugh. There was no humor in it. "An investment that involves marriage?"
"A contract marriage," Elena corrected calmly. "No love. No emotional obligations."
Hans looked up at her. "You're insane."
"Possibly," she replied with a faint shrug. "But it's the most efficient solution."
She leaned back slightly, fingers interlaced on the table. "My grandfather left a will. I can only become the full CEO if I'm married. In his eyes, family status mattered more than competence."
Hans frowned. "And this is the path you chose?"
"I don't like losing control," Elena said quietly. "And I have no intention of handing my company to someone else just because of a technicality."
Hans lowered his gaze back to the contract. "And where do I fit into all this?"
"You need money," Elena said without hesitation. "Your father's company is on the verge of collapse. The banks won't wait any longer."
Hans clenched his fist. The truth stung—that was what made it unbearable.
"I need status," Elena continued. "You need a rescue. This is mutual symbiosis."
Hans looked up, his eyes sharp. "Why me?"
The question lingered between them.
"There are thousands of men out there who are more suitable," he went on. "Cleaner. Safer. Why choose a man who's already falling apart?"
For a brief moment, Elena's expression hardened.
Just a fraction of a second—but enough for her to feel it herself.
"Because you wouldn't dare betray me," she said coldly. "Not after what I'm offering."
Hans laughed bitterly. "You're very confident."
"No," Elena replied. "I simply understand human nature."
Inside her chest, Elena's heart pounded hard. A secret pressed violently against the walls of her memory—about a storm ten years ago, about a boy who had once stood between her and her fear, never knowing how deeply he had shaped her life.
Hans stared at the contract for a long time.
If he refused, his father's company would sink.
If he accepted, his life would never return to what it once was.
"What are the terms?" he asked finally.
"We present ourselves as husband and wife to the public," Elena replied. "One year. After that, we divorce—cleanly."
"And if one of us breaks the agreement?"
Elena slid the final page toward him. "A penalty. A very large one."
Hans smirked faintly. "You've thought of everything."
Elena stood. "I always do."
Outside, the rain fell even harder. Lightning struck just as Hans reached for the pen.
The moment the tip touched the paper, Hans knew—
He had just signed the beginning of a life he didn't yet understand.
And Elena knew…
The real storm had only just begun.