Zacky strode back down his office corridor, his steps firm and commanding. The suffocatingly cold aura had settled over him once again, as though his dramatic conversation with Qiara at the café had never happened.
The man pushed open the door to the main conference room, instantly silencing the dozens of managers and board commissioners who had been whispering among themselves.
"Sorry for the delay. Let's start the meeting now," Zacky said firmly as he took his usual seat at the head of the long table.
Without wasting any time, he shot a sharp look at the projector screen, once again becoming the merciless CEO who showed no mercy.
Meanwhile, in a tropical-themed coffee shop far from the city center, Qiara sat lost in thought in the corner of the room. Across from her, a short-haired girl in trendy clothes stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes.
This was Lili, Qiara's closest friend since high school.
"What?! You're really getting married next week, Qia?!" Lili shrieked hysterically, nearly spilling the iced milk coffee on the table.
"Keep your voice down, Lili!" Qiara whispered in a panic, glancing around the café.
Lili clamped her mouth shut, then leaned toward Qiara, her expression still completely stunned.
"This is insane... absolutely insane! But wait, your future husband is Kak Zacky? Zacky Al-Fahri? Your former brother-in-law, the young CEO?!"
Qiara nodded weakly, her face gloomy. She listlessly toyed with the straw in her drink.
"Yeah. Dad forced me, and Kak Zacky agreed because of Laras's will."
Lili leaned back in her chair, clutching her chest as if she'd just heard the most shocking news of the year. But instead of showing pity or concern, her expression slowly transformed into undisguised admiration.
"Qia... you're kidding when you say your life is ruined, right?" Lili asked, her eyes sparkling.
Qiara frowned in confusion.
"What are you talking about, Li? I was just betrayed by Dewa, and now I'm being forced to marry a cold, heartless man like Kak Zacky! What's there to be happy about?!"
"Oh, Qiara... please open your eyes!" Lili groaned in exasperation. She took both of her friend's wrists in her hands.
"Dewa really is a jerk. Good riddance—you were right to break up with him! But Kak Zacky? Qia, he is the definition of the perfect man every woman in this city is looking for!"
"Perfect in what way?!" Qiara cut in, unable to accept it.
"He's filthy rich, a successful CEO, dignified, and incredibly handsome, with those sharp features like a movie star. And most importantly... he's incredibly loyal!" Lili exclaimed excitedly.
"Don't you remember how devotedly he took care of Laras when she was sick? He never even looked at another woman! Men like that barely exist in the real world, Qia! If you ask me, you're unbelievably lucky to be set up with him!"
"But he's so cold and stiff, Li! He even yelled at me yesterday!" Qiara shot back, stubbornly defending the hatred in her heart.
"Cold men just need time to thaw, sweetheart," Lili teased with a soft chuckle.
"Besides, instead of ending up with a sweet-talking guy like Dewa who likes fooling around behind your back, you'd be better off with Kak Zacky—stiff, maybe, but completely responsible!"
Qiara fell silent. Lili's words had struck a nerve in her logic, but her pride and the ache in her heart made her unwilling to admit it. She stared out the café window, imagining what her married life with the man named Zacky would be like.
"I've already set some conditions with him, Li. We'll sleep in separate rooms, and he can't touch me," Qiara said flatly.
Lili let out a small laugh and shook her head.
"We'll see, Qia. Let's see if you can keep acting indifferent when you're living under the same roof as a man as perfect as Kak Zacky..."
Qiara's phone on the table suddenly vibrated. A message from Zacky appeared on the screen.
"Your wedding dress will be delivered to the house tomorrow. Don't go wandering around again!"
Qiara bit her lower lip, staring at the cold message as her chest began pounding again with a restless anxiety.