Alya stared in amazement at the residential neighborhood they had just entered. Row after row of grand, modern homes stood solidly along the street.
This area was famous as an elite luxury housing complex. Even though she worked at Astraea Corp, which was considered a corporate giant, Alya was still stunned by the lavish homes of the wealthy people who lived here.
Arka's sedan turned through a towering wrought-iron gate. The distance from the main gate to the house itself was about as far as Alya's home was from the commuter train station.
Alya couldn't stop clicking her tongue in awe. How could anyone build a palace this huge just to live in?
"Get out."
Before she knew it, the car was neatly parked inside an enormous garage. Alya hadn't even noticed because she was so captivated. And once again, her eyes were treated to rows of luxury cars with astronomical price tags, all lined up in perfect order. She reflexively swallowed. Her family only had one old motorcycle, which her father used for work. With this many cars lined up, how did anyone even manage to use them all?
"How long are you planning to daydream over there?" "Huh?" Alya's reverie shattered instantly. Arka had apparently already walked ahead of her. "Ugh! Why did he leave me behind? This is his house—what if I get lost in here? What a jerk!" Alya muttered under her breath before hurriedly following her boss's long strides.
The inside of the house was even more breathtaking. The classic interior, accented with champagne gold, was incredibly elegant.
How much money do they have? Alya couldn't stop marveling inwardly. A house could really be this beautiful and this huge?
"Caca! Daddy's home, sweetheart," Arka called, his baritone voice suddenly turning soft.
"Daddyyy!" A tiny little girl came running toward him. Arka immediately knelt and pulled her into his warm embrace.
"Hmm, what is Daddy's little girl doing?" "I was dwawing with Cali earlier, Daddy," the little girl babbled with a slight lisp. "What a good girl. Do I smell sour, Caca?"
Caca brought her tiny nose close to Arka's neck, then giggled. "Ew, you do! You haven't taken a shower yet, have you, Daddy?"
"But Caca still loves Daddy, right?" Arka teased, planting an affectionate kiss on his daughter's chubby cheek. "Of course I do! But Daddy smells," the little girl laughed brightly.
Alya had been so busy admiring the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling that she hadn't realized the little girl was staring at her.
"Daddy... who's that?" Caca asked, pointing at Alya with her tiny finger. Arka glanced at Alya for a moment, then turned back to his daughter with a warm smile. "Take a guess."
"Um... she must be Caca's mommy, right, Daddy?" she guessed, her eyes widening with excitement.
Arka smiled and slowly nodded. "More precisely... your future mommy."
"Yaaay! Caca has a mommy!" the little girl cheered, clapping her tiny hands. "But Daddy, why does Mommy look so confused?"
Arka let out a soft laugh as he glanced at Alya, who stood awkwardly with her mouth slightly open. "Oh, that. Your future mommy is still confused, sweetheart. It's her first time here. She'll get used to it."
"Then Caca wants to go say hi to her, Daddy!" "Go ahead." Arka lowered Caca from his arms. Without hesitation, the little girl ran toward Alya.
"Mo... Mommy... you're Caca's mommy, right?" Caca asked, tilting her head back to look up at Alya hopefully. "Huh—" Alya nearly jumped out of her skin when the tiny girl rushed over and hugged her legs.
"You're Caca's mommy, right?"
"What?" Alya grew even more confused, not knowing what to do. But from the corner of her eye, she saw Arka giving her a sharp look filled with unmistakable warning.
"Uh... y-yes, sweetheart. I-I'm Caca's future mommy..." Alya answered reluctantly. She crouched down to Caca's height, then awkwardly stroked the little girl's fine hair.
"Yay! Caca has a mommy! Caca's so happy! Can Caca sleep with her future mommy tonight, Daddy?" Caca cried, turning to her father.
Arka nodded indulgently. "Yes, that's fine. But don't be naughty, Caca." "Okay, Daddy!"
"Caca! Here's your milk, sweetheart..." A voice interrupted them. A young woman appeared, carrying a cup of warm milk. Sari abruptly stopped in her tracks, utterly shocked to find Alya inside the house. Wasn't this woman the secretary from the office earlier that afternoon?
"Cali! Caca has a new future mommy! She's pretty, right?" Caca exclaimed with a huge grin.
Sari quickly regained control of her surprise. She smiled and approached Caca. "Wow, yes... Of course she is. Here, Caca's mommy," she said, holding out the cup of milk. Her eyes then shifted to Alya, and she gave her a polite nod, which Alya returned with an awkward smile.
"Starting today, Alya will be Caca's future mommy, Sari," Arka stated firmly.
"Yes, sir," Sari replied obediently. Her heart was actually overflowing with questions. How had her unbelievably cold boss suddenly brought his secretary home and introduced her as Caca's future mother? Did the two of them actually have a secret relationship?
"Prepare a room for Alya, Sari. Any floor is fine. I want to take a shower first," Arka ordered. "Yes, sir."
"Why can't Mommy sleep in Daddy's room?" Caca asked innocently.
The question successfully left all three adults in the room frozen stiff.
"Not yet, sweetheart," Sari cut in, covering up the awkwardness. "Once your future mommy is officially married to Daddy, then they can sleep together."
At the word 'married,' Alya reflexively glanced at Arka with an awkward, conflicted look.
"Sari's right. All right, Caca, go play with your future mommy for now. Daddy's going to take a shower," Arka said, trying to redirect her attention. "Okay, Daddy!" Caca replied enthusiastically.
Arka gently ruffled his daughter's hair before heading toward the stairs to the upper floor. Alya watched the man's broad back until he disappeared around the corridor's corner.
"I'll go get Alya's room ready," Sari said warmly. "Ah, yes. Go ahead, Sari."
After Sari left, the atmosphere suddenly grew awkward again for Alya. To be honest, she had never had any experience taking care of a young child before.
"Mommy, come to Caca's loom! Caca will show you her dwawings. They're pwetty!" Caca urged excitedly, tugging at Alya's fingers.
Alya smiled as sincerely as she could. "Oh, really? Let's go!"
Caca led Alya by the hand to her room. Pure happiness shone from the little girl's face, as though she had just received the most precious gift in the world.
The night grew later and quieter. The only sound was the steady ticking of the wall clock in the hallway. The hour hand had already reached one in the morning, yet Alya still couldn't close her eyes.
She lay on her side, watching Caca sleep soundly while hugging her around the waist. Alya slowly brushed aside a few strands of hair covering the little girl's forehead. Caca's tiny face looked so innocent and peaceful in sleep.
A strange feeling suddenly crept into Alya's chest. A warmth that melted her heart, along with a fear she couldn't explain. Slowly and carefully, Alya slipped out of Caca's small embrace, then rose from the bed without making a sound.
Click.
Alya stepped out of Caca's room. The second-floor hallway was utterly silent. A house this grand felt far too empty for only a few people to live in. She glanced toward Arka's tightly closed bedroom door nearby. It was just as quiet.
With slow steps, Alya walked to the staircase and sat on one of the steps. She stared blankly at the living room below, lost in thought. Her face looked troubled. So many things were churning in her mind, especially her feelings about Caca. For some reason, her affection for the tiny girl had grown so quickly, even though Alya had always felt awkward around young children and generally disliked them.
"Why are you sitting here in the middle of the night?"
A deep baritone voice startled her. Alya flinched and looked up. Arka stood two steps behind her, wearing a plain white T-shirt and lounge pants. The shirt framed his broad shoulders, while his slightly tousled hair gave him an entirely different look from the one he wore at the office.
"Ah... it's nothing. I just... can't sleep yet," Alya replied awkwardly.
Unexpectedly, Arka walked down and sat on the step right beside Alya. Their close proximity made her instinctively hold her breath.
"Why? Are you uncomfortable living here?" Arka asked flatly, staring straight ahead.
"It's not that. I just..." Alya let her sentence trail off. "I asked for your help, and in return, you will receive appropriate compensation and security. You have nothing to fear," Arka said, his expression remaining calm. "So please stay here."
"But, sir..." "I won't let you work without compensation. Naturally, I will pay you several times your usual salary and cover all your expenses. Relax. Don't worry about money."
Alya let out a quiet scoff, irritation suddenly seeping into her. This man always measured everything in money, as if money were the only reason Alya was here.
"Money isn't what I'm talking about!" Alya said, a little annoyed. "Either way, I've never taken care of a young child before. I'm just afraid... afraid I won't know how to act like a good mother to Caca."
Arka fell silent for a moment. His eyes gazed into the darkness of the living room.
"I had Caca when I was only twenty-two," Arka said quietly. "Back then, I didn't even know how to hold a newborn. I had to raise her on my own while enduring all kinds of vicious rumors from people, then divide my time between college and taking care of her."
He turned and looked Alya straight in the eye.
"So don't use that as an excuse. You're more than old enough to get married, aren't you? We're getting married soon. Consider this your chance to learn. If a man like me can raise a child, why can't you?"
Alya was stunned. Arka's words had hit their mark and checkmated her completely.
"I haven't gotten married until now because..." Alya stopped, reminded of the trauma from her past.
"Oh, or could it be that you..." Arka narrowed his eyes, studying Alya suspiciously.