Glenca let out a soft laugh when she saw how frustrated Greynard was because of her. “There you go again, asking me for something like that. It’s okay, Grey. I’m fine. I can still get by, even if I do sometimes ask you to feed me for free. But don’t worry, Grey. I’ll stop when I can’t take it anymore and give up.”
Glenca chuckled softly again. “Don’t make such a miserable face. If every bone in my body is completely crushed and I can’t stand anymore, I’ll crawl straight to you and surrender.”
A harsh breath escaped through Greynard’s lips. He turned around, presenting his back to Glenca, who was still leaning casually against the balcony railing.
“I hope the day you give up comes as soon as possible.”
Greynard’s voice sounded colder than the air on the fortieth floor.
“Why did your tone suddenly change so dramatically?”
Glenca frowned. Her smile vanished instantly when she saw the tense, broad back of the man in front of her.
“Figure it out yourself.”
That was all Greynard said. Glenca’s stubborn habit of building walls around herself had nearly driven him out of ideas. He had racked his brain and tried every possible way. All he wanted was to tear down those walls and offer her absolute protection so this foolish woman would no longer have to risk her life on the streets of the capital.
Glenca stepped closer, shortening the distance between them. Her petite hand gently touched Greynard’s arm.
“Are you my friend or not? What kind of friend prays for something bad to happen so I’ll give up sooner? You’re being incredibly unsupportive.”
Glenca pushed out her lips a few inches, pouting.
“Because your brain is made of granite, Caca! Humans weren’t created to solve every problem in the world by themselves. You always act like you don’t need anyone on this planet. But the truth is, your shoulders are about to break from carrying that burden.”
Greynard spun around. A flash of restrained fury ignited in his dark eyes.
“You turned down an important position at my company. You blocked me when I tried to pay off the overdue payments on your old car. You brushed aside the penthouse key I had prepared especially for you. And what drives me completely insane is your insistence on drowning yourself in this filthy, dangerous world of law. I hate your stubbornness, Glenca!”
Greynard’s breathing quickened. The veins in his neck stood out faintly. His emotions had truly exploded tonight.
Instead of feeling intimidated, Glenca’s lips curved into a warm smile. To her, Greynard’s fierce expression tonight didn’t look frightening at all. It was simply the frustration of a man who was desperately trying to find a way to protect her.
“Are you done with your angry speech? Or is there still a list of my stubborn sins you haven’t mentioned?”
Glenca’s voice was so gentle that it almost sounded as if she were soothing a fussy baby.
“Stop looking at me like that while you smile. I’m seriously angry with you.”
Greynard gently brushed Glenca’s hand off his arm, trying to maintain the wall of anger that was on the verge of collapsing.
“Thank you for worrying about me this much, Grey. I know your intentions are good. But listen to me.”
Glenca rested both elbows on the balcony railing, propping her chin up with her palms as she looked straight into Greynard’s eyes.
“If I keep hiding behind your power and wealth, I’ll forget how to walk on my own. I’ll become a parasite. You understand, right? I’ll only do what’s within my abilities. If things really start choking me and I can’t breathe anymore, I promise you’ll be the first person I call. I’ll definitely take advantage of your handsome face and your bank balance without hesitation.”
Glenca’s sweet smile remained perfectly in place. The sincerity in her eyes left Greynard completely helpless.
“Get rid of that smile.”
Greynard lowered his voice, holding back the strange turmoil in his chest.
“Why? You don’t have a strong enough defense against the charm of my smile, do you?” Glenca teased, tilting her head.
“Don’t get so full of yourself.”
“Your lips deny it, but your eyes agree. That’s a fact.”
Greynard turned his face away, cursing silently.
“You’re truly the most irritating female specimen ever created.”
“Take it as a compliment. You can be angry tonight, but by tomorrow morning, that anger had better have evaporated.”
Glenca straightened up and adjusted the crossbody bag on her shoulder.
“I’m going home now. Thanks for the fancy dinner and hot chocolate. Don’t keep making such a gloomy face. That pout of yours is actually adorable, like you’re asking someone to pinch your cheeks. Oh my gosh, Daddy Greynard is so cute when he pouts.”
Glenca’s hands darted out and pinched both of Greynard’s cheeks playfully. A second later, she dashed toward the balcony’s sliding door before Greynard could retaliate.
Greynard stood frozen on the balcony. His eyes followed her narrow back until it disappeared behind the glass door.
How could such a tiny body carry a burden as heavy as a mountain and still laugh so freely?
The thought kept circling through Greynard’s mind, disturbing his peace.
The night air greeted Glenca right outside the basement elevator of her apartment building. The warm smile she had worn in the luxurious penthouse had now completely faded. Her shoulders drooped. Her feet, encased in low heels, dragged toward her red car.
Glenca leaned her back against the car door and squeezed her eyes shut. Greynard’s words echoed in her head. Every one of his guesses had hit the mark. She wasn’t that strong.
“I’m fine. I have to look fine.”
Glenca whispered the words under her breath. They were the mantra she recited every night. Lying to the world had become a habit, until the line between lies and reality slowly began to blur.
The red hatchback cut through the still brightly lit streets of the capital. Nighttime in Jakarta was a celebration for street vendors. The aroma from angkringan carts and the smoke billowing from roadside food tents slipped through her car’s air-conditioning filter.
“Why do my eyes and nose have to team up against me tonight?”
Glenca stared miserably at the brightly lit sign advertising jumbo grilled squid by the roadside.
“It has to be so tender, spicy, and savory. Oh my gosh, my wallet just cried when it saw this morning’s electricity bill. If I stop to buy it now, tomorrow afternoon I’ll be stuck eating stale instant noodles.”
Glenca gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to force her gaze back onto the straight road ahead.
“Hey, my beautiful tummy. You’re a tough little thing, right? Hang in there a little longer. Stop squirming. My law firm paycheck comes in three days. Then I’ll treat you to the biggest grilled squid they have.”
Glenca rubbed her flat stomach with one hand. She talked to herself like a lunatic.
Thousands of miles away, in a dimly lit room filled with sophisticated audio equipment, a middle-aged man rolled his eyes and chuckled softly. A specialized pair of headphones was fitted snugly over his ears.
What a foolish woman. All she did every day was complain about her job.
Glenca finally parked in the lot of her modest apartment complex. She walked slowly toward the courtyard of the old building. A strange scent carried on the night breeze suddenly brought her to a stop.
The savory aroma of seafood seasoning roasting over a fire brutally invaded her senses.
Glenca turned her head from side to side. The apartment corridor was deserted. There was no one around.
“Glenca Briana, you’ve lost your mind over grilled squid. Your hallucinations have reached an advanced stage.”
Glenca slapped her own cheeks, cursing her rotten luck. Then she continued toward the elevator doors.
Just as the steel doors were about to open, a clear, boxed package floated down and stopped directly in front of her face. Inside were pieces of giant squid covered in dark red sauce, still steaming warmly.
Glenca’s eyes widened. She looked up quickly and found a man in a black leather jacket grinning mischievously as he held the package’s string.
“I knew it. This has to be Uncle Lucas’s doing.”
Glenca’s smile immediately bloomed when she saw the chubby, middle-aged man she knew so well.
“Sharp analysis, young miss.”
Lucas bowed respectfully, an old habit he had never lost.
“My instincts are never wrong.”
Glenca lifted her chin proudly.
Lucas Gabino was a walking wall hired by her family. A former special-forces operative who had changed careers and become a personal bodyguard. Her father’s dirty business had attracted plenty of enemies, making tight security standard procedure. Even after Glenca severed her blood ties and chose to live in poverty, Lucas continued watching over her like a shadow.
The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside together.
“You still dare to plant listening devices in my belongings? That’s how you knew exactly when my stomach was begging for grilled squid?”
Glenca glared at Lucas’s reflection in the elevator mirror.
Her mind drifted back to an incident two years earlier, when she had taken apart her car seat and discovered the tiny bug Lucas had installed—on her father’s orders.
“Your instincts as a lawyer are frightening, miss. Yes, the device is still working perfectly. It’s installed somewhere you’ll never find, not even by the time the world ends.”
Lucas smiled triumphantly.
Glenca’s face immediately twisted with displeasure. Her eyes widened.
“Save the pout, miss. This is standard security protocol. There are plenty of hungry wolves out there. Lord Greynard is still dutifully transferring funds for your protection operations, too. Instead of worrying about the bug, we should finish this food while it’s still warm. I could hear your stomach swallowing from my earpiece earlier.”
“We? Hold on. You didn’t buy this huge box just for me?”
“I used my pension money for this. This grilled squid cost about as much as a room rental on the outskirts of Jakarta, miss. Of course I’m entitled to a share.”
Lucas snorted.
“All right, all right. I’ll let you have some.”
Glenca let out a long sigh. Her eyes never left the clear box radiating a heavenly aroma.
“I thought you’d already been added to the list of people fired by my old family.”
Glenca’s sudden remark made Lucas’s jaw freeze mid-chew.