TOTAL DEVASTATION
After the door closed and the sound of Elara's car completely faded, David remained sitting on the family room floor. The whisky bottle in his hand was empty, but the pain only grew sharper, more vivid. The alcohol didn't numb him—it fueled the rage he had been holding back.
He looked at their wedding photo above the fireplace. Elara in her white wedding dress, smiling brightly at him. A photo that was once a source of happiness now served as a reminder of how deeply he had betrayed it all.
With a sudden movement, David stood up and hurled the empty bottle toward the fireplace. Glass shattered everywhere, the sound deafening.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!" he screamed, a cry of utter despair from the depths of his soul.
CHAOS IN THE HOUSE
The household staff, who had been working quietly in the back of the house, heard the commotion and rushed to the family room. They stopped at the doorway, eyes wide at the scene.
David Yang—the master of the house who was always in control, whose words were always measured even when angry—was destroying his own family room with his bare hands.
"Master David!" cried Maria, the eldest housekeeper who had worked for the family since David was a teenager.
But David didn't hear. He knocked over an antique vase left by his mother. Swept all the books off the shelves. Threw a chair at the window, shattering the glass. Every object he destroyed was a symbol of the perfect life now ruined.
"GET OUT! ALL OF YOU, GET OUT!" he yelled at the terrified staff.
But Maria, with courage born from decades of service, moved closer. "Master David, please calm down—"
"I SAID GET OUT!" David pushed the coffee table, which slid and nearly hit Maria's legs.
Two security aides on duty at the house—Budi and Agus—finally intervened. They tried to restrain David from behind.
"Sorry, Mr. David. Calm down first, Sir," said Budi, gripping David's arm.
But David, with strength fueled by anger and despair, broke free. "DON'T TOUCH ME! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU SHOULD HAVE STOPPED ELARA! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE LET HER LEAVE!"
ROBERT'S ARRIVAL
Robert, who had actually left but received a panicked call from Maria, returned to the house in his car. Upon entering, he saw the chaos—the family room looking like a battlefield, David appearing wild with torn clothes and bleeding hands (cut by broken glass), and terrified staff.
"David!" Robert shouted, his voice cutting through the tension.
David paused briefly, looking at Robert with red eyes. "They let her go, Robert. They let Elara take Alisha."
Robert gestured for the staff to leave the room. "Everyone, out. I'll handle this."
Once the room was empty except for the two of them, Robert approached David slowly, like approaching a wounded lion.
"David, sit."
"I DON'T WANT TO SIT!ELARA IS GONE! SHE TOOK ALISHA!"
"I know.But destroying your house won't bring them back."
David slumped back onto the floor, his body trembling. His rage slowly turned into deep sorrow. He cried—the agonized sobs of a grown man filled with regret.
"That picture, Robert. Natasha sent that picture to Elara. She deliberately destroyed my marriage."
A DARK OFFER
Robert sat on the floor beside David. He had worked for David for ten years, witnessing everything—from David building his business empire, meeting Elara, their marriage, Alisha's birth. And now, its destruction.
"David, I'll be honest," Robert said in a low voice. "Your problem now isn't just about feelings. It's about a threat. Natasha has evidence that can destroy you further. And with Elara gone, she has even more leverage."
David stared at him. "What are you suggesting?"
"You can't beat her through normal legal channels.She's too cunning. And as long as she's free, she'll keep threatening you, threatening Elara, threatening Alisha."
Robert paused briefly, making sure no one was listening.
"I have connections.People who can... secure Natasha for a while. Silence her. Buy you time to gather evidence against her, or at least, negotiate a deal."
David frowned. "Kidnap her?"
"Protect her from herself,if necessary," Robert said smoothly. "David, look at your state. She destroyed your life. She ruined your marriage. And tomorrow or the day after, she'll extort you further. Or send those photos to the media. Or approach Elara again."
"But that's—"
"Illegal?Yes. But is it more illegal than what she did to you? Manipulating, blackmailing, destroying a family?"
David fell silent. His mind raced. On one hand, his cold business logic said: this is an effective solution. Natasha is a threat that must be neutralized. On the other hand, his conscience—or what remained of it—screamed that this crossed a line.
"Are you sure this can be done without a trace?"
"My people are professionals.They'll take her to a safe place. She'll be treated well—just unable to communicate with the outside world for a while."
A DIFFICULT CHOICE
David stood up, walked to the broken window. The night wind brushed against his face. In the distance, city lights twinkled. Somewhere out there, Elara and Alisha were staying at a hotel or someone's house. And Natasha... Natasha was probably celebrating her victory.
"How many photos and videos does she have?" David asked.
"According to a small investigation I conducted,at least dozens of photos from various angles. And a few short videos. All stored in the cloud, but there are also physical copies."
"If we... secure her, what about the cloud copies?"
"We need her password.Or we need access to her devices." Robert stood up. "That's part of the plan. We don't just secure her, but all the evidence."
David closed his eyes. The image of Elara appeared—her shattered face when she saw the photo. The image of Alisha crying because she had to choose between her parents. And the image of Natasha smiling smugly.
"Do it," David finally said, his voice hoarse. "But with one condition: don't hurt her. I don't want to become a monster like her."
Robert nodded. "I understand. I'll arrange everything."
"And Robert..."
"Yes?"
"This stays between the two of us.No one else knows. Including the staff here."
"Absolutely."
AFTER THE DECISION
After Robert left to arrange everything, David was alone again in the ruined room. He looked around—the damage he had caused himself. Broken glass, scattered furniture, torn paintings.
He picked up the wedding photo that remained intact amidst the wreckage. Stroked Elara's face in the photo.
"I'll do anything to protect you, Elara. Even if it means I have to become a bad person."
But somewhere in his heart, a small voice asked: If Elara knew about this, would she forgive you? Or would it just push her away forever?
He didn't know the answer. All he knew was: Natasha had crossed the line. And sometimes, to fight a devil, one must first descend into hell.
That night, David slept in his study, on the narrow sofa. Nightmares haunted him—Elara walking away, Alisha crying, Natasha laughing. And in the middle of that dream, he saw himself turning into the very monster he had always feared.
Meanwhile, in her luxurious apartment, Natasha was staring at her laptop screen. She saw the "read" status on the message she had sent to Elara. A faint smile spread.
"The game has just begun, David," she whispered to herself.
But she didn't know that outside, in a dark car parked across the street, two pairs of eyes were watching her. And they were not admirers, but harbingers of disaster.