There's an old saying: blood is thicker than water.
But no one ever warned Saka… that blood can also reek, that it can turn into poison—slowly suffocating his very breath.
The bitter truth? Family was the greatest source of his wounds.
Even though he often wanted to run as far as possible, his heart kept whispering, "Without them, you wouldn't be who you are today."
After leaving the lake, Saka's car sped through the city streets. His fingers clutched the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his jaw clenched. On the dashboard, his phone vibrated non-stop—Pak Gatra's name flashing again and again, urging him to come home immediately.
The moment he entered the family estate, his steps froze.
Rows of luxury cars filled the driveway, leaving almost no space. The air felt heavy, pressing from every direction. Saka's instincts screamed: this was more than just another family quarrel.
With a strained breath, he stepped inside.
In the living room, his two older sisters—Gita and Tari—were already seated. Two Ardhananta Group staff stood stiffly in the corner. Faces tense, air cold, as though oxygen had been drained out of the room.
"Since Saka's here, let's get straight to the point," Gita said. Her voice was flat, but its chill cut deep.
"What's going on?" Saka sat down, frowning.
"Haven't you checked the news?" Tari quickly spoke, her eyes both anxious and bitter. "Our family is trending. Viral on every platform."
Saka's heartbeat raced. His trembling hand grabbed his phone, scrolling through social media—and there it was. The truth hit him like a wrecking ball. His hands shook, not out of fear, but out of unbearable shame.
A video.
His father and mother—yelling at each other, blaming one another, right in the hospital lobby.
Comments flooded the screen: mockery, gossip, ridicule. The once-revered Ardhananta name was now a national laughingstock.
Saka shut his eyes tightly. His chest burned, as though fire had caged his lungs.
"Who recorded this?" His voice was low, almost a growl.
"Most likely paparazzi," Pak Gatra answered carefully.
"Have you tracked them down?"
"It's useless," Tari quickly cut in, her voice breaking with frustration. "Even if they apologized, the netizens will only go wilder."
BANG!
His father slammed the table, the vase on top rattling. "We can't just sit still! Ardhananta Group could collapse because of this!"
His mother immediately snapped back, her face red, eyes blazing with fury. "This is all your fault! If you hadn't caused trouble, no one would've filmed us!"
"Stop blaming me! You've been stirring the mess too!"
"If it weren't for YOUR AFFAIR, I wouldn't have lost my temper!"
Her voice shook the walls, veins bulging on her temples.
The word affair cracked like lightning. The room froze.
Saka's fists clenched on his lap, his heartbeat spiraling out of control.
"You don't know anything!" his father's voice thundered.
"I'll say this one last time," he glared at his wife, his tone sharp as a blade, "I never cheated! And that child is not mine!"
His mother laughed bitterly. "Hide a corpse as much as you want—it will still rot!"
His father leaned forward, voice dropping low, yet trembling with power. "Then listen carefully. I'll tell you the truth."
Silence.
A suffocating silence, so thick that even the ticking clock echoed like judgment. All eyes locked on him.
"That woman… she's only the wife of a man I accidentally killed years ago."
Gasps filled the room.
"My car was sabotaged back then—the brakes failed. I crashed into another car, sending it plunging into a ravine. The man inside died. Since that day, I supported his wife and child—not out of love, but guilt. And because I feared the truth would surface… and destroy Ardhananta Group."
The room fell into a deafening stillness.
Gita instinctively covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears. Tari stared blankly, her face pale. Saka's head spun violently, the ground beneath him trembling, ready to swallow him whole.
Before anyone could speak, a firm voice echoed from the doorway.
"Good evening. We're from the police, here with an arrest warrant for Mr. Mahesa Ardhananta Wiratama."
Everyone turned. Four officers entered, their boots striking the marble floor like gavel blows. One of them raised an official document.
"On what charge?" Tari's panicked voice cracked, her face ashen.
"Hit-and-run. Several years ago."
Thud.
Saka's world collapsed.
"Who filed the report?" His voice rasped, barely audible.
A young man stepped forward. His stance was rigid, his eyes sharp—burning with years of suppressed vengeance.
"I did."
All eyes fell on him.
"You…" Father staggered, his face drained of color. "…Zayn. The son of the man I killed."
Mother gasped in disbelief, choking on her words. "What is this nonsense? My husband has supported you all these years! Why would you betray him like this?"
Zayn's cold gaze pierced her. His dark eyes glimmered with unblinking fury. "Supporting my life is not the same as atoning for murder. I never asked for money. What I need… is justice."
"I didn't come for your wealth. I came… to return the pain you forced on me."
The officers stepped forward. The sound of handcuffs snapping shut on his father's wrists was like icy steel locking around Saka's chest.
"Please cooperate, Mr. Mahesa. You'll come with us."
The cuffs tightened. His mother screamed hysterically, while Gita and Tari froze, their faces pale, unable to speak.
Saka… said nothing.
His body sagged, bones hollow, his chest empty—like being sucked into a black hole.
For the first time, he truly felt… useless.
And deep down, all he wished for… was someone to hold him, someone to stop him from collapsing.
~~~
Sometimes life doesn't follow the script. Some parts we plan carefully, but never happen. Other moments we never imagine—arrive uninvited.
Today was proof.
Neither Saka, his family, nor the employees of Ardhananta Group ever imagined a scandal this massive would drag them into a police station.
Outside, dozens of reporters swarmed. Cameras, microphones, and spotlights were aimed like predators. No one knew how the news spread so fast, but once blood hits the water, the sharks always come.
Inside, the atmosphere was even heavier.
Father was in interrogation, still cuffed. Mother sat in the waiting area, sobbing hysterically, clung to by Gita and Tari.
And Saka?
He stood in the corner, rigid. Since arriving, he hadn't spoken a single word. His eyes were empty, staring at the floor like searching for an escape hole to vanish.
Then, the echo of leather shoes approached.
A man in a tailored suit stopped before him, his voice deep and steady.
"Saka, what's happening here?"
It was Aditya, Gita's husband. A renowned lawyer, accustomed to high-profile cases.
Saka stayed silent. His jaw tightened, but his voice was buried.
Aditya placed a hand on his shoulder. "Go home for now. Let me handle this. Tomorrow, you'll return with a clearer head."
"Pak Gatra," Aditya turned, "please take Saka home."
Pak Gatra stepped forward. "Let's go, Mas. I'll drive."
Saka shook his head slightly. His voice was hoarse when it finally escaped. "No. I… want to stay."
"Saka, you need rest," Aditya sighed. "If you push yourself, you'll break."
But Saka met his eyes, weary yet stubborn. "I'm not leaving. I'm staying."
Aditya hesitated, then nodded. He knew his brother-in-law—once Saka set his mind, no one could move him.
~~~
Time crawled.
At 8 PM, the interrogation room opened.
Father walked out—still in handcuffs. Two officers escorted him, faces unreadable.
Mother screamed, nearly fainting in Tari's arms. Gita wept uncontrollably.
One officer explained, "Mr. Mahesa will remain in custody for further investigation. If evidence proves he isn't guilty, only then will we release him."
"What evidence?" Tari asked, trembling.
"He claimed his car was sabotaged. But the incident was twenty years ago. Evidence is scarce, dashcams weren't common then."
Aditya argued, "But he supported the victim's family all these years. Isn't that responsibility?"
"Responsibility doesn't erase legal accountability," the officer replied flatly. "The victim's son has the right to press charges."
The weight of those words crushed the room.
"Is there no other way?" Gita whispered, almost pleading.
"There is," the officer said. "If the plaintiff withdraws the report."
The air grew heavier. Everyone knew—their fate now rested in the hands of a stranger who despised them.
Saka still didn't speak. He sat slumped in the waiting chair, eyes vacant, shoulders collapsed. For once, the man who always kept control couldn't think of anything at all.
Pak Gatra approached. "Mas Saka, let's go home. You're pale. You need rest."
No answer.
Saka only stared at the floor. When Pak Gatra pulled his arm, he followed—not because he agreed, but because he was too drained to resist.
His steps dragged, lost in a maze without an exit.
The moment they stepped outside, camera flashes exploded like lightning. Dozens of reporters swarmed, shoving mics in his face.
"Mas Saka! Is it true your father committed a hit-and-run?"
"What do you say as Ardhananta Group's heir?"
"Will the company collapse after this scandal?"
Saka said nothing.
His body sagged, carried by Pak Gatra and the officers. Blinding flashes stung his eyes, but he didn't even blink.
In the parking lot, the air was suffocating. Each breath felt like a burden.
He felt like a failure—the only son, the heir, the pillar of his family—reduced to dust.
And among the merciless flashes, only one question echoed inside him:
Is this… the beginning of the end?
Maybe blood really was thicker than water.
But that night, Saka realized: blood could also be poison.
And that poison was slowly consuming him.
~~~
Pak Gatra's car cut through the night. By the time they reached the neighborhood, faint sounds of the angkringan and chatter of neighbors drifted in the distance.
Usually, Saka would greet them. But not tonight. Tonight, his soul was spent, as though life itself had been stolen away.
The car stopped at his house. Just as Saka stepped out, he was suddenly pulled into someone's warm embrace.
He froze. That scent—so familiar, soothing, like the home he had always searched for.
"Arda…" The voice was soft, trembling, but full of conviction. "You're allowed to fall. You're allowed to be tired. But you are not alone. Because I'm here. Always."
Saka was stunned. Slowly, his arms lifted, returning the embrace. Tears he had held back all day finally fell, unstoppable.
"Ayu…" His voice cracked. "I don't know if I can survive this. But… thank you. Thank you for being here, right when I'm about to shatter."
And for the first time that night, Saka knew—
Even though poison was eating him alive, he would not collapse.
Because every poison has an antidote.
And for Saka, that antidote had a name: Cayra.
~~~
EPILOGUE ✨
In today's digital world, information spreads mercilessly—faster than anything else. With a single tap on a phone screen, everything is exposed. A viral video can destroy, shake, and wound people in ways they never asked for.
I had just returned from the lake when a notification flashed across my phone. Normally, I avoid gossip and viral scandals, but this time… I couldn't look away.
A video filled the screen. A man and a woman—husband and wife—were caught in a heated argument at a hospital lobby. But this wasn't just any couple. These were Saka's parents.
My heart stopped.
This wasn't a private quarrel anymore—it was public spectacle. Their fight had become entertainment for strangers, laughter for netizens. It was humiliating, and worse, it cut straight into Saka's heart.
Before I could process the shock, another video appeared.
Saka's father.
In handcuffs. Surrounded by police.
My breath hitched. The caption beneath it claimed he had once caused a fatal accident—his car crashing another into a ravine.
I froze, my hand flying to my mouth. It was too much to process. Hadn't he just been discharged from the hospital? How could he suddenly be taken away by the police?
The clips that followed confirmed everything. This all happened right after he left the hospital. And now, the entire country was talking about it.
I sat on the edge of my bed, numb. Too exhausted to scream, too confused to think. I didn't want to get dragged into rumors, but my heart had already chosen a side. I knew Saka. And today… he was alone in this storm.
The clock ticked slowly, each second heavy with my restlessness. I paced back and forth by the window, staring at Saka's empty driveway. His car was nowhere in sight.
I was anxious—and if I, who was practically an outsider, felt this way… then what about Saka? The son forced to bear the crushing weight of his family's sins?
My thoughts returned to the lake earlier today. His words echoed in my mind: "Thank you for choosing to be born into this world. For always being here in my life—then and now."
At the time, I only smiled. But now I understood. Behind Saka's strength was a fragile man—lonely, caged within wealth that could never replace what he had lost.
Perhaps… helping others was Saka's way of hiding wounds too deep to show.
My hands trembled. I wanted to see him, to reach him. But what could I offer? What strength could I give?
Time crawled past. At eight o'clock, hunger gnawed at me, but my worry drowned it out.
I went downstairs. My parents were glued to the television. And then, I saw it.
Saka.
His body sagged, his face empty—like a man who had nothing left to hold onto. He was walking out of the police station, swarmed by relentless reporters. Even from the screen, I could feel the weight crushing him.
My chest ached. Mama sighed beside me, her voice trembling.
"Poor boy… look at him, he doesn't deserve this."
Papa nodded, his expression grim. "A good son forced to carry the punishment of others."
That was it. I couldn't sit there and do nothing. When the broadcast showed his car leaving, I rushed outside.
"Ca! Where are you going?" Papa called after me.
But I didn't stop. My legs carried me to the gate. My gut told me his car would stop at his house—and I needed to be there when it did.
Sure enough, headlights cut through the dark. His car.
The moment the passenger door opened, I didn't think. I ran. And without hesitation, I pulled him into my arms.
It might have been reckless. It might have been too bold. But the way his body sagged against me told me everything—he needed this more than words.
"Arda…" My voice shook, but my heart was steady. "You're allowed to fall. You're allowed to be tired. But you are not alone. Because I'm here. Always."
His body stiffened at first, then slowly melted into my embrace. His hands trembled as they wrapped around me, holding me back. And then I felt it—his tears, warm against my shoulder.
"Ayu…" His voice broke, raw and fragile. "I don't know if I can survive this. But… thank you. Thank you for being here, right when I'm about to shatter."
My tears flowed too, but I didn't let go. The night was silent, save for the sound of our hearts racing against each other. And in that moment, I knew—I wanted to be his home. The place he could return to, when the whole world shut him out.
I didn't know what tomorrow would bring. Maybe storms harsher than tonight. Maybe wounds even deeper. But right there, under the quiet night sky, I swore one thing:
I would never let him face this alone.
Because behind all the secrets, scandals, and scars—
I was here.
And as long as I was here, he would not fall.
That night, I realized—
Even if the entire world tried to break him, I would always choose to stand by his side.
Scandals, secrets, scars—none of them mattered.
Because when he needed a home,
I swore I would always be his.