The following day, a physical invitation on cream cardstock with gold-embossed ink landed on the table of Arthur's hotel suite. The Jakarta Heritage Foundation Gala. The most prestigious annual event attended by Indonesia's top conglomerates and high-ranking officials.
"Your father certainly knows how to drag us onto the stage," Arthur growled, spinning the invitation between his fingers.
Elena, who was reviewing her sketches, looked up. "He wants us to show up so everyone can see he still has some form of control. And Oliver... he will definitely be there with his new investors."
Arthur approached Elena, kneeling before her chair—a new habit that showed he only bowed to this woman. "We don't have to go, El. I can shut them all up tomorrow morning with a single press release."
Elena shook her head, her fingers stroking Arthur's firm jaw. "No. If we hide, they win. My father wants to humiliate you, and Oliver wants to destroy my name. Let's give them a performance they will never forget."
Arthur smirked, a bloodthirsty glint appearing in his eyes. "Fine. If that's what you want. Wear your best dress, Elena. Tonight, London will show Jakarta who the real ruler is."
That night, the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Mulia was filled with the scent of expensive perfume and the clinking of crystal glasses. As soon as the doors opened and the name Arthur Montgomery was announced, the entire room went dead silent.
Arthur looked immensely powerful in a black tuxedo custom-tailored in Savile Row, while Elena beside him was breathtaking in a navy silk gown paired with a silk Mega Mendung batik stole—a small touch that asserted her identity.
They had barely walked three meters when the figure they avoided most emerged from the crowd. Oliver. He looked dapper, arm-in-arm with a Jakarta socialite who was the daughter of Mr. Surya's business rival.
"Arthur! Elena! What a surprise," Oliver said with his forced British accent. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you were still busy... tending to family matters in the outskirts?"
"Oliver," Arthur's voice was incredibly low, like the growl of a predator. "I'm surprised you still have enough money to buy a plane ticket here. I thought Uncle Julian had stopped giving you an allowance."
Oliver laughed, but his eyes remained ice-cold. He turned to Elena. "Elena, I've heard rumors back in London that your gallery project wasn't actually your design, but the result of 'personal assistance' from the Montgomery CEO? People here are starting to wonder... are you an architect or just... an ornament on Arthur's arm?"
Elena's face flushed with heat, but she didn't back down. She felt Arthur's hand on her waist tighten, ready to deliver a blow if Elena gave the signal.
A few socialites and businessmen began to drift closer, eager to overhear the drama. Mr. Surya was also seen standing not far away, watching with a hidden, satisfied smirk.
"Personal assistance?" Elena repeated Oliver's words with a deadly calm tone. She stepped forward, releasing Arthur's hand for a moment to stand tall in front of Oliver. "How fascinating, Oliver. Considering that when we were in London, you were the one begging me to join your brother's firm because you knew my design was the only one capable of winning that tender."
Whispers began to ripple through the crowd around them.
"Oh, don't get me wrong," Elena continued, her voice now clear in every corner of the room. "Arthur Montgomery didn't help me design. He hired me because he knew no other architect in London—including you—had the vision to merge Indonesian heritage into European modernity. If you want to talk about credibility, perhaps we should talk about how you were fired from your previous firm for plagiarism?"
Oliver turned pale. He hadn't expected Elena to strike back so fiercely in front of the Jakarta public.
"You..." Oliver tried to speak, but Arthur cut him off.
Arthur stepped forward, towering over Oliver. "One more word out of your mouth regarding Elena, and I will ensure the investors who brought you here pull every cent of their capital within ten minutes. You know I can do it, Oliver. Do not test my patience in front of the woman I love."
Mr. Surya, seeing his plan to humiliate Elena failing, finally approached. "Enough, this is a charity event, let's not make a scene."
Elena looked at her father. "This isn't a scene, Father. This is a statement. From now on, anyone who doubts my work or tries to bring Arthur down deals with me."
Elena then reached for Arthur's hand, leading him away from the crowd, leaving a humiliated Oliver and a stunned Mr. Surya, who realized his daughter was no longer a pawn he could move at will. Under the glittering crystal chandeliers, they were no longer victims of the past. They were the storm hitting Jakarta.