His Contract Wife

Chapter 10: Breaking Point

Aria thought that after being honest with Adrian, life would get calmer.

She was wrong.

Because the truth didn’t make everything end.

Sometimes, the truth just made everything explode.

Two days after Aria canceled the divorce lawsuit, Damian showed up again.

Not through a message. Not through a messenger.

He came himself. To the penthouse.

At 9 PM, the security alarm went off. Adrian was in his office, Aria was in the shower. When she came out, she saw Adrian standing by the door with a dark expression.

“Damian’s downstairs,” Adrian said quietly. “He wants to see you.”

Aria froze.

“He’s not coming up.”

“He’s already in the lobby,” Adrian said. “Security can’t kick him out. He brought a lawyer.”

Aria gritted her teeth.

“So? What does he want?”

“To claim rights to your father’s company,” Adrian said. “He says there’s a document showing your father sold shares to him before selling to Blackwood.”

Aria felt her blood boil.

“He’s lying!”

“Maybe,” Adrian said. “But if that document is real, we have a big problem.”

Aria didn’t think twice. She went down to the lobby.

Damian stood there in a gray suit, his smug smile still the same. Next to him was an old lawyer with a document briefcase.

“Aria,” Damian greeted casually, like they were meeting at a café. “Long time no see.”

“Don’t call me that,” Aria said coldly. “What do you want?”

Damian raised the document in his lawyer’s hand.

“I just want what’s mine, Darling. Your father sold 30% of Hartono Corp shares to me two weeks before he sold to Blackwood. Legally, that makes me the second-largest shareholder.”

Aria looked at Adrian.

“Is that true?”

Adrian shook his head.

“I checked. That document is fake. Your father’s signature was forged.”

Damian chuckled softly.

“Prove it. My lawyer’s ready to take this to court. If I win, I can sue to void the sale to Blackwood. And guess who’ll be running your father’s company again?”

Aria felt nauseous.

“You’re insane.”

“I’m smart,” Damian said. “And I still want you, Aria. Leave him. Come with me. I can make all of this go away.”

Aria stared at him for a long time.

“Do you really think I’m that stupid?”

Damian shrugged.

“I think you’re tired. Tired of living in his shadow. I can give you freedom.”

“Freedom, your version?” Aria sneered. “No thanks.”

Damian sighed.

“Unfortunately, I don’t need your approval. The court will decide.”

He left with a satisfied smile, leaving Aria and Adrian standing in the silent lobby.

That night, Aria couldn’t sleep.

She sat on the balcony, hugging her knees, staring at the dark city.

Adrian came with a blanket and sat beside her.

“You okay?”

Aria shook her head.

“I hate this, Adrian. I hate feeling like my life has never been mine.”

Adrian looked at her softly.

“I know.”

“I’m tired,” Aria whispered. “Tired of fighting. Tired of running. Tired of being a pawn.”

Adrian held her hand.

“You’re not alone. I’m here.”

Aria looked at him.

“But what’s the point? If Damian wins, he can take everything. My father’s company, my life, even you.”

Adrian shook his head.

“Not going to happen. I won’t let it.”

“You can’t control everything, Adrian,” Aria said quietly. “You’re not God.”

Adrian went quiet. Her words cut deep.

Aria stood up.

“I need some time alone.”

Adrian nodded slowly.

“Okay. But don’t go far.”

Aria didn’t answer. She went into the bedroom and locked the door.

The next morning, Aria woke up with one decision.

She couldn’t keep living like this. Waiting for Adrian to fix everything. Waiting for Damian to attack again.

She had to take control.

At 6 AM, she packed a few clothes, grabbed her passport, and wrote a short note for Adrian.

_Adrian,

I need to find my own answers. Don’t look for me. I’ll come back when I’m ready.

– A_

She left the note on the dining table, went down through the service elevator, and left the penthouse without the guards noticing.

Adrian didn’t realize until 8 AM.

He read the note, and his face went pale.

“Aria…”

He called everyone immediately. But Aria was already gone.

Aria went to the hospital.

Her father was shocked to see her this early.

“Aria? Why are you here? What’s wrong?”

Aria sat on the edge of his bed, eyes red.

“Dad, I need to know everything. About that document. About Hartono Corp.”

Richard frowned.

“What document, sweetheart?”

“The one about selling shares to Damian,” Aria said. “Did you ever sign it?”

Richard shook his head slowly.

“No, Aria. I never sold shares to anyone except Blackwood. I was weak then, but I wasn’t crazy.”

Aria let out a relieved breath.

“So it’s fake.”

Richard looked at her worriedly.

“What’s going on, Aria? What happened?”

Aria told him everything. About Damian, about the lawsuit, about her running away from the penthouse.

Richard stroked her cheek gently.

“You don’t need to run, Aria. You have Adrian.”

Aria shook her head.

“I need proof, Dad. Proof that the document is fake. Otherwise, Adrian could lose.”

Richard looked at her for a long time.

“There’s one person who can help you. The notary who handled the sale to Blackwood. His name is Mr. Hendra. He knows everything.”

Aria wrote the name down.

“Where can I find him?”

“He retired in Bandung,” Richard said. “I’ll give you his address.”

Aria nodded. She kissed her father’s forehead.

“Thank you, Dad. I’ll be back.”

Aria left for Bandung that afternoon.

She didn’t tell anyone. She took an economy train, sat in the corner, wore a hat and mask so no one would recognize her.

The 3-hour trip was spent thinking.

Was what she was doing right?

Was she running away from her problems again?

But she couldn’t stay still. If she did, Damian would win. If Damian won, Adrian could be ruined.

And she didn’t want that to happen.

She arrived in Bandung at night and found a cheap guesthouse.

The next morning, she went to the address her father gave her.

Mr. Hendra’s house was small, down a narrow alley. He was old, in his 70s, but his eyes were still sharp.

“Mr. Hendra?” Aria asked carefully.

The old man looked at her for a long time.

“You’re Richard Hartono’s daughter?”

Aria nodded.

“Yes, sir. I need your help.”

Mr. Hendra let her in. He listened to her story carefully.

When Aria finished, he sighed deeply.

“I know about that document,” he said quietly.

Aria stared at him.

“It’s fake, right, sir?”

Mr. Hendra nodded.

“Yes. The signature was forged. I still have a copy of the original sale document to Blackwood. With Richard’s real signature.”

Aria felt so relieved she almost cried.

“Can you give me a copy, sir?”

Mr. Hendra nodded.

“Yes. But there’s a condition.”

Aria frowned.

“What condition, sir?”

“You have to tell Adrian Blackwood that I’m still alive,” Mr. Hendra said. “He looked for me three years ago. I hid because I was afraid Kessler would come after me too.”

Aria nodded quickly.

“I promise, sir. I’ll tell him.”

Mr. Hendra handed her a brown envelope.

“This is the proof. Keep it safe.”

Aria took the envelope like it was her own life.

“Thank you, sir. Thank you so much.”

Aria took the train back to Jakarta that night.

She didn’t know Damian had been looking for her.

When she got off the train, two men were waiting on the platform.

“Aria Hartono?” one of them asked.

Aria stepped back.

“Who are you?”

The man smiled crookedly.

“Sent by Mr. Damian. He wants to see you.”

Aria immediately ran.

But they were faster. One of them grabbed her arm.

“Let go!” Aria shouted.

She struggled, but they were stronger. They dragged her to a black car parked outside the station.

Aria screamed for help, but no one heard.

The car door closed. Darkness.

In the penthouse, Adrian was going crazy.

He searched for Aria all over Jakarta. He checked CCTV, asked everyone, even went to the hospital.

Nothing.

Until he got a call from an unknown number.

“Hello, Mr. Blackwood,” Damian’s voice sounded calm. “I have your wife.”

Adrian’s blood boiled.

“If you touch her, I’ll kill you.”

Damian chuckled softly.

“Relax. She’s safe. For now. Come to the old warehouse in Tanjung Priok Port at midnight. Alone. Bring the original Hartono Corp sale document. If not, you won’t see her again.”

The call ended.

Adrian clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white.

“Aria…”

At 11:45 PM, Adrian arrived at the warehouse.

He was alone. Carrying the brown envelope Aria had sent him via voice note that afternoon.

Inside the warehouse, Damian stood in front of Aria, who was tied to a chair.

“Aria!” Adrian ran toward her.

Damian raised his gun.

“Stop right there, Blackwood.”

Adrian stopped. He placed the envelope on the floor and pushed it forward with his foot.

“This is the document. Let her go.”

Damian took the envelope, opened it, looked inside. He laughed.

“Turns out it’s real.”

“Let her go,” Adrian said quietly, dangerously.

Damian looked at Aria.

“What a shame. I’ve fallen for you, Aria.”

Aria spat.

“I feel sick just looking at your face.”

Damian raised the gun to Aria’s head.

“If I can’t have you, no one can.”

Time seemed to stop.

“Damian, don’t!” Adrian shouted.

But Damian had already pulled the trigger.

_BANG!_

Everything happened fast.

Adrian moved. He tackled Damian right before the bullet fired. The shot missed, hitting the wall.

Aria screamed. Adrian wrestled with Damian, grabbing the gun.

The police, who’d been staking out the place, rushed in and arrested Damian.

The warehouse was a mess.

Adrian ran to Aria and untied her.

“Aria! Are you okay?”

Aria cried and hugged him tightly.

“I was scared, Adrian. I thought I was going to die.”

Adrian hugged her back, just as tightly.

“I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

The police took Damian away. Adrian and Aria sat on the warehouse floor, holding each other, their breathing still shaky.

Aria lifted her face and looked at Adrian.

“I’m sorry… for running away.”

Adrian wiped her tears.

“It’s okay. What matters is that you’re safe.”

Aria nodded.

“I brought the proof. The real document. Damian loses.”

Adrian smiled faintly.

“I know. That’s why I stayed calm.”

Aria hit his chest lightly.

“You’re crazy, you know that? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I wanted you to finish this yourself,” Adrian said. “I wanted you to know you’re strong.”

Aria stared at him for a long time, then kissed him.

This kiss was different. No anger. No force. Just relief, love, and a promise.

The following week, the court ruled.

Damian’s lawsuit was rejected. His document was fake. Hartono Corp remained under Blackwood Group, and Richard Hartono was free of debt.

Damian went to prison for attempted murder and document forgery.

Aria cried when she heard the verdict.

She was free. Really free.

That night, Adrian and Aria were on the penthouse balcony.

The city below was quiet. The night breeze was gentle.

Adrian hugged Aria from behind.

“You’re not scared anymore?”

Aria shook her head.

“No. Because I know you’re here.”

Adrian kissed her neck softly.

“I’m not going anywhere, Aria. Never.”

Aria turned and kissed him.

“I’m not going anywhere either.”

They stood there for a long time, holding each other, protecting each other.

The contract didn’t matter anymore.

Because now, they chose each other.

Not because they had to.

But because they loved each other.