“What did you just say?!”

Madam Wiratama’s sharp voice rang through the grand dining hall, startling every servant preparing breakfast. The teacup in her hand trembled so violently that a few drops spilled onto the white linen tablecloth.

The middle-aged man sitting across from her — an old associate of the family — swallowed nervously. “I… I didn’t mean to spread gossip, Ma’am. But the news is already circulating among investors. They say Mr. Arga is in a relationship with a woman named Vania… the ex-wife of Devandra Montgomery.”

The silence that followed was so thick, even the ticking of the wall clock sounded like a hammer striking steel.

Madam...