The cemetery still carried the damp scent left behind by the morning rain. Greynard and Glenca sat side by side in the back seat of the luxury car speeding through the capital's streets. Unlike the utter chaos of the night before, they seemed calmer now. Silence dominated the cabin. The only sounds were the soft hum of the engine and the rush of the air conditioner.
Not a single word had been spoken from the time they left the cemetery until now. They had frozen up again. The distance between them had widened once more, exactly like two strangers accidentally trapped in the same room. This cold dynamic always surfaced whenever Keyna wasn't between them.
"Caca."
Greynard's deep voice suddenly broke the silence.
Glenca flinched slightly. Her reverie shattered. Her head turned automatically. For a moment, their eyes locked. But Glenca quickly turned her face back toward the window, watching the rows of trees slide backward.
"I ran away from home."
The words slipped from Glenca's lips just like that. Her voice was flat and emotionless, deliberately avoiding the man's gaze beside her.
Greynard turned sharply. His body shifted slightly toward Glenca. This answered the question that had been nagging at him since the night before, when he had seen Glenca running through the hospital corridor, dragging a huge suitcase with a face as disheveled as a madwoman's.
"Ran away from home? Why?"
A long, heavy breath escaped through the gap between Glenca's lips. Greynard's question forced her to dredge up the painful memories she'd been desperately trying to bury since the night before. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours, so of course her mind still recorded every bit of that pain in vivid detail.
"Dad is insisting on marrying the woman who murdered Mom."
Glenca's answer sounded bitter. A gaping wound lay beneath that short sentence.
"You mean Aunt Sintia?"
Glenca's brow furrowed sharply. This time, she turned her head completely and stared at Greynard with an accusing flash in her eyes.
"How do you know that snake of a woman's name? As far as I remember, I've never told you that much."
"Keyna told me."
Greynard leaned back against the leather seat. His gaze shifted to the road ahead. His manner was far too casual.
"That girl. I already told her to keep her mouth shut about my family problems."
Glenca snorted softly. A sudden longing slipped into her heart at the mention of her late friend's name.
"Don't ever blame Keyna. I was the one who gave her that absolute rule. As my wife, she wasn't allowed to hide even the smallest secret from me."
Glenca nodded slowly. Greynard's defense made sense.
"Yeah. I understand."
The awkwardness thickened again. The air inside the car felt increasingly suffocating. It had been years since they had engaged in a conversation this close. The last time they had spoken this easily was at their elementary school graduation farewell. After the past incident that had ruined everything, Glenca had always built high walls. Even though Keyna had been the thread connecting them, Glenca and Greynard had always chosen to act like strangers.
"Stay at my house."
Greynard's blunt offer broke the silence for the second time.
Glenca's eyes widened. Her mouth fell slightly open as she stared at the man beside her.
"What?"
"Close your mouth and don't let your imagination run wild. This is only temporary, until you find a decent place to live. I don't want to be accused of abandoning my late wife's friend and leaving her to become homeless on the highway."
"Who was imagining anything weird? You're the one with the problem."
Glenca turned away, trying to hide the blush that had suddenly spread to her ears.
"So, are you accepting my offer or not?"
Greynard asked again to make sure. His tone sounded indifferent, but the corner of his eye remained fixed on Glenca's every movement.
Glenca's mind worked quickly. Her logical calculations kicked in. Her savings account was nearly drained. Paying an apartment deposit was clearly impossible right now. Contacting another friend wasn't an option either, because the only friend she had had just been laid to rest that morning.
"Fine. I'll accept your offer. But get this straight: I'm doing it purely because I'm desperate. I don't have anyone else I can rely on besides Keyna's family."
Glenca lifted her chin, fighting hard to preserve what little remained of her pride.
"Believe whatever you want."
Greynard stared straight ahead. His expression was impassive. Yet beneath that ice-cold face, the corners of his lips lifted into the faintest smile, almost impossible to see.
Greynard knew Glenca's temperament by heart. The girl beside him had an ego as tall as a skyscraper. Saying yes to his offer meant Glenca's situation had hit rock bottom. If she weren't truly desperate, Glenca would definitely choose to sleep at a bus stop rather than accept his help.
The car gradually slowed and passed through the tall bronze gates. The sprawling Mahavier family estate rose grandly before them.
But just as the car door opened, Glenca stopped dead. The sight on the house's main terrace made her feel as if the blood had stopped flowing through her veins.
Three tall men stood with their arms crossed in front of the main entrance. Their gazes were as sharp as eagles ready to pounce on their prey. And Glenca was the target.
A faint tremor spread through Glenca's hands. Without realizing it, her petite body edged backward, taking shelter behind Greynard's broad back. Her fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt sleeve tightly.
"Grey."
Glenca's call was a hoarse whisper. The fear trembling in her voice was unmistakable.
"Relax, Caca. I'm here."
Greynard gently patted the back of the hand clutching his arm.
Greynard stood tall in a protective stance, as if ready to block any attack aimed at Glenca.
"How dare this woman from the Adiwangsa bloodline set foot in our home?"
The pale-skinned man standing at the front spoke. His voice was low, threatening, and as cold as the Arctic. His eyes didn't move even an inch from Glenca, who was still hiding behind Greynard.
"Don't tell me you two..."
Another man to his right cut in, his mocking tone unmistakable.
"No!"
Glenca and Greynard interrupted him at the exact same moment.
Glenca couldn't take it anymore. She released Greynard's arm and stepped forward, moving into line with him. She forced herself to meet the intimidating gazes of the three men.
"Then why has this Adiwangsa princess brought a huge suitcase here? The soil on your wife's grave hasn't even dried yet, Greynard. You're not planning some crazy wedding anytime soon, are you?"
The thick-lipped man at the far left sneered sarcastically, backing them into a corner.
"Watch it, Bro. I'm only helping her out of basic human decency. Caca will stay here for a while, until she finds a new apartment."
Greynard met the sharp gazes of his older cousins without the slightest hesitation. His imposing posture refused to bow to their intimidation.
"Running away from luxury because her beloved father is getting remarried? Classic." The pale-skinned man snorted loudly, making Glenca's shoulders instantly go rigid. "Get rid of her right now, Grey. Don't ever get involved in their affairs. The Adiwangsa family is nothing but trouble," said Reon, Greynard's eldest cousin, his gaze growing sharper.