“SHUT UP, MAS!” Zeraiah’s roar shook the room as he stepped forward. But before he could reach us, I lunged. My fist collided with Zaeem’s face, sending him crashing to the floor. Shock lit his features, but he swung back, his own punch cracking across my jaw.
We clashed, fists flying, the sound of our blows echoing. Rage spilt out in every strike, again and again, my fist kept flying, because every punch I threw, and every punch I took, made something dark and painful inside me fade away. I glanced to the side and saw staff rushing to stop us, but Zeraiah’s glare froze them in place. He stood back, watching in silence, as if he was allowing us to vent our grief this way.
Sometimes physical pain was the only thing that dulled the heartache.
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!” The bellows thundered across the room. Our father. He stormed out of the lift with his men at his back, his face dark with fury.
“How dare you fight in my house—” His words were interrupted when his youngest son, Zeraiah, scoffed and laughed.
His laughter rang through the entire room. “Congratulations, Dad,” he muttered as he brushed past him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. He curled his lips into a faintest smile. “You really did ruin us.”
Then he walked away into the lift.
“Where do you think you’re going, Zeraiah?!” Dad shouted after him, his voice cracking with fury. But the doors swallowed Zeraiah whole, and he was gone.
Shoving Zaeem off me, I staggered to my feet. My glare seared into Dad before I grabbed my phone from the sofa and stormed down the hallway.
“Fuck,” I spat under my breath, slamming my door behind me with enough force to rattle the frame.
Dad’s voice followed, booming down the hall. “Zioh Hadyan Danudara! Where are you going?!”To the furthest heaven, a place you’ll never be allowed in.
I locked my door, shutting him out, as his rage turned on Zaeem. “I’m used to your younger brothers, but you?! What the hell were you thinking, Zaeem?!”
23
Zioh
Thirty minutes had passed since the fight, and a quiet turmoil gnawed at me from the inside.
Sitting on the carpet, I hunched by my study window, continuously tapping my feet and squeezing one of my hands.
My thoughts kept circling, and I felt as if I was stuck in the middle of a crowd. I glanced around. I knew he was planning something.He always was.My phone slipped away as I reached for it on the floor, but I grabbed it right back. I opened the CCTV app. My thumb scrolled through the endless list of cameras until—there. Dad’s Office 1. I tapped it open.
There they were. Dad and Zaeem were sitting on the sofa. Dad, with a glass of vodka in hand, spoke low.
I tapped the speaker icon. “You know why our company started working more closely with the government?” Dad asked, sipping. “How many times have we partnered with them now?”
“Yes, Dad,” Zaeem’s tone carried no warmth.
“I know I’m not a perfect father,” he said.No, you are not a father at all.“I’ve got my flaws. But this is for your siblings’ good.”Who are you trying to fool?
“I know, Dad,” Zaeem sighed. “But if it’s possible, go slow. They need time.”
“How much more time? You always refuse when I involve them. But this time you agreed. Either you think this plan is good, or you’ve got your own reasons.”
My pulse spiked.
Dad leaned forward, his voice steady. “You know our company started in media and entertainment. But look at us now; we’ve expanded into property, investment, and finance.” He gestured with his glass. “I built this with my own blood,unlike your mother, who was born with gold in her hands. And your brothers never appreciate that. You know how much I had to handle when Zioh and Zeraiah—”
“Enough, Dad.” Zaeem cut in. “Don’t keep dragging that up. It’s in the past. It wasn’t even their fault, you know that. And if Zeraiah hears it again—”
“Then what should I do? What else can I do?” Dad snapped, let out a sharp breath.
He poured another glass, gulped it down, and spoke more. “When I met the Minister of SOEs and the CEO of Artamain, I hesitated. I didn’t want to chase anything anymore.” He swirled the vodka, his voice low. “But I thought, besides benefiting the company, maybe this plan could help them too. At least it brings them back here, keeps them here. Where they belong. I also need their help.”
My phone almost fell again, so I put it on the carpet. I lowered my gaze, my hands squeezing my head.
“You know Artamain’s new subsidiary, right?” Dad continued, and Zaeem nodded.
