The next morning, Aldo sat in the living room chair. He was reading a journal for his thesis, which he hadn’t touched in a while due to his busy schedule between work and leisure. An hour ago, he had typed a lot, and now he was taking a break while checking his work emails and reviewing some printed international journals.
A call came in. Aldo shifted his focus from the journal to his phone screen, smirking as he saw Indra’s name flashing. The man was clearly impatient to ask about last night.
"Calling me this early?" Aldo teased.
"How was it, Do?" Indra asked.
Aldo chuckled, recalling everything that had happened the night before—his efforts to ensure the girl didn't feel too scared, and how he handled the situation carefully.
"I haven’t transferred the recording yet. Been busy with my thesis, but I have proof, just like you wanted, Ndra."
"Alright. It just felt… different with her. I couldn't go through with it," Indra admitted.
Aldo held back a laugh, imagining Indra's frustrated expression. From the very beginning, Indra had been the one who teased Priska the most—invading her space, whispering provocations, and making her uncomfortable.
"You bastard, Ndra. I did all the hard work, and you just sat back and chill," Aldo pretended to complain, though he wasn't entirely displeased. After all, Priska was inexperienced—easy to control and obedient.
"What’s she doing now?" Indra asked.
"Still asleep," Aldo replied lazily.
"How many rounds did you go?" Indra teased.
Aldo went quiet for a moment, biting the tip of his pen as he tried to recall how long the night had lasted. He had been caught up in the moment, completely engrossed.
"Lost count, man. All I know is, I’m exhausted. Maybe I’m getting old," Aldo sighed, yawning.
"You're terrible, Do," Indra scoffed.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I need rest," Aldo muttered, stretching his arms.
"Hah! Rest? You still enjoyed yourself, though. Want me to join you next time?" Indra joked.
Aldo rolled his eyes in disgust. "Not happening, dude. That’s messed up."
Indra’s laughter rang through the speaker. "But in the end, all five of us will have our turn. This stopped being ethical a long time ago, Do. At least… I showed her a little kindness."
Aldo understood what Indra meant. Priska had liked him for a while now. Whether it was by choice or not, last night had happened, and she had given in to the circumstances.
"Don’t go overboard. She’s still naive," Aldo warned.
"Relax. I’ve got business to take care of. Just don’t forget," Indra reminded before ending the call.
The line disconnected. Aldo smirked at Indra’s growing interest in their so-called game. To them, Priska was nothing more than entertainment. He closed the journal in his hands and headed to the bedroom to check on Priska.
But when he got there, she was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, he pulled the bedsheet off, tossing it into the laundry basket in the other room. Then, he quickly replaced it with a fresh set. From the sound of water splashing, it seemed like Priska was in the bathtub. Aldo opened the door and was greeted by a shy smile.
"Where have you been?" she asked softly.
Aldo approached and crouched beside the tub, scooping up some bubbles and playfully pressing them against her nose. They both laughed.
"Don't tease me." Priska giggled.
"Are you feeling okay? Can you walk?" Aldo asked, gently brushing her damp hair away from her face.
Priska nodded slowly, her cheeks flushing. She felt self-conscious, sitting there with nothing but water covering her. They were alone. Just the two of them. And she knew this fleeting moment could change everything.
"I'm sorry about last night," she murmured, glancing at Aldo’s collarbone, where faint red marks remained, along with a small bruise on his cheek. She had lashed out, acting on impulse.
But Aldo didn’t seem to mind. He was as composed as ever, his gaze steady. Yet, Priska found it hard to meet his eyes for too long. No matter what, she had once—perhaps still—liked Revaldo Aditya. Her heart pounded, and she cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Are you overthinking?" Aldo asked, pretending to be annoyed.
Truthfully, Aldo had no regrets. If anything, he had enjoyed himself. He had been in control, and Priska had followed his lead.
"If you really feel bad about it," Aldo murmured, leaning in with a teasing smirk, "we could always make it up with another round after your bath."
He was taking advantage of the fact that Priska had already fallen for him. He could see it—how her resolve wavered, how easily she gave in. Aldo smirked, convinced that after last night, Priska’s mind had already started to shift. And that made things even easier.