Ardo truly kept his word, even though he was the one who disagreed the most when Priska said she didn’t want to be touched. She concluded that money could easily sway Ardo’s heart. For almost a week now, he had often left her alone in the editing room with his vlogger crew. Some people didn’t even question Priska’s presence in Ardo’s house, as if it wasn’t a big deal at all.
At one point, Ardo had taken her shopping for decent clothes to wear every day. He also frequently took her out for dinner when he wasn’t busy. He often shared stories about his school years with his four friends because Priska enjoyed listening to tales about them.
Priska slept in an empty room on the second floor, where she could see the view from above. Out of all the people around her, so far, Ardo was the one who treated her the best—without hidden motives like Aldo, Indra, or Rey. Although she knew that Ardo had once considered making a move on her, he ultimately chose not to due to other priorities.
"I think I’m experiencing Stockholm syndrome—kidnapped, yet feeling comfortable with my captor," Priska muttered as she stood on the balcony, watching the never-quiet street outside Ardo’s house.
There was a knock on the door. Ardo always knocked before she allowed him to enter.
"Yeah, Mas!" Priska responded.
Ardo stood at the doorway, smiling warmly at her. "Wanna go for a drive? Consider it our farewell outing. The lottery’s about to be drawn again, and your dear Mas will soon have to say goodbye," Ardo teased.
Priska chuckled at his remark. "What are the rules, anyway?" she asked, confused. She had never really cared about this bizarre game as long as she stayed safe from the wicked hands of these depraved men.
She stepped out of her room, following Ardo down to the garage. Inside were ten motorcycles of various models, none of which she could name. Ardo grabbed his car keys and gestured for Priska to get in.
Since Ardo’s house was right by the main road, they were on the streets within minutes. Priska hadn’t felt this safe in a long time—not since she got caught up in this game. Curiosity gnawed at her, wondering why Ardo’s attitude had shifted so quickly to kindness. Was it really just about money?
"Mas," Priska called softly.
Ardo glanced at her briefly. "What? Gonna tell me you’ve finally fallen for me after a week together?" he joked.
"No, I’m just curious… why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because of Indra," Ardo replied without hesitation.
"Ugh, why do you have to mention his name?" Priska grumbled, instantly annoyed. Indra was the most powerful and infuriating man in this gang—second only to Aldo.
"Well… it really is because of Indra. He said he’d send me to get circumcised again if I dared to mess with you. And also, because of money, Pris," Ardo admitted.
"Oh," Priska mumbled in disappointment.
"That’s it? That’s all you have to say?" Ardo chuckled.
"Yeah, Mas. Anyway, thanks for everything. Where are we going?"
"Just a drive. Who do you think will win next?"
"I don’t know, and I don’t care."
"Come on, take a guess," Ardo pressed, sensing her lack of enthusiasm.
"Hmm, Mas Rey?" Priska guessed randomly.
Ardo then explained that Aldo had chosen to drop out of the game. That left only Rey and Tomi. Ardo had heard about it last night after Aldo declared he was no longer interested in Priska.
"What?" Priska turned to him in shock.
"Giska is sick, and Aldo is worried," Ardo replied, amused by her reaction.
Priska exhaled a deep sigh. She felt foolish but refused to cry over that man again. Her heart had already been shredded to pieces. If only she could turn back time… she would never have stepped into this absurd game. She had lost her dignity, her most valuable possession. When this was all over, would she be able to rebuild herself? Should she just die? How did everything become so complicated just because she wanted to continue her studies? Damn it. Priska was truly unlucky.
"Are they together?" she asked reluctantly.
"Not at the moment. They’re either on a break or broke up a few years ago. But Giska and Aldo are always together whenever they get the chance. They just understand each other. It’s an adult thing. A kid like you wouldn’t get it," Ardo smirked.
"Why is it like that?" Priska pressed. She had no experience with relationships. The one time she fell in love, it was with the wrong person.
"You don’t need to know," Ardo said dismissively.
"That’s cowardly. If you love someone, why act like that?"
Priska commented—though deep down, she was just jealous. How could Aldo be so devoted to Giska yet refuse to make it official? She didn’t know much about them, but it felt strange that Aldo liked Giska yet didn’t date her just because Naomi had been crushing on him for years. Ardo scoffed at Priska’s naive remark. It was understandable—she knew nothing about Aldo.
"Jealous? No matter what happens, they’ll end up married. So don’t ever get your hopes up about Aldo, even if he was your first, Pris. Giska is Aldo’s one true love," Ardo warned her.