THE ARCHITECT OF STARS: SEASON 1
ARYO PURNOMO SAGA
CHAPTER 5: THE STAGE OF LIES
The following morning, the Jakarta Stock Exchange opened with a peculiar tremor.
At the headquarters of Hardi Corp, telephones rang incessantly, a cacophony of panic. Hardi stared at the monitors, cold sweat soaking his starch-stiffened shirt. The stock of his company, HRD Group, was bleeding red. A fifteen percent drop in the first hour. It wasn't total destruction yet, but it was enough to make investors scream over the lines.
"Someone is blocking our distribution channels!" screamed the operations manager. "And a mysterious buyer is sweeping up our short-term debt!"
Hardi slammed his fist onto the mahogany desk. He knew this was Aryo's doing. But he couldn't prove it.
"Calm down!" Hardi barked. "This is just a bluff. Tonight is the Entrepreneur's Charity Gala at Hotel Mulia. All the big investors will be there. We will secure new funding. And if that little bastard dares to show his face... I will ensure he is finished in front of everyone."
***
That evening, the Grand Ballroom of Hotel Mulia was filled with the glitter of diamonds and the scent of expensive perfume. The capital's conglomerates gathered, clinking glasses of champagne. Hardi, Bayu, and Eva arrived in their finest attire, attempting to mask their panic with plastered smiles.
Bayu still looked shaken from the incident in the forest, his eyes wild and restless. Eva, wearing a tight red dress, kept scanning the room, her eyes searching for a specific silhouette.
Suddenly, the main doors of the ballroom swung wide open. The room, previously buzzing with chatter, fell into a stunned silence.
Aryo Purnomo stepped inside.
He wore a midnight-blue tuxedo with a bespoke cut that fit him to perfection. Beside him, holding his arm, was Alia. The beautiful robot appeared mesmerizing in a futuristic silver evening gown, making every other woman in the room—including Eva—look as dull as a dying candle.
Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.
"Is that Aryo Purnomo? Hardi's nephew who was supposedly destitute?"
"Look at his partner... she looks like an international model."
Eva gripped her champagne glass until her knuckles turned white. Her heart burned. She had discarded Aryo because he was poor, and now he walked like a prince with a woman far more perfect than she could ever hope to be.
Driven by jealousy and a burning curiosity, Eva recklessly approached Aryo as he reached for a drink.
"Aryo," Eva called out, her voice feigned into softness.
Aryo turned slightly, his expression void of emotion. Alia stared at Eva with a cold, analytical gaze.
"Eva," Aryo replied briefly.
"You... changed," Eva tried to touch Aryo's arm, but Alia smoothly stepped forward, blocking Eva's access with her body. Eva scoffed in annoyance. "Aryo, about yesterday... I was forced by Uncle Hardi. You know I still care about you, right? We can start over. Your money, plus my connections... we could—"
"Excuse me," Aryo cut her off flatly. "I don't have small change for beggars of love."
Eva's face turned crimson, humiliated as his voice carried enough for those nearby to hear.
Before Eva could retort, a heavy voice boomed from the main stage.
"ARREST HIM!"
Hardi stood at the podium, pointing a trembling finger straight at Aryo. The spotlight immediately swung to focus on the young man.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Hardi shouted, wearing a mask of sorrow that was disturbingly convincing. "Do you see that young man? Aryo Purnomo? He is the nephew I raised like my own son!"
Hardi began to shed crocodile tears. "I fed him, I gave him shelter. But how did he repay me? He stole my company's secret assets! He stole a chip containing future technology that I have been developing for years!"
Chaos erupted in the room. All eyes turned to Aryo with suspicion.
"That's why he's suddenly rich!" Bayu shouted from below the stage, adding fuel to the fire. "He's a thief! That luxury car was bought with money stolen from my father's safe!"
Hardi smirked slightly as he saw public opinion turning. "Aryo! Return the box you stole that night! Or I will call the police right now!"
Aryo stood calm amidst the storm of accusations. He took a slow sip of his drink, then handed the glass to a passing waiter.
"Alia," Aryo whispered. "Connect to the main projector."
"Connected, Master."
Aryo stepped forward, approaching the stage. There was no fear on his face.
"Uncle Hardi," Aryo's voice was calm, yet it echoed through the room as Alia hijacked the sound system. "You accuse me of stealing?"
"Everyone knows you left my house with that box!" Hardi barked. "You took it secretly!"
"Secretly?" Aryo chuckled softly. "Let us see just how 'secret' that night really was."
Snap.
The giant screen behind the stage, which had been displaying the event logo, suddenly glitched and changed images. A high-quality video appeared. It was CCTV footage from the street and a hidden camera from Hardi's gate on the night of the eviction.
The video played the scene where Aryo was shoved onto the wet asphalt during the heavy rain. The audio was crystal clear, booming through the ballroom.
On screen, Hardi was clearly seen hurling the rusty box at Aryo's chest.
"Take that trash your father left behind! It's all you deserve. Never show your face here again!"
Hardi's voice in the video echoed loudly. The word "TRASH" repeated twice.
The video froze on Hardi's cruel, sneering face as he banished Aryo.
A deadly silence fell over the ballroom. The guests gasped. The slander shattered into pieces in mere seconds.
Aryo smiled crookedly, staring up at his uncle who was now pale as a sheet on the stage.
"You said it was a secret company asset?" Aryo asked loudly. "In that video, you called it 'trash'. You threw it at me, Uncle. You yourself discarded the 'asset' because you were too stupid to realize its value."
Aryo turned to face the audience.
"Mr. Hardi didn't lose his asset because it was stolen. He lost it because his greed blinded his intelligence. He threw away a diamond because he thought it was a river stone. Is a man that foolish worthy of managing your investments?"
The investors began to whisper cynically.
"Crazy, he threw away that technology?"
"He's a fraud, accusing his own nephew."
"I'm pulling my funds tomorrow."
Hardi trembled violently on stage. His legs gave way. He tried to speak, but his voice was choked. Bayu looked down, trying to hide. Eva froze, realizing she had just let go of the man holding the "diamond" for the man holding the "trash can".
Aryo walked to the steps of the stage, locking eyes with his uncle.
"Enjoy the party, Uncle," Aryo whispered coldly, loud enough for Hardi and Bayu to hear. "Because tomorrow morning, when the market opens... I won't hold back anymore. I will take everything. Legally."
Aryo turned and walked out of the room with elegance, followed by Alia. Leaving Hardi shattered and humiliated in front of Jakarta's entire elite, waiting for the death knell of his company the next day.