The room fell silent after Vivian regained full consciousness.
Clara was still kneeling beside the bed, holding her daughter's hand tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Beni stood frozen, his brain trying to process what had just happened.
Kevin calmly put away his acupuncture needle box, as if he had not just performed a miracle that the world's best doctors had failed to achieve.
"How..." Beni finally found his voice. "How could you..."
Before Kevin could answer, Albert stepped forward. His face showed a mixture of relief and calculation that Kevin knew well.
"Mr Beni, as I explained, there has been a misunderstanding about our son." Albert cleared his throat, trying to take control of the situation. "Kevin was involved in an incident five years ago, but—"
"Incident?" Beni cut him off sharply. "Frans Wijaya said he was a rapist."
"Frans Wijaya is wrong." Kevin said flatly. "I never touched his daughter."
Beni stared at Kevin with narrowed eyes. "And I have to believe your words?"
"It's up to you." Kevin shrugged. "What is clear is that I just cured your daughter, whom no one else had been able to cure for a year. That is an undeniable fact."
Silence again. Beni seemed at a loss for words.
Albert saw his chance and seized it. "Mr. Beni, there is something else you need to know. Our eldest son, Vano, who was supposed to marry Miss Vivian..." He took out his mobile phone and opened the photo gallery. "Last night, he was attacked by about fifty people. Organised thugs. His condition..."
He showed X-ray photos showing broken bones. Photos of Vano lying in a hospital bed, his face bruised, his body wrapped in bandages.
Kevin glanced at the photos expressionlessly. 'Fifty people. His father is good at lying. One punch from Kevin turned into an attack by fifty thugs.'
"That's why we had to send Kevin as a replacement." Albert continued in a regretful tone. "We didn't mean to deceive you. The situation forced us to do it."
Beni studied the photos with a furrowed brow. "Fifty people? Who would dare attack the son of the Tanjaya family?"
"We are investigating," Albert replied smoothly. "Maybe business rivals. Maybe old enemies. But one thing is clear, Vano will not recover anytime soon."
Clara, who had been focused on Vivian, finally spoke up. "So this young man..." She looked at Kevin. "Did he really heal Vivian?"
"Yes, ma'am." Vivian replied in a weak but clear voice. She was more conscious now, her eyes more focused. "I... I remember something warm flowing through my body. Like... like something was being cleansed from within."
Clara looked at Kevin with a different expression now. There was deep gratitude in her eyes.
"You healed my daughter." Her voice trembled. "After all the doctors and healers gave up, you healed her."
Kevin nodded briefly. "She's my wife now. So it was my duty."
Beni snorted. "Wife? This marriage is invalid! Because there was a lie!"
"This marriage is valid." Clara cut in firmly, startling her husband. "The ceremony has been performed. The documents have been signed. And now, this young man has saved Vivian." She stood up, looking her husband straight in the eye. "I won't let you divorce them."
"Clara—"
"No, Beni." Clara's voice hardened. "For the past year, I've watched my daughter lie there like a corpse. For the past year, I've prayed every night for a miracle. And now that miracle has come in the form of this young man." She pointed at Kevin. "I don't care what Frans Wijaya says. I don't care about his past. All I know is, he healed Vivian when no one else could."
Beni opened his mouth to argue, but his wife's gaze stopped him. After twenty-five years of marriage, he knew when to back down.
"All right." Beni finally said with clear reluctance. "For now, he can stay. But I'll keep an eye on him."
Albert smiled, seeing another opportunity. "Mr. Beni, since Miss Vivian is healthy again, perhaps we can discuss this match again. Our eldest son, Vano, is actually more suitable for—"
"No." One word from Clara stopped Albert.
"I've seen a photo of your eldest son." Clara stared at Albert coldly. "Broken bones, a battered face. If that's the case, how can he marry my daughter? I feel sorry for my daughter. No. Kevin healed Vivian. Kevin will be her husband."
Albert turned pale. His plan to swap Kevin for Vano was in tatters.
Diana clutched her husband's arm, whispering frantically. But there was nothing they could do. The situation was beyond their control.
Kevin looked at his parents expressionlessly. There was a painful irony in this situation. They had sent him as a replacement for Vano, hoping he would suffer in marriage to a dying girl. Now, the girl was healthy, and now, they wanted to swap him for Vano.
Karma did work in mysterious ways.
---
The days passed.
Kevin lived in the Wibisono family mansion, occupying the room next to Vivian's.
Beni still looked at him suspiciously every time they passed each other, but Clara always defended him.
Vivian herself recovered quickly. Colour returned to her cheeks, her body began to fill out, her once dull eyes now shone with life. Every day, Kevin checked on her, making sure there was no poison left.
But outside of those medical checks, they hardly interacted.
Until one afternoon, a week after the wedding.
Kevin was sitting in the mansion's backyard, enjoying green tea in silence, when his phone rang.
The name that appeared on the screen made him frown. Albert.
He answered the call without enthusiasm. "Yes?"
"Kevin!" Albert's voice sounded cheerful, too cheerful. "How are you, son? How is your new life with the Wibisono family?"
Kevin didn't answer. He waited.
Albert cleared his throat, realising his pleasantries weren't working. "All right, let's get straight to the point. I hear you're now close to Beni Wibisono. As his son-in-law, you must have some influence."
"None."
"Don't be modest." Albert laughed. "You cured his daughter. He must be indebted to you. Well, coincidentally, there is a large construction project from the Wibisono Group that will be auctioned next month. If you could talk to Beni, ask him to give the project to our family company—"
"No."
There was a moment of silence.
"What?"
"I said no." Kevin repeated flatly. "I will not ask anything from the Wibisono family for you."
"Kevin, listen to me—"
"No, you listen." Kevin's voice hardened. "Five years ago, you handed me over to be tortured and killed. You removed my photo from the wall. You assumed I was dead and never looked for me. Now, suddenly you call asking for help?"
"That... the situation was different back then—"
"The situation is the same." Kevin cut him off. "You only remember me when you need something. Back then, you needed a scapegoat to protect Vano. Now you need a connection to the Wibisono family. My answer remains the same. No."
He hung up without waiting for a response.