Chapter 26

Darwin has just finished reading once again the document about the profile and some important information regarding the Leighton company. He did this on purpose so that he would be well-prepared and more knowledgeable for tomorrow’s meeting with his business associate.
Moving from the couch to the bed, Darwin intended to rest. However, just as he was about to lie down, he was suddenly startled by the presence of Veronica, who had just come out of the bathroom.
Actually, it’s not Veronica’s presence that Darwin is concerned about. It’s just that he was slightly taken aback when he saw the unusual appearance displayed by his wife as she walked towards the bed.
Throughout their marriage, Darwin had never seen Veronica wear revealing clothing like she is now. Well, maybe not never. Perhaps he was the one who had been unaware or lazy to pay attention to his surroundings. Preferring to be preoccupied with himself or with Vivian, his lover.
That’s why, seeing Veronica now wearing a very thin and revealing silk nightgown, Darwin felt uncomfortable. A mix of embarrassment and awkwardness, as he had never been in a situation like this before.
“Veronica, what are you doing wearing such clothes?” Darwin remarked as his wife had just sat down beside him.
Veronica turned to him, giving him a questioning look.
“What do you mean, what am I doing?”
Darwin immediately sighed. He was sure Veronica actually understood what he meant.
“Yeah, why are you wearing such revealing clothes? Are you intentionally trying to tempt me?”
“Trying to tempt? So, you feel tempted?” Veronica smirked. She found it amusing to see Darwin, who seemed panicked by her appearance. In her opinion, she was just wearing something ordinary and not too extravagant.
“Well, who knows, maybe you’re intentionally doing it,” Darwin replied. “Besides, your clothes are just too revealing in my opinion.”
“It’s just a silk nightgown, and you’re already protesting. What if I wear lingerie? Or do you want me to wear lingerie only? Coincidentally, I brought one,” Veronica teased intentionally. And at that moment, she saw Darwin’s face instantly turn panicked.
“No need to go crazy! Just go to sleep already. The longer it goes, the more chaotic it gets.”
Veronica giggled once again. Instead of getting ready to sleep, she even moved her body slightly forward. Leaning closer, she continued to playfully tease.
“Are you sure I’m not your type?” the woman whispered, winking her eye. “I’m even worried that you might be the one who can’t resist touching me.”
Darwin growled. He pushed Veronica’s body to make her lie down. He quickly pulled the blanket over her, covering her entire body including her face.
“That’s enough, hurry up and sleep! No need for a lot of talk. Your temptations won’t work on me.”
“Sure?” replied the wife from beneath the blanket, and in that moment, Darwin responded immediately.
“Veronica, go to sleep. No need for a lot of talking and nonsense.”
Under the blanket, Veronica laughed again. It seemed that from this moment on, she was thinking about continuing to bother her husband. She was just pleased to see him annoyed like he was now.
The next day, after breakfast, Darwin and Veronica began their first activity for the official meeting with the Leighton team, accompanied by Veronica’s father and Sean.
They all seemed enthusiastic as they followed each step of the program. From the welcome session, to formal introductions with representatives from other companies. Then, they proceeded to give a brief presentation about the business materials and discussed the agenda for their activities in Malaysia for the coming weeks.
“We are very pleased that Wijaya and Infinix Group honored our invitation. We are also glad that you have accepted the offer to collaborate in running and developing the mining business,” said Nasrudin, one of the Leighton leaders after finishing the presentation session.
Darwin, selected by Damian to speak, smiled in response before providing his feedback.
“It’s an honor for us as well to be chosen as one of the partners in this significant business endeavor. We hope that this collaboration will bring substantial benefits to both parties.”
Nasrudin nodded and smiled in response.
“Of course. I believe it’s the right decision to have Salim and Vortex Group involved. I’m optimistic that the business we’re engaging in will yield maximum profit share due to the involvement of such competent companies,” Nasrudin praised without exaggeration. The middle-aged man seemed to be able to foresee the course of their business because it was managed by selected individuals.
“That being said…” Nasrudin continued. “As a token of appreciation, Leighton invites all business partners to join us tonight for a networking event and dinner. The intention is for representatives of the companies in this business venture to get to know each other, build rapport, and establish good business chemistry for the future.”
Darwin nodded politely, accepting the invitation that had just been extended.
“Thank you for the invitation. My team and I will certainly attend the event.”
“In that case, enjoy your time. See you at the party later tonight.”
***
Veronica looked elegant and graceful in the black A-line dress she was wearing. Meanwhile, Darwin was still busy on the phone with the division head in Indonesia. Veronica decided to head to the party first with Damian and Sean.
Fortunately, the dinner event was held at the hotel they were staying in, which made it convenient as they didn’t need to leave the hotel premises. With just a short walk and a few floors to descend, they all arrived at the event venue.
Entering the ballroom, all the guests started arriving and filling the party space. Damian, Veronica’s father, immediately mingled. He walked around with his daughter and Sean, introducing themselves to colleagues and business associates, some of whom he already knew.
“Damian, it’s great to see you here. It’s been a while since we met,” Reynald, one of the executives from Gastoline, greeted warmly. It was like meeting an old friend, and they engaged in a lengthy conversation.
“I shouldn’t be here, actually. But since my son-in-law has been involved in the mining business for a while now, I decided to join. I’m just curious since I haven’t directly ventured into this field myself.”
“Fortunate to have a competent son-in-law in the mining business. So, there’s no need for him to be taught or directed to handle the big project that Leighton is offering this time.”
“You’re right, Rey,” Damian nodded proudly. “Not an exaggeration, but I admit that my son-in-law is highly capable and his performance is remarkable.”
From the moment he knew that Darwin was a competent businessman, it was a consideration for Damian to make him his son-in-law. And after getting married, Darwin proved himself. The Infinix Group continued to progress and even experienced significant growth. That’s why Damian was also optimistic that the current business venture would run smoothly as expected.
Little did Damian know, Darwin had worked hard to elevate the Infinix Group, striving to break free from the shadow of the Vortex Group that had previously provided significant support.
“In that case, you have to introduce me to your son-in-law,” Reynald replied afterward.
“Of course,” Damian nodded, then turned around and waved to Veronica, who was engaged in conversation with a guest. “You should get to know my daughter first.”
“Is this your daughter? She’s very beautiful,” Reynald praised while extending his hand for a handshake.
Veronica smiled warmly, accepting the handshake from her father’s business associate and introducing herself.
“Thank you for the compliment, sir. I’m Veronica Ashborne.”
Reynald nodded with a smile and shifted his gaze. His eyes were now fixed on Sean, who stood beside Veronica.
“And this, must be your amazing husband, right?” Reynald guessed while offering his hand for a handshake once again.
Before Sean could respond or perhaps avoid the topic, someone else appeared unexpectedly. They joined the conversation and responded to the earlier question.
“You’re mistaken, Mr. Reynald. He is not Veronica Arianna Salim’s husband.”
Darwin was now standing in front of Reynald. He extended his hand first, inviting his father-in-law’s business associate for a handshake.
“Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Darwin Walters. The head of Infinix Group and also Veronica’s husband.”
“Oh my, so this is the remarkable man Damian has been talking about? I apologize, I mistook you for someone else,” Reynald said, feeling embarrassed.
“No problem.”
Darwin then had a brief conversation with Reynald and Damian. They exchanged pleasantries for a while before Darwin excused himself to talk to other guests.
While walking away with Veronica, Darwin intentionally lowered his head slightly and whispered a sentence filled with a sarcastic tone and a warning. “You must be really happy when Sean was mistaken for your husband, right?”
“Ugh, it’s just your imagination,” Veronica retorted while walking ahead.
“But you really seemed to enjoy your time with the perfect Sean so much that you didn’t even notice my presence.”
“Don’t act like you know everything, Darwin Walters.”
“Just admit it. The proof is in your happy face when you’re with him.”
“What’s wrong if I enjoy spending time with Sean? Are you jealous?”
Darwin turned to her. His ears tingled hearing Veronica’s accusation that he was jealous.
“Ugh, I really don’t want to be jealous like you. Just so you know, Ve, I’m just sticking to the agreement we made together. So, as long as that agreement is valid, don’t think you can act coy. It’s not like you’d win by yourself!”
Veronica huffed and pinched Darwin playfully out of annoyance because he was teasing her.
“No need to be afraid. I’m not like you, who enjoys cheating.”
Ending the argument, Darwin shifted his focus to converse with other guests in front of him. Veronica did the same. After a while, feeling thirsty, she excused herself and decided to approach the beverage table.
Some sort of misfortune seemed to befall Veronica that night. As she reached for a drink on the table, the heel of her shoe accidentally caught on the edge of the carpet, causing it to break.
Unsurprisingly, Veronica’s body immediately wavered. However, as if destined to be her guardian angel, Sean, who had been near her for some time, swiftly reached out and caught her. He pulled her, then embraced her, preventing her from falling to the ground. This incident naturally drew the attention of those around, especially Darwin who had been conversing.
“Are you okay?” Sean asked worriedly as he helped Veronica sit down on a nearby chair.
“I’m fine,” Veronica mumbled after settling into the seat. She winced, perhaps still surprised by what had just happened.
“Do you want a drink? I’ll get one for you.”
Without much thought, Sean walked over to the refreshment table to fetch a glass of drink. Returning to Veronica, he handed her the glass.
Before she could reach for it, Darwin intervened for the second time. He intercepted Sean’s intention and handed the glass himself, replacing it with another glass he had brought.
“Mr. Sean, thank you very much for your assistance. Please go. Let me handle Veronica now.”
Sean simply nodded and walked away. Meanwhile, Darwin decided to sit down deliberately. He positioned himself in front of Veronica, examining her foot that might be in pain or injured from the previous near-fall incident.
“Veronica, why are you so keen on seeking attention from your ex-boyfriend? Can you not? If you wanted to fall, couldn’t you do it with me?” Darwin muttered as he continued to examine his wife’s foot.
“You’re crazy, you know that? Planning to fall deliberately. Besides, how would I know something like this would happen? Do you think I’d intentionally embarrass myself by falling in front of everyone?”
“Who knows.” Darwin then helped Veronica put on the heel shoe that had almost come off. Afterward, he got up and made sure to check her foot again to see if it was okay or if something had happened. “Is your foot hurting? Sprained or something?”
Veronica shook her head.
“I don’t think it’s sprained. But it still feels sore.”
“Can you walk, though? Or do you need me to carry you?”
“Stop talking about carrying. As if you’d dare to carry me in front of everyone.”
Just after saying that, unexpectedly, Darwin actually followed through with what he had offered earlier. He reached for Veronica’s body and lifted her, carrying her out of the ballroom. This, of course, caught the attention of all the guests present.
Throughout the walk to the elevator, Veronica protested continuously, feeling embarrassed as almost everyone they passed looked at them.
“Darwin! What are you doing?”
“You said you wanted to be carried. Well, I’m just fulfilling your request. Who said I wouldn’t dare?”
“But, not like this. It’s embarrassing in front of so many people.”
“Then how did you want me to do it??” Darwin asked while still carrying Veronica, guiding her into the elevator. “Actually, this way, people will see us as a romantic couple, right?”
“It’s better if you put me down right now!”
Darwin shook his head. He adamantly refused his wife’s request.
“Enough with the protests. Besides, we’re almost at the room in no time. You might as well enjoy it. After all, this is what you wanted, right?”
Veronica sighed in resignation. Protesting had been in vain. Darwin really didn’t care about what she said or asked for.