Upon arriving at the Vortex Group Building, as Adrian had mentioned, Damian was indeed in his office. When his secretary allowed him to enter, Darwin approached courageously.
“What else are you here for?” Damian asked upon realizing his son-in-law’s presence.
In reality, this was Darwin’s first meeting with Damian after his case had come to light. He had tried several times to meet his father-in-law before but had always failed because Damian seemed reluctant and unwilling to see him.
Luckily, today seemed different. For some reason, Damian was giving him a chance by allowing him into his office.
“Pa, I apologize if Darwin’s visit disrupts your schedule. But Darwin believes that everything needs to be straightened out,” Darwin said.
“There’s nothing more for you to clarify,” Damian retorted. “Isn’t everything clear already?”
Darwin shook his head. He gestured for Damian to give him time and another opportunity to explain what had really happened.
“Please listen to Darwin once more, Pa. Darwin is not the person you think he is.”
Seeing Damian remain silent without further argument, Darwin took this chance to continue speaking. In his heart, he was determined to tell everything that had happened without leaving out any details.
“Darwin knows, Pa, that you’re hurt because in the past, Darwin treated Veronica harshly and unfairly. That’s why, deep down in Darwin’s heart, he apologizes,” he said sincerely. His gaze was unwavering, deliberately locking eyes with Damian, whose gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s.
“Darwin has also tried to be the best husband, starting over from scratch. He has worked to make Veronica the only queen in his heart and life in the future. And about Darwin being seen hugging someone at the restaurant, it’s not what you think. Darwin didn’t even expect Vivian to do that.”
“But, your intentions from the beginning were wrong, Win. Meeting another woman, especially an ex-girlfriend, is not something that can be tolerated. It’s like you’re disrespecting Veronica’s presence.”
Damian, of course, didn’t agree. Even though Darwin insisted that he had no romantic involvement with Vivian, he still couldn’t forgive Darwin for meeting his ex-girlfriend while being committed to his daughter.
“Darwin admits he was wrong, Pa,” Darwin said remorsefully. In his heart, he kept cursing his own foolishness for not being firm with Vivian.
“Darwin was too impulsive and didn’t think things through. Darwin’s actions cannot be justified. But, isn’t there at least one chance for Darwin to return to Veronica?”
Damian laughed bitterly. After learning that his daughter had been subjected to violence and manipulation by Vivian, he had completely lost respect and trust in his son-in-law.
“Do you still want to be Veronica’s husband after everything you’ve done all this time?”
“Darwin is willing to do anything, Pa,” Darwin said earnestly. In his heart, he was determined to tell everything that had happened without leaving out any details.
“Darwin knows it’s hard for Pa to believe. But, by God, Darwin is willing to do anything if you would give him a chance and your blessing to continue his marriage with Veronica.”
Again, Damian gave him a cold smile. As he looked intently, he suddenly thought of something.
“Are you really willing to do anything?”
At that moment, Darwin nodded repeatedly. He thought there was nothing left for him to do except to prove that he genuinely wanted to regain the blessing and trust of his father-in-law.
“Anything, as long as you and Veronica can trust Darwin again.”
“Okay,” Damian nodded. He then curled the corner of his lips into a smile. His mind seemed to be thinking, and he remembered something that he could use as a test for his son-in-law.
“Are you familiar with Foxtail Gold?” Damian asked.
Darwin paused for a moment. Then he nodded, understanding what his father-in-law had just asked.
“Yes, Darwin knows that company, Pa.”
“Good, because Foxtail is about to hold a tender for the opening of the largest gold mining site centered in China. They are looking for 5 reputable companies to enter into a joint venture. Your task is quite simple. Since you’ve been involved in the mining business for a while, it shouldn’t be difficult to fulfill this duty.”
Darwin listened carefully to what Damian was saying. He carefully analyzed the purpose and intentions of his father-in-law.
“Do you mean, Darwin has to participate and win the tender that Foxtail is organizing?”
Damian nodded, confirming Darwin’s question.
“Yes. I want you to register Infinix Group for participation. It should be easy, right?”
Even though the task Damian gave him was within his specialization or field of expertise, Darwin couldn’t just say it was easy. He knew that Foxtail was a top-tier developer that maintained high standards when choosing vendors for collaboration.
Of course, this wouldn’t be easy. Moreover, Darwin’s competitors would be numerous and from various countries. When he thought about it, the task Damian gave him seemed almost impossible to win. But he couldn’t refuse after declaring that he was ready to do anything.
“You should also know that Vortex Group is participating in this tender, and Sean will represent us.”
Damian’s face looked even more serious. As he continued to gaze intently at Darwin, he said, “If you succeed and become a part of Foxtail, I will give you my blessing to reunite with Veronica. Furthermore, I will give you an additional gift, which is all the subsidiary companies under Vortex Group to run. But you must also understand the consequences if you fail.”
The atmosphere around Darwin suddenly became tense. He began to feel nervous, trying to guess what the punishment would be if he failed to accomplish the mission Damian had given him.
“If you fail in the task I’ve assigned, you must be willing to lose Veronica and Infinix Group to Vortex Group.”
Darwin was taken aback. He had to raise his eyebrows to make sure he had heard correctly.
“Do you mean that, Pa?”
“Yes, I’m sure you heard me correctly. So, if you fail, you and Magnus must be willing to let Vortex Group take over Infinix Group.”
Darwin swallowed hard. His fate was truly on the line now. Retreating would be equivalent to compromising his dignity, and he would undoubtedly be seen as not serious about proving his sincerity.
“Okay, Darwin agrees,” he nodded after thinking it through for a moment. “Darwin will comply with the conditions you’ve set and is ready to accept all the risks.”
Damian smiled with satisfaction. From his seat, he wondered if his son-in-law could live up to his words.