Darius was seen sipping tea that had been served on the table while reading the documents in his hand. In front of him sat Sean, who anxiously awaited Darius’s comments.
This morning, before they would later head to the Colosseum building for the final selection, Darius deliberately called Sean into his office. He wanted to directly assess how far Sean and his team had prepared to advance to the final round today.
“Are you very confident in all the material in these documents?” Darius inquired.
Sean nodded, and there was no doubt on his handsome face. Almost every day, he immersed himself in studying and preparing all the materials to be presented on the final day. He poured all his energy and efforts, including his experience, knowledge, and expertise, into this final presentation. His determination was unwavering, and his confidence was strong. Sean believed he could achieve the success that Darius hoped for.
“I and the team are very confident, Sir. We are optimistic that Vortex Group will make it into the list of qualified companies. It’s even highly likely that we’ll secure a top position.”
Darius, from his seat, smiled broadly. Seeing Sean’s enthusiasm, he also believed that the man in front of him could prove his words.
“In that case, I’ll be waiting for good news from all of you. Because today is the day of reckoning, I’ll be present for the announcement of the results later this afternoon. Hopefully, all of you can make me proud.”
Sean nodded. Believing that there was nothing more to discuss with Darius, he intended to leave the room.
However, just as he was about to get up, Darius called him back from his seat. Whether something was missing or Darius had something to add, it was clear that Darius waved his hand for Sean to sit back down.
“Wait a moment,” said the middle-aged man. “There’s something I almost forgot to clarify with you.”
Sean looked up, his gaze filled with questions.
“Clarify? If you don’t mind me asking, what’s it about, Sir?”
“About Veronica,” Darius replied with a casual expression but a serious tone. “I just found out that you were the man who used to date Veronica before she got married.”
Sean swallowed hard. Suddenly, nervousness crept over him. He worried that Darius might be angry because he had approached and secretly dated his beloved daughter, Veronica, despite coming from a humble background.
As a person born into a modest family, Sean could be considered audacious. At that time, he had no outstanding qualities, yet he had dared to approach a woman from an upper-class family.
Sean was truly in love with Veronica at that time. Because of the depth of his love, he made an effort to fit in with the Wijaya family, hoping to be accepted by them someday.
However, his aspirations didn’t come true. His love had to come to an end when he found out that Veronica had been arranged to marry another man by her father.
“Is it true that you had a serious relationship with Veronica a few years ago?” Darius pursued, waiting for Sean’s response.
“On that matter, I apologize for my audacity, Sir. I’m sorry if I lacked discretion by daring to have a relationship with your daughter, even secretly.”
Darius nodded without displaying any signs of annoyance or anger on his face.
“No problem. Besides, I can’t stop someone from liking my daughter. But there’s one thing I need to ask you here,” he said.
“Ask? What would you like to ask, Sir?”
Darius stroked his chin slowly, a faint smile forming on his lips.
“If you were to pass this selection today and I were to offer you two choices, which one would you choose: Axon Gold and its subsidiaries or being Veronica’s companion?”
At that moment, Sean was taken aback. Instead of asking about something else, Darius presented him with a difficult choice. Even though it was purely hypothetical, he couldn’t answer it lightly. That’s why, after thinking for a moment, he presented his argument.
“I would choose to be Veronica’s companion, Sir,” Sean replied confidently. “But please don’t worry. Even though I still have feelings, I won’t be audacious or act beyond boundaries.”
Darius smiled broadly. As if he had received the answer he was contemplating, he then allowed Sean to leave.
Just a few minutes after Sean’s departure, Darius received another visitor. Initially, he had no intention of receiving them. However, when he learned that it was Darwin, Darius, who was curious, instructed his secretary to let his son-in-law in.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with Darwin today, Dad.”
Darius nodded. He showed no inclination or intention to invite Darwin to sit. Consequently, his son-in-law remained standing in front of the desk.
“What else do you want here?” Darius inquired. Folding his hands in front of his chest, he continued to observe Darwin’s occasionally nervous movements.
“Darwin came here just to talk to you, Dad, and to prove today that he is still worthy of being a member of the Wijaya family.”
Darius smirked dismissively. While what Darwin said might happen, he had no desire to set high expectations.
“Oh, come on, Darwin. There’s no need for a lot of talk or big words. Just prove it this afternoon. Prepare yourself well because there’s a possibility of what will happen. First, if you pass and secure this contract, be ready to be with Veronica again. But if you fail, prepare yourself to lose everything – Veronica and the Infinix Group you’re so proud of.”
Darwin nodded in understanding. He knew that in every competition, there were always two possibilities: success or failure. However, Darwin’s self-confidence was very high this time. He was so confident that he could pass and bring victory to his father-in-law and his wife.
“We’ll see,” Darius replied. “Today, I’ll be here to see firsthand whether you succeed or end up in failure.”
After conveying his purpose, Darwin quickly left. After this, he and his team had to prepare to go to the meeting venue.