Darwin was quite confident that his hearing was not the issue. In a humble position, he pleaded with his father-in-law for a second chance. However, instead of being granted, the man in front of him presented two important choices he had to make.
“Veronica or Infinix Group?” Darius repeated with emphasis. “The decision is entirely in your hands.”
Darwin remained silent for a while. Actually, making a choice was easy, but not in this case. This time, his fate was like a double-edged sword. Choosing Veronica meant losing Infinix Group, and vice versa, choosing Infinix Group meant letting go of Veronica.
“Why?” Darius questioned when Darwin didn’t provide an answer. “Are you having trouble deciding?”
Darwin nodded as he rose from his kneeling position. What else could he do? That was exactly what he was feeling right now.
“It’s okay if you can’t give an answer right now,” Darius said again. He smiled knowingly as he looked at Darwin’s face. “I’ll give you some time. It seems like 24 hours should be enough for you to think it through. Please consider carefully which option you want to choose. And when there’s nothing more to discuss, feel free to leave this room.”
Darwin’s lips felt dry. Without saying anything else, he chose to leave Darius’s room with unsteady steps.
Descending one floor at a time, exiting the elevator, and finally crossing the lobby of the Vortex Group building, Darwin’s steps came to a halt for a moment. He unexpectedly ran into Sean, who had just returned from a dinner event. Judging by his face, Sean seemed elated by his victory and success today.
“Congratulations,” Darwin greeted him first when they were so close to each other.
Sean smiled as usual, nodded, and responded to Darwin’s words politely.
“Thank you for your wishes, Mr. Darwin. Honestly, I thought you would also make it through the selection today.”
Darwin’s lips twitched slightly. He didn’t know whether Sean’s words were just polite, a deliberate dig, or genuine. But one thing was for sure, Darwin didn’t care in the least. In fact, he tried not to engage in any conversation or discussion with his former wife’s ex-lover for too long.
“Well, maybe luck wasn’t on my side today. It’s okay. Once again, congratulations on your success.”
Sean nodded. Before Sean could speak again, Darwin purposely patted Sean on the shoulder and then left the Vortex Group building without saying another word. He didn’t head straight home, though. Instead, Darwin decided to go somewhere else. He felt the need to calm himself down for a moment. Furthermore, he had to carefully think about the choice Darius had presented and that he needed to answer soon.
Darwin spent quite some time alone. Choosing one of his favorite cafes with a peaceful atmosphere, he tried to focus his thoughts and weigh several aspects before making the significant decision in his life.
“Oh my, God. We’ve been searching everywhere for you, and here you are, all alone,” Randy exclaimed suddenly, along with Kennedy, who stood right in front of Darwin.
Worried about Darwin’s recent failure in the selection process, Kennedy and Randy had decided to join him at the office. However, when they arrived at the Infinix Group building, Darwin was nowhere to be found.
Kennedy and Randy then took the initiative to visit Darwin’s home. Unfortunately, Darwin wasn’t there either. According to the household assistant working at the same place, their master hadn’t returned at all.
So, where was Darwin right now? Kennedy even tried to call Darwin’s phone multiple times, but he seemed deliberately dismissive and unwilling to respond. Finally, Randy decided to boldly search for Darwin in all the places they used to frequent. Eventually, their search bore fruit, and they found Darwin sitting alone in silence.
“Win… what’s wrong? Still thinking about today’s tender selection?”
Seeing that Darwin didn’t respond to Randy’s inquiry, Kennedy decided to sit down and also ask about her cousin’s condition. She felt it wasn’t good for Darwin to dwell too long in the sadness or despair he was currently experiencing.
“I’m really stressed, Ken,” he replied softly. His eyes looked weary, as if carrying a heavy burden.
“Why are you so stressed? Just tell me or Randy. Maybe both of us can help.”
Randy, who was also seated beside Kennedy, nodded in agreement. In all the years she had known Darwin, she had never seen him look so broken before.
There was a sense of pity in Randy’s mind. After all, if it wasn’t for her and Kennedy reaching out, who else would help Darwin in his current predicament?
“If you need someone to talk to, both of us are here for you, Win. Just tell us everything that’s weighing on your heart,” Randy offered sincerely.
Darwin gave a faint smile. Perhaps, amidst the troubles he was facing, he could still be grateful for the presence of his two cousins. Kennedy and Randy had always been there for him when unexpected things happened.
“I’m sure you both still remember my story from before. This all concerns the consequences I’ll face if I fail in the Foxtail selection that Damian Ashborne organized.”
Kennedy nodded. There was no way she could forget about this. Ever since he accepted the challenge presented by Damian Ashborne, Darwin had immediately shared and invited her to discuss it.
“I remember it all, Win. If you fail, you’ll have to be willing to lose Veronica and Infinix Group.”
“Yeah, Ken. That’s what I meant,” Darwin nodded. “After the announcement, I deliberately visited Veronica’s father. My intention was to ask for leniency or a second chance to prove that I am worthy and truly committed to loving his daughter and building a serious family with her.”
“And then?” Kennedy asked curiously. Randy, who was sitting next to Darwin, also listened attentively to what Darwin was saying.
“Instead of giving me a chance, Papa Darius presented me with a difficult choice.”
Randy’s eyebrows furrowed reflexively. Filled with intense curiosity, he couldn’t help but ask.
“A choice? What do you mean by that?”
Darwin sighed deeply. It was as if a heavy burden was weighing on him.
“Because I lost and asked for leniency, Papa Darius insisted that he would give me a chance in the form of a choice. So, between Veronica and Infinix Group, which one should I choose to regain.”
“Oh my, Win!” Randy exclaimed loudly. “So, you’ve been missing all this time, thinking about which one to choose?”
Darwin nodded. He couldn’t deny that he was deeply troubled by this decision.
“It’s not as easy as making a choice, Ran. There are significant risks involved.”
“What’s so difficult about choosing?” Randy debated. “You want to rebuild your family with Veronica, right? So why not choose her?”
“It’s not that simple, Ran,” Kennedy interjected. “It’s not wrong for Darwin to think hundreds or thousands of times about it. Because his position is truly difficult right now. Just imagine, if he chooses Veronica, Darwin and his family will lose Infinix Group, which they’ve worked so hard to build. On the other hand, if he chooses Infinix Group, it means he has to truly let go of Veronica.”
Randy nodded, fully understanding what Kennedy was saying.
“Exactly. Darwin should choose Veronica. After all, in the end, all the companies will fall into Veronica’s hands, right? Later on, Darwin could ask for it back.”
“It’s not that simple,” Darwin interrupted Randy this time. “This problem is not as straightforward as you think, Ran. I can’t just choose as easily as you imagine. Just so you know, if I choose Veronica and let Infinix Group be acquired, it means thousands of Infinix Group employees will lose their livelihood.”
Randy appeared shocked by Darwin’s last statement. He was sure his cousin wasn’t mistaken.
“You mean…”
“Yes,” Darwin cut Randy off before he could finish his sentence. “If Infinix Group is successfully acquired, all the old Infinix Group employees will be replaced in their positions by staff or workers from Vortex Group.”
“Crazy! Does that mean Damian Ashborne wants to do a massive employee overhaul?”
Darwin nodded and then sighed deeply. This was why he couldn’t make a hasty decision.
“Kennedy is right. I’m in a difficult situation right now.”
Randy nodded in understanding. Gradually, he also became perplexed about his cousin’s fate. He thought this might be the karma Darwin had to face for his past wrongdoings.
There was no other option for Darwin. He had to face this reality head-on.
“In a situation like this, I can’t give advice lightly, Win,” Randy said. He was afraid of giving misguided advice. “You should try to calm down first. Think about the pros and cons and the consequences you’ll have to face with either choice.”
“Randy is right, Win,” Kennedy continued. “Whatever your decision is, it will be the best one. After all, life is full of choices, isn’t it?”
Darwin took another deep breath. His head felt like it was about to explode from constantly thinking about who to choose.