There was a short pause. Andreas took a deep breath, his gaze changed. He seemed to be thrown back into the past, when everything was still under control.
“Back then, Nana still had full authority, and I was able to run Progun smoothly. Unfortunately, Nana’s health deteriorated, and the shareholders demanded a transition to avoid unwanted situations. So, dad stepped in as president-director with a few conditions,” Andreas explained as he looked at Vlora. “One of those conditions was not to divorce mom.”
Vlora remained silent. She chose not to comment and prepared herself to be a good listener.
“Of course, that condition wasn’t for Mom’s personal interest, but for the greater good. You see, Mom’s family has a close relationship with the Morales family, the biggest coal mining tycoons in Indonesia. There are several things that could happen if Dad divorced Mom. Morales’s support would shift to the Ramirez family, and if that happened, Progun would definitely be helpless under Lostic.
Vlora nodded, understanding Andreas’ explanation. “Progun and Lostic have always been in competition.”
“That’s right,” Andreas agreed with Vlora’s statement. “Then this happened. Dad used his position to remove me from Progun and let Jonas take over. Dad no longer cared what people thought of his affair and did everything for the sake of the family he loved.”
This time Vlora decided not to comment. The conversation had become more delicate.
“So that’s the story. Quite interesting, isn’t it?”
You could hear the amusement in Andreas’ voice. His eyes sparkled with humor as he told everything casually, as if it were a trivial matter.
“Are you okay?”
A different kind of smile appeared on Andreas’ face, but he nodded. “Perhaps this is one of the other good things about marriage. Someone asks about my well-being, and of course I’m fine. Besides, I’m sure of something. Whatever is really meant for me will come back to me one day. Sooner or later. It’s just a matter of time.”
Andreas’ confidence was one of the things Vlora secretly admired about him. In her eyes, Andreas either had a strong will or a good understanding of his own potential.
Vlora liked this positive aura. Even when she turned to look at Andreas as he approached her, his confidence and determination were evident.
All of this reminded Vlora that Andreas was not just confident and determined when it came to women. Andreas knew exactly what his priorities were.
This fact went almost unnoticed by Vlora. When she first met Andreas, she thought of him as a carefree man who only knew how to have fun. At first glance, she could have labeled Andreas as a spoiled man who only knew about women. But everything changed when Andreas started talking about work.
“Actually, Progun hasn’t been doing too badly under Jonas’ leadership for the past three years, but that doesn’t mean it’s living up to the shareholders’ expectations. If you look closely, the sales of some products haven’t increased significantly. Some competitors have taken advantage of the situation quite effectively. Quite a few Progun products have faced tough competition, such as ilax, wonder, and even unsect. Although unsect is Progun’s flagship product.
He did not stop there. Not only did he mention Progun and Jonas’ name, but shortly after, Andreas mentioned another name.
“Dad clearly knew that I wanted to take advantage of the situation at Progun, and that’s why I was arranged to marry Nadine. I refused the arranged marriage not only because I didn’t like her, but because I knew it was Dad’s attempt to distance me further from Progun”.
Something piqued Vlora’s interest. “What did your father offer?”
“ElysianTwill Mills.”
Vlora blinked with a furrowed brow. She swallowed and asked to be sure.
“ElysianTwill Mills?”
“Yes,” Andreas nodded. “ElysianTwill Mills is a textile company that was founded only a few years ago. Eight, nine or maybe twelve years. So can you guess the end of my marriage with Nadine?”
Vlora could not deny that she was looking into Nadine after their unpleasant encounter. At least she knew about Nadine’s family and some other things, including the family business.
“A merger.”
The connection became clear. Vlora remembered that the Martinez family owned a textile company called MysticLoom Textiles.
“Actually, the merger isn’t too bad. MysticLoom Textiles is a big and well-established company.”
“Then why didn’t you take it? It was a tempting offer.”
Andreas’ index finger tapped rhythmically on the steering wheel. Somehow, he felt that the traffic jam was not so boring now.
“There are a couple of reasons. First, when the merger happens, I won’t really have full control there. It’s like I have something, but I can’t do everything my way. Um, I don’t like to be controlled.”
“That’s just like you.”
“The second reason is that I think ElysianTwill Mills can stand on its own. It was just Dad’s way of politely getting rid of me,” Andreas continued with a mischievous smile on his face. He would never have thought that Bryan would come up with the idea of convincing him with ElysianTwill Mills. “The third reason, of course, is that my target is Progun.”
The steering wheel turned. The car entered an upscale neighborhood. Unfortunately, Vlora did not notice the luxury of the gate and the security entrance to the complex. She was more interested in their conversation.
“I’m a greedy bastard, Vlo. Besides, I want what’s meant for me, one of which is Progun. Its market reach is too extensive for me to just let it go to Jonas.”
Companies that focus on household needs have always held great appeal. So, it was not surprising that Andreas and Jonas were competing for them.
“That’s why, dear, your unemployed husband might be a bit busy from tonight on.”
The car passed another luxurious gate. It continued until Andreas stopped in front of the courtyard of the house.
Andreas unbuckled his seatbelt and received Vlora’s amused chuckle.
“That seems like good news to me,” Vlora said, rolling her eyes. She unbuckled her seatbelt as well. “I can use the comfortable break while you’re busy.”
Andreas narrowed his eyes playfully. He clearly understood the hidden meaning behind Vlora’s words.
Andreas leaned over to Vlora and looked at her with a meaningful grin.
“Don’t get your hopes up, Mrs. Sanders,” Andreas teased. “I can always surprise you.”
Oh! Vlora knew that for sure.
*