Chapter 8

"Sir, if you pay attention once again, our company's sales graph is increasing and starting to stabilize and grow. I am optimistic that in less than a year, everything will be back up as before or even shot up more than now."

Darwin seemed to be listening carefully as the project manager and several expert staff one by one presented their work at today's important meeting. All of them gave good reports which made Darwin feel even more satisfied.

Actually, the Khiel Group has been in a stable and normal condition since Darius Wijaya gave a helping hand to Gerald. It's just that Darwin wants his father's company to progress further and if possible grow rapidly.

This is so that he can immediately return all the money, as well as the assistance that Darius has provided so that the Khiel Group is not considered a debt of gratitude. That way, he can end his marriage with Velove without any burden as soon as possible.

"In that case, continue to develop. Don't forget to always evaluate it every week. It is also important to make new breakthroughs so that the goods we export abroad are immediately greeted enthusiastically by consumers or big investors."

After dissecting and discussing all important matters and future work agenda, Darwin finally closed the meeting. Stepping out, the man intended to return to his study.

Just got out of the elevator, from a distance he already caught the presence of Samuel who was sitting in front of his room. Approaching, Darwin then reprimanded his cousin who seemed busy playing with the cellphone.

The narrow-eyed man who was wearing a gray suit today looked up. Seeing that the person he was looking for was in sight, Samuel then decided to get up and greet him back.

"Your meeting is over?"

Darwin nodded.

"Already. How long have you been here yourself?"

This time Samuel shook her head.

"Not really. It's only been about 10 minutes."

"Yes, that's it then. Then shall we have lunch together?" asked Darwin while turning around preparing to step into his room.

"So, please. I've been waiting for this. I'm already hungry too."

he smiled. The man then spoke while walking.

"In that case, you wait here for a moment. I'll put the files first."

As soon as he finished putting all the files he had been holding, Darwin immediately took Samuel to the car. The two of them then went to have lunch at a Japanese restaurant in the city center.

Arriving at the location, as usual after ordering food, the two of them spent time discussing personal and work matters. Today's lunch for the two of them was a little bland because Randy couldn't attend because she was on assignment out of town.

"Tomorrow is your birthday, right?" asked Samuel as she ate the sushi on her plate.

Darwin nodded. He, who was also currently eating, responded to his cousin's question.

"Yeah, what's wrong? Do you want to give me a present?"

"What gift do you want? I'll give it later. As long as you don't ask to buy an island."

"Alah, more style, Ken."

"Oh, I'm serious. What are you doing? Then is the event being celebrated or not? If it is celebrated, I will tell Luna to come tomorrow as well."

Darwin chuckled. While enjoying his lunch the man shook his head. Besides, he was too old to celebrate birthdays of all kinds.

"No, ah. Too lazy to celebrate everything. At least just go to dinner."

"With Velove?"

"Yes, with Vicky," Darwin smirked as if he didn't accept it when his cousin even mentioned his wife's name.

Samuel shook her head in disbelief. I don't know what's in Darwin's brain until this second, he still doesn't want to learn to open his heart to his wife.

In fact, as Randy said, Velove is close to perfect. In addition to being rich, he also looks very beautiful. Not to mention smart and also independent. So? What else to consider?

"How long are you going to be like this, Win?" Samuel asked bluntly. "In fact, if I'm being honest, I think Velove is better than Vicky. Her aura even feels so positive."

"You don't know who Vicky is, Ken."

"I also don't really know who Velove really is. But I have a feeling that she is a better woman than Vicky."

"That's just your feeling," Darwin said hastily. Do not accept that his girlfriend to be humiliated by others. "I admit, when it comes to the physical, Velove is far beautiful. But, here I am looking for comfort. And I am very comfortable with Vicky."

Samuel nodded. He didn't deny it. In a relationship, if you want it to last a long time or to last, you really have to feel comfortable, compatible, and have each other.

"The problem is, you've never wanted to try, have you?" Samuel guessed matter-of-factly. "Look at me and Luna's case. In the past, you could say I was very comfortable with Viola. If we didn't feel comfortable, how could we have been in a relationship for years. However, after meeting Luna and trying to adjust, in the end I felt comfortable. even now. What does it mean? You can get that feeling of comfort as long as you have your own intentions and determination. If you haven't tried it but you underestimated it, how do you want to move forward?"

Samuel spoke at length. Trying very hard to continue to give advice and enlightenment so that Darwin doesn't keep doing wrong things. Samuel thought it would be a pity if Velove was betrayed like this. Because no matter what, Darwin has no right to treat his wife arbitrarily like now.

"Come on, Ken. You don't need to talk. It's really boring every time we meet you, you have to defend Velove."

"Not defending," said Samuel. "I'm just saying what it is. If it's wrong, it's wrong. If it's true, I'll definitely support it, Win."

Darwin chuckled. Making sure the food on the table had been eaten, he then called the waitress to then pay. After that, the two of them hurriedly got ready to go to the car to immediately return to the office.

However, when he passed one of the tables, Darwin's eyes caught sight of Velove who was also there. Originally, he intended to be indifferent by choosing to pretend not to see.

Unfortunately, Samuel couldn't even get along with her. His cousin without sin even reprimanded him, calling out Velove's name confidently.

"Velove.”

Hearing his name being called, Velove reflexively turned his head. From the look in his eyes, he was surprised to find that his husband and cousin were in the same place as him.

"Darwins."

Instead of replying to Samuel's warning, Velove called her husband's name. He and Darwin glanced at each other until finally Samuel, who returned, cleared her throat and then spoke.

"You've been here long?"

Velove realized, the woman then turned to Samuel.

"Y-yes. Uh, no. I just got here."

Samuel nodded.

"Just the two of you?" asked the slant-eyed man, pointing at the colleague who was sitting in front of Velove.

"Yeah, just the two of me. Let me introduce myself, he's a friend of mine."

Samuel smiled kindly. The man politely offered his hand towards the man sitting in front of Velove.

"ArtaSamuel Prawira."

"Nathanael Chandrawinata. Nice to meet Mr. Samuel."

"You're welcome."

"Have you eaten, Mr. Samuel and Mr. Darwin? Or should we have lunch together?" asked Nathan kindly. Trying once familiar to the two men in front of him.

Samuel shook her head. The man politely refused the offer that Nathanael had just made. After all, he also had to hurry after this.

"No, thank you, Pak Nathan. Darwin and I just finished lunch."

While Samuel was engrossed in talking with Nathan, Darwin, who was also there, looked silent for a moment. Watched briefly, then in the end reprimanded Velove, intending to say goodbye.

"You just continue having lunch with your friends. Me and Samuel want to go back first because after this I have another meeting that I have to attend."

Velvet nodded. Persuading Darwin to leave.

"Yes. Then be careful. See you tonight at home," Velove replied no less friendly. This was how he and Darwin behaved when they were outside the house. Trying to look intimate in front of other people, like a married couple in general.

Leaving Velove and his partner, Darwin and Samuel both stepped into the car. As soon as the vehicle started moving, Samuel immediately invited Darwin to talk.

"You know the guy your wife was with earlier?" Samuel asked curiously.

While focusing on driving the car, Darwin shrugged his shoulders.

"Originally, I don't know. As far as I know, he is an expert staff brought in from abroad."

"No wonder."

"Wow what?" Darwin inquired so he was also curious.

"From the looks of it, it looks like a smart and authoritative person. How handsome too. I, as a boy, admit that he looks okay," said Samuel carelessly. The man conveyed what he was feeling. After all, if you look at it visually, Nathanael does have a look that shouldn't be underestimated.

"Aren't you jealous that your wife is with a handsome boy? Aren't you afraid that Velove is attracted to you?" asked the man then.

he laughed. While driving, Samuel could clearly see how her cousin repeatedly shook her head.

"Jeez, Ken. I'm jealous of Velove? I heard right, right?"

"Nope."

"Why am I jealous. If Velove wants to go out with a boy or his girlfriend even once, I don't care, Ken. He just likes him."

"Certain?"

Darwin nodded. "100% sure."

"Don't let you regret it tomorrow, Win. Just be careful until one day I hear you venting or whining all the time because of Velove."

Darwin giggled even more. Looking up, the man replied to Samuel's words with a look full of confidence

"That's not going to happen. You can have my word."

***

Vicky : Honey, happy birthday. Hopefully at the age you are now, you will be more successful. Hopefully all your wishes and all that you dream of can be achieved soon. More love and love with me. And most importantly, in the near future we can get married. From me, who is loyal and always loves you, Vicky Rose Khiel.

Darwin's smile immediately widened, when he opened his eyes this morning, he found a text message from his lover, Vicky. Apparently, the woman he adored had sent a message containing birthday wishes since midnight last night.

Straightening his body, Darwin then looked for Vicky's contacts on his cell phone. Immediately contacted his girlfriend to thank her for the prayers Vicky had offered to her.

"Morning, baby."

As soon as the call was connected, Vicky could be heard on the other end. Her gentle voice made Darwin even crazier this morning.

"Morning, Love. Have you been up long?"

"Sure. I've been awake since four o'clock."

Darwin's brow furrowed. He wondered why his girlfriend had to wake up so early.

"Why is it so early? You can't sleep as usual?"

"No," said Vicky. "I deliberately woke up early because I prepared a special birthday cake for you. Even though I can buy it, I want you to eat the cake I made myself. This is made with feelings and love."

While holding his cell phone, Darwin swallowed a smile. His heart grew even more after hearing what Vicky said. He was touched and happy at the same time because his girlfriend even bothered to prepare a special cake to celebrate his birthday.

"You're really sweet," said Darwin.

"Yes, dong. Who's boyfriend before?"

"Darwin Morales Khiel, that's it. Who else?"

"But, today I can really meet you, right?"

Darwin rolled his eyes. Think for a moment while remembering the schedule and agenda of today's activities.

"Today, I have a meeting outside the office at around nine or half past ten. Then after lunch there is a meeting in Bandung. But when I go home, anyway. Maybe night has arrived in Jakarta."

"Well, so you can't find it, can you?" whined Vicky in a spoiled tone mixed with annoyance. Perhaps she felt wasted because the cake she had worked so hard to prepare was threatened with being rejected by her lover.

"No, we can still meet," Darwin said hastily. Trying to calm Vicky as fast as possible. How could he hurt his girlfriend?

"When did you meet him?"

"How about this morning? Before you go to work, just stop by my office. Or do you want me to pick you up? Then we eat together in the room before I leave for the meeting."

"Yes," said Vicky enthusiastically. It's a pleasure not to play because Darwin is still trying so that today they can meet each other. "You'll just pick me up, okay? Then we'll go to your office together. But, later before leaving for the meeting, you'll take me to the office too."

"Yes, Princess. I'll pick you up at 7, how about it? So that you can get to my office faster and take longer for each other."

"Agreed," said Vicky on the other side happily. "In that case, I'll take a shower first and get ready. You too, hurry up and take a shower and pick me up."

As soon as the phone call was cut off, Darwin hastily cleaned himself up. Get ready, then rush to pick up Vicky who is waiting at his apartment. In fact, Darwin was so excited this morning to meet him that he even neglected the breakfast and drinks that his household assistant had provided.

On his mind is only one. Want to meet soon so we can spend time together. Enjoying the day of growing old with the people he loves.

"Sorry if I'm a bit late," Darwin said when Vicky, who he had picked up, was now getting into his car.

"No, honey. You're not late. It's just right."

"Then can we leave now?"

"I can."

Darwin then returned to spur the car he was driving. Directed him to immediately arrive at the Khiel Group building.

Because it was still very early in the morning, no one was seen in the office except the security or the office boy who was on duty to clean up.

Arriving in the room, Darwin immediately took his lover to sit on the sofa. The two of them also had a conversation before finally eating the cake that Vicky had specially made.

"You never fail when you make pastries like this," said Darwin.

"Delicious, right?"

Darwin nodded.

"It's really delicious. It must be fun to be married to you, every free time I make cakes or snacks like this."

Vicky smiled. Rising from her seat, the woman approached Darwin's position in the corner of the sofa.

"If you want, I can make it every day. I'll take it every day too so I can meet you all."

he smiled. He pulled Vicky to then put him on his lap. He hugged the woman's hips tightly. After a while, Darwin smiled.

"You don't have to do it every day, honey. You'll be tired later."

"I'm really okay. The important thing is that you are happy. If it's a matter of wanting to eat cake, you have to wait until you get married, too long, Win."

"In a moment," Darwin corrected hastily. "I promise that next year we will be married and live together. So, you wait for me in a while. After that, we will live happily."

Vicky nodded. Lowering his face, then anchored a deep kiss. With parted lips, the woman gulped. Don't forget to bite and kiss every corner of Darwin's lips. Small bite there. Which immediately got a reply no less hot than the man who was holding her lap.

While behind the door, both of them did not realize the slightest. There was a woman watching silently. Clenching hands so tightly with teary eyes. Swearing in his heart would repay all the pain he was feeling right now.