Episode 12

"What do you mean...what?" Vale asked, feeling a bit nervous. On one hand, he believed that Riu was being sincere. But on the other hand, he thought that Riu was playing games. Their marriage was still too short for Riu to have feelings for him.

"What do you think I mean?" Riu countered, making Vale even more flustered.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking you," Vale raised his tone, trying to conceal his growing nervousness. He didn't want Riu to realize it.

However, raising his tone didn't make Riu willing to answer. Instead, he smiled and changed the subject, which couldn't be denied anymore.

"It seems like your mood is bad. Let's just go to sleep!"

Though not satisfied with Riu's answer, Vale didn't say anything more. It was pointless. Eventually, reluctantly, he prepared to sleep. Unfortunately, sleep would not come.

All night long, Riu's words kept echoing in his mind, leaving him in a dilemma. Sometimes Vale felt euphoric, but sometimes he was afraid. It could be that it wasn't what he imagined.

Taking deep breaths, Vale often stared at Riu, who looked peaceful in his sleep. Didn't the man know that Vale couldn't sleep because of him?

Argh, so frustrating!

The next day, Vale's face was slightly sour from not sleeping all night. He had a headache and no motivation to do anything. If it wasn't for work, he would sleep all day to make up for the lost night.

Unlike Vale, Riu had actually slept soundly the night before. He had gained a lot of peace, especially in terms of romance. The more time passed, the more convinced he became that Vale was the best choice for his life.

"Today, I will fight for our future, until you are convinced that standing by my side is the right choice," Riu thought to himself that morning, before they both went to their respective workplaces.

Riu would go to his own office to discuss his performance with his family and shareholders. Meanwhile, Vale would work as usual at Victory Office.

________________

The spacious meeting room was already filled with upper-class individuals. Jason sat in the leadership chair, with Riu and Annisa beside him. Theo, Vir, and Camelia were also present. Not to mention the dozen shareholders who were there to participate. They each took their seats to voice their opinions on whether Riu should become the owner and leader of the company, after Jason retired and enjoyed his old age.

"Good morning, esteemed gentlemen and ladies. I would like to express my gratitude for your presence at this meeting. As the owner of the company and the current leader of this meeting, I would like to invite all of you to discuss the ownership transfer," spoke Jason with authority.

The meeting participants listened attentively, especially when Jason continued his speech and explained that it was Riu whom he had nominated to be the next owner. However, whether they agreed or not, everyone had the right to voice their opinions.

"I object to Mr. Riu becoming the next owner. He hasn't shown any outstanding achievements so far. Moreover...forgive me, but his physical limitations will hinder his work, which will affect the company's progress," Deon, one of the shareholders who had been involved in Riu's accident, expressed his disagreement.

After once reaping a lot of money from Annisa, now he was willing to work with her again. To fulfill her desire to become the owner of the company.

I agree with Mr. Deon. I don't mean to belittle anyone, but... the fact is that the company also needs a resourceful leader. Intelligence alone is not enough in this case, it needs to be balanced with physical ability. Mr. Jason, as long as there are other candidates, I don't think it's a good decision to have Mr. Riu. Here we have Mrs. Annisa and Mrs. Camelia, who have proven to be successful in developing the company overseas. Why not choose one of them, Sir?" Farhan added - another shareholder who was also on Annisa's side.

After the two of them spoke, there was a lot of whispering among them. Some were influenced by the previous arguments, while others still supported Riu. Until now, he played a significant role in the company's development. Although he didn't act alone due to physical limitations, he was the mastermind behind it all.

Intelligence is the most important aspect and shouldn't be disregarded.

Unfortunately, that opinion was shattered when it was voiced out. According to others, Annisa and Camelia are also intelligent. They are more deserving of being owners and leaders because they have normal physical abilities. Additionally, they doubt Riu's sudden and secretive marriage.

There is speculation that Riu intentionally entered into a contract marriage to gain access to assets. Obviously, that is not commendable behavior and does not reflect a genuine leadership spirit.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I speak?" Riu calmly interrupted, ignoring the triumphant smiles of Annisa and Camelia.

"Regarding the marriage...there is no such thing as a contract marriage or anything of the sort. We got married sincerely. I deliberately hid the relationship for the safety of my wife. As the woman I love, she naturally becomes my weakness. I don't want to put her in danger, that's why I still keep her identity hidden. And as for my performance until now... I have asked my right-hand man, Baron, to compile it. I hope you can reconsider after seeing the compilation," he continued.

Only a few nodded in admiration, while others sneered and secretly considered it a joke, especially his brother and brother-in-law.

However, Baron was unaffected by it all, just like Riu. He confidently stood up and stepped forward. Standing next to the screen to explain the compilation he had prepared long ago.

'Tomorrow, Riu will go to the peak. I don't care how you tamper with his car, as long as he gets into a serious accident. Half of his money will be mine when this succeeds.'

All eyes were on the screen, now showing the figures of Annisa and Delon. They were carrying out a transaction to harm Riu.

"Riu, what is this! Are you trying to tarnish my reputation, huh!" Annisa shouted as she got up from her seat.

However, Riu's supporters held her back. They also asked Baron to continue the video.

As the video played on, the room became more chaotic. Riu's supporters were almost overwhelmed because now not only Annisa was furious, but also Camelia, Theo, Vir, Delon, and even Farhan. Even Jason joined in, asking Baron to stop everything. He couldn't bear to watch the video clips that showed how deceitful Annisa and Camelia were, along with their husbands.

The four of them intentionally lured Riu to go to the peak. Then, they paid Delon to tamper with his car. Eventually, Riu had a severe accident when coming down from the peak. Due to the brakes malfunctioning, the car he was driving fell into a ravine. Luckily, Riu managed to jump out. If he hadn't, he would have been deceased by now.

The video also showed that they did all of this to take over all the assets. They were not willing for Riu to inherit anything, even if it was just a small amount. Their reasons were recorded clearly, because they were all born from different wombs. Many people were involved in this major crime, including Jason's right-hand man and several important people in the company.

"Riu___"

"I still hold Papa's promise. Anyone who cheats to get their hands on the assets, their name will be erased from the family list. There will be no assets left for them. Papa didn't forget, right?" Riu concluded, while playing the recording of his father's words from a few days ago.

Jason froze. Meanwhile, everyone involved turned pale in their place. It wasn't just the family witnessing this, but also the shareholders, who would surely side with Riu.

"That's why I hid my marriage. I didn't want my wife to experience the same thing. It's too painful," Riu said after the video ended.

"It's all not true. You deliberately tarnished our reputation, Riu!" Theo shouted. His breath was racing. If it weren't for the two men holding him back, he would have already punched Riu right then and there.

"The evidence is clear, and you still say it's not true, Brother? Fine, if you consider this manipulation. Come to the police station, tell them that I tarnished your reputation. But there's one thing you should know. Jordi, Papa's former right-hand man, has testified against your crimes, as well as his own involvement," Riu replied.

Farhan panicked\, "What do you mean? Why Jordi... Jordi___"

"My meaning is crystal clear. I've brought this case to the court. The police are now at the door, bringing special handcuffs for you all. Welcome them," Riu replied with a sly smile.

To be continued...

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