My Blind Wife Wants Divorced

Two days passed.

Leonel carried out his activities as usual. Nothing had changed except for one thing that now caught his attention-Ester. Leonel was no longer as cold towards her because he had a specific goal. He couldn’t afford to be unaware of Ester’s true mission. He also had to watch Josh, who was somewhat challenging to reach. Leonel still had to attend meetings with several high-ranking executives at Mountain and engage in new marketing planning, and his time was too short of spying on Josh.

If Chris’ hypothesis about the man’s movements was correct, then Josh had executed all his plans with Ester very well. Leonel also had to check many new agreements with Josh because he was worried that he might not know something about those contracts. He had asked Deborah to reread the existing agreements carefully.

Leonel let out a sigh. The report before him was already draining his mental energy and concentration. A knock on the door made Leonel raise his head slightly. Deborah entered with a stack of new files.

“Sir, these are from the finance division. They wanted a meeting,” Deborah placed the files down slowly. She still felt a bit afraid whenever she met with Leonel in his office, although now her boss was much more humane than he had been in the past few months. While Leonel was no longer angry like a monster, he still acted like one when it came to work.

“What’s the problem?”

“They feel that the budget for the store opening and the upcoming event is too excessive.”

Leonel furrowed his brow. “Who are they collaborating with?”

“The Jena Group, sir.”

Leonel rubbed his chin slowly. “Did you reread the contract as I asked?”Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

“I did. There are some points that I found confusing in their intention, sir. I’m afraid I might have misunderstood.”

“Did you mark them?”

Deborah nodded quickly.

“Bring them here, and tell the finance department we’ll meet at ten tomorrow. Bring all the concerns they have and the plans regarding the event.”

“Yes, sir.”

After Deborah left, it turned out that something was indeed happening. Why had he overlooked it? Leonel sighed heavily. He massaged the bridge of his nose with frustration, but he couldn’t act recklessly. Leonel had to study, ensure what was happening, and make the best decision. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake. He couldn’t.

These past few months, he has taught him to tread carefully. Even though he was usually calculated, why was he now faltering? Was it because of the series of events happening one after another? One thing was sure-he felt like he was losing his grip as he faced multiple challenges lately. His focus had significantly diminished.

“I have to unravel all of this,” he resolved in his heart. Before he could even retrieve the reports brought by Deborah, the door to his office was knocked again. His father entered with a stiff expression.

“Papa?” Leonel called out, making sure that nothing was wrong.

“Do you know something, Leonel?”

Leonel sensed his father’s tone. “What should I know?”

Robby sat down, slumping slightly against the back of the sofa. His facial expression became even more unfriendly. There was frustration and anger evident in every exhale of breath. “A week ago, I discussed with Josh. There was something that needed to be addressed regarding a new project. You remember.”

Leonel could never forget that day. He was supposed to meet Josh, but he had a meeting with Waskita Group, the company building a mall in Manhattan. He had to handle matters regarding special permits involving local land issues. However, before the construction began, they had already reached an agreement. Leonel was sure that specific individuals were involved.

And he was right. Because according to Leonel, it was extraordinary for someone to protest when the construction was almost forty percent complete.

Fortunately, resolving the issue there took a bit of time. The longer the construction continued, the higher the costs incurred by Mountain for the SummerSet project. Even though there was already a budget, is it better if it were completed on time?

“I remember, Dad,” said Leonel, who sat before his father. He had asked Deborah to prepare two cups of coffee. Leonel was sure that his father’s visit wouldn’t be brief. Besides, he needed to talk about the emerging problems at Mountain. He didn’t want his father to find out later and be shocked. Although Leonel should have dealt with the chaos first, he had to think logically.

His father had a brilliant mind. He wouldn’t let Leonel handle the problems alone. After all, his father still frequently delegated tasks to Leonel, such as meeting with clients, negotiating for them to invest in Mountain, and working together as mutually beneficial business partners.

“Dad had a bad feeling about Josh yesterday.”

Leonel furrowed his brow.

“They’re taking too many risks in marketing. Josh said it’s his business because it’s already part of the agreement. Dad checked the contract, and it does state that. We both know that whatever is written must have been discussed and agreed upon beforehand, right?”

Leonel nodded slowly, attentively listening to his father’s agitated words.

“But for some reason, Dad feels something is off, Leonel. Dad doesn’t know exactly where, but Dad’s instinct says that the marketing could be better. They don’t want to provide a clear and detailed market analysis like our previous clients. They only rely on what we want. But they don’t elaborate on their side. They should also have their input, especially for the new product line.”

“That’s true.”

“And Hendrik just reported to Dad that the budget allocated for the marketing team at Josh Corp is huge.”

Leonel quickly went to his desk. He grabbed the reports from the finance division and examined them individually, along with the contracts marked by Deborah regarding some issues. He read them carefully and…

“Damn!”

***

Darren greeted Chloe with a happy smile, holding a tray of cheese-topped brownies. He took the time to visit Chloe’s house after almost two weeks in Bali. The seminar there had taken up a lot of his time and concentration. Darren would be reluctant to leave New York City if it weren’t related to his work.

“How are you?” Darren asked.

“I’m good. And you? You seem busy.”

Darren chuckled. “Yeah. Bali is beautiful, but unfortunately, I couldn’t fully enjoy its beauty. Even during the seminar break, I still had to work on many surveys.”

Chloe laughed. “For the future, Darren.”

“Yes, you’re right. In the future. I shouldn’t complain too much.” Darren observed Chloe, who looked even more beautiful. “During my time in Bali, I wanted to send you some messages. But I was afraid of bothering you.”

“I was afraid of bothering you too, Darren. You said the seminar was valuable for your career.”

Darren agreed, although he felt sad that their communication had been interrupted. “Do you have time this Thursday? Can we have lunch together?”

“On Thursday, huh?” Chloe recalled her upcoming plans that she had already started arranging. “It seems like I have to go to Beverly Hills, Darren.”

“For what?” Darren was quite surprised.

“I’ve chosen a few places, or rather, I’ve been shown some strategic locations to start a new venture there. I’ve decided to move to Beverly Hills. New York City is a bit suffocating for me.

“What do you want to do there?”

“I don’t know yet. I haven’t decided for sure. You said it would be better to start with something I love.”

Darren responded with a nod.

“I love flowers, and I also love making sweet snacks. But I can’t do both. Chloe laughed, infecting Darren with her laughter. “What do you think? Adrianna said I would be better off starting a business by opening a café. Maybe, coffee with a side of brownies?”

“That’s not a bad idea, Chloe. Are you sure you’ve chosen the right place?”

“There are three places that I think are suitable,” Chloe took out her phone. She also showed Darren the locations she had captured there. She believed Darren deserved to know about her plans considering his kindness all this time. Besides, Darren had always been supportive. “You can look and see which one you think is suitable.”

Darren took his time to observe each photo shown by Chloe carefully. Occasionally, he asked about the surroundings to ensure that there wouldn’t be any new problems after her move. Chloe became more open-minded after talking to Darren. Showing him the photos was quite beneficial for her.

“I like your idea there. I can visualize it based on what you just said, Sa,” Darren said with a joyful expression. “I support you.”

“In Beverly Hills?”

“Yes. Why not?” Darren smiled.

“I’m a bit afraid of leaving New York City, but my intention to leave here seems firm. I need to make myself happy, right?”

Darren nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Make yourself happy, and happiness will continue to manifest for you. I believe in that.”

“Thank you, Darren. I’ve gained so much from you.”

“But… may I ask?”

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Ask? What do you want to ask? Is it important?”

Darren nodded. “May I be allowed to be closer to you? Not just as an ordinary friend?”