Richard looked at him calmly. He knew exactly that what the man named Olson said would not happen. "I don't want to disappoint you, but what you expect will never happen to me, Mr. Olson." He inclined his head slightly to the side to match the old man's line of sight, as his height and Richard's were quite far apart.Some of the people there smiled wryly in response to his arrogant-sounding remark, and it was certainly annoying for those who didn't know who he was and found his confident attitude annoying. Especially since the people in that place were seniors, Richard's attitude didn't seem right for them, but his confidence made them a little wary.Since some of them knew that one's confidence comes from being strong, as Richard was so bold and what he said made sense, and almost all of it was facts that some of them knew, they didn't want to confront him for no reason.Richard noticed the look on the man's face. "I'm just stating facts anyway, talking about what's going on and know
Richard smiled calmly, but it brought a quizzical look to Rose's face, which blushed at his compliment. "I'm flattered that you recognise me. I don't think I'm someone that many people would recognise. Especially by those who understand the natural resource industry like you."The woman was polite, she spoke very carefully even though Richard was sure she didn't fully recognise him since he still hadn't shown up with his status clear. But perhaps she had heard about Richard being on the VVIP invitation list, where even amongst that group, only about ten percent were VVIP guests.Richard responded with a faint smile that appeared briefly on his lips, after which he took a slow sip of the wine still in his hand. "Because you are quite conspicuous compared to the others." He glanced at the woman who had also positioned herself with her hands resting on the porch divider.She exchanged a glance with Richard with a smile. The striking expression that Richard mentioned, she could indirectly
"Is there somewhere you want to go, sir?" Smith led Richard out of the building they had been in together. This morning, Richard had quite a busy activity, attending several meetings and discussing several agendas with officials at one of the companies that knew about his identity as the owner. He wanted to ensure a few things, considering that his company would be conducting an audit soon, so before the outside party did the audit, he wanted the internal auditor to do it first and report it to him.Because of the crowdedness, he also felt a bit claustrophobic. Richard walked while loosening his tie, but not towards the car parked near them. He walked towards the outside of the office complex. "I'll go for a short walk, you guys go first." He ignored Smith, who had followed behind him and stopped at his words.Smith nodded his head. "Yes, sir." Then he gave directions to some of them to leave the place and some more, like Richard's personal driver, to stand guard for easy contact o
The stranger named Max looked at them one by one with an appraising gaze after he didn't manage to get Richard to move from his spot. The man instead acted like a nice person by giving the woman an order. He scanned them for the clothes they were wearing and started comparing them to what he was wearing.Most people in the place were dressed casually, wearing the usual warm clothes and padding with matching colors, and some were wearing flares. But he could tell that what those people were wearing were not the clothes of the luxury clothing brands he knew.He then smiled because he thought he was better than them. "Obviously, they are just people of means." He muttered to himself as he observed his perfect appearance today.Max wore a luxurious khaki-colored suit with a long coat of the same color, and both the suit he wore and the coat he wore were from a well-known brand that was well known in the area. He then shook his jacket back, revealing his suit underneath.Then, his eyes loo
"Do you think only you can do it?" Richard's eyes hung coldly as he looked at him.Max certainly felt that way. He thought he was the only one who deserved praise compared to Richard. After all, who was Richard to act like he was superior to him? In his eyes, Richard just looked like an ordinary employee."You don't have to do that, pushing yourself just because of your pride." He took a deep breath, trying to persuade Richard to listen to him because right now, the problem was only with Richard.Max wasn't interested in the food at first, either. He was hungry but didn't want to move away from there because he was sitting around the place enjoying the quiet afternoon.But he didn't want to eat what was there without being sure of the taste, and that one food truck with a long line seemed to convince him that they had good food, judging by how many people were queuing, so he wanted to get it.However, because Richard was wasting a lot of time there but was already too adamant and didn
"You don't know yourself!" She cursed at Richard in disbelief. Her eyes widened and blinked repeatedly while looking the other way, trying to control herself.The pain and throbbing that made him uncomfortable with his face still lingered until now, and even the intensity of the pain increased when he moved and spoke, which made him keep remembering how wildly Richard had hit him. The man really did not hold back and even gave him a chance to retaliate, but instead of accepting what she offered when it was him victim and the one who suffered more was not her, Richard rejected him.He looked back at Richard sharply, ignoring the throbbing at the corner of his lips that kept pressing every time he would open his mouth. It was so painful. "I've offered to treat you, then be kind enough not to make a big deal out of it and compensate you, but you refuse? You've gone crazy, huh?!" He deliberately pushed the other chair towards Richard.Although the movement did not indicate violence, as it
"You don't know yourself! Are you going to keep making trouble, huh?" The snapping voice sounded loud.Richard gasped and thought it was his father because the man's voice almost sounded the same as his father's when he yelled at him and said it.Yes, the man was at his father's age when he was young and managed his life so strictly. Whereas now his father's voice no longer sounded that high and full of vigor. He was too old to be able to make such a loud voice. He no longer had the energy.Actually, his father was no longer a problem for Richard because he had entered an age where he no longer seemed scary to him and difficult to deal with. Likewise, Richard knew he was no longer a helpless child who could secure himself.But something growing in his memory was different. He could not ignore what had taken root in him. He could not forget what had happened in the past and still could not make peace with it."Father? Why are you here?" Max removed his hand from Richard. He stared in s
"Sorry, I came a little late, sir." Smith glanced through the windshield and monitored the position behind it.He had tried to come as quickly as possible, but his schedule today was fairly tight as he was attending a meeting that required him to represent Richard since Richard still hadn't revealed who he was to the public.He came as quickly as possible, but it took a long time. However, from those Smith had asked to stand guard around Richard, he knew who Richard was dealing with.His people had sent him a picture of Max getting into an altercation with Richard. Smith recognized who it was and contacted the person who could take responsibility for his actions. He had seen Max come into David's office a few times, calling David's dad. Smith recognized his spoiled personality, but he didn't care as long as it had nothing to do with the company because, besides Max, Smith knew that David still had other children who could be relied on and lead well in the future if David stepped down
One evening, after a few hours, more than one helicopter landed in the village area, and the whole village became crowded because of this.They did not expect that the missing person who had been searched for by the strangers who came to the village was still alive. To them, it was quite impossible; considering what the storm was like that day and the ocean was a fierce place, they did not think that the missing person was still safe and intact."Mr. Richard." Smith got off first and came to him hurriedly.The 45-year-old man hugged Richard so tightly and emotionally that he had almost given up hope in his quest to find Richard. He himself had even stopped hoping that the possibility of Richard being alive and somewhere was such a great miracle. He was alive and found somewhere.Smith released his embrace and looked at Richard with happiness mixed with emotion. "I'm glad you're okay, sir."After Smith let go, James, who was led by Rachel, hugged him tightly. "I trust you are doing wel
"Alright, then. Tomorrow, we will go to look for your family's whereabouts." Alexa made the choice; Richard looked at her, who seemed confused.Richard didn't understand why Alexa seemed so serious when they had never discussed it with obvious effort before. "Why all of a sudden?" he wondered if perhaps they no longer wanted him there. Is it possible that my presence is becoming inconvenient?"Alexa smiled with a shaded face, her head shook, and her hand rubbed lightly over the back of Richard's hand, trying to get his attention. "No, it's not. Your existence is not inconvenient at all; quite the opposite. I'm honestly grateful to have you here." Alexa pursed her lips tightly and turned her attention to stare straight back ahead.She stared at the vast and calm expanse of the sea. Her feelings about letting go of Richard were still quite reluctant. She had a great desire to keep Richard there, but she also didn't want to be selfish."Today my friend came to tell me that in the village
After finishing cleaning up, Richard went to Alexa, who also seemed to be cleaning up the glasses in their house's living room.Richard's eyes scanned the place, looking for the whereabouts of the guest whose voice had been heard earlier when he entered through the back door. "Has the guest gone home?" he glanced over and helped Alexa.Without hesitation, Richard's hand took over the tray Alexa was carrying and placed it in the kitchen. At the same time, Alexa followed suit, carrying the snack container. "Yes, they're home." She replied flatly, without any expression that sounded cheerful from her answer.Richard watched her, noticing something a little different about Alexa's demeanour compared to usual. He thought maybe the guests had affected her mood, or maybe something else was to blame. He wasn't sure exactly, but even he didn't want to ask if Alexa didn't seem to want to explain. "Who are the guests who came?" She made small talk while walking towards the dining table.Approach
"Jacob, where are you going?" one of the villagers greeted Richard, who seemed to be walking with an axe in his hand. "Are you heading to the forest?" he asked enthusiastically because he was happy to see Richard, one of the new residents there.Richard, who had just managed to turn around and look for who was talking to him, smiled and nodded. "Morning, Mr. Jack." He politely greeted the old man whom he recognized as Sam's friend."Yes, morning, young man." He smiled kindly in response to Richard's greeting. "If you have time, come to the house. You promised to help me yesterday when you were free."Richard nodded. "Later, when I am free, I will try to drop by, sir. " He selflessly helped some nearby neighbours who needed his help.It had been a month since he had been in that place, and now he was living a very normal life there. Just like everyone else, Richard also had his own activities. Sometimes, he joined some men to go fishing at sea, without him knowing that he used to be a
Sitting in his private room, James looked anxiously at the picture frame containing Richard's picture. For days, he had been waiting for news of Richard and conducted a massive search. But the search was ultimately fruitless. There were still no reports of Richard's whereabouts or any signs of him being stranded somewhere.Her worries grew as time passed. The first 24 hours after Richard disappeared were the golden hour to find his whereabouts and determine whether he was in good or bad condition.But a week had passed since then, and there was still no further news of his whereabouts."Is there still no sign of Richard's whereabouts?" James asked Smith in the room.His anxiety was rife with other things, his heart was in turmoil, and his feelings had become chaotic since Richard's whereabouts were declared missing.The news of Richard's disappearance made him not stop thinking about where Richard was and what the situation was like. His condition, which he continues to worry about, c
"What took you so long to come back?" Alexa, who was waiting there, turned her head and noticed Richard, who had just returned, walking over to her.Richard nodded his head. "In line." he took over the groceries held by Alexa.Telling her about what he experienced while inside earlier, for him, Alexa didn't need to know that the Baron was still bothering him. Apart from not wanting to make the woman anxious, he also didn't want Alexa to have a particular view of his attitude that could be considered rude by her.He smiled at the woman. "Do we have anything else to do? Or do you want us to go home?"Alexa helped Richard carry a few easy things to take to not burden Richard too much. "Let's just go home; it's too late. Tomorrow, I have to get up early to store breakfast because Dad will be leaving early in the morning." She started to leave the place, followed by Richard, who walked beside her."Tomorrow morning? Where is Sam going?""Dad said there is someone he needs to help. One of t
Alexa glanced at Richard with a gaze that stared strangely at him."Why are you looking at me like that?" Richard, who realized her gaze, then asked.Alexa headed back to stare straight ahead. "I was just wondering. How could you do that? When you did it earlier, I looked so expert. Unlike someone who just tried, your posture and then the techniques you used seemed to clearly show that you were an expert." She looked back at Richard in confusion. "Tell me, how did you do it?"Richard looked at her in silence for a while. Like Alexa, he was confused by what had been done. He did not expect that his ability was that great.The more he thought about it, the more astonished he became. He obviously didn't remember anything at all., but strangely, he could do it all so well. "I don't know., Richard shook his head as he replied. "I'm not sure myself what I'm doing and how I'm doing it so well. All I feel is that my body knows how to do it." He explained the confusion to Alexa.After hearing
"No, it can't be like that. I disagree that I should stay away from her." Baron rejected their agreement, which he agreed to without thinking.Obviously, Baron rejected Richard's request to limit his interaction with Alexa. He dared challenge Richard and felt hateful and annoyed at him because Alex was the reason. He didn't want any other man or Richard to get close to him.Baron has liked Alexa for a long time, and Jack, from their teenage stuff, has always followed and been attracted to her. But his feelings were unrequited because Alexa didn't show any interest in him at all.The Baron knew that. He knew that Alexa didn't like him, but he still tried to get close to her, hoping that someday Alexa would change her mind. He kept trying and never gave up because he thought that maybe his efforts would be rewarded with what he hoped for someday.But if he couldn't get close to her in the end just because he lost the bet, then his efforts all this time were futile and ridiculous.He sho
The two of them were now in their respective positions, wearing a set of arrows and getting ready in place. He arrows where they were. They were surrounded by people who wanted to witness the showdown between the two.On one side, Richard only came along with Alexa, who was currently so nervous and anxious about the possibility of Richard's condition getting a bad name with this challenge.On the other hand, Baron was surrounded by friends who were eager to see Richard defeated. The young men of the village clearly disliked Richard's existence and the way Richard behaved towards them.Specifically, they didn't need a reason to dislike Richard because even just looking at him could immediately make them dislike him and want to look down on him."Shouldn't you undo your intentions, Jacob?" Alexa approached him again and spoke in a worried tone.She was distraught, having promised her father that she would look after Richard. She would take Richard there with the insight that maybe from