Daniel contacted all the top executives in the company and informed them that there was an impromptu meeting happening right now, expecting everyone to come to the meeting room immediately."What's he doing? Just wasting our time," grumbled Justin as he entered the room.Many faces in the room were displeased with the meeting because they still remembered vividly what Niko had done and the commotion he had caused yesterday. Their disappointment hadn't faded, knowing that Niko had cheated to gain recognition for his creativity. Niko's carefully planned scheme had been withdrawn for the sake of the company's reputation.Once everyone had gathered, Niko arrived. He took his seat, and Daniel was nowhere to be found."Before I begin, I apologize for disrupting your schedules. I just want to clarify that I never cheated. I didn't steal that idea from anyone else. What I said and did yesterday was purely the result of my own thoughts. I never intended to act so despicably. Wouldn't that harm
"All of this is because of Justin's actions, Dad. He's the one who falsely accused Niko. Turns out, we misjudged Niko, he was handling it all by himself, and we only helped with his idea. But when there was a problem with the idea, we all blamed Niko without reevaluating it, and immediately gave him a bad reputation. Some even said Niko was power-hungry. We ostracized him, and he tirelessly searched for evidence, and only then did we believe that Justin was the mastermind behind the chaos in the office," Arshad explained to Surya, his father. He poured out everything, recounting all that was happening in their company."It's truly embarrassing for the family," Surya exclaimed. "Justin, come here!" he called.Justin, when summoned, stood up from his chair and faced Surya. But before his steps had fully stopped, Surya had already slapped Justin's left and right cheeks back and forth, shocking everyone present with his actions. "Outrageous. You truly have no humanity left in you. You're
His shadow reflected in the pool made Niko reluctant to look away. The struggle to restore his reputation and the trust of Surya and Arshad had been successful. Niko had never felt this relieved before. If it weren't for Daniel's help, he would probably be in a much worse situation now. Niko promised himself that he would express his gratitude later.Niko wasn't alone; Arshad and Surya were with him. They stood side by side, intentionally distancing themselves from the lingering tension inside the house."We apologize for not believing in you, Nak. After all the cunning actions Justin and Benny did, our minds should have been more open, and we shouldn't have blamed you," Arshad said after a few minutes of silence."It's okay, Pa. It's only natural for Papa to be angry and not fully trust me at first because I was a stranger here," Niko replied.Frustration had briefly crept in, but now Niko could be proud of himself for resolving the issue without lingering conflicts or causing more p
Maya seemed so familiar with Niko, showing great enthusiasm for Arshad's son's presence as if she had an honored guest. She even brought out the cakes she had baked and served drinks to her guest, saying, "Please enjoy these for now. Consider this place your own; there's no need to be shy about anything. But I apologize, this is all we have at home," Maya said to Niko, who was already seated in the living room."No worries, Aunt. Sorry for the trouble," Niko replied, taking a biscuit from one of the jars and eating it."Are you a friend of Elina? Did you meet her at school or at the office?" Maya asked."We met at the office, Aunt," Niko answered, smiling politely."Oh, I see. Elina has never mentioned you as far as I can recall, so I'm curious about how she knows someone, especially a young man," Maya continued."Mom, come on. She's just a friend, no need to ask so many questions," Elina interjected. She looked uncomfortable as Maya seemed very interested in Niko, but instead of heed
"Hah? Are you serious about staying here?" Okin said. He was surprised by Niko's statement, as was Elina."Yes, I am. I'll stay here. It's fine even if it's in the gazebo," he replied casually, although he didn't really want to sleep in the gazebo and become a feast for mosquitoes tonight.Okin then left Elina, who was still questioning Niko's intentions, as he walked into the house to find his mother who was still in the living room arranging food containers. "Niko is going to stay here, Mom," Okin said."Is Niko really going to stay here?" Maya asked Okin, who had just reported Niko's decision to stay at Elina's house."I don't know, Mom. I told him to go home, but he said he wants to stay here. I don't want to chase him away, but it's already late. But he doesn't want to go home," Okin complained to Maya. "He even said it's okay to sleep in the gazebo," he added.Not long after that, Niko entered the living room where Maya and Okin were talking. "I'm sorry for this, Aunt, but tonig
Elina's body was pinned against the wet bathroom wall. In front of her, a woman with fiery red lipstick glared at Elina calculatingly. After forcibly dragging Elina into the bathroom and locking it, Alexa was ready to give a warning to make sure the girl knew where she stood. She wasn't about to let Elina get too close to Niko and seduce him with cheap tricks."You, you poor excuse for a woman! How dare you, a country bumpkin like you, approach Niko when you know damn well he and I had a thing? Look at yourself, do you really think your face is worthy of being seen with Niko?" Alexa taunted, gripping Elina's chin slightly, causing her to wince as her nails dug into her skin. She forced Elina to face their reflection in the deliberately provided bathroom mirror. Alexa's sharp nails left red marks on Elina's cheek. After a moment, Alexa jerked Elina's head roughly and released her grip.Elina remained stoic despite the mistreatment, refusing to engage with Alexa's mocking words. She was
After finishing work at exactly 4:30 PM, Alexa hastily left her office. Along the way, she made sure her hair was neatly arranged, and her makeup remained flawless. She took a moment to reapply her nude lipstick and then hurriedly walked to the office parking lot. In the parking lot, she spotted Niko about to get into his car. Alexa rushed towards him, calling out, "Niko, wait," as she approached him quickly.Seeing Alexa approaching, Niko let out a heavy sigh. He had considered just opening his car door and leaving quickly, but he was also curious if there might be something important Alexa wanted to say. "What's up?" Niko asked his former girlfriend."Niko, why did you leave without waiting for me or at least inviting me to go home or have dinner together?" This time, Alexa hugged Niko's waist. He tried to avoid it, but Alexa's embrace was tight. "Niko, please don't refuse. I rushed out of the office just to meet you here. At the very least, appreciate my effort. I know you're busy,
Alexa nodded. "If that's what you want, it's very easy for me to do. But, of course, there are things you need to do before that." Alexa rested her chin on her hand.Before Niko could respond, the waiter arrived with their orders and placed them on the table. Alexa immediately picked up her chopsticks and started eating her spaghetti without continuing her sentence. "What do I need to do?" Niko asked."Well, I'll tell you later when you take me home," Alexa continued eating, and Niko followed suit, finally enjoying a meal with Alexa after a long time, feeling strange because this time he was sitting next to her.After a few minutes of eating, Niko promptly escorted Alexa back to her apartment. He still didn't understand what Alexa meant when she mentioned payment or what she needed for proof. But as long as Alexa didn't say anything, Niko just had to wait. He couldn't force Alexa, or she might back out."That restaurant wasn't enjoyable at all. I actually don't like eating there, but