Chapter 6: Nadine’s Arrival

That morning, the sun had just begun to rise, but Darren's emotions were already ablaze. His phonerang, and the name "Vina" appeared on the screen.

“Mr. Darren, there's something I need to tell you. Starting today, Nadine is officially working at the headquarters as the Head Manager,” Vina's voice sounded soft and cautious.

Darren was silent for a moment before replying in a tone struggling to contain his anger.

“Who made that decision? Baron?!”

Vina took a deep breath, as if already prepared to bear Darren's outburst. “No, it was a request from your mother. And it has apparently been approved by Mr. Harison.”

Darren's fury could no longer be contained. His face flushed, and the muscles in his jaw tightened.

"Hmm... Vina, isn't the entire company’s business and authority now entirely in my hands? How could such an important decision be made without my knowledge?”

On the other end of the phone, Vina could only listen. She knew Darren wasn’t just upset, he felt betrayed.

“Listen, Vina, I don’t like decisions being made behind my back. Do they think I’m just a puppet in this company?” Darren hissed in frustration.

Vina tried to calm him down. “Maybe your mother just wants it.”

“No, Vina! This isn’t just about my mother. This is about professionalism. If others can make big decisions without consulting me, then it means I don’t have full control. I don't want this company to have ‘two suns’.”

Vina stayed silent. She actually knew nothing about the decision. She had only received the news from the board of directors.

“After this, I don’t want anything like this happening again. No decisions without me making them.”

Vina sighed heavily. “I'll talk to your mother and Mr. Harison.”

The call ended with a suffocating silence. Darren stared blankly out of his bedroom window. His feelings were a mix of disappointment and anxiety. If Nadine really joined the company with significant power, backed by others, including his own mother, there might be a bigger plan behind it.

“If I’m not careful,” Darren thought to himself, “I could lose control of everything.”

Darren took a deep breath and dialed his mother’s number. “Mom, why was Nadine appointed as Head Manager without my knowledge? Shouldn’t such decisions be discussed with me first?”

His mother’s voice on the other end was calm but filled with regret. “Darren, I’m sorry. Baron persuaded your father, and your father was very weak at the time. They discussed this several times before you returned from Germany. I had no choice but to agree.”

“Mom, hasn't the leadership of this company been transferred to me? All company decisions should be my responsibility and authority, right?” Darren’s tone rose slightly, showing his disappointment.

“Darren, I’m sorry. But trust me, your father would have wanted this too. This will keep good relations with Baron and also give you a chance to get to know Nadine better,” his mother explained sorrowfully.

Darren took a deep breath. “But this isn’t about good relations, Mom. It’s about professionalism and the future of our company. If decisions are made based on family considerations, we’ll lose the best people and only have family members who may not be qualified.”

His mother was silent for a moment. “I believe Nadine is highly qualified. You don’t need to worry.”

Darren ended the call. With a sense of disappointment, he started getting ready. That day, Darren planned to arrive at the office earlier than usual.

Nadine, Baron’s daughter, started her first day at Anugerah Langit Corporation with a domineering attitude. As soon as she entered the room, she immediately reprimanded several employees she deemed to have made mistakes.

All eyes were on her. Some filled with curiosity, others with anxiety. No one knew the true nature of the girl.

Nadine stood in the center of the company’s hall, ordering all employees to gather. She introduced herself with a loud voice, daring anyone to challenge her. “From today onwards, I am the Head Manager here,” she declared firmly. “Anyone who doesn’t follow my rules and isn’t loyal to the company should prepare to be let go.”

Some employees lowered their heads, not daring to meet her gaze. Nadine scanned the faces before her, as if assessing their loyalty. She paused, then, in a sharper tone, asked, “Has any of you ever met Darren Harison, the owner of this company?” Her voice echoed in the suddenly quiet room.

No one dared to speak. Everyone looked around, confused and afraid. They all knew who Darren was, but his figure remained a mystery there were no pictures or images of the company’s owner anywhere.

Nadine looked irritable. “Are you kidding?” she snapped suddenly, her voice rising. “None of you know? Does that mean you don’t care about the owner of the company you work for? None of you know Darren Harison? This is an insult!”

Tension began to fill the room. Some employees shifted uncomfortably, fearful of Nadine’s wrath, which seemed far from cooling down. “Are you really clueless, or are you pretending to be?” Nadine swept her gaze across the room, searching for a satisfactory answer.

Among the crowd, Keisha silently followed every word Nadine said, feeling confused. Something about all this seemed off. Since joining the company, she had known the owner’s name, but she had never seen him. Every document requiring the owner’s signature was always picked up by Darren’s representatives.

“Alright, everyone, go back to work. And remember what I said.. if you don’t obey, the company will be more than happy to let you go.”

Once again, Nadine ended her speech with a threat. The employees seemed uncomfortable, but they knew who Nadine was the daughter of one of the most important people in the company. Rumor had it she was also the future wife of the company’s owner.

The employees returned to their places. Darren, relieved, realized Nadine no longer recognized him. Even though they had been childhood friends, they hadn’t seen each other since Darren was in second grade. He himself had forgotten what she looked like.

Darren walked back to the security post when his phone vibrated with an incoming call. He checked it and the caller ID read "Toni."

“Boss, Leo has been killed in prison. He didn’t get the chance to testify. The police are investigating who did it.”

Darren’s face changed drastically. He hadn’t anticipated such an event.

Clenching his fists in anger, Darren muttered, “He acted before I could!”