Chapter 19
Chapter 19
"There’s no misunderstanding, Baskara!” Elara shot back, then turned her glare back to Adrian. “This is a clear attempt to obstruct the project! Why do you always do things like this? Are you that afraid that if Kencana Mode shines, the Mahesa Group will dim?”
Adrian rose from his chair, his voice low and dangerous. “Don’t you dare accuse me of that, Elara. I have more important things to deal with than playing games by sending wrong emails. My reputation, Mahesa’s reputation, is everything.” He clenched his fists on the desk. Their eyes met, sparks flying between them.
“Your reputation?” Elara snorted. “Your reputation in my eyes was shattered years ago. That night, you disappeared like a coward. Leaving me feeling… well, whatever. I’m not getting into it again.” Elara tried to control her breathing; that sensitive topic was always the most potent trigger between them. She looked away from Adrian, trying to find her composure. “This isn’t about who’s wrong anymore. It’s about the fact that we’ve lost critical time. We look like clowns to the board of directors and to the public.”
Adrian tensed at the allusion to their past. He hated how easily she could pierce his defenses. Her words were like thorns striking his most vulnerable point. “How could the wrong email address have been sent? My team always uses the most up-to-date database.” He turned to Baskara. “Baskara, check this immediately. Find out who sent that email and why an old address was used.”
Baskara nodded, his expression serious. “I’ll look into it right away, Adrian.”
“You can investigate it until hell freezes over,” Elara cut in, “but that won’t bring back the time we’ve lost or my team’s trust. We’re already starting everything over from scratch. We made a truce, Adrian. But you can never play by the rules.”
“I haven’t broken any agreement,” Adrian countered, his tone as sharp as a knife. “This is purely an operational issue. And if your team doesn’t double-check every detail before acting, that’s not my fault.”
Elara glared at him. “My team trusted your team, Adrian! That’s part of the ‘collaboration’ you keep trumpeting! But it seems that to you, collaboration is just another way to manipulate and control.” She took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears of frustration and anger mixed with old wounds that were welling in her eyes. “I’m tired of your childish games. I just want this project to succeed, for Grandfather’s sake.”
Elara’s words, especially the part about their grandfather, seemed to soften Adrian’s defenses slightly. He looked at her face, which now appeared more tired and hurt than angry. There was a faint line between her brows he’d never noticed before, a sign of the burden she carried. Another side of Elara, the vulnerable and passionate side he remembered from that night, flickered in his mind before he quickly pushed it away.
“Look, Elara,” Adrian began, trying to compose himself. “I will take full responsibility for this incident. I’ll ensure a new venue is secured as soon as possible, and I’ll allocate an additional team to help your team catch up.”
“And the wasted costs?” Elara asked, not trusting his goodwill. “Will the Mahesa Group cover them?”
Adrian gave a stiff nod. “Yes. We’ll cover them.” He knew this would be a significant blow to his budget, and the board would surely protest. But he couldn’t let Grandfather Subroto’s project fail. Not after everything he had sacrificed. “After all, we’re one team now, aren’t we?” There was a veiled note of sarcasm in his last words, a reminder of the agreement forced upon them.
Elara stared at Adrian for a long moment, searching for a crack, for a lie. But all she found was deep-seated frustration and an unshakeable resolve. She knew Adrian was a master businessman who wouldn’t tolerate failure, especially one that could tarnish his name. But she also knew he would never yield to his feelings, would never admit that there was something more than just business between them.
“Fine,” Elara finally said, her voice softer but still laced with thorns. “But don’t think this means I’m going easy on you. I’ll be watching you, Adrian. Your every move.” She turned to leave but paused at the door. “And make sure your team sends the email to the right address this time. Or better yet, send it directly to me. Personally.”
She left the room as quickly as she had entered, leaving Adrian and Baskara in a heavy silence. Adrian sank back into his chair, loosening his tie, feeling suffocated.
“Are you sure this was just an operational error, Adrian?” Baskara asked in a low voice. “Or… is someone else playing games behind the scenes?”
Adrian shook his head, trying to dispel the doubt that had suddenly surfaced. “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out. No one is going to ruin this project.” A cold premonition crept up his spine. A mistake like this was too convenient, too damaging.
“An email from Mr. Tirtayasa just came in,” Baskara said suddenly, reading a notification on his phone. “He’s requesting an urgent meeting with you and Elara. The board of directors wants a project review in two days. They said… there are rumors of ‘internal instability’ that need to be clarified.”
Adrian clenched his fists on the desk, his knuckles turning white. A project review? This was too soon. Someone must have leaked the information. He sensed the shadow of a larger, more cunning threat than mere office sabotage.
“Damn it,” Adrian muttered, looking toward the door Elara had just walked through. Their cold war had just escalated into a storm, and he knew they were both about to be trapped in the middle of it, without knowing who the real enemy was. He just hoped Elara wouldn’t be the next target.