[56]

"How's it going?" Deny Jacob asked, with a look that still showed emotion. What happened with Intel and what that could mean for the company because of what happened yesterday could have a big impact.

"We should have the repair results for you tomorrow, Mr. Deny." Arslan tried to stay calm. "I've asked the production manager to bring the repair samples over right away and take another look so we can avoid any problems."

"What about the Cyber product? Everything's fine, right?"

"Yes," Arslan replied right away. "The shipment to the Cyber warehouse is on track to arrive today as scheduled. The samples they're testing came through just fine. I'm meeting with Mr. Baron tomorrow. We'll be discussing the results of products with Intel technology that are bound to catch a lot of people's attention." He gave a little smile that seemed to say he was happy with the results of this work.

"Good. Keep up the good work. I think you should also visit Nakia. Try to show you're sorry for what you did wrong. If you made a mistake, own up to it and do whatever you can to win back their trust."

"Yes, Mr. Deny,"

Deny let out a long sigh. "I had some unnecessary concerns, but it seems I overreacted."

Arslan gave a little smile. "I'm sorry that I still have a lot to learn from you, Mr. Deny. I'll make sure yesterday's mistakes are corrected and we can get back to normal. You can relax."

"I'm looking forward to Cyber's product launch event. It's possible the launch won't have an impact this year, but next year, when Nakia's product has been on the market for a while, we'll start to see the defects when it's used long-term. And that's when Cyber came out on top. What about Nakia? It's only going to get worse, and we're going to see a lot more complaints. I'm really excited for that day."

"You really put the plans together well."

"You came up with this idea first, right? I'm just pointing out what might happen in the future. I know there are some unexpected things coming up, but I must find the right person to handle them, right?"

Arslan looked at the middle-aged man sitting in front of him, his eyes asking questions. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about Helena, your ex-wife. She's the youngest daughter of the Edison family. I'm sure you can't deny that rather shocking fact. I just didn't expect you to still be interested in this idea rather than turning around and leaving us, especially my daughter, for example."

Arslan felt the words were a bit harsh. The middle-aged man who was the interlocutor had a flat tone, but his gaze was disturbing. "I can't do that, Mr. Deny. I'm getting married to your daughter in less than two weeks. I love Tiara, and I mean that sincerely."

Deny Jacob gave a little smile. "I really hope so because I can't see Tiara being unhappy, especially because of you, Arslan. You've got to remember that if it weren't for me and Tiara, you'd be nothing."

Arslan nodded, even though he was starting to think about the best way to gain the upper hand without losing too many allies in the process. "I'll remember what you said."

"That's good." Deny let out a little chuckle. "All right, let's get back to talking with Warren about the company's finances?"

"Of course.

Meanwhile, in a cafe with a simple design, but a cozy atmosphere, visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee. She was like a woman wearing a tight black dress and wrapped in a loose, comfortable cream coat. She'd been sitting in the same corner for about ten minutes. She was waiting for someone she didn't think was important but who she needed to meet.

She checked the clock on her right arm one more time. She let out a little chuckle, feeling a bit annoyed that she'd been made to wait longer than the agreed appointment time. "Damn it, Helena!" she muttered, taking a sip of the tea she'd ordered. She thought about getting a cup of espresso but remembered that caffeine isn't good for pregnant women.

The sound of the bell above the café's main door caught Tiara's attention. When she turned around, the person she was waiting for came over to her table. She was first greeted by a waitress, but when their eyes met, Helena walked over to the table where Tiara was waiting.

"Am I late?" she asked, with a little smile. She placed a pink bag with a well-known brand logo and the latest edition on the table. Helena also had on a plaid coat that was mostly brown with a red stripe. She draped it over the back of one of the chairs, folding it neatly. Helena's stomach seemed to be getting bigger, which made Tiara feel annoyed.

How could she not? Helena was pregnant. Another life was growing and developing inside her. On top of that, the baby Helena was carrying was her future husband's child. Tiara was pretty sure she was right. It seems that all this time, Tiara was only trying to damage Helena's reputation and good name in front of many people. Tiara realized that Helena had never been unfaithful to Arslan during their marriage.

But there was no way she could say that outright, right?

"No." Tiara took a slow breath. The reason for the meeting with Helena was to make sure everything went smoothly with the Cyber product launch.

"I think I'm about 15 minutes late." Helena gave a big, warm smile. She sat down in the chair opposite Tiara. "Did you place an order?"

"Lemon tea. It's nice to know that this pregnancy sometimes makes me a bit nauseous. You know, a lot of pregnant women experience that, right?" Tiara said, rubbing her pregnant belly.

It was more like showing off her condition to Helena. She wanted to see for herself how pale Helena's face must have looked. Who wouldn't be annoyed or offended by Tiara's comments about her situation?

Tiara had a more positive approach to pregnancy and acceptance than Helena. Who is the legal wife of Arslan?

Unfortunately, Helena wasn't having any of it. Instead, she called over a waiter and ordered a few menus, including one she'd suddenly decided to try. Helena was satisfied with the waiter's explanation and ordered from the menu.

Not long after, the café bell rang again. But Helena kept her eyes on it. After all, anyone is free to visit this cafe, right? Just like Tiara, who is now focusing her attention on Helena. She's not paying attention to someone who enters the cafe area. But it was different with the person who came into the cafe area, looking around carefully. This was particularly true at the table where the key client was seated with the formidable Foxwoman named Tiara Jacob. The man sat down in a less conspicuous spot to keep an eye on things. He was relaxed, as if he already knew the vibe of this cafe, even though it was his first time here.

"What else is Tiara going to do to Helena this time?" the man asked in a low voice. He'd swapped his glasses for contacts and wore a mask so Tiara wouldn't recognise him. It might be a bit conspicuous, but since the pandemic started, wearing a mask is common, right?

"You look well, Helena," Tiara said, looking at Helena directly. Who seemed calm, collected, and unafraid of the meeting. Didn't the events of that night make Helena's heart tremble because it could happen again?

"I don't have much time for small talk, Tiara." Helena let out a soft sigh. She gave a little smile at the corners of her thin lips. Her eyes met those of the other person in the conversation, who seemed to enjoy saying things she didn't want to hear today. "What do you want?"

Tiara let out a little laugh at that. "You really like openness, huh?" Then the woman stood up straight, which seemed to say that their conversation was over. "Make sure you come to my wedding, Helena."

"You invited me as if we were close friends," Helena said, a little snappishly.

"You don't want to congratulate your ex-husband? Or do you still think Arslan might come back to you?"

Helena gave a little grin. "If I did," she said, giving her slightly bulging belly a little rub. "I'm sure Arslan wouldn't have to think twice about returning to me, Tiara. I'm in a different position than just another woman who can't support him."

Tiara didn't say anything.

"I'm sure you understand what I mean." Helena gave a little smile. "You asked one of the hospital nurses to leak information about my situation."

"The only person Arslan loves is me, Helena. He wouldn't care about your pregnancy." Tiara crossed her arms across her chest.

"Let's take a step back here. I'm not trying to take away your happiness. I hope you can organize a big party for your wedding. I've asked Wilna to put together a little something special for you."

Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of a waiter with Helena's order. The smell was incredible, and Helena's appetite was piqued. "Are you sure you don't want to eat? Or is it because of my presence that you can't eat?"

Tiara let out a little laugh.

"Forget that thought, Tiara. Even I, who should be looking at you with a lot of hatred and anger, can still enjoy this meal comfortably."

"I don't need your comments, Helena."

Where Helena was concerned, she carried on with her speech. "You know why? Your presence in my life is pointless. It's just an annoying distraction that needs to be removed immediately. To avoid catching a cold or allergy from dust, which can contain millions of disease-causing particles."

"You!" Tiara said, her eyes filled with emotion.

"What more do you want than to come to your wedding? I could give you a big gift. I already did that. Oh, you mean the grand launch event for Cyber Group?"

Tiara suddenly looked at Helena with a lot of interest. "You knew about that?"

"Yes, I did."

Tiara's face suddenly turned pale.

"Their big launch is in three weeks, right? I'll make sure Nakia's party goes to it. Even though we're in the same business, there's no harm in being a supporter of the event. Right?"

"You're right." Tiara felt like giving herself a little pat on the chest, which was feeling excited. She figured Helena was in the know. Tiara was mulling over all the chatter about how to outsmart Nakia. "I was expecting you to step up as a true leader."

That remark made Helena stop moving the spoon with the carbonara paste. Her eyes met Tiara's, holding her gaze intently. "You finally recognize me as Helena Edison?" She let out a little laugh. "I have to capture this moment, right?"

Tiara looked at him in disbelief at what he had just said. "That's not what happened." Oh my goodness, why did things change so quickly? She was meant to be in control of the conversation and putting the pressure on Helena. Why was it that Helena seemed to be enjoying their conversation instead?

Damn it!

"But," Helena immediately switched from a cheerful, smiling expression to a flat, very different one. "I don't need a confession from you, Tiara. Or whoever is in front of me about my status. To me, confession is just a way of asking for support or trying to get along. Are you doing that to me? To ask for more support? Or... to show how close we are after what happened? So that they can see that apologizing to a person who has hurt your pride and taken someone else's husband can be easily obtained?"