Chapter 5
Adrian listened with a flat expression, then cleared his throat. "Ambitious... ideas. But, Elara, an interactive installation, modern dance, the scent of spices? Have you factored all of that into our project budget? Have you accounted for the production time and coordination with various artists? My presentation includes a realistic budget and timeline that won't disrupt the established launch date."
"Of course I've accounted for it!" Elara retorted, her hands clenching into fists under the table. "I have a competent team that has already started drafting the details. But I don't see a single one of my ideas in your presentation, Adrian. Aren't we supposed to be collaborating?"
Adrian just pointed to one of the bullet points in his presentation. "It says right there: 'Additional Creative Elements (Optional).' I couldn't integrate your ideas specifically because there was no solid, written proposal, just abstract sketches. I have to maintain the integrity of the main plan. I'm sorry, I can't include an underdeveloped concept in the final proposal that will be submitted to the board of directors."
Elara's eyes narrowed. "Underdeveloped? I sent a complete visual concept and preliminary details to your email two days ago, Adrian. With the note, 'Please consider this an integral part of your presentation.' It wasn't optional!"
Adrian looked away for a moment, then met her gaze with an unwavering, cold expression. "I never received such an email, Elara. Perhaps you sent it to the wrong address, or your server had a problem. The email I received was just a general summary without the visual details you mentioned." There was a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his lips. A sign of a veiled victory.
Elara's heart pounded. She remembered sending it perfectly. She even had Rina double-check that it went through. A terrible feeling crept over her, but she pushed it aside. Adrian couldn't be that petty. Or... could he?
Rina, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, quickly opened her laptop. "Wait, Elara, I'll check now. I was the one who helped you send it." She typed quickly, searching for a trace of the email.
Elara stared at Adrian, her face flushing with a burgeoning rage. She remembered a flash of Adrian that night, after they had shared that unexpected moment. The next morning, she had woken up alone to a short, cold message from an unknown number thanking her for a "pleasant evening" and asking her to "forget it as a momentary lapse in judgment." She felt discarded, as if she were a single-use project Adrian had decided wasn't worth continuing. Adrian's attitude now, denying the existence of her important email, felt like a repetition of that. The same dismissal, just in a business context.
"Adrian, you know I sent it," Elara whispered, her voice laced with a subtle threat.
Adrian just shrugged. "Facts are facts, Elara. My data shows no email with the details you claim. I operate on proof, not assumptions."
Rina suddenly exclaimed, "Elara, the email is here! Sent at 10:37 AM, two days ago. I can even show you the copy in your sent folder!"
Elara's eyes shot back to Adrian, filled with a burning fury. "So, what's your explanation, Adrian? Is your IT team so incompetent that they can't receive an important attachment? Or... was this intentional?"
Adrian remained calm, but his smile widened slightly. "Elara, I'm sure it's a misunderstanding. Perhaps there was a technical issue we're unaware of. But, since our time is limited, I think for now we should proceed with the existing framework. We can consider your concept for the next phase, after the project is stable." He gestured toward his presentation as if the matter was settled.
Adrian's words, which sounded diplomatic on the surface, felt like a declaration of war to Elara. She could no longer contain herself. She knew Adrian had done it on purpose. It was a small but effective act of sabotage, designed to make her look unprepared in front of the board that would see this presentation. It was Adrian's way of asserting his dominance, belittling her contribution, and once again, making her feel worthless.
She shot up from her chair, her hand slamming down on the table, causing her vision board to shift slightly. The sound shattered the cold silence in the room.
"No. This isn't a misunderstanding, Adrian. This is sabotage," Elara said, her voice low and dangerous. "You deliberately ignored my concept to make me look unprofessional in front of your team and the board. This is your sneaky way of declaring that your ideas are the only ones that matter."
Adrian leaned back in his chair, watching Elara with an unreadable, flat gaze. "A serious accusation, Elara. Without proof."
"The proof is the email that was sent and that you refuse to acknowledge! The proof is the way you look at me as if I'm a ghost in this room!" Elara retorted, her breathing heavy. "Fine. If you want to play dirty, Adrian, let's play dirty." She snatched her vision board from the table. "You want your own concept? Have it. You want your soulless, boring launch event? Go ahead. But don't expect me to sit quietly and let you take over this entire project."
She turned, took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before continuing. "This is a charity project, Adrian, not a battlefield for your ego. But it seems you can't separate the two."
Adrian watched Elara's every move, her blazing eyes, her lips trembling with suppressed anger. For a fleeting moment, he again saw the shadow of the woman who had danced freely in the gallery, her face now painted with disappointment and rage. A faint wave of guilt surfaced, but he quickly suppressed it. This was business. This was war. She had started it.
"This meeting is over," Adrian said, his voice still calm but intimidating. "We will meet again once you have a 'mature' and 'structured' proposal that meets Mahesa Group's standards."
Elara froze for a moment at the doorway, turning back to look at Adrian one last time. Her face was now cold, hard as stone. "Fine, Adrian. I'll make sure you get a mature proposal. And I will make sure you regret underestimating me."
Without waiting for a reply, she strode out, followed by Rina, who could only shoot Adrian a worried glance. The sound of the door closing behind them left a deafening silence in the conference room. Baskara looked at Adrian, slightly shocked by what had just happened.
"Adrian," Baskara began, his voice hesitant. "Did you... did you really not receive Elara's email?"
Adrian turned, his expression once again completely void of emotion. "Some important attachments get 'misplaced' in the spam folder, Baskara. Our system can be overly protective sometimes. It's none of your concern."
Baskara stared at him, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. He had known Adrian for years, knew how his boss operated. This was the "small sabotage" Elara had spoken of. A power play.
Adrian stood up, walked to the window, and gazed down at the tall buildings of Jakarta below. His cold facade was solid again. Yet, in his mind, Elara's angry face still flashed. Her words, "I will make sure you regret underestimating me," echoed in his ears.
He knew he had just started a fire. He also knew that Elara Kencana was not the type of woman to let it go. This was just the beginning of the real war. And somehow, beneath all his strategic calculations, there was a small—a very small—part of him that looked forward to what Elara would do next. This would be interesting. But he didn't realize that the stakes he had just raised were not only about Eyang's will, but also about their two wounded hearts, now driven even further apart.
Elara, at that moment, was standing in the Mahesa Group lobby, her breath still coming in ragged gasps. Rina tried to calm her, but Elara just shook her head.
"I won't let him, Rina," Elara said, her voice firm. "He wants a war? Fine. I'll give him a war he'll never forget. And this time, I'll win everything, including Eyang's inheritance. He will learn that underestimating me was the biggest mistake of his life." A glint of cold, sharp determination now shone in her eyes, replacing the burning rage. She held her vision board tightly, like a shield and a weapon. She stepped out of the building, leaving the shadow of the Mahesa Group behind her, ready for a bigger and more personal fight.