— Meanwhile - Astral Corp building —
Aryan Sharma, CEO of Astral Corporation, sat in his office, watching the UN Assembly news. He knew his company's flagship project, the lunar moon base, was being targeted by various countries.
If he were still the same Aryan Sharma who're unaware of the Curtained World, he would have been panicked by the news. Now, however, he sensed it was a game played by the mage families manipulating these country leaders. They sought to gain something substantial from his boss rather than genuinely protect their citizens' interests.
Perhaps they were sincere in their endeavor, but Aryan knew better. If the puppeteers behind these leaders hadn't agreed, they wouldn't dare to make such a fuss.
Now that he had become a mage—even though just an apprentice mage who hadn't graduated from mage school and attained the novice rank—he held more power than the leaders of countries, some of whom might not even be aware of the existence of the Curtained World.
He knew that some of these leaders dreamed of wielding magic since mages enjoyed longer lifespans than normal humans. These people, at the top of society's pyramid, would surely seek longevity like hungry wolves if they discovered how.
To think that one day he could be the one behind the Curtain like his boss…the thought was exhilarating.
Actually, he hoped his newfound elevated status would help him break his single curse and finally find a girlfriend. But then, he realized if those women were only interested in his status as a mage, they wouldn't truly love him.
Aryan Sharma was a bit of a hypocrite, and he knew it, but he didn't care. He wanted true love, a girlfriend who loved him for himself, not for his wealth or status. However, because he was a bit of a horn dog, he'd do anything to find a girlfriend. Then, when he discovered that those women were more interested in his wealth or status, he'd run away from them.
This pattern had become a loop in his life: he wanted a girlfriend>> he did everything in his power to show off his wealth and status>>> the women were then interested in his wealth and status>> so he ran away because he wanted true love. And the cycle would repeat.
He didn't know when or how he could get out of this loop.
Aryan pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind, as he needed to focus on the UN assembly first. Sector Alpha City was not yet a UN-recognized state, so neither he nor his boss could attend the assembly to voice their concerns.
He suspected those old foxes would come up with absurd regulations to obstruct his boss without even hearing his side. The only way they could counter this was to lobby someone within the UN to allow his boss to address the assembly.
Aryan didn't realize that at least two of the five major countries in the UN – specifically, the USA and Russia – would be on their side. Daniel hadn't informed him about the plan to ally with Russia, which they had discussed with Anastasia in America. So, Aryan could only rack his brain for a solution.
While Aryan pondered his lobbying strategy, a series of knocks echoed from his door.
"Come in," Aryan called.
The door opened, revealing a man in his late forties, his face bearing a striking resemblance to Aryan, who sat behind a large mahogany desk. Upon seeing the man, all traces of friendliness and happiness vanished from Aryan's face. This was the man he least wanted to see.
"How may I help you, Mr. Rajendra?" Aryan asked in a businesslike tone, devoid of warmth.
"You still won't call me father…" The man said with a sad smile.
"Do you need assistance, Mr. Rajendra? Is there anything in the office you're still unfamiliar with?" Aryan asked again, his tone even colder.
"Aryan, son… I know I was wrong… give me… a cha…." Before the word "chance" could be fully spoken, Aryan cut him off.
"You already had a chance, Mr. Rajendra. Now you need to earn it, not come here whining like a child asking for forgiveness. You just started earning it last week, while my mother and I spent 20 years earning our place here, and the right to sit behind this desk!" Aryan said coldly, gesturing toward the desk with the 'CEO' sign.
"Son… I'm sorry I…" Rajendra tried to continue, but once again, Aryan interrupted.
"Mr. Rajendra… This is a workplace. Every second you waste on this drama with me is a cost our company will pay. And I'm sure we're not paying you to cause drama in the office, especially in the CEO's office. So please, learn to consider the time and place, and get your act together to earn your salary like everyone else," Aryan said.
He continued, "Just because I was once a sperm in your ball sack doesn't mean you automatically earned the right to be called father after more than 20 years of neglect and abuse. To be honest, I don't trust you, Mr. Rajendra. You've never been kind to us without an ulterior motive."
Rajendra, seemingly reaching his limit, retorted, "But I already apologized! What else do you want? Do you want my life!?"
"How much is your life worth, Mr. Rajendra? Don't forget, the only reason you are here is because my mother asked me to give you a job. And that doesn't give you any special privileges over other employees in this company.
Also, I'm fully aware that you've apologized to my mother and me, but then what? Are we supposed to be all good now? Am I supposed to call you what you want and pretend we're a happy family? It's 20 years too late, Mr. Rajendra. You taught me that nothing in this world comes easy.
Grow up and make money… After all, a person's worth is judged by how much money they make, isn't it? You're the one who taught me that." Aryan said with disdain.
Rajendra was stunned, a flicker of impatience and anger in his eyes quickly replaced by sadness and regret.
"Now, get back to work! Or do I need to call HR to have them reevaluate your performance once again?" Aryan asked, acting as if he was about to pick up the phone.
"There's no need… I'll go… I'll go…" Rajendra conceded, slowly retreating out of the room. He didn't want to lose his job.
Seeing that Rajendra had left, Aryan placed the phone back down and let out a sigh, looking at the closed door.
Am I too harsh on him? was the only thought occupying Aryan's mind right now. Yes, he hated the man and couldn't forgive him for abusing him and his mother, seeing them as nothing more than money-making machines for the family.
Rajendra Sharma was Aryan's biological father and the one who had taken his mother as a mistress. But he was also the one who abandoned them. Aryan had been abused and bullied by the sons Rajendra had with his wife. This continued for over 20 years until his mother had finally had enough and ran away.
Last week, the man suddenly appeared at the home Aryan had bought for his mother in Sector Alpha City. He came back, begging for forgiveness, even groveling on the ground. At first, his mother didn't care, but after a few hours, her heart softened, influenced by the embarrassment of people gathering to see what was happening.
Embarrassed by Rajendra's pathetic display and worried about her image, Aryan's mother decided to let him into their home. And that's where it all started...
After a few days, his mother seemed to forget 20 years of resentment and forgave Rajendra. She even asked Aryan to let him work at Astral Corp. Aryan found this very strange. He knew his mother well; she seemed gentle but was quite stubborn, especially toward those who betrayed her.
At first, he thought Rajendra might be a mage, using a suggestive spell on his mother. But after checking, he found no trace of mana. So, he concluded that his mother must still love the man. That's why she asked him to give Rajendra a chance.
And so he did, but the man needed to earn it through his actions and sincerity.
While Aryan was deep in thought about Rajendra, Rajendra, having exited Aryan's office, was filled with regret and sadness as he walked to the smoking room, the only room he occupied.
Rajendra's expression instantly changed to anger and disdain. "Damn it! You brat! You dare to do this to me! Just you wait!" Rajendra vented his anger as he looked back toward the CEO's office. Then, he took a mysterious gem out of his inner pocket.
"Why is it not working?" Rajendra muttered, looking at the gem in his hand.
If Envy were there, she would recognize it as a modified suggestive rune stone, designed for easy use without mana, so that normal people could use it instead of only mages.
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