Stepmom Cold Bed
Candour

Byan sat pensively in his chair, still staring at the old documents he had just finished reading. His reasoning was trying to digest the contents of a document that he did not think ever existed.

The more he read and understood, this document further clarifies his conjecture so far, if before the death of a project worker yesterday. The same thing happened a while ago. Actually, nine years ago. This is what made Maureen so emotional at the time with reasons that she could slowly understand from her current point of view.

Byan was getting curious, he decided to ask Riswan who was the witness of the incident at that time.

“Riswan, I want you to be honest.” Byan mengultimatum Riswan first. He does not want to wastefully ask and even get an answer that contains lies.

“Please sir, I will answer any questions of the lord with honesty.” Riswan was determined in his heart. He will no longer waste the trust of his young master. It was hoped that Byan could help him correct all the mistakes he had made on Maureen.

Byan straightened his body before asking. He looked at the middle-aged man who suddenly had a sad expression.

“So, this project was deliberately thwarted?” Byan pointed at the documents before him.

“Iya sir.” The old man answered truthfully.

“Is it because the project took its toll or because Edwin accidentally damaged the project, so Anggoro stopped this project?” byan's question sounded more detailed. That conclusion that he managed to get after reading the chronological events and pulling the red thread implied in this document.

For a moment Riswan was bowed in. His young master was able to easily decipher the contents of the documents he had kept secret for nine years. Now it's time to be honest and admit everything.

“This project, created nine years ago as the second mega project Anggoro corp. Many parties are involved and quite attract the attention of many people. Cluster made with only fifteen units of this residence, will be a very profitable future investment.”

“That made Mr. Edwin ask that Mr. Anggoro give the management of this project to him. But due to the reason of the great lord's distrust in the ability of Mr. Edwin, even the great master rejected him.”

“Because disappointed with the decision of the big master, Mr. Edwin made a strategy by raising many issues and problems during the construction of this project. Some things can be overcome by the big master but the big master can not avoid when it turns out Mr. Edwin subverted a project worker in the construction of this cluster.”

"Cumbles? Whatchu mean?" Byan was increasingly curious to listen to Riswan's explanation in more detail.

“Master can see for himself, a project employee died from electrocution. The initial guess, it was all just an accident but after being investigated by the great master himself, it was not an accident, but a deliberate act by Mr. Edwin in order that the project be stopped."

"From the evidence obtained, the great master found out that Mr. Edwin told someone to turn on the main switch when the worker was deliberately told to check the electricity of the house. At that time, the project worker died inside the newly completed building in the build.”

In this sentence, Riswan's speech stopped. He cannot continue his sentence. His chest felt tight as he recalled how agitated Anggoro was when he found out that Edwin had intentionally done that.

“Then why did Anggoro stop development instead of reporting Edwin to the police?” Byan was getting curious.

“Because the great mistress begged at the feet of the great lord in order to give master Edwin a chance to fix everything for various reasons. The great sir is also devastated. He gave Mr. Edwin a chance. Instead, the project was stopped to protect Mr. Edwin and in the future Mr. Edwin had nothing to do to occupy the highest position in the company.”

The tightness in Riswan's chest gradually disappeared in half after revealing the secret he had been keeping all this time. He saw Byan who was just speechless, not out of thought with Riswan's explanation.

“What is the reason Anggoro beat Om Edwin in the day before my mother's accident?” Byan was getting curious.

“True, sir," I'm Riswan.

Byan could hardly believe it. He began to think, just right Anggoro beat Edwin to death. He thought it was because Edwin told Anggoro's affair to Andini, but it turned out that it was because of something worse.

“Then, what about the victims' families? Is it done?”

Riswan. Instead of answering, he bent his knees before Byan. Not daring to show his face in the slightest to Byan.

“I have made a mistake sir,” Riswan sentence sounds hanging. It takes courage to admit what he did.

“What error do you mean?” Byan moved out of his place. He stood in front of Riswan who was still kneeling in his place.

“At that time, Mr. Edwin tried to resolve this issue so that the victim's family did not continue with his demands. He told me to give some money to the families of the victims, unbeknownst to the great master. According to Mr. Edwin, this is the best way so that no lawsuits can tarnish the good name of this company.”

“Sunday after the victim died, Mr. Edwin filed a case closure with the police on the grounds it was purely an accident. I used the opportunity to follow Mr. Edwin's advice to immediately meet the victim's family and ask the victim's family to stop its prosecution because the matter was already closed as a case of accident."

"I give some money as a form of money. But apparently, what I did was wrong. I consider positioning the victim's family as beggars. They think that we do not have the heart and empathy and underestimate this problem. Until finally the victim's family suffered depression and committed suicide.”

The sound of crying full of regret, starting to be heard from Riswan's mouth made Byan could see the regret of Riswan so deep. His forehead that began to wrinkle also wrinkled with a broken cry without being able to hold it. To be honest, he was speechless, especially comforting Riswan. He was still very surprised by what he heard.

“How is the family now? What's the name of the victim?” Byan was getting curious. His conscience and guilt are called.

“The victim had a grown daughter, sir. He grew up well but had a great sense of anger and hated the Anggoro corp. He was very sure that from the beginning, Anggoro corp was the one who made him lose both parents."

"The victim's name is Malik Emrys. The birth father of the mistress Jill Maureen Emrys.”

“APA?!” yelled Byan loudly. His legs suddenly weakened so he had to lean on his desk. He held on long enough while trying to balance his body that was about to collapse.

“Maureen, what do you mean Maureen I know?” Byan said softly. He wished there were many Maureens in this world and that child was not the Maureen he knew today.

"True sir," Riswan nodded listlessly.

Without feeling the tears Byan dripped just like that. His heart suddenly felt shattered as a shadow of Maureen's face appeared in his mind. How could Maureen suffer such a huge misfortune caused by the actions of her family?

“What Anggoro know?” inexhaustibly, Byan asked about it.

Riswan nodded back.

“The great master found out that the young mistress was the daughter of the victim of the project exactly three months before she died. He saw for himself how the young mistress tried to find evidence of the failure of this nine-year project along with other evidence that showed the weakness of the Anggoro corp."

"At that moment, the great master begged the young mistress not to destroy the Anggoro corp. Instead, the big lord offers a deal.” Riswan took out a piece of paper that he had stored for a long time and showed it to Byan.

Byan looked at the piece of paper.

“Agreement letter?” Byan scrunched his forehead not understanding.

“True sir. The great lord offered an agreement that he would marry the young mistress and make the young mistress an heir to this company. Young mistress is given the widest authority to regulate this company as long as the young mistress does not destroy this company.”

“The young lady agreed because she still wanted to find out what happened to her parents. He stayed here, only to uncover what really happened.”

“Then does Maureen already know everything?” Byan looked at Riswan with his red and wet eyes.

“Ya, sir. Mrs Maureen already knew that I was the one who met her mother and caused her to commit suicide. But he did not know that actually Mr. Malik did not have an accident but was killed.”

Byan sat down limply leaning against his desk. He ruffled his coarse hair and then rubbed his teary face. For a moment his mind was empty, unable to think of anything other than the incarnate Maureen figure in his consciousness.

He could imagine, as sad as Maureen was when she found out everything.

"Sir, I know my mistakes will never be forgiven. But please, please help me to pass this document on to Madam Maureen. This is my promise to him. The promise I made was that I would show all the truth to Maureen. Please help me, sir." Riswan was completely bowed in lethargy before Byan, barely prostrating himself in earnest.

Byan did not flinch. He was silent with the documents he was holding. What would he say to Maureen then? Does he have the courage to say sorry?

In fact, it is true that the Anggoro family has made his stepmother suffer.

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