Sun Princess & Snow Prince
Episode 67 - Behind Betrayal

"Yes, whatever it is," Zaid repeated convinced. He doesn't care. He had to fight Ave until the end.

Ajie folded his hands in front of his chest with his chin raised. "Including handing over The Crown?" tanyakanya.

Zaid was stunned to hear it before nodding. "Yes, including The Crown."

Ajie laughed again. He walked around the table and pulled his desk drawer. "Even without you saying yes, The Crown I can have whenever I want."

Zaid's face was like being doused in cold water. It was as if all his blood was sucked upwards hearing Ajie's words. He really doesn't want it to go on. He just knows, this must be something bad.

Ajie took some documents from his drawer. Throwing one at a time on his desk, he said, "Ricky sold 5% of his shares to my Grandpa in Australia for his ranching venture, Grandpa Wilson. Zahra, your sister sold a 10% stake to compensate her husband's company through one of GE's subsidiaries in Malaysia.  Natasha secretly borrowed to me to buy 10% shares and when she opened The Crown Models branch, I bought that part officially from her. 7% from the public shares of The Crown are also in my hands."

Zaid could not say anything hearing the notice. The documents that Ajie threw on his desk one by one made his mind empty for a moment. How could...

"A few weeks ago the Eagle called me, he asked me about the ownership stake I have in The Crown." Ajie's signature grin appeared again. "She knows about it. How can you not even know, Id?"

"Elang knows too?" asked Zaid without being able to hide his sense of hers.

Ajie. "of course. An entrepreneur should have enough information network. He will not want to buy the shares you offer if he does not know who the other owners are. We even agreed on one thing."

Zaid felt no need to ask. He knew Ajie had set this trap before he knew it. Zaid knew Ajie could destroy The Crown at any time. Only he did not expect that it was the people he trusted who helped Ajie's intentions. Maybe they don't know either. They may also be unconscious. I don't know. But right now Zaid felt like he was under a neck-cutting knife.

"Elang agreed to sell me 10% of his shares if I wanted to. He hopes The Crown will grow with my influence in the business world. That means I can also crush The Crown as easily as turning my hand," Ajie continued, laughing a little snidely.

"So what do you want to do now, Jie?" ask Zaid pasrah. He knows, it's free to explain at length if Ajie is like this.

"I'm just asking you to choose. The Crown or my sister?"

"Gue picked Ave!"

Ajie laughed a little. "Don't rush! If you choose The Crown, I'll make sure all these shares are yours again and I'll help you realize your pending corporate expansion plans. But if you choose Ave... " Ajie stopped talking but her smile looked mysterious. "... Then you must leave The Crown."

Zaid smiled. Looks sincere. "Gue doesn't want anything, Jie. I'm really sincere if you want to take The Crown now. My choice remains Avelia. I'll leave The Crown."

"alright. But I'm not done yet."

"Please."

"I will not demand that your relationship break up. Nor will it interfere with your and Ave's relationship. But even though Ave is my only sister, don't expect any blessing or help from me."

Zaid looked at Ajie in disbelief. He couldn't have done that to Ave. For Ave, his family is everything. This choice was the same as hurting the girl.

"On The Crown, I think it's best to destroy. At least that way, I'm content to be able to destroy your efforts."

"Ajie!" Zaid.

A mocking smile was seen on Ajie's face. "Don't you say there's no problem?"

"But there are a lot of people working for The Crown, Jie. They are innocent. For some people, The Crown is not just a place they work. The Crown was their labors, perhaps."

"My sister too! My brother is everything to me and Papa!" ajie snapped loudly, before he closed his eyes and lowered the volume of his voice.

"Avelia is innocent too. I just do my job as a sister. You are not a suitable man for him and I will do everything, even if it destroys others to protect my sister" Ajie said in a sharp tone.

"Did what I did really turn you into a man with no feelings like this, Jie?" asked Zaid with a flat face.

Ajie did not answer.

Zaid nodded slowly. "So if I leave... Ave, are you willing to keep all employees of The Crown?"

Ajie. "Faster, better."

"But if I go away from The Crown, it's impossible to be fast. I have to hand-over work and also... Ave. What about Ave? If he had to resign from The Crown, he would have lost the bet with your Papa. I have promised... "

"I can handle all that. No need to worry. About the cafe that Ave wanted, I can talk to Papa. About The Crown. Don't forget who I am!"

"Jie... Can't I wait until Avelia's done with the bet?" pinta Zayd's.

Ajie. "I don't want my sister to be sad. The sooner you get out of her life, the better for her."

The two men stood face to face, for a moment holding each other's opinions in silence. Before the end, Zaid let out a long sigh and nodded in agreement.

"Gue will leave Ave. I'll.. no. I won't explain anything to Ave. Go ahead if you want to tell me everything, even if he hates me afterwards. It's okay."

Zaid tried to regulate his emotions. "But. I beg you to take good care of Ave, Jie. At least I feel better if he's okay."

"No worries's. She'll be fine" Ajie said briefly.

[No need to worry. He'll be fine]

Zaid's face was much better. A faint smile was seen on his lips, before he nodded and stepped towards the exit.

"Deeds..."

Zaid's steps stopped and he turned back to Ajie.

"How does it feel to be betrayed by those you trust, Id?"

The sudden question that Ajie asked made Zaid's body stiff. A moment of silence because Zaid also thought for a moment.

"That means I may not be good enough as their friend or sister. But it doesn't matter to me now, their presence has helped me a lot, that's more than enough. The Crown shares are just about numbers, but as my friends and family, they are invaluable. I was so desperate and they were the ones who made me choose to keep fighting and stay alive." Zaid smiled at Ajie. "After all, they sell it to someone they also trust. I'm sure you yourself won't waste it, will you?"

Ajie was about to open his mouth when Zaid raised his hand suddenly. "Ah, and once again I'm sorry about you. I don't know if you've been really hurt all this time. I never took what I said seriously at the time. I always thought you were a good friend and it was just a joke. I'm not the son of a rich man like you, so I don't know if the value of friendship in your eyes is more valuable than I thought. I'm really sorry. Hopefully with all this going on, you're no longer blaming anyone."

Then without waiting any longer, Zaid opened the door and walked out.

Ajie stood for a long time looking at the closed door again. Then he looked up at his desk. Trying to convince himself that what he was doing just now was not wrong at all.

But Ajie knew, this was the riskiest gamble he had ever decided.

I'm sorry, Avelia. Here's toyou.

*****