In the cozy depths of the cafe, Cindy looked at Vania with eyes full of concern.
The phone call from Grandma Heidi still hung in the air, carrying with it an unusual panic and plea.
It was because Vania had not agreed to Heidi's demand.
"Van, you have to accept," urged Cindy, trying to convince her best friend. "Look, your grandmother is panicking. The Laguna Group project is a matter of life and death for Sentosa. You have to go back and fix this."
But Vania shook her head, her face flushed with still-smoldering disappointment. "No, Cin. I'm tired. All this time, Grandma only cared about Kevin. Me? I'm not even considered a granddaughter. She never once visited my house, my father's house; she only ever goes to her other children's homes. My father was never acknowledged. Let her come to my house and beg me in person."
The wound was deep. Vania's father, Heidi's most disregarded son, had passed that sense of injustice to his daughter. Their position in the family was always on the periphery, and Vania was sick of it all.
She remembered Davin's words from that morning, when he dropped her off in his Kijang Innova. "Everything depends on you now, Van," he had whispered with unusual conviction. "If you don't want it, the project won't proceed. Use this. Elevate your status. They need you, not the other way around."
Those words now echoed in her mind. Davin, who was always looked down upon, had given the most valuable advice.
"I'm going to follow Davin's advice," Vania said suddenly, with new resolve in her eyes.
Cindy frowned. "Davin? Your ride-hailing driver husband? Van, don't listen to him! He doesn't know anything about business! Just leverage this situation, get your position back, but don't listen to someone who can't even get a decent job!"
But Vania had made up her mind. She ignored Cindy's advice, paid their bill, and went home.
---
Upon arriving home, the pressure came immediately. Her father, a gentle man who was always sidelined, pleaded in a soft voice. "Vania, please. Accept Grandma's request. This is for our family too, Van."
Her mother, Sri, who was usually harsh, also joined in persuading her this time. "Yes, Van. Listen to your grandmother. This is for all our good."
But Vania had changed. She was no longer an obedient puppet.
Vania was too hurt by the events of that morning when she was unceremoniously thrown out of the office meeting room before Joni Lunggana's arrival.
Because of that, when she was needed, she refused to simply comply with her grandmother's request.
With a surprising calmness, she announced, "I've taken a week's leave. I've already emailed HR. I won't be involved with any office matters for the next week. I need a rest."
"Vania, you can't do this!" Sri was frantic. She was beginning to feel the wrath of the grandmother, who would certainly not let this matter slide.
---
Vania's decision exploded like a bomb. The news of Vania's leave reached Heidi's ears through a panicked call from the HR manager.
The grandmother, who had always been cold and arrogant, completely lost her composure. Anger and disappointment flooded her, but behind it all was a very real fear—the fear of potentially losing everything.
Heidi tried to call Vania again, but it turned out Vania's number was no longer active, which infuriated Heidi and made her throw her phone into the trash.
Fuming, she decided to do something she had never done before: visit the home of her disowned son.
Heidi's luxury car stopped in front of Vania's modest family home. Sri and her husband were waiting on the porch, bowing respectfully, nervous and jittery at the arrival of the most powerful person in the Sentosa Group.
"Please come in, Mother," Sri requested in a trembling voice.
But Heidi stood stiffly in front of the door, refusing to enter. Her arrogance remained. "Call Vania. Tell her to come out," she ordered, her voice sharp.
From behind the window, Vania peeked. She saw her grandmother, still stubbornly refusing to enter. 'Just like always,' she thought bitterly. 'Doesn't want to dirty her feet in our house. Huh!'
Instead of complying, Vania retreated and sat in her room, refusing to come out.
Sri repeatedly tried to persuade Vania, pulling on her arm, but Vania remained unmoved.
Seeing that Vania would not come out and time was running out, Heidi finally realized her absolute defeat. The arrogance slowly crumbled, replaced by desperation.
With heavy steps, she finally stepped into the simple house, something she hadn't done in decades.
She walked straight to Vania's room. There, she saw her granddaughter sitting resolutely.
"Grandmother." Vania greeted her with a cold face.
Heidi's face wrinkled, but she couldn't do much. "Vania... forgive Grandma," she said, her voice sounding weak and old for the first time. "Grandma was wrong. Grandma begs you, please resolve the issue with Laguna Group. Save our company."
Vania looked at her for a long time. She saw the fragility behind the figure who had always seemed so mighty. Finally, after seeing the sincere humility (or at least, the desperation that forced her to be humble), Vania nodded.
"I will help," she said. "But on one condition: Kevin cannot be involved in this project at all. Not now, not later, not ever. If I see him near this project, I will quit."
Heidi let out a deep sigh. She knew this was the price to pay. "Alright," she replied, her voice faint. "Grandma promises. Kevin will never touch this project. Grandma swears."
For the first time, Vania felt she had power. She had stood her ground, and her family had finally listened to her. The battle might not be over, but today, she won her war.