The Promise of Love

The morning sun shone into the dark room, and the melodious sounds of birds singing outside indicated it was a bright Monday morning. A guy was seated on the bed in the dimly lit room, stretching his muscles.

After a few moments, he rose from the bed and made his way to the bathroom to take a refreshing shower. It was a part of his daily morning routine.

Having finished his shower, he descended the grand staircase with purpose. As he approached the dining table, he noticed the maids still meticulously arranging the place settings. His presence was commanding, but it was not lost on one particular maid who had become captivated by his well-chiseled abs. She had become so lost in admiration that she momentarily forgot he was her boss.

The man's presence exuded charisma and undeniable charm. With his lips as vivid as fresh blood, a hawkish nose, well-defined cheekbones, and piercing blue eyes, he seemed almost otherworldly. These captivating blue eyes had the power to shine like evening stars, filled with joy, yet they could also smolder like two liquid-blue pools of fire. The mere thought of being inches closer to him sent shivers down people's spines.

Darius, the man of the hour, interrupted the maid's silent reverie with a sardonic smile and a pointed question, "Are you done admiring the view?" His eyes roamed her body, leaving her flustered. "Yes, sir... boss," she stammered.

His voice turned cold, "Oh, please serve the food since you've finished admiring." The maid hastened to complete her duties, striving to keep her focus on the task at hand and not her charismatic boss.

Darius concluded his breakfast and then headed to the garage, where a chauffeur awaited his arrival. As soon as the chauffeur spotted Darius, he hurried to open the car door, and Darius climbed in, ready to begin the day.

**R&B Company**

Darius arrived at the company, heading directly to his office. Once inside, he settled behind his desk, opened his laptop, and engaged in the tasks of the day. His secretary, Ava, entered the room to brief him on his schedule. However, Darius remained fixated on his laptop screen, only acknowledging her with a nod.

Ava, accustomed to his focused working style, turned to exit the office but was interrupted when a lady entered. Ignoring Ava, the lady went straight to Darius's desk, leaned in, and inquired, "Good morning, how was your night?" Despite her poised demeanor, Darius continued to concentrate on his work, not offering a response.

Unfazed by his unresponsiveness, the lady hesitated, preparing to continue. But before she could, the door swung open, and Cyrus entered the office. Recognizing the situation, the lady decided to make a hasty exit, exchanging polite greetings with Cyrus as she left the room.

Cyrus, observant as ever, noticed something amiss but opted to maintain a cheerful facade as he greeted Darius."If it isn't the shark himself, then who is it?" Cyrus chuckled."You know when trying to be funny, you end up being stupid!" Darius retorted, and Cyrus didn't respond.

He inquired, "What happened between you and her this time?" referring to the lady who had exited.

Darius issued a stern warning, "Don't." Aware of his friend's nuances, Cyrus tactfully changed the subject, revealing, "A young candidate is waiting for you in the conference room."

"I'll be there shortly," Darius assured.

In the conference room, a candidate was in the midst of an interview. Darius, Cyrus, and the board members, all listening intently, observed as the candidate spoke. Cyrus took notes, while others lent their ears.

Once the candidate had concluded, Darius posed a question, "Are you finished? Is this your best?" The candidate nodded. "What is your name?" Darius inquired, fixing his gaze intently on the interviewee. "Ronald, sir," the candidate replied, his voice tinged with confidence.

"Do you believe you were adequately prepared for this?" Darius continued to scrutinize Ronald. "Yes, sir," came the confident reply, along with a smile.

Darius, in no uncertain terms, expressed his disappointment, "I must say, I believe I speak for everyone when I say that this presentation has been a colossal waste of our precious time." The candidate's expression fell, and his smile vanished.

Darius continued, maintaining his unwavering focus on the candidate, "This is, by far, the least promising idea presented to me in recent memory, and trust me, I've reviewed many." Ronald, appearing thoroughly perplexed, attempted to interject, but Darius held his gaze, unfazed.

"One of our board members believes your presentation holds potential and that there's room for improvement," Darius acknowledged, dismissing the board member's opinion as though it were of no consequence.

The room fell into a chilling silence as the interviewee, Ronald, retreated with his documents. Ronald's frustration was palpable. As soon as he was out of sight, an air of tension enveloped the room, and all board members appeared apprehensive.

Darius fixed his gaze on the board member who had challenged him earlier, his intensity palpable. "Have you lost your mind?" Cyrus, seated beside Darius, confronted the situation.

Darius made a decisive move, "You're fired." Then, he shifted his attention to another board member and commended, "In contrast, your idea is brilliant—genius, even."

Attempting to rationalize the situation, Tanya, a board member said "But you said..." before Cyrus cut her off in frustration, insisting, "He said what he needed to say.The guy is so talented that he doesn't even know it."

"Maybe he knows and doesn't know how to pull it off. But we're going to do what we're going to do," Darius said with a smirk as he snapped his fingers with Cyrus.

"So, what are we doing? Are we stealing his intellectual..." the interrupted board member was asking, but Cyrus interrupted her with an angry tone, saying, "We aren't stealing; we aren't thieves. We're just making it our own."