A Taste Of Billionaire's Temptation

The sound of clinking glasses and cheers echoed through the crowd of people in the spacious, lavishly decorated room. Several circular tables are scattered throughout the room, as well as four VIP-only rectangular tables near the front stage. These cheers were coming from the bar tables serving drinks, specifically from a group of humans who were now sipping as they closed their eyes to savor the sweet taste of the alcohol in their hands.

The taste was a relief. There was no bitterness. This room was full of fun, especially from the group of humans in front of the bar who seemed to be laughing freely after taking a sip of their respective drinks.

"We've exceeded our sales target again!" One of the men among the six cheered. His face was very bright. "Who are we?!"

"The marketing division team!" said a woman with tanned hair that was left down to her back.

"We got quite a bonus after a drastic increase in product sales due to a change in promotion strategy," said another without looking away from the tablet. His eyes were looking at the statistical data graph of the Aedest Beauty company's product sales over the past two months. There were lines that were initially up and down, some even going down almost to the bottom, but at the end of the first month they immediately went up and further up in the second month.

Holding a glass of drink with a grin, another woman said, "It's all thanks to Naira, anyway."

"Naira where's Nairaaa?"

"Thanks to everyone, just don't mention Naira."

A woman appeared suddenly from the back - a direction that none of her six division mates had noticed. She was walking while holding a still full glass. Her eyebrows rose and fell as she stopped two steps behind the woman who had mentioned 'thanks to Naira' earlier. While her six division mates watched from the bottom up, the owner of the name Naira casually sipped the drink in her hand.

It was only after taking a sip that Naira raised her eyebrows, making a questioning face. "What's wrong, how do you look like that? Is something strange?" she asked frantically. She looked frantically at the dress she was wearing, checking if there were any parts that made her look ridiculous to her friends.

"It's weird because you're really pretty tonight! Oh my God, you really didn't mean to dress up like this!"

Naira, who had looked worried, then chuckled with relief. "So you were going to say that, Nadira?"

The woman in front of Naira, Nadira, grinned. "What else is there to say after seeing your current appearance?"

"Naira! I thought you weren't coming, I've been waiting for you!" The man in a suit with a bow tie-only the man was wearing a bow tie-approached Naira after clapping his hands once. "Thank you, yes. Your idea is brilliant, we can increase our product sales and get a big bonus!"

Naira sighed. "All ideas," she corrected with emphasis. "Oh, have all the relations come from the company?"

Glancing at the clock, Daven replied, "They should have all come. It's just that not everyone from the WhiteAction Beauty company has come yet."

"They are our company's collaboration partner, right?" asked another woman who was standing next to Daven.

Daven nodded his head. "Yes. I'm told that their marketing division team is equally great."

"I heard that the marketing team has one member whose identity is invisible because he's always working behind the scenes," Nadira said, her tone casual but her face suggesting enthusiasm. "And tonight he's coming after only the marketing team knew about him."

"The member who works behind the scenes? He's deliberately hiding his identity?" Raka, the man with the only bow tie, chimed in. "How could he? Isn't every company proposal or meeting with other relations, the marketing division team is always there and their faces are always displayed?"

Daven snapped his fingers, agreeing. "Well, that also makes me think. What if there's a company proposal when proposing a collaboration or introducing a product, he's not visible too?"

Nadira shrugged, not understanding but thinking the same thing as her two coworkers. "His face doesn't want to be shown. Maybe whenever there's a meeting with clients or company relations and a product is being discussed, he prefers to be behind the scenes.

Even so, that person always makes the company's products sell well, sales are always increasing and have even been bigger than what we get now. He's almost the same as Naira, so he's the key to the company's progress."

"Nadira..." Naira reprimanded Nadira with a displeased tone of voice after hearing her coworker's last sentence. After Nadira put on another smirk, Naira sighed. "If her identity is unknown, how did you know that?"

"You know, Nor, Nadira is the queen of gossip. She's the sharp-eared one who's always eavesdropping on any news," Raka replied.

Naira couldn't help but smile when he pointed at himself. After that, Naira's conversation with her marketing team ended, coinciding with the shrill sound of the mic signaling that someone was getting ready. Naira and her six marketing friends turned their heads in unison towards the stage. A well-known emcee hired specifically for this gathering was already on stage, looking ready.

"Looks like it's time," Daven said amongst the silence of his friends.

Then the seven of them walked from the bar through the scattered circular tables. Some of the people who had been gathering with teams from other companies to chat or who were in other companies' seats then moved from their respective positions. Everyone moved to find their team seats to watch the event that was about to begin.

"Check... check..." The host ignorantly created a heavy voice that sounded ridiculous, making the few people who were already settled in their places laugh. After clearing his throat a few times, the host adjusted his shirt collar. "Wow, a very luxurious inter-company marketing division team meeting, huh.

Seeing all the elegant, bright-looking people here-not to mention the Aedest Beauty company's marketing team, which I hear has seen a huge increase in product sales in just the last two months, I think tonight is going to be a very pleasant gathering."

Naira and her six coworkers were already standing a few meters away from the stage. They nodded politely in response to the host's words. As the host spoke the opening lines, Naira looked around. Then Naira's gaze fell on a seat not far from where her marketing team was sitting. It was the seat belonging to the marketing team of the WhiteAction Beauty company. There were already a few people there, and the faces were familiar to Naira.

So, who was the 'someone behind the scenes' as Nadira had said earlier?

Everyone was already in the seats. Naira didn't expect that behind the faces of WhiteAction Beauty's marketing team, there was another person that Nora and everyone else didn't recognize. Naira thought Nadira might be spouting some nonsense that was rumored by who-knows-what. After all, how could someone who was key to the company's progress not be recognized by anyone?

Especially considering that the WhiteAction Beauty company often attended these kinds of meetings, their contacts were so extensive, plus of course their marketing division team also attended meetings with clients and other company relations. Wouldn't it be impossible to hide their identity from a bunch of activities that require them to show their face?

Also, how could someone let themselves go unnoticed while being the key to the company and let people only recognize other marketing division team members?

"Okay. We are giving a very special welcome to the Director and owner of the Aedest Beauty company that we know is being discussed. We welcome... Director Edgar Albert!"

A round of applause echoed through the room as a man in his fifties made his way from the VIP seats to the side of the stage. With a smiling face, the man climbed the steps to walk up to the host who accompanied him from the stage steps.

During the excitement, Naira did not pay attention, just clapped her hands without looking away from where the marketing team of the WhiteAction Beauty company was sitting. Even at this hour, that person hadn't arrived yet? Nora became convinced that there was no such person.

"And we know that good cooperation will result in an equally good or even better impact. Aedest Beauty's marketing team has already had their share of hard times when they started as a team in the first year..." Mr. Edgar's voice was heard delivering a speech-like sentence. His face looked so proud, his smile widened.

"I would like to call one of the representatives from our company's marketing division team who has always come up with brilliant ideas for product promotion strategies to accompany me on this stage. Naira Alya Kinara!"

As soon as she received a gentle pat from the side, Naira snapped out of her reverie. She saw Nadira and her friend gesturing for her to come on stage. Naira realized that all pairs of eyes were now on her, including Mr. Edgar on stage. Naira's awkward smile curved before she finally stepped onto the stage.

Applause could be heard from the crowd along with a few smiles thrown at Naira. Especially the people who were in the VIP seats, seemed to like Naira as she walked elegantly.

Once on stage, Naira shook hands with Mr. Edgar with a slight bow in greeting. The two seemed to step aside to make room for the host to reach for the microphone again.

"Now that we've seen the Director and marketing team representative from Aedest Beauty, it wouldn't be complete if we didn't also invite the Director of WhiteAction Beauty and her marketing team representative to the stage."

This was the moment Naira had been waiting for. Naira felt curiosity rising in her chest. Who would be the representative of WhiteAction Beauty's marketing team?

From the side of the stage, after being called, Mr. Dandi-Director of the WhiteAction Beauty company-appeared and walked up to Mr. Edgar. They shook hands briefly before the host smiled.

"This time, the representative of the WhiteAction Beauty company's marketing division team is someone different. Let's go ahead and welcome... Adirga Al Kenaro!"

Naira froze where she stood. No, no way, she thought to herself over and over again.

But when she turned her head, her heart skipped a beat.

The Adirga Al Kenaro mentioned was someone four years ago-someone who left her without a word.