Chapter 3 The Challenge

Karim was seated at his massive, polished desk, flipping through a stack of reports. Around him, a team of executives stood, discussing projections, materials, and upcoming projects. The room buzzed with efficiency, the air thick with the weight of decisions that shaped the future of the company.

Suddenly, the heavy office doors swung open.

Ryan entered briskly, his eyes burning with purpose. Nadia hurried behind him, her voice tinged with urgency.

"Ryan, please! Let me explain first," she pleaded.

The executives turned, startled by the intrusion. Karim looked up from his documents, his sharp gaze shifting between his son and Nadia. A rare moment of surprise flickered in his expression.

"What's going on?" Karim asked, setting his papers aside.

Ryan's voice was firm, unwavering. "I need to talk to you. Now."

Karim studied his son for a moment before silently gesturing for his employees to leave. Without hesitation, they gathered their materials and exited, closing the doors behind them. The office was left in heavy silence, occupied only by Karim, Ryan, and Nadia.

Karim leaned back in his chair and motioned for them to sit. "Alright, I'm listening."

Ryan remained standing. "I've made my decision. I choose the Talon project."

Karim raised an eyebrow and glanced at Nadia. She shifted uncomfortably before speaking.

"I told him the project was canceled," she said. "That it had too many issues and was shut down. But he wouldn't hear me out."

Ryan cut in before she could say more. "We need to restart it. Whatever the issues were, I can solve them."

Karim sighed, rubbing his temples as if exhausted by the conversation. "Ryan, you don't understand. The Talon suit wasn't just abandoned because of a few technical flaws. It's obsolete. We have drones and automated fighters now-why risk a soldier's life when we don't have to?"

Ryan clenched his fists. "You're wrong. Machines might be efficient, but they lack instinct. A human mind inside that suit could make decisions no AI ever could. You wanted me here, didn't you? This is what I want."

Karim studied him, his expression unreadable.

"You're serious about this?"

Ryan's eyes didn't waver. "Yes."

Karim tapped his fingers on the desk in thought. After a few seconds, he spoke.

"In four months, there's an international military tech conference. The biggest companies in the world will be there, including Titan Dynamics-our biggest competitor."

Ryan recognized the name. Titan Dynamics was a behemoth in the military tech industry, specializing in autonomous warfare. If they were competing, the stakes were massive.

Karim continued. "We'll be showcasing new military equipment and advanced weapons. If you can develop the Talon suit by then and prove to me a day before the conference that it's worth presenting, I'll let you showcase it."

Ryan smirked. "Deal."

Karim's lips curled into a knowing smile. "But if you fail," he said, his voice low and deliberate, "you'll abandon this idea and let me choose a project for you. No more negotiations."

The air between them was charged, the challenge unmistakable.

Ryan met his father's gaze, his heartbeat steady. "Fine."

Karim leaned forward, steepling his fingers. He knew four months was an impossible deadline. No one could rebuild a failed project from scratch, troubleshoot the flaws, and perfect it in such little time.

But Ryan wasn't thinking about failure.

He was already planning.

As he turned to leave, Nadia called after him, her voice filled with uncertainty. "Ryan, do you even know where to start?"

Ryan paused, a smirk forming on his lips. "Yeah," he said. "I do."

And with that, he walked out, ready to begin the impossible.

Scene: Karim and Lina

Later that night, Karim sat in the dimly lit living room, sipping his coffee as Lina entered. She glanced at him, immediately noticing the rare moment of reflection on his face.

"You're thinking about Ryan," she said, sitting beside him.

Karim smirked. "You always assume that."

"Because I'm usually right." She leaned back, crossing her arms. "He told me about the deal you made with him."

Karim took a slow sip before answering. "It was the only way to make him drop the idea when he fails."

Lina arched an eyebrow. "And if he doesn't?"

Karim started to answer, but something stopped him. The idea of Ryan actually succeeding flickered in his mind, and for a brief second, a smile formed at the corner of his lips-pride, real and unfiltered.

Lina caught it. "You want him to win," she said, almost amused.

Karim's expression hardened as he masked the emotion. "I want him to prove he can."

Lina chuckled, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

Karim didn't respond, but deep down, he knew-if Ryan could pull this off, it would mean something.

Something he wasn't quite ready to admit.

Next Morning Karim stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie with precise movements. His reflection was sharp, calculated-just like the man himself. He never rushed, never wasted a moment. Everything had its time, and time was never to be wasted.

As he stepped out of the bedroom, he found Lina, his wife, standing in the living room. She was glancing at her watch, a knowing smile forming as she looked up at him.

"You're always on time for work," she mused, arms crossed. "Never late even by a second."

Karim raised an eyebrow, sensing the playful edge in her voice.

"But," Lina continued, walking up to him, "when we go out together? Suddenly, time loses all meaning, and I have to wait forever for you."

Karim exhaled a short chuckle, shaking his head. "That's an exaggeration."

"No, it's not." Lina smirked. "Remember last weekend? You said, 'Give me five minutes.' And you took an hour."

"I was finalizing an important contract," Karim defended. "Work is-"

"Always your priority," Lina finished for him. Then, softer, she asked, "Are you really not going to stop having breakfast at work? Just once, sit with us and eat like a normal person?"

Karim adjusted his cufflinks and, with a diplomatic smile, said, "We'll see."

Lina sighed knowingly. "That's a 'no' in Karim language."