hapter 185
# Chapter 167: Walls Come Turbling
Thomas spun around and nearly jumped when he spotted Irene. His eyes went wide as he realized what she’d overheard. He fumbled through a quick goodbye and stuffed his phone away.
“Dr. Sterling,” he choked out. “You’re… here.”
Irene raised an eyebrow, playing it cool. “Am I early?”
Thomas checked his watch nervously. “No, right on time Boss is upstairs. I’ll show you.”
The walk up felt endless. Irene kept thinking about what she’d heard Adam canceling a huge deal, refusing to let people he valued be disrespected. Each thought chipped away at her defenses.
Thomas kept glancing at her, trying to read her face. She gave him nothing.
Samantha froze in her parents‘ living room as her father’s face morphed from confident to horrified, staring at the message on his phone,
“Haven Enterprise canceled the deal,” he announced, voice hollow. “The entire five–hundred–million–dollar project. Gone.”
The words hit Samantha like a physical blow. She sat motionless as her mother erupted, her voice rising to near–shrieking levels.
“He did WHAT? Over a lunch?” Her mother paced wildly. “That man has completely lost his mind!”
Samantha barely heard her father’s tirade about three years of work destroyed. Her mind tunneled to one crystal–clear realization: this wasn’t just business. This was Adam sending her a message wrapped in financial dynamite.
Her face burned as humiliation swept through her. She’d miscalculated badly.
“Samantha, fix this!” her mother demanded. “Talk to him, make him see reason!”
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. “You don’t understand him at all,” she said quietly. “When Adam decides something, it’s permanent.” She stood slowly, legs unsteady. “He just showed us exactly where we stand.”
She turned away, unable to bear their panicked faces a moment longer. In the hallway mirror, she caught her reflection–perfect makeup, designer outfit, and utterly defeated eyes. Adam had never looked at her the way he looked at Irene, and now she knew just how far he’d go to make that point clear.
Sophia paced the floor, each step punctuating her distress. “Half a billion dollars!” she exclaimed. “Over a lunch? What was he thinking?”
Marcus pressed his fingers against his temples, feeling a headache forming. Adam had never been subtle with his messages.
“I’m calling him,” Sophia reached for her phone.
Marcus caught her wrist. “Don’t.”
Her eyes widened. “Our son just torpedoed a massive deal because he felt slighted, and you want me to do nothing?”
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Chapter 185
“Exactly,” Marcus replied calmly. “Push him now, he’ll only dig in deeper. He’s making his position clear.”
“At what cost?
“He’s drawing a line, Marcus said. “We crossed it today. That lunch was a mistake.”
Sophia sank into a chair, fight draining away. “What does he see in er?” she asked, genuinely confused. “What does she offer that Samantha doesn’t?”
Marcus considered the question. “Maybe that’s it exactly. She seems want nothing from him except his recovery.”
Sophia fell quiet, unable to counter this simple truth. Their son, surrounded his entire life by people wanting things from him, had found someone who apparently wanted nothing at all.
She set her phone down with a sigh. “I don’t know what to do with him anymore.”
Adam watched his phone light up with “Mr. Wright” on the screen. A small, satisfied smile touched his lips as he answered.
“Mr. Wright.”
“Adam,” Mr. Wright’s voice came through, trying hard to sound calm. Got a second to talk?”
“I’m listening.”
“I understand your… reaction to today. Nobody’s forcing anything on you. But canceling our entire partnership seems drastic. Three years of planning for this project. Our whole Asia strategy.”
Adam let the silence stretch. “I’m aware.”
“So maybe we reconsider? The fallout would be catastrophic.”
“I’m not changing my mind,” Adam replied coolly. “If that’s a problem, you’re welcome to find another partner.”
A long pause. “This isn’t about business at all, is it?” Mr. Wright finally asked.
“Good evening,” Adam disconnected without another word.
He turned to find Irene in the doorway, medical kit in hand. Her face was calm, but her tight grip on the kit gave her away..
“Heard that?” he asked directly.
Irene busied herself with her equipment. “Heard what?”
“About Wright Corporation.”
Her hands paused briefly. “Thomas was on the phone outside. Did you really cancel a five–hundred–million–dollar deal? Their three- year project?”
Adam shifted in his chair. “I want to apologize for today. That lunch was a mistake.”
Irene kept her eyes down. “You can’t apologize for other people.”
“My decisions are my own,” he replied. “And I’d make the same call again.”
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Chapter 185
Silence stretched between them. Finally, Irene asked softly, “Why sacrifice that kind of deal?”
Adam met her eyes directly. “Some things matter more than money. More than business, family expectations, or spreadsheets,”
Something electric passed between them–a connection neither was ready to name.
Irene broke first, snapping back to professional mode. “Time for treatment.”
While her hands worked methodically, Adam asked casually, “Think the kids might come for dinner again?”
Irene hesitated. “Maybe sometime,” she offered.
Adam nodded, accepting the vague answer, though she caught a flash of disappointment before his usual poker face returned.
Irene pushed her door open, Adam’s words following her home: Some things matter more than money.
Three small ambush experts pounced the instant she walked in, having clearly been waiting.
“Mom!” Alex bounced forward. “Did you and Uncle Adam make up?”
Irene exhaled slowly. “It’s not that simple. We’re friends, but we need space.”
Lucas’s face fell. “But he’s awesome! Lily told us he canceled a five–hundred–million–dollar deal because that lady was mean to you.
Irene’s eyes snapped to her daughter. “How do you know that?”
Lily grinned mischievously. “Sparkle told me!” Her eyes darted toward the window so obviously that Thomas might as well have signed a confession.
Alex stepped closer, his gaze eerily perceptive for a five–year–old. “Grown–ups make everything complicated. We can tell what’s real. That Wright lady was totally fake, but Adam looks at you like…” He searched for words. “Like you’re special.” He spread his arms wide. “And five hundred million dollars could buy every toy store ever!”
Irene stared at her son, momentarily speechless.
“Bed. Now,” she managed, needing space to think.
In her bedroom, Irene pulled her hair free, running fingers through the loose strands. Adam’s move had blindsided her nobody had ever stood up for her like that, especially not at such staggering cost. The icy businessman she’d first met wouldn’t have given up a penny over someone’s hurt feelings.
She looked in the mirror and saw something different in her own face. The barriers she’d built around her heart were starting to
crack.
“This makes no sense,” she whispered. “We’re from different worlds.
But for the first time since that awful lunch, she didn’t sound convinced. Instead, her voice carried something that felt dangerously close to hope.
