“Yeah, he replied carefully. “Why? What’s up?”
Irene met his gaze directly. “Can you cut Sterling Group out? Completely?
Adam’s eyebrows shot up. When they’d discussed this before, she hadn’t given a damn about the business dealings between their families. This sudden interest caught him off guard.
“Sure,” he said without hesitation. “No big deal.”
The ease of his agreement seemed to surprise her. Irene’s jaw remained tight as she added, “And if they call asking why, just tell them it was me. My call.”
Adam’s gaze sharpened. “You sure you want to go there?”
He watched her closely, wondering what could have pushed her to suddenly take such a direct stance against her family’s interests.
Had someone crossed a line?
“What about your grandfather? How’re you gonna explain this to him?” he asked, real worry in his voice.
Irene’s expression hardened further. “You do your thing. I’ll deal with Grandfather.”
Adam nodded once, recognizing the determination in her eyes. Whatever had happened, she wasn’t backing down. He wouldn’t push
for details she wasn’t ready to share.
What Adam couldn’t see was the storm raging behind Irene’s calm exterior. No one hurts my children and walks away unscathed. Not
even blood relatives.
The next day, Nathan was reviewing quarterly reports when his assistant knocked and entered with an envelope bearing the Haven Enterprise logo. He tore it open, expecting routine business crap.
His face darkened as he read. Haven Enterprise was pulling out of their collaboration project. The message clearly said this decision came at Irene’s request.
“What the hell?” Nathan hurled the folder across the room, papers exploding into a messy trail.
His assistant backed out quickly as Nathan snatched up his phone to call his father.
John blew up when he heard the news. He stormed through the Sterling Group headquarters, his face going from pink to tomato–red
in seconds.
“This can’t stand!” he shouted, slamming his fist on the conference table where the executives had gathered for an emergency meeting “That ungrateful woman… I’ll deal with her myself. I don’t care if Joseph thinks he can protect her this time!”
He stormed out, leaving the executives exchanging nervous glances behind him.
Meanwhile, Irene had just confirmed their flight details with Thomas when she got word that Adam had wrapped up at the branch office. They’d be heading home soon–back to her children who needed her now more than ever.
As her car pulled into Emerald Garden’s driveway, she spotted another vehicle already parked there. Her stomach twisted as she spotted her father’s car waiting in the driveway.
Joseph had reluctantly given John permission to enter Emerald Garden after his persistent calling. “Let him in,” Joseph had told
security, “but remember, Irene and the children’s safety comes first.”
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The guard had relayed this message to John, who’d merely nodded, gning respect while contempt flickered in his eyes.
John was pacing at her doorstep when Irene and Adam arrived. He immediately charged forward, his face twisted with fury.
Irene! What the hell?” he shouted, spittle flying. “You get handed all those shares for nothing, and this is how you repay us? By screwing over the company? What’s your problem?”
Adam’s presence beside Irene seemed to be the only thing keeping on from getting physical. His hands were balled into fists, trembling with rage.
Irene met his anger with ice–cold composure. “Ask your wife that question. She’s the one who went nuts and hit my kid. Who told her she could talk trash about my son? Who said she could put her hands on him?”
She stepped closer to John, her voice dropping dangerously. “You want your precious deal back? Fine. Rose comes here and says sorry to my son’s face. Until that happens, you can forget about it.”
Adam’s fingers suddenly stilled on his wheelchair armrest. “Rose hit lex?” His voice was calm–too calm, like the quiet before a hurricane. His eyes flashed with a dangerous light that Irene hadn’t seen before.
John danced toward the house where the triplets had appeared in the doorway, looking physically fine. His expression shifted to an I–told–you–so look.
“Those your kids?” he scoffed, gesturing toward them. “Look fine to me. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. She just said a few things–since when does that outweigh a multi–million dollar deal?”
Adam’s cold voice cut through the air. “So hitting a kid and then saying ‘looks fine to me‘ makes it okay? Haven doesn’t work with people who go after children.”
John’s face paled as he realized the implications of Adam Haven witnessing this conversation. The Haven name carried weight that even Sterling couldn’t ignore.
Ignoring John completely, Irene signaled to the security guards. “Get him out of here.”
As the guards approached, Adam turned to Irene. “I’m not just canceling the deal. I’ll make sure they all know what happens when someone messes with your kids.”
“Leave it to me,” Irene replied, watching security lead her fuming father away.
Across town, John burst through his front door, humiliation rolling off him in waves. Being thrown out of Emerald Garden had cut his ego to the bone.
“Rose!” he bellowed, stalking through rooms until he found his wife flipping through a magazine.
She looked up eyebrows raised at his dramatic entrance.
“Have you lost your mind?” he shouted, towering over her. “I’m breaking my back for this company, and you flush it all down the toilet! Get some help if you need it why go after those kids? The whole company’s screwed because of you! Happy now?”
Rose tossed her magazine aside and stood up. “That girl’s got ice in her veins! The old man must be senile to give her those shares. She’s nothing but a snake!”
John paced, running his hands through his hair. “Just say sorry to Irene and fix this mess already!”
Rose’s chin jutted upward, her eyes flashing. “Say sorry? Hell no! I pushed her out of my body! She’s got some nerve expecting me to kiss her feet! Who does she think she is? Those three brats are obviously bastards–trash, all of them. What, I can’t call it like it is anymore?”
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John’s laugh was cold and mocking. ‘Can’t see past your own nose, can you? Won’t apologize? Then fix the company crisis yourself. Don’t come crying to me wher it all falls apart.”
Without waiting for her respon, he stormed out, heading back to the office.
Nathan watched the scene unfold, his mind racing. Someone needs to ix this mess before it destroys everything.
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