Chapter 334
“Uncle Adam’s going to crush hem! Lucas whispered loudly to Lily, who nodded with complete confidence.
Joseph’s phone buzzed. Irene excused herself to take the call.
Once she was gone, Joseph’s playful demeanor vanished. He fixed Adam with a stare that had made business rivals sweat for
decades.
“The entire city’s talking about you and my granddaughter,” he said, moving his bishop with deliberate care. “What’s that about?
Wesley suddenly remembered he needed another drink. Brandon found something fascinating about his shoelaces. The kids, sensing adult tension, retreated to the kitchen with suspicious speed.
Adam moved his rook without looking up. “Victor’s using it as leverage. He thinks if he can paint me as distracted by personal drama, he can undermine my business decisions. His voice remained casual, but his knuckles whitened slightly around the chess piece. “It won’t work.”
“And Irene? The kids? Where do they fit in this power play?”
“They don’t.” Adam finally met Joseph’s gaze, something fierce flickering behind his eyes. “I won’t let anyone touch them. Not
Victor, not anyone.”
Joseph studied him like he was evaluating a particularly complex investment opportunity. After a long moment, he nodded once,
apparently satisfied with whatever he’d found.
“Good.” The single word carried the weight of approval. “Those kids have been through enough. So has she.”
The patio door slid open as Irene returned, tucking her phone away. Joseph immediately reset his face to casual amusement.
“Now,” he said, turning his attention back to the game, “let’s see if those fancy business school degrees actually taught you anything about strategy.”
Sunlight flooded Adam’s office the next morning as he reviewed quarterly reports. Thomas appeared in the doorway, coffee in hand, his expression somewhere between annoyed and amused.
“Wright’s downstairs,” he reported, setting the mug on Adam’s desk. “Says he’s not leaving until you see him.”
Adam glanced up from his tablet, expression cooling visibly. “Executive meeting?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“Tell him he has ten.” Adam turned back to his work without another word.
Wright straightened his tie when Adam’s office door finally opened, summoning whatever authority he had left. The past forty–eight hours had aged him a decade.
“Adam, we need to talk.” His voice carried more confidence than he felt. “This has gone far enough.”
Adam wheeled himself back into his office without acknowledging the statement. Wright followed, the them with unsettling finality.
clicking shut behind
“Name your price. Wright abandoned all pretense the moment they were alone. “What will it take to make this Samantha situation go away?”
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Chapter 334
Adam said nothing, watching with unnerving stillness.
Wright shifted uncomfortably. Look, we’ve known each other for years. Wright Pharmaceuticals is prepared to offer Haven Enterprise rights to half our medical business. Billions in potential revenue.”
He spread his hands, offering what would be a kingdom to most men
The corner of Adam’s mouth twitched upward in something too cold to be called a smile. “If that’s all you came to say, you’re wasting both our time.” His voice remained perfectly level. “I’m not interested in Wright Pharmaceuticals. Try Victor or Walter–they might be more receptive.”
He tapped the intercom button. “Thomas, Mr. Wright is leaving.”
Three words that slammed the door on any negotiation.
Wright stood frozen, his face draining of color as reality crashed down around him. His daughter had crossed the one man in Silver City who couldn’t be bought, reasoned with, or intimidated.
“Adam, please—” The word caught in his throat as Thomas appeared at the door.
“This way, sir,” Thomas said, his tone making it clear this wasn’t a request.
Outside the Haven building, Wright stared upward, reality finally sinking in. His daughter had crossed the one man in Silver City who couldn’t be bought or reasoned with. And now that wrath was aimed directly at his family.
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