Chapter 174
Chapter 174
+25 BONUS
The mysterious big boss of OceanixCorp–always out of sight, yet somehow knew everything.
Jace’s anger flipped to Ron in an instant. “No deal? Do you even know who you’re talking to? Do you know
who I am?”
Right then, Jace was the perfect example of an arrogant, new–money jerk.
Ron, casually sipping his water like some old pro, smiled that polite but totally patronizing smile. “Oh, my boss knows exactly who you are. That’s why he’s not going forward with this deal.”
It was barely anything, but it hit Jace hard.
Jace looked like he was gonna explode. His eyes narrowed, and he practically hissed, “Who the hell is your boss? Does he not want to do business in Seavora anymore?”
“Mmm, my boss said even if he couldn’t do business in Seavora, he still wouldn’t work with you,” Ron’s voice was smooth, but there was a sharpness beneath the polite surface.
Jace’s face turned an ugly shade of purple. “Fine! Just wait. And tell your so–called boss the same.”
“Will do,” Ron replied. “Oh, and my boss said to tell Mr. Johnston he’s more than welcome to bring it on.
That line was enough to make anyone’s blood boil, and I swear the veins on Jace’s forehead were about to burst. I half–expected him to take a swing at Ron’s annoyingly calm, ever–smiling face.
But he held back. After a few tense seconds of glaring at Ron, he turned back to me. “Rea, I know you’re soft–hearted. You hate dragging other people into your problems.
“If you come with me right now, I’ll let this go.
“But if not, don’t blame me when this company ends up paying for your stubbornness.”
When sweet talk didn’t work, he switched to threats. Typical Jace.
Yeah, I grew up in the Johnston family, ate their food, lived under their roof, but my parents didn’t raise me to back down.
If Jace thought he could scare me into submission, he wouldn’t be standing here right now. “If you go through with that, whatever respect I have left for you will be gone. Completely.”
“You’ve already fucking thrown me away. What the hell is there left to respect?” He snapped.
I wasn’t about to argue with Jace in front of everyone, and I definitely wasn’t going to give my coworkers more fuel for gossip. I straightened up, eyes cold. “Mr. Johnston, you can leave now.”
His hands twitched in the air, like he was seriously debating whether to strangle me or drag me out of here by force.
Ron chose that exact moment to step in. “Ms. Kay, if you’re not planning to walk Mr. Johnston out, would you mind joining me in my office? There’s something I’d like to discuss.”
The timing was spot–on, and honestly, I wanted to talk to him, too.
I left with Ron, not sparing Jace another glance. Let him stew in his own anger.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 174
Once we were in Ron’s office, I didn’t waste any time. “Mr. Shane, who exactly is the big boss? And how did he know about what went down today?”
Whoever the CEO of OceanixCorp was, he wasn’t just mysterious–he was watching out for me. Canceling a deal that could’ve been worth a lot just because Jace was involved? That felt personal, and I was getting suspicious.
“I told him,” Ron said casually, leaning back in his chair like it was no big deal. “How else would he know? He’s not some omniscient being.”
“Why
did he cancel the deal? Does he know Jace? I pressed.
Ron sat there grinding coffee, his fingers–more graceful than most women’s–moving effortlessly against the dark machine. The whole thing was strangely mesmerizing.
“Maybe. I don’t know the details,” Ron said with a quick, practiced smile.
That smile threw me off. He might look sunny and masculine, but there was something soft about that smile that didn’t sit right.
I glanced around Ron’s office, searching for any clues about the mysterious CEO. But nothing in here gave away a single hint about the big boss.
I took a deep breath, deciding to go straight for it. “When’s the big boss coming to the office?”
“Hmm… hard to say. Maybe around the end of the year, but honestly, he doesn’t really care about the day- to–day stuff.”
I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. Not interested in the company’s affairs? And yet, he personally tanked a major deal because of me?
I let out a small, sarcastic laugh. “So, from what I’m hearing, the big boss is just a figurehead?”
Ron nodded, amused. “More or less,” he agreed, before flashing that sly grin again. “Except when he feels like flexing his authority, like today.
