Chapter 2
I pushed open the door to the tech department, my face totally blank.
Someone had messed with my desk.
It used to be in the best spot by the window, but at that moment, they'd shoved it into a corner, right next to the printer and shredder.
It was loud as hell.
And in my spot, some punk with bleached hair was sitting there, feet up on the desk, playing games.
That was Edward's cousin, a clueless fool who couldn't tell Java from JavaScript to save his life.
"Henry, you're here." Edward strolled out with that smug, condescending grin only trust fund kids can pull off.
"Mr. Grant, what's the meaning of this?" I asked, pointing at my new desk in the corner.
"Oh, just a company restructuring," Edward drawled, taking his sweet time.
He said, "The tech department needs some fresh blood. You're not exactly a spring chicken anymore, and let's be honest, those complicated codes are probably too much for you now.
"Starting today, you're moving to the support team. You'll be handling, you know, fixing computers, swapping out water coolers, stuff like that."
The room went dead silent.
Everyone knew the entire technical core of Grant Group was in my head.
And at that moment, they wanted me to play IT guy.
This wasn't just a demotion. It was like they were stripping my dignity and stomping on it in front of everyone.
"Edward, this is out of line," I said, keeping my tone calm as I stared him down.
"Rules?" Edward sneered, strolling over and patting me on the shoulder like I was nothing.
He leaned in, speaking so only I could hear, "Here at Grant Group, I'm the rules."
He sneered, "Henry, I know you used to be my dad's favorite. But he's old now. Sure, it's still called Grant, but now it's my Grant.
"And your wife? Not bad. Even after all these years, she's still got that spark. Damn."
My blood rushed straight to my head.
The veins on the back of my hands popped.
He was doing this on purpose.
He sent me that blind box to screw with me, and then he humiliated me right to my face.
"What, you wanna hit me?" Edward taunted, stepping back and spreading his arms wide.
"Go ahead, hit me right here," he said, pointing at his own face.
"One punch, and your sick mom, your house back home, even your reputation in this business? All wiped out," he sneered.
I took a deep breath, fighting to keep control.
I shoved that murderous urge back down, forcing myself to swallow it whole.
I was an adult, no excuses.
In the grown-up world, resorting to violence was the most pathetic thing.
I'd make him pay, and it'd hurt a hundred times worse.
I said, forcing a smile as I unclenched my fists, "You're really something, Mr. Grant.
"Whatever the company decides, I'll do as I'm told."
Edward paused for a moment, clearly not expecting me to swallow it.
He looked a little disappointed, boredom flickering in his eyes.
"Alright, since you're being so cooperative, I've got a task for you," he said, grabbing a file from his desk and tossing it at me.
"There's an issue with the Western Data Center project. I need someone to babysit the mess on site," Edward said, his voice dripping with indifference.
"You're heading out tonight. The ticket has already been booked for you," he added, barely sparing me a glance.
The Western Data Center was out in the middle of nowhere, just some construction site. There was absolutely no reason for me to be there.
He was just trying to get me out of the way.
Once I was gone, he could do whatever he wanted behind my back, no prizes for guessing what.
I bent down, picked up the file, and gave it a quick dust-off, trying not to let my hands shake.
"Fine, I'll go," I said.
Edward laughed, not holding back for a second.
"That's more like it, Henry. You know when to back down," he said, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Oh, and while you're away, I'll be sure to 'take good care' of your wife," Edward said, his voice oozing sleaze.
Some snickering broke out around the room.
That was from Edward's cronies, of course.
I grabbed the file and walked out, didn't even look back.