Chapter 3
Dinner was halfway through, and everyone had already gone through a few rounds of drinks.
Henry started his usual round of showing off.
He pulled out his phone, scrolled a bit, then held it up for Emily to see.
"Emily, check this out. I just got myself a BMW 530 last week. Set me back 180 thousand dollars, all in."
Emily just gave a polite "mm-hmm."
Linda chimed in with a jab. "Henry is such a good kid. He earns his own money and spends his own money, and he never asks us for a dime. Unlike some people around here..."
She gave me a pointed look.
I just kept eating my braised pork.
The pork was cooked well, and the kitchen staff deserved a bonus for it.
Then I remembered that I was the one who made that call.
I would have Leo take care of it later.
"Hey, William." Henry turned to me, his tone casual but every word carrying a jab. "Do you take a cab or the subway these days?"
"Mostly the subway," I replied.
It was good for the environment.
"Yeah, the subway is convenient," Henry nodded. "Once you get a job, save for a few years and you might be able to afford a car. Don't write off the cheaper brands either. They're solid now."
"Yeah, I guess domestic cars aren't bad," I replied, just going along with it.
They were not bad at all, and it helped that I held a stake in the plants that built them.
The electric car company I had invested in tripled its market value in a single year.
Emily could not stand it anymore and cut in, trying to steer the conversation away. "Enough with the car talk, just eat, guys!"
But Henry had his whole act ready for tonight.
He set his fork down, fixed his gaze on me, and turned serious.
"William, let me be straight with you. I'm not looking down on you, but you need to start thinking about your future. Twenty-six isn't young anymore. Take me. I started at the bottom and worked my way up."
"Henry's right," Linda chimed in. "Charles, you and Susan really need to light a fire under him. If he keeps wasting time like this—"
"Do we really have to bring this up at the dinner table?" my dad finally spoke, his voice low but edged with anger.
"Come on, Charles, I'm only saying this for his own good," Linda insisted.
An awkward silence hung in the air for a few seconds.
Just then, my phone buzzed.
It was Richard again.
I glanced at the caller ID...
Hold on, this wasn't his personal number.
It was the company's internal line.
The custom label I made flashed on the screen: [Do Not Answer, Grant Holdings Executive Office.]
I hit decline.
Three seconds later, it buzzed again.
I hit decline again.
For the third time, it rang.
Emily shot me a look. "Who is it? Can't you just answer the phone?"
"Just some spam, nothing important," I replied.
"Man, that's some persistent spam," Emily said.
That was four times already.
I stood up. "I'll go take this outside."
I stepped out of the private room, found a quiet corner, and picked up the call.
It was Richard.
"Sir, we have a problem," he said, his voice urgent and tense.
He never sounded like that. Richard had been a butler for thirty years, and even if the world were ending he would still sound as calm as a news anchor.
Anything that could rattle him had to be serious.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"The merger in Ostville. They just backed out, and they're already putting out word that they're teaming up with Pinnacle Capital."
He had said Pinnacle Capital.
My heart sank.
The Mason family behind Pinnacle Capital was the only rival in business who could make me sweat.
"When did they drop the news?" I asked.
"Just now. The Mason family is flying to Ostville tonight," Richard replied.
"Tonight?" I asked, my voice tight.
"Yes. If we don't put a better offer on the table by tomorrow, we lose the deal," Richard said, his voice tight with urgency.
"Got it," I said, lowering my voice. "Keep them on the hook for now. I'll call you back in a bit."
I hung up.
I turned to head back to the private room.
Then I saw Henry.
He was standing in the hallway, holding an unlit cigarette, giving me that half-smirk, half-skeptical look.
"Finished your call?" Henry asked, his tone casual but with a hint of challenge.
"Yeah," I replied.
"Since when do sales calls take that long?" Henry leaned in, dropping his voice. "Come on, William, just be real with me, are you in debt? Did you borrow from those shady online lenders?"
"No," I replied.
"Come on, don't try to hide it," Henry said, giving my shoulder a patronizing pat, his smugness practically dripping off him. "If you're really in a tight spot, let me know. Seven or eight thousand dollars? That's nothing, and I can help you out."
He was offering me seven or eight thousand dollars.
I had approved a 1 billion dollar project that morning, and it was a shame he would never know it.
"Thanks, but I'm really fine," I said.
"Alright," Henry said, pulling his hand back and heading for the private room.
Then he stopped, turned back with a smirk, and added, "Oh, and that 'keeping them on the hook' bit you said on the phone, sounded pretty professional, huh? Almost like you knew what you were doing."
I froze for a second.
Had he heard that?
"Gaming," I said with a shrug, keeping it casual.
"Video games, huh?" Henry chuckled. "No wonder you're always cooped up at home. Come on, let's get back, food's getting cold."
Henry walked off, still wearing that smug grin.
I stood there, taking a deep breath.
That family dinner had been a trial.
It had been about a hundred million times harder than it needed to be.