Chapter 3

【Jarvis Gilbert! Where the hell did you disappear to?】

【If you won't come yourself, then send over the risk report. Do you want to humiliate me in front of every single shareholder?】

【Your risk rating is going up to 1,000. No, make it 100,000!!】

I was about to reply.

Then Linda's father called.

“Jarvis.”

“I hear you and Linda had a fight? Come have dinner at my place, talk it out, don't let it hurt what you two have.”

So.

I went to the Hensons'.

Seven years ago, the Hensons sold off nearly everything they owned and were forced to rent.

Five years ago, with my help, they climbed out of the crisis and had a home of their own again.

Now they'd bought back the standalone mansion they once lost.

And renovated it to be even grander.

Like a palace.

I walked into the house just in time to see Linda and Roy laughing together on the sofa.

“Roy, which sports car do you like? Take your pick, any of them. You've done so much for the Hensons, you deserve a reward.”

Linda's face was all smiles, her eyes full of admiration.

It didn't sit well with me.

Seven years together, seven years of everything I gave, and all I ever got from Linda was a word of praise. Never anything real, not so much as a holiday gift.

I used to think that was just who she was.

Only now did I understand: in her heart, I simply wasn't worth it.

“Jarvis is here, come sit.”

Lowell Henson's voice came from the side.

Only then did Linda and Roy look up and see me, and their smiles vanished in an instant.

Right away, Roy spoke up first. “Linda, Uncle Lowell, to keep this conflict from getting worse, I've decided to resign!”

“I'll no longer serve as risk analyst.”

And with that, he stood as if to leave.

Clearly a move to gain ground by pretending to give it up.

And it worked beautifully.

Linda quickly grabbed him and soothed, “It's not your fault.”

Then.

Linda turned to me, frowning. “Look at you. Look what you've driven Roy to.”

“I can let the report thing go.”

“But you have to apologize to Roy!”

For a moment I couldn't get a word out.

I was the one who'd been wronged.

Yet in her mouth I'd become the villain.

“All right, all right, that's enough from both of you. Sit down and talk it through.”

Smoothing things over, Lowell pulled me down into a seat and went on. “I have an idea. See what you think.”

“Jarvis folds his company into Henson Group and marries into the family.”

I froze.

I'd thought Lowell genuinely wanted to fix things. Turned out he was an old fox too.

He was after my company.

He meant to bleed me dry and then swallow whatever was left.

“That's a good idea, Uncle Lowell.”

Roy pushed up his glasses. “With Jarvis marrying in, the mismatch in status is resolved.”

“Risk rating drops to 20. Ordinary level. Acceptable.”

And he was off on another one of his analyses.

“Fine.”

“Since Roy says it's acceptable, then I agree.”

Linda folded her arms across her chest, chin still tipped high, wearing the airs of a queen.

“Then let's sign the agreement.”

Smiling, Lowell produced the papers.

From start to finish, no one had asked what I wanted.

As if they were sure I'd sign.

Lowell handed me a pen and said, “Jarvis, this is the biggest concession I could win for you. If you want to marry my daughter, don't let it slip away.”

I gave a small smile and didn't take it.

“This agreement, I won't sign.”