Chapter 13

13. I wasn’t ready for this.

Coraline was pretty silent when we dropped her at her parents’ house, rather than the apartment she shared with her ex-

boyfriend. She changed her mind after learning about my identity after I promised her that I would help her get into Greyson Consolidated. It felt like her fears alleviated a bit, and she promised not to go back to the apartment for her own safety.

She thanked me profusely after we dropped her off, and gave me her name.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized again, looking near tears, “I’m so sorry for everything I did. I don’t deserve this help...”

Η “I forgive you,” I responded, and meant every word.

Gerald doesn’t ask me any questions as we make our way home, nor does he talk after we get there. He follows me silently as I walk through my father’s house, meaning to go to my room.

“Young master,” finally, he talks, “did you have any dinner?”

My stomach, at that moment, chooses to growl.

“No,” I say, “didn’t have the time, was with Aiden and Coraline.”

“I see,” something in his tone tells me that he doesn’t believe that’s the whole truth. Gerald is scarily perspective like that, “please follow me to the kitchen, young master, and let me make you some dinner.”

“Oh, no, Gerald, you don’t have to-”

“Please, Master Greyson,” Gerald’s tone leaves no space for argument, “let me get you something to eat.”

I can’t ignore my hunger even though I tried to so I nod and follow him.

There are leftovers in the industrial-size refrigerator of the industrial-size kitchen in my father’s mansion, and Gerald asks if I want something else freshly cooked. I tell him to just pop it in the microwave, at this point I’d eat cardboard if it was seasoned and warm.

As soon as I get a whiff of the food, my appetite returns, and I don’t face a second more gobbling it down. I don’t even know what it is, but there’s meat, there’s some sort of vegetable and flaky pastry, so it’s enough for me.

Gerald waits until I’ve polished off every crumb in my plate, and places a tall glass of water next to me. “I have something to notify you about,” finally, after I’m adequately fed and watered, he reveals.

I knew he had something to tell me. There was a certain tension in the car ride back home, and I almost hear him worrying.

“What’s up,” I ask, trying to be nonchalant.

“There are numerous sub-companies directly under Greyson Consolidated,” Gerald begins, “scattered across the country, operating in various industries, and various ventures.”

“Yeah, I’m already aware of that,” I point out, “I may have just returned home, but I’m not new to this.”

“I am aware of that, Master,” Gerald nods once, “and so does your father. You promised him that you will be taking over the main company from him, so he has made up his mind to ease you into his world.”

My head snaps up from my empty plate, “What?” I hiss “He had already registered a sub-company under your name,” Gerald confesses with a grimace, “From today onwards you’re officially the COO of Zelt Technologies.”

My eyes widen to the size of saucers, “no!”

“Yes,” Gerald confirms, “Congratulations.”

“Congratulation?! I don’t want congratulations,” I yell, chagrinned, “I thought father was going to wait. I specifically told him that I had to be done with schooling first.”

“You can continue your schooling-”

“Not like this!” I get up from the chair, “Never like this, oh my god, why won’t any of you listen to what I say?! I won’t do it; I will not take the position. You tell my father that.”

With that, I storm off from the room.

I fester in anger for a few days after that, but life gets in the way. Coraline calls me, asking me if I could help her with trying to get an internship with a company that wasn’t under Greyson Consolidated.

“I want to try my luck there too,” she told me, “see if Aiden was really telling the truth.”

For the past few days, we’d talked with each other, and had come to a position where we could call ourselves acquaintances.

Not friends exactly, but getting there. We helped each other with school and life, and she vented to me about her abusive relationship with Aiden. He’d tried to contact her twice, but she hadn’t given in to his whims. It was a brave thing to do, and I didn’t hesitate to tell her that.

And how she smiles at that.

I escort her to the internship interview, giving her all the moral support possible. I also put in a good word from Greyson Consolidated, a recommendation letter of sorts. I’m positive it will help her in getting.

After that specific interview, Coraline comes out looking triumphant. There’s a light in her eyes unlike anything I’ve seen before, and finally, I recognize it when we both get into my car.

It’s confidence. The light that used to be in her eyes when we were both in high school when she was the head cheerleader. She was finally recovering from all the abuse Aiden inflicted on her.

“There’s another interview I have to attend in about two hours,” she tells me as the driver begins to roll out of the parking lot, “it’s a smaller company than this one, but their internship is good, and it’s paid. And man, the benefits...”

“Sure, let’s go,” I reply, “I don’t have anything else to do anyway. Got no lectures or classes today.”

“Thank you so much, Jace,” she remarks warmly, and I smile back at her.

“So, what is this company?”

“You may not have heard about it, because they’re pretty new around these parts. Zelt Technologies.”

Well, ain’t that a coincidence?

“I’ve heard of them,” I assure her, my heart rate increasing, “and I definitely think you should give it a try.”

I haven’t been to Zelt Technologies even after Gerald had urged me to, saying that my father was not going to replace me as the COO. I guess I have been putting it off. But now it seems the time had come. We park the car at the parking lot and make our way toward the generic building with a giant Z erected at the side.

But as we near the main entrance, we are met with an unwelcome surprise.

Coraline comes to a halt and clutches my arm as Aiden walks towards us, looking like Satan incarnate.