Chapter 3

3

I watched the screen and arched an eyebrow. So, he still had a card to play.

When I left the club, I had taken a cab because I didn't want to deal with the driver. My driver, Old Joe, was still waiting for us near the bar.

The car was still there. No wonder Lance felt so bold. I immediately called Old Joe and told him to bring the car back home.

Old Joe sounded hesitant. "But young master, Lance said he needed the car... and..."

I knew exactly what was happening. Lance must have made a deal with him. My voice turned cold and sharp.

"Joe, you need to remember who signs your paychecks."

There was a long silence on the other end. Finally, Joe spoke, sounding a bit reluctant. "Understood."

I hung up and went back to the stream. Two minutes later, the club owner walked over with a dark face.

"Lockwood, this isn't cool. You promised to leave the car here, and now your guy is driving it away? What kind of game are you playing?"

Lance and the crowd froze. The viewers in the chat went wild. I leaned back with a smirk. The real show was just beginning.

The stream abruptly ended. A second later, I got a text. 【You're dead meat.】

I stared at the screen. You think this is mean? You haven't seen anything yet.

In my last life, my father knelt on a rooftop, begging Lance to let me live. Lance didn't show an ounce of mercy.

Instead, he showed my father the video of me shaking from withdrawal, mocking me for being a waste of space.

My father jumped in despair. And I was held down by his thugs, forced to watch the whole thing.

Lance didn't come back to the mansion that night. The next morning, I went to the office as usual.

The employees were looking at me like I was a freak. I could hear them whispering behind my back.

"He thinks he's a big deal just because he's the CEO. He's just Lance's dog, and now he's biting the hand that feeds him."

"Lance was totally humiliated last night. He's going to crush that guy today. I can't wait."

"I can't believe Lance actually had to borrow money from us. I pitched in five grand. That's an investment in my future right there."

I pieced together what happened. Lance had stayed to pay the bill to save face.

But his personal accounts weren't enough, so he had to beg the coworkers who were there to chip in.

He didn't even have cab fare, so Jessa had stayed behind to 'take care' of him. I sat down at my desk, and a moment later, the door slammed open.

Lance stormed in, his face red with fury. "What the hell was that? You just walked out? You made me look like a loser!"

"I can leave whenever I want," I said, not even looking up from my laptop.

"You think you're tough now? Everything you have is because of me! Without me, you're nothing!" His voice was reaching a screech.

"You're the one who thinks he's tough, 'Mr. Lockwood.' Do you actually believe your own lies now?" I looked at him with pure sarcasm.

He lost it. He slammed his hands onto my desk so hard that people in the hallway stopped to look.

"I built this company! You're just an ungrateful piece of work!"

Lance saw the crowd at the door and his expression shifted instantly. He went from a raging bull to a victim in a heartbeat.

"I know you're jealous, but I've always treated you like a brother. This hurts, Kian. If you're unhappy, just tell me. We can fix this."

I looked at his performance with pure boredom. "Get out before I lose my temper."

The employees outside started buzzing. Suddenly, Jessa burst in, her finger inches from my nose.

"You're pathetic! Lance is being so humble, and you're still acting like an animal! Have you no shame?"

I looked up at her. "And who the hell are you to talk to me like that?"

She smirked. "I'm Lance's girlfriend. That makes me your boss's lady. You should be showing me some respect!"

Lance looked a bit panicked. "Jessa, stop. Kian is my friend. Don't say that."

Jessa stood her ground. "Lance, stop letting him use you. He's just a social climber who'd sell his soul for a buck!"

I actually laughed. I looked at her and asked, "So, what do you want me to do?"

She gave me a cold look. "Apologize to Lance right now. Then pack your trash and get out of this company. I never want to see your face again."

I ignored her and shouted toward the door. "Where's the HR manager? Get in here. Process Jessa Rossi's termination immediately."