Chapter 2

2

The moment I sent the message, my phone exploded with notifications.

"Lucas, what happened? Is someone giving you a hard time?"

"I told you, kid, don't be too nice! Nobody messes with a Thorne!"

"If you really like selling real estate, why don't we just buy the company for you? You can be the CEO by Monday!"

I was laughing at their aggressive displays of affection when my father called.

"Lucas, talk to me. Did someone at that office disrespect you?"

I lowered my voice. "It's fine, Dad. Just some small-minded people playing games."

He let out a sharp snort over the line. "If you can't stomach it, we'll just acquire the firm and fire everyone. Stop hiding who you are. Let them see what they're dealing with."

I smiled. "No thanks, Dad. I like the hustle. I like the feeling of earning my own commissions. The rush of closing a deal is what keeps me going."

He sighed, his tone softening with concern. "You're just like me―always looking for a challenge. A billionaire heir playing salesman in a suburban real estate office. It's ridiculous."

"You've known that for a while," I teased. "I like being a nobody and winning on my own merit."

"Hmph. Fine. But remember, when your aunts and uncles heard you were working there, they wanted to buy those units as employee bonuses just to support you. You stopped them then."

"I know. I wanted to earn those sales fairly."

"Well, don't let them push you around. If they try to steal your money, we're not letting that slide. Nobody pushes a Thorne out the door!"

After hanging up, I felt great. I went to a nice steakhouse and enjoyed a long, quiet lunch.

I used to spend all day on my feet at that office. If they wanted my territory so badly, they could have it.

When I got home, I took a nap and muted my phone.

By late afternoon, Mr. Harrison was calling me.

I picked up, sounding sleepy. "Lucas, why aren't you back yet?" he barked.

"I'm at the doctor's. I pushed myself too hard for those year-end goals. I need to take care of myself."

His voice got even more frantic. "A little check-up shouldn't take this long! Everyone else is working their tails off while you're nowhere to be found."

I chuckled. "Boss, I'm legally entitled to my sick leave. I haven't taken a day off in a year. My body finally gave out."

He sounded disgusted. "You really think you're indispensable, don't you? Making such a scene over a cold."

I kept my voice calm. "If you keep talking like that, I might have to start recording this call. I want to make sure my legal rights as an employee are protected."

That shut him up. He slammed the phone down.

A few minutes later, the company group chat pinged. The boss had posted a long, passive-aggressive rant.

The gist was clear: Some people think they are bigger than the team. They have no discipline and are destroying our harmony.

I smiled as my colleagues started chiming in. "So selfish," one wrote. "Some people sleep while the rest of us sweat."

I screenshotted every single message. Once they were done venting, I sent one final text.

"All recorded. Thanks for the feedback, everyone."

The chat went dead silent. A second later, the messages started disappearing one by one as they scrambled to delete them.