Chapter 5

Early the next morning, Carrie and Selene arrived at the entrance of Nalheim Group's headquarters, where they met Calvin.

Even though Calvin had promised to take care of everything the day before, Selene hadn't slept a wink all night. Part of her feared something might still go wrong; the other part, strangely, missed Scott. Without him in the house, an empty feeling lingered in her heart, as though something was missing.

In the middle of the night, she even found herself missing him.

She hated feeling this way. Scott was nothing but a loser. What right did he have to occupy her thoughts? And yet, the feeling clung to her like a shadow, leaving her mind foggy and unfocused as the new day began.

Calvin, who had long harbored desires for Selene, mistook her distraction for worry about the deal. With a confident smile, as if everything were well within his grasp, he patted her shoulder gently. "Selene, don't worry," he said. "I'm the general manager of Nalheim Group. Once I get to the office, all it takes is my signature, and this whole thing will be settled."

The moment his hand touched her shoulder, Selene instinctively wanted to push him away. But before she could, Carrie stepped closer and pressed down on her hand, her wide-eyed glare silently warning her not to resist.

Selene hesitated. After all, Calvin was her only hope right now. Maybe, she told herself, his interest in her was just a sign of how much he cared. Besides, she was divorced now. Wasn't it time to open her heart to better men?

As these thoughts settled in her mind, the unease that had haunted her through the night began to dissipate. Her ambitions stirred within her—if this deal succeeded, her status in the family would rise. A brighter future lay ahead.

For the first time in a long while, a faint smile curved her lips.

Seeing her smile, Carrie let out a quiet sigh of relief and gave her daughter an approving glance.

Calvin, sensing an opportunity, leaned in slightly. "By the way, Carrie, Selene," he said, "I have some exciting news. I heard first thing this morning that our company is getting a new boss. My uncle told me he's some mysterious billionaire who casually dropped one hundred million to acquire an eighty-percent stake. With him on board, our future collaborations are bound to become even more profitable."

"A new boss?"

Both women were startled.

Carrie's face grew tense as she asked, "Calvin, isn't our little deal something you arranged under the table? What if the new boss interferes?"

"Relax, Carrie," Calvin reassured her, his tone brimming with confidence. "I wouldn't call it good news if it jeopardized our deal. My uncle made it clear—the new boss plans to keep the existing team in place. I'll still be the general manager. Plus, he promised to inject more capital into the company. With more money flowing in, we'll have even more room to operate behind the scenes. It's a win-win."

His words, steady and convincing, masked the anxiety he had felt that morning when he first learned about the new owner. After all, he had been dealing with many shady deals. But once he realized his position was secure, his concerns faded. Now, his mind was preoccupied with a new ambition—winning the favor of the mysterious billionaire.

Helping Selene was merely a bonus. Cozying up to the new boss? That was his real objective today.

Carrie, visibly relieved, let out a hearty laugh and patted her chest. "Calvin, you really are a talented young man. I have high hopes for you!"

Selene remained silent, but she didn't disagree. Business, after all, was often about connections and personal charm. With the right people in your corner, money followed naturally. Compared to the bleak life she left behind with Scott, the future now seemed dazzlingly bright.

Calvin, basking in their approval, allowed himself a triumphant smile. As he glanced at the beautiful Selene beside him, he imagined that once the contract was signed, it would only be a matter of time before she was his.

As the three of them indulged in their visions of a promising future, an incongruous sight broke the spell. Scott wobbled toward the building on his battered electric scooter.

Carrie's expression immediately twisted into one of distaste. But as she recalled her private agreement with Calvin, a fierce sense of retribution surged within her.

For Selene, seeing her ex-husband again stirred the same strange feelings from the night before. But as she took in his shabby clothes and the pitiful sight of his rickety scooter, those emotions faded, replaced by cold contempt.

A useless man like him had no right to linger in her thoughts.

Calvin stood tall, his back straight, wearing the air of a boss. His eyes brimmed with undisguised contempt.

Scott hadn't expected to run into the three of them this early in the morning. He had come to take over the company, but fate had other plans.

He still rode the same electric scooter he had relied on throughout the past year. Through storms and sunshine, that scooter had carried him everywhere. As long as he held onto it, a strange sense of stability remained in his heart.

Seeing their smug expressions just now, Scott could easily guess the situation. Calvin must be the so-called "ideal son-in-law" that Carrie had her eye on. He never imagined that these three would be in cahoots. If things continued like this, Selene would probably end up with someone like him.

Although Calvin held the title of General Manager and had a decent career, compared to Scott, he was nothing—not even worth mentioning.

A dull ache settled in Scott's chest. Had all his efforts over the past year been in vain? Did Selene really think he was inferior to someone like Calvin?

He had loved Selene so deeply—was she really so short-sighted? To choose a man like this?

Scott parked his scooter and prepared to head inside the company.

But before he could take a step, Calvin strode toward him with the arrogance of a man who believed he owned the world.

"Scott, look at you," he sneered. "Riding that broken-ass scooter every day—don't you feel ashamed? Do you have any idea how much you're dragging down the company's image? As the general manager, I'm officially notifying you—you're fired."

The reason Calvin was so eager to fire Scott was simple—he had always thought that a nobody like Scott had no business being with a woman like Selene. To him, Scott was nothing more than a toad lusting after a swan.

And now that Scott had been pushed into a divorce, it was the perfect time to twist the knife. Let him taste the consequences of aiming too high.

Besides, it was a good opportunity to show off. Calvin wanted Selene to see just how powerful he was—the general manager of a publicly listed company. A man who could crush others with a snap of his fingers.

With an exaggerated flourish, Calvin pulled a thick wad of dollar bills from his pocket and tossed them into Scott's scooter basket. "Here's four thousand dollars. That should cover four months of your salary," he said, a smirk curling his lips. "I imagine for someone like you, it's a pretty substantial sum."

Scott raised an eyebrow. "You think you have the authority to fire me?"

The entire Nalheim Group already belonged to him. Calvin wanted to fire him? What a joke.

Calvin's smile froze. "I'm the general manager," he snapped. "And my uncle is the CEO of the group. Of course, I can fire a low-level employee like you."

His irritation flared. Who did Scott think he was, talking back like that?

Carrie, meanwhile, had no patience for the exchange. She marched forward, jabbing a finger toward Scott's face. "Who do you think you are?" she spat. "Just a measly employee daring to question the general manager? You're disgusting. Take the money and get lost!"

Selene stood off to the side, a flicker of disappointment clouding her face. She had spent a whole year with this man—a man who couldn't even face reality. Why couldn't he just swallow his pride?

Even though she found Calvin's methods distasteful, she had no intention of stepping in. Perhaps, she thought, a hard lesson like this was the only thing that could break Scott of his stubborn pride.

Scott, on the other hand, found Carrie's shrill voice grating. He had no interest in arguing. He had better things to do. On his way to the office, Spencer, the person in charge of handling his transition, had already informed him that he was waiting in the CEO's office.

With a final glance at Calvin, Scott said coolly, "Give it a try. Let's see if you can really fire me."

Without another word, he turned and walked toward the building.

Calvin let out a cold laugh, watching his figure disappear through the glass doors. "What a pathetic little loser," he scoffed.

Once Scott was out of sight, he led Selene and Carrie to the VIP lounge on the first floor. After settling them in, he turned to Carrie with a conspiratorial tone.

"Carrie, our partnership is strictly under the table," he said. "For safety reasons, it's best if you and Selene wait here. Don't worry, I'm going upstairs to deal with that punk. Does he really think he can find someone to back him up? Other than the new owner and my uncle, I call the shots around here. No one else matters."

With that, Calvin stepped into the elevator. On the third floor, he gathered a few security guards and headed straight to the employee workroom.

He was going to throw Scott out of the company himself.