For Douglas and Theo's agreement to be fulfilled, it had to go through the company first. Naturally, Wayne, the current company president, was the first to hear about it.
"Why are we handing over a perfectly good project to the Shaw family?" Wayne called Douglas into his office and got straight to the point. Seeing that Douglas wasn't answering, he took a guess. "Did Theo ask you to do this for his wife's family?"
If Theo wanted to support his in-laws, he should do it himself. Why drag others into it?
Even if they were good friends, this was going too far.
Wayne was already feeling some resentment toward Theo, but what infuriated him even more was Douglas' decision. Agreeing to such a ridiculous demand—was he really stabbing his own father in the back for the sake of a friend?
Douglas shook his head, his eyes flashing with guilt. He fiddled with his fingers but remained silent.
Seeing this reaction, Wayne immediately knew there was more to the story. He leaned back in his chair and warned, "If you don't explain what's going on, don't even think about giving my projects to the Shaw family."
Douglas saw that Wayne was serious and grew anxious. His tone became impatient. "It's just a few small projects. What's the big deal if we give them to the Shaw family? Why do you have to be so petty?"
Wayne laughed in frustration. Seeing Douglas like this only strengthened his resolve to get to the bottom of the matter. "Are you going to spill the beans?"
Douglas opened his mouth but hesitated. He stood there locked in a silent standoff with Wayne for half an hour before finally giving in.
…
By the time he finished explaining, Wayne's expression was dark—the color of a burnt pot. He stared at Douglas, clearly itching to slap him. Then, he got up and paced the room.
Finally, he jabbed a finger at him and snapped, "Are you seriously making an enemy out of Theo's wife for a woman who doesn't even like you? Are you out of your mind? What the hell did Melody do to brainwash you?"
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