Invincible Heir novel Chapter 17

Feet catching, Henry stumbled and collapsed into the sofa, dazed.

“Don’t panic, Granddad. There has to be some misunderstanding here. The contract was printed just this morning. The ink’s not even dry. How exactly are we violating the contract?” Phillip said hurriedly.

An iota of liveliness returned to Henry’s pupils, and he perked up. “That’s right. We couldn’t have. Did they mention which term of the contract we supposedly broke?”

Phillip shook his head. “All they’re saying is that we violated the agreement and would have to pay fitting reparation, or else they’re liable to sue.”

“What?”

Henry’s budding hopes dashed themselves to pieces. “Call up everyone for a meeting!”

“Granddad, I...”

Henry shouted any questions Phillip might have had back down his throat. “I want everyone in the meeting room in ten minutes.”

Ten minutes later, in the penthouse meeting room.

“Granddad, everyone’s here except for Tracy,” Phillip reported.

Henry’s brow twitched. “No need to wait, then. Phillip - explain.”

Phillip nodded and proceeded to explain everything about the phone call from the beginning.

Everyone on the scene wore the same expression of shock as he finished.

“Mr. Chairman, how is this possible?”

“Right? We secured that contract in the morning; the day’s not even over yet and they’re accusing us of breaking terms?”

“It’s a plot hatched by Tracy and the Brone company. They have it in for us!”

The attendees’ collective surprise had boiled over into self-righteous indignation.

“Enough yammering!”

Henry slapped the desk, quieting the mob with a roar.

“You weren’t called up here to start a witch hunt, but to think of a way out of this mess – this is the Brone Group we’re dealing with; they can crush us like ants! So think, all of you!”

His words brought a chill to the room, cooling fiery tempers in an instant.

“Chairman, sir, there’s clearly something else going on here. If we take into account the status of the Brone Group, they shouldn’t be coming down on us this hard. Have we made enemies of someone?” It looked as if someone was actually thinking for a change.

Henry considered it for a moment. It certainly was a possibility. Looking up, his icy glare once again swept the room. “Keeping it within today, has anyone here given anyone else any grief at all?”

Everyone shook their heads. The family members on the scene were all of the direct Perry bloodline – in other words, parasites who either spent their days browsing videos in their offices or using their work as an excuse to go out and party.

“We haven’t given anyone any cause for grief. So what is it then?”

Out of ideas, Henry looked to Phillip. “You’re the Chairman. Any thoughts? How do we deal with this?”

Phillip thought for a moment in silence and spoke. “Granddad, the contract was secured by Tracy. Now that things have gone south, she’s not even showing her face – which means she’s definitely involved. In other words, she’s the key to all this.”

Henry’s own ideas began to spark. “Go on.”

“I’d been hung up about it since this morning. Why would the general manager of a Brone company branch come all the way personally to deliver a contract? Now that I’m thinking about it, it all makes sense.”

Knowingly, Phillip continued, “Tracy caught Camel’s eye, you see, but the man’s too embarrassed to admit it. That’s why he came up here saying he was moved by her sincerity and all that rot. So we signed the contract, but he’s still not getting anywhere with Tracy. Out of anger, he has his legal department give us trouble over violating terms, which we did not. It’s an excuse, meant to prod us.”

If only Camel knew what they were thinking, he would have likely lost his bladder. Unlike everyone else, he was privy to Baron’s identity. Even if he had a hundred times the courage he had now, he wasn't nearly brave enough to covet his superior’s wife!

Meanwhile, everyone else in question nodded as if they understood the whole thing. Even Henry graced Phillip with a pleased grin. “For someone like Camel to come to us in person, the reason has to be something he desires for his person as well. At the end of the day, it all comes down to riches, power, and lust. We can’t do anything about the first two, but we have in our hands the most beautiful maiden of all Cona – Tracy.”

“That’s what I’m saying, Granddad. If we produce Tracy, we solve our problem just like that,” Phillip grinned right back.

“Send word right now and have her meet me in the office,” Henry commanded.

The Perry courtyard.

Ever since she’d come home from the office, Tracy had been sequestered in her room for an entire day.

With her daughter ignoring her questions, Sherry only managed to glean the facts after asking around.