Billionaire's Betrayal a contracted revenge (Aurelia) novel Chapter 111

Chapter 111

Chapter 111

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Dawson swirled the scotch in his glass and waited for the line to connect. He had been waiting all morning for the right mood to make this call.

Three rings. Then Rieck’s voice, exactly as cold as he remembered it. “What?”

“Rieck.” Dawson leaned back in his chair, smiling at the ceiling of his own office. “I heard the news. A whole new building, all your own money. No board approval needed, no father signing off on the deed.”

“Is there a reason for this call, Dawson?”

“To say congratulations. Must feel good, finally stepping out from under Hebvron’s cane. All these years playing the good son, the loyal Alpha, and here you are buying buildings behind his back like a teenager sneaking out a window.”

“Are you done?”

“Come on, Reick. I’m celebrating your independence here.” He took a slow sip, savouring the burn. “It only took, what, thirty years? Hebvron always did have that overbearing streak in him. Controlling every decision, every deal, every breath you took under his roof. Must be exhausting, being his little project all this time.”

“Careful.”

“I am just pointing out the obvious.” Dawson smiled wider, enjoying the tension between them. “A man finally growing a spine of his own. Almost admirable, if it weren’t so late.”

“We are done here.”

The line went dead before Dawson could finish his next sentence.

He set the phone down, still smiling, satisfied with the small victory of getting under Rieck’s skin, even for a

moment.

It cost him nothing, and it felt like everything. Some victories didn’t need to be large to matter, and rattling the great Rieck Valerius, even for a second, was worth more to Dawson than most business deals he closed that quarter.

The conference room was too tense the next morning, with every board member already seated when Dawson walked in.

“Rieck Valerius purchased a new building,” one of the older members said, sliding a printout across the table. “Fourteen floors. Fully funded, no partners, no outside investors. He is already advertising for staff, and the applications are apparently pouring in fast.”

“He is no longer a threat to this company.” Dawson barely glanced at the printout. “He lost his title. His father stripped his power in front of the entire board. A man building a side project out of spite is not competition.”

“With respect, Mr. Valerius,” another board member said, “spite has built empires before. We recommend

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Chapter III

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contingency measures. Nothing drastic. Just prepared, in case his new venture grows faster than expected.”

“It won’t.”

“Maybe not.” The older member folded his hands. “But we would rather be prepared and wrong than confident and blindsided. You underestimated him once already, if I recall the anniversary gala correctly. That mistake cost this family a great deal.”

Dawson’s fingers tightened around his pen at the reminder, though his face gave nothing away. “That was a different situation entirely,” Dawson said flatly.

“Maybe. Or maybe a pattern.”

Dawson waved a dismissive hand, already moving the meeting towards numbers that mattered more to him.

To him Rieck was a wounded animal struggling towards irrelevance. And nothing about a fourteen floor building changed that fact, no matter how many contingency plans this board wanted drafted in triplicate.

“Draft your contingency plans if it helps you sleep at night,” Dawson added, flipping to the next page of the quarterly report. “But don’t waste another minute of this meeting on a man who can’t even keep his own. father’s respect.”

The room went quiet, though a few of the older members exchanged glances that told Dawson exactly how unconvinced they were.

Back in his office, his assistant from HR knocked twice before letting herself in, a tablet clutched tight against

her chest.

“Sir. One of our senior architects resigned this morning.”

“Who?”

“Marcus Ferrin. Senior architect, five years with the firm. He gave notice an hour ago.” She hesitated, glancing at her screen. “He’s joining Rooffe Construction. Their new building is apparently offering compensation packages well above our current rates.”

Dawson’s jaw tightened. “How much above?”

“Fifteen percent, at minimum, based on what he told his team lead.” She shifted her weight, clearly bracing for his reaction. “HR is recommending a company wide salary review, to keep our top talent from following him out the door.”

“We are mid expansion. We can’t afford a salary review right now.”

“Sir, if key staff keep leaving for Rooffe, the expansion itself could stall. We have already lost two junior architects this quarter alone.”

“Then find me people who are not so easily bought.” Dawson turned back to his monitor, effectively ending the conversation. “That’s all.”

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Chapter 111

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She left without another word, but her expression made it clear that she disagreed completely.

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Dawson turned back to his monitor, forcing his attention back to the quarterly numbers, though the resignation letter bothered him.

One architect leaving for better pay meant nothing. But one architect was rarely just one architect. It was the first crack, and cracks had a way of spreading if left unattended.

Charlotte was waiting in the penthouse when he arrived home that evening, six months pregnant now, her hand resting proudly over the curve of her stomach as she flipped through a jewelry catalog spread across the coffee table.

The sickly sweet smell of lilies hung thick in the air, some new perfume she had taken to wearing since the second trimester, thick enough that Dawson had started holding his breath a little whenever he walked into a room she was in.

“Dawson.” She smiled up at him, sweet as sugar. “I found the perfect necklace. Diamonds, emerald cut, absolutely stunning on my skin.”

“How much?” Dawson dropped his briefcase by the door, already exhausted before the conversation had properly started.

“A hundred thousand.” She said it lightly, like she was naming the price of coffee. “I am carrying your son, Dawson. I need to look beautiful for the both of us.”

“You asked for five hundred thousand last week.”

“That was for the nursery.” Her voice sharpened just slightly. “This is for me. Surely you can spare a hundred thousand for the mother of your heir.” She set the catalog down, folding her hands neatly over her stomach. “Unless you would rather I go without, sweetie, and let everyone wonder why the great Dawson Valerius can’t properly provide for his own son.”

Dawson exhaled slowly, already pulling out his phone, already transferring the funds before his own frustration could talk him out of it.

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