Chapter 12

(Inheritance)

Since the incident at the birthday party, things have taken a turn for the worse. The meeting seemed to drag on forever, and I could feel the piercing stares of my dad and Gustavo directed at me. Were they looking at me?

"Has Simon reached out to you, Gustavo?" my dad inquired with curiosity evident in his tone. Gustavo, seemingly calm despite their previous altercation at Simon's father's birthday party, responded, "No, sir."

"I'm not paying all of you to simply say no. Figure it out, we need Simon here. He's a valuable asset that we can't afford to lose," my dad sternly addressed the room. "We need him before the next scheduled meeting. This meeting is adjourned."

"Mary, is he inside?" I asked, concerned.

"He is. Should I let him know you're here?" Mary offered, reaching for the intercom.

"No need. It's urgent. I'll go in myself," I swiftly responded, noticing Mary's anxious expression. "I promise I won't get you in trouble."

With a soft knock, I pushed open the glass