Chapter 40 A Harrington
The glass doors of the Harrington Group headquarters slid open with a hiss that sounded like a warning. Alex stepped into the lobby, his heavy boots clashing with the pristine, white marble floors. The building was sixty stories high.
As he moved toward the elevators, security guards straightened their ties. Receptionists paused their hushed conversations.
They didn't see a student. They didn't see the man who spent his nights protecting Sarah Hayes. They saw the heir. Despite the seven years he had spent living as a commoner, he didn't have to try hard to fit into this life.
He was a Harrington, and in this building, that made him royalty. One by one, the older employees gave a subtle, respectful bow of the head. Alex ignored them, his jaw set so tight it ached.
He bypassed the security desk and went straight to the executive elevator. He didn't need a keycard; the biometric scanner recognized his face instantly. The ride to the top floor was silent and fast, making his stomach drop. When the doors opened, he was greeted by the sight of a sprawling office that overlooked the entire Veridian District.
Richard Harrington sat behind his desk, silhouetted against the floor-to-ceiling windows. He didn't look up from the tablet in his hand.
"You’re late for the family reunion, Alex," Richard said. His voice was smooth, like a blade hidden in silk.
"Seven years is a long time to play pretend in the slums."
Alex walked to the center of the room and stopped. He didn't sit down.
"I didn't come here to talk about the past, Richard. I came here to talk about Sarah Hayes."
Richard finally looked up. His eyes were the same dark, piercing shade as Alex’s, but they lacked the warmth Alex felt when he looked at Sarah. Richard’s eyes only calculated. He leaned back in his leather chair, a small, patronizing smile playing on his lips.
"Ah, the decorator," Richard sighed, as if discussing a boring piece of weather.
"I must admit, Alex, I expected better from you. You’ve been making a fool of yourself over a woman nearly twice your age. It’s embarrassing. The 'bodyguard' act? The secret trysts? It’s beneath a man of your blood."
"You don't know anything about her," Alex said, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous rumble. He felt his protective instincts flare. He wanted to reach across the desk and wipe that smirk off his father’s face.
"She has more integrity in her little finger than this entire building. You’re trying to crush her because she’s a threat to your market share."
Richard laughed, a dry, hollow sound.
"A threat? Alex, don't be dramatic. She’s a talented woman with a small firm. She’s not a threat. She’s a hobby. I don't care about your little affair. Every young man needs to sow his wild oats, and if you prefer a 'vintage' vintage, that’s your business. What I care about is your future."
"My future has nothing to do with you," Alex snapped.
"Everything has to do with me," Richard countered, his voice suddenly sharp. He stood up, walking around the desk to face his son. He was shorter than Alex, but he occupied the space with a terrifying gravity.
"You’ve had your fun living like a commoner. You’ve played at being a student and a hero. But look at you. You’re a Harrington. You were born to rule, not to wait in the lobby while a woman signs contracts. It’s time to grow up, Alex. Take your seat where you belong."
"I’m never taking that seat," Alex said, leaning in until they were inches apart.
"Leave her alone, Richard. Unfreeze her accounts. Stop the audit. If you want a war, fight me. Leave Sarah out of it."
Richard only smiled, a look of genuine amusement on his face. He reached out to pat Alex’s shoulder, but Alex jerked away.
"I'm not hurting her, son. I'm testing you," Richard said softly.
"I’ve spent weeks watching you protect her. You’re loyal. You’re fierce. You’re possessive. Those are the traits of a leader, Alex. But you’re wasting them on a lost cause. If you want her safe, if you want her to keep her precious little company, then come home. Accept your inheritance. Show me you're ready to be the man I raised you to be."
"You want to buy me?" Alex whispered, his eyes narrowing. "You’re using her as a bargaining chip?"
"I’m using the only lever that works," Richard replied. He walked back to his desk and picked up a thick, leather-bound folder.
"You see, Alex, the market is a predator. It doesn't care about love or 'integrity.' It only cares about results. Sarah Hayes is currently drowning because she doesn't have the power to stay afloat. I have that power. I can make her problems vanish with a single phone call. Or, I can watch her burn."
Alex felt the room closing in. He thought of Sarah’s face when she told him they were a mistake. He thought of her crying in the kitchen, losing her son and her business at the same time. He adored her. He wanted to give her the world, but his father was holding the world hostage.
"You’re a monster," Alex said.
"I’m a realist," Richard corrected. "And deep down, you are too. You’re just like me, Alex. You want to own what you love. You want to protect it from the world. But you can't do that from a one-bedroom apartment on a student budget."
Alex shook his head, his hands clenching into fists. "I won't let you do this."
"Then stop me," Richard said. He flipped open the folder on his desk, revealing a series of legal documents with the Veridian District logo at the top.
"This is the final takeover agreement. It gives the Harrington Group total control over the Veridian project and absorbs Sarah’s Interior Decor as a minor subsidiary. She’ll be an employee by noon tomorrow."
Alex stared at the papers. It was the death warrant for Sarah’s dreams.
"I’m signing the takeover soon," Richard said, his voice cold and final. He looked up at Alex, his eyes challenging him.
"Unless, of course, you want to sit in the CEO chair as soon as people. If you take the job, if you join the firm as my partner, I’ll hand the Veridian lead contract to her firm personally. I’ll make her the biggest name in the country."
The silence in the office was visceral. Alex felt the weight of the choice pressing down on his soul. To save Sarah, he had to become the very thing she feared most. He had to step back into the shadow of the Harrington name.
"I’m signing the papers, Alex," Richard repeated, his hand hovering over a fountain pen.
"What’s it going to be? Do you want to be a hero who watches her fail, or a Harrington who makes her a queen?"