Chapter 22 Chapter 22
Without saying another word, Vincent turned away.
The journalists clearly wanted more from him another quote, a bigger statement, something memorable they could run with all day but he gave them nothing else. He had already said enough, at least in his own mind. With the confidence of a man who believed the world should wait for him, he simply walked past them and headed into Global Investments.
The moment he entered the building, the noise outside faded behind him.
Inside, everything felt polished, controlled, and professional.
A staff member at the front directed him further in, and from there he was led straight toward the hall where the meeting and contract signing were supposed to take place.
As Vincent walked down the corridor, he could already feel the satisfaction rising inside him again.
This was it, the moment.
The signing, the turning point.
But the second he stepped into the room, something felt off.
He paused.
His eyes scanned the space carefully.
This was not what he had expected.
Not even close.
He had imagined something grander something fitting for a contract of this magnitude. He expected a room buzzing with activity, senior executives moving in and out, perhaps some photographers or media staff preparing to document the signing. Maybe even refreshments arranged neatly at one side. At the very least, he had expected an atmosphere that matched the importance of the event.
Instead, the room was oddly plain.
Quiet.
Still, no excitement, no ceremony.
No buildup.
Just a calm, almost cold setup that did not reflect the weight of what he believed was about to happen.
His expression shifted.
Then one of the staff members, a woman, politely indicated where he should sit. A man standing nearby remained just as reserved.
Vincent looked around again.
Mr. Oliver was nowhere to be seen.
That made his irritation grow.
He did not like waiting, especially not now, and especially not in a setting where he had expected to be treated like the guest of honor. Still, he knew better than to openly complain about Oliver. Oliver was not someone he felt free to disrespect.
But the staff? That was different.
The woman and the man in the room had not greeted him with the kind of excitement or deference he believed he deserved. They had not stood in awe. They had not rushed to flatter him. They had simply done their jobs with a flat professionalism that Vincent instantly interpreted as disrespect.
That was enough to offend him.
His face tightened, and he looked at them with open irritation.
“Are you people not seeing me?” he asked sharply. “Can’t you at least say hello or greet me properly? Don’t you know who I am?”
The two staff members looked at him, but before either of them could respond, Vincent lifted one finger in the air, stopping whatever they might have to say.
“Well,” he said, his voice laced with arrogance, “let me introduce myself properly. I’m Vincent Bushman, the person who is about to sign the biggest contract Global Investments has ever given out. And the two of you are sitting there even after I arrived. Don’t you know that you’re supposed to stand up and address me properly?”
Immediately, the lady looked at him calmly and replied, “We are very sorry, Mr. Vincent, but that is not our job.”
Her tone was polite, but it carried a firmness that made it clear she was not intimidated by him.
“It is not in our job description to stand up and start greeting every single person who walks into this room, regardless of who that person is,” she continued. “The only people we are specifically expected to rise and formally receive are two people Mr. Oliver and the CEO of Global Investments. Those are the only people we are required to greet in that manner.”
She folded her hands neatly in front of her and added, “And if we did not greet you, that does not mean you are not important. So you should keep that in mind.”
The room went still.
Vincent’s expression darkened immediately.
His jaw tightened so hard that the muscles in his face became visible.
He could not believe what he had just heard.
After all the respect he believed he had earned, after all the recognition he felt he already commanded, after all the noise outside, the media attention, the expectation surrounding his arrival this woman and the man beside her had refused to even acknowledge him properly.
Not only that, but she had spoken to him with a level, almost dismissive calm that made it feel even worse.
To Vincent, it was not just disrespect.
It was an insult, a direct one.
He stared at her, visibly offended, his pride bruised by the fact that she had not even tried to soften her words enough for his liking.
The confidence with which she spoke only angered him more.
At that moment, his eyes hardened and he said, “It seems you are going to regret this.”
His voice had dropped, but the threat inside it was obvious.
“Because the moment I sign this contract, you are going to regret speaking to me like that. I will report you.”
He pointed toward her, his anger no longer hidden.
“You are very rude. Extremely rude.”
Then he let out a dry, offended laugh.
“Just imagine. Who do you think you are? What position do you even occupy here that you believe you can sit there and refuse to greet one of Global Investments’ top entrepreneurs?”
He took a step forward, his ego now fully in control.
“Don’t you know my name is everywhere?” he demanded. “So what do you mean you can’t greet me?”
Then his eyes narrowed.
“What is your name, by the way?” he asked sharply. “Now tell me—what are your names?”
Immediately, neither the lady nor the man said a word.
They simply stood there, looking at Vincent in complete silence.
That silence only made things worse, to Vincent, it felt like defiance.
Like mockery, they were deliberately refusing to acknowledge his authority.
His irritation deepened at once, and the expression on his face turned even harsher.
“Did you hear what I said?” he snapped.
Still, neither of them answered.
Vincent’s anger rose another level.
“I asked for your names,” he said, his voice sharper now. “And the sooner you open your mouths and tell me, the better for both of you.”
But still, nothing, no answer.
No apology, no visible fear.
That did it.
He became even more agitated and abruptly pushed himself up from his seat, ready to press the matter further. His chair scraped lightly against the floor as he stood, his body tense, his pride fully provoked.
However, before he could say another word, the door suddenly opened.
Slowly, Quietly.
And then Mr. Oliver walked in.
The entire energy in the room shifted at once.
The moment Vincent saw him, every trace of open aggression on his face was forced down. He knew very well that Oliver was not someone he could speak to carelessly. Whatever anger had been rising inside him, he immediately swallowed it.
At once, he lowered his head respectfully and greeted him.
“Thank you for coming, Mr. Oliver,” he said.
Oliver only gave him a brief nod.
Nothing more.
Vincent quickly stepped back and allowed Oliver to take his seat first. But the grievance still burned too strongly inside him to keep silent. The moment Oliver settled, Vincent pointed a finger toward the lady and the man and said, “These two people literally just disrespected me.”