Chapter 177 Heartache
But at the time, he chose to believe her.
"You can go."
Marlee practically fled the room like she'd been pardoned.
Alone in the massive office, Zachary stood by the floor-to-ceiling window for a long time. He wasn't much of a smoker, but right now he lit a cigarette and dragged hard on it.
Something in his chest ached.
Was it heartache?
Or something else?
He couldn't even tell.
---
Early the next morning, Quinley arrived at Apex Global Group for work.
In the lobby, she ran straight into Dennis on his first day. Full suit, hair slicked back with way too much product.
"Ms. Promise, morning!"
He walked up to her with this ridiculous attempt at looking aloof.
Carrying a computer bag that didn't quite fit right, strutting around like he owned the place.
Quinley was confused, but she kept her mouth shut.
Dennis got in the elevator, all swagger and attitude.
"Mr. Jennings, what's going on with Dennis?"
Quinley stepped into the executive elevator and immediately called Zachary.
He was in the car on his way to the office. Before Quinley's call, he'd already anticipated what was coming.
"Quinley, just hear me out."
Zachary started to explain, but Quinley wasn't having it. Her blood was boiling.
"Do you have any idea what kind of situation this is? Letting him into Apex Global Group is like inviting a fox into the henhouse. Zachary, you said it yourself—business is business. You can't let personal feelings get involved."
While Quinley vented on the other end, Zachary listened patiently.
"I know all that."
He exhaled slowly.
"Move the executive meeting up to ten o'clock this morning. Ms. Promise, notify all departments to prepare."
Executive meetings were usually Monday mornings. But Zachary was moving it to Friday on a whim.
He was doing it to introduce Dennis to everyone.
Quinley knew how Zachary operated. But Dennis was fresh out of college with nothing but arrogance to his name.
Someone who hadn't been beaten down by the real world wouldn't know how to walk before trying to run.
"Are you sure about this?"
Zachary paused for a moment. "If it teaches him a lesson, I think it's necessary. Quinley, he's not your brother anymore. If you still care about that relationship, you need to let it go completely."
His words weren't easy to hear, but they made sense.
And Quinley was reasonable.
So she chose to stand with Zachary.
"Alright. I'll notify everyone now."
---
After hanging up, the elevator stopped at the executive floor. Quinley immediately instructed the secretaries to send out the meeting details.
By ten o'clock, the conference room was ready.
The executives arrived ten minutes early.
When Quinley followed Zachary into the room, Dennis was already sitting in the sales director's chair.
He was basking in the glory of it, completely unqualified for the position. The veteran employees didn't bother hiding their contempt.
They respected Zachary's decision out of courtesy, but that didn't mean they agreed with it.
Sure enough, the moment the meeting started, people began setting traps.
"Mr. Jennings, I heard the sales department had outstanding numbers this week. Could our newly appointed Mr. Elikin share some of his expertise with everyone?"
Once someone opened that door, others piled on.
"Mr. Elikin is young and accomplished. We should all learn from him."
A classic setup—kill with kindness.
Quinley had seen it countless times. The right move was to stay humble.
But Dennis wasn't that kind of person. He was overambitious, all talk. Arrogant and desperate for validation. The second someone blew smoke, he ate it up.
Working with Zachary had taught Quinley one crucial lesson: stay low-key.
Staying under the radar lets you hunt like a predator—lurking, waiting for the right moment to strike and win.
People who flew too high always crashed early.
"You're too kind, really. You're all my seniors. I don't have much to offer."
Dennis tried to play modest, but it came off fake.
"Mr. Elikin, don't be shy. I heard you're only twenty. My son's your age—still a sophomore. Mr. Elikin, if you don't mind me asking, where were you working before this?"
It was a fair question, but Dennis couldn't answer it.
Still, for the sake of saving face, he went for it.
"Well, now I'm here, aren't I?"
The department heads exchanged glances. One by one, they picked up the thread, every question circling back to Dennis.
Quinley saw through it immediately. Zachary wasn't helping Dennis—he was letting him crash and burn.
The veterans asked question after question. Some Dennis loved answering. Others he wanted to avoid completely.
But they kept pushing, and the whole meeting turned into the Dennis Show.
"Sales isn't that complicated. Back in school, my professor said as long as you can sell something, that's sales."
Technically true, but anyone with real experience could tell he was clueless.
"Mr. Elikin, since you just started, why don't you share some insights with everyone?"
Dennis was loving the attention. It fed his massive ego.
"You really want to hear what I have to say?"
He was shameless.
"Next time. Next time I'll put together a reading list for everyone. If you all keep learning like I do, you'll be just as successful."
He said it so casually.
Quinley couldn't take it anymore.
"Mr. Jennings, I need to step out for a moment."
She made an excuse and left.
She had no idea what happened after she walked out, but when Dennis emerged from the conference room, his face was twisted with rage.
"Who the hell do you people think you are? I'm Mr. Elikin now. What gives you the right to question my abilities?"
Quinley had just stepped out of the break room with coffee.
Zachary liked coffee after meetings to stay alert. It wasn't the healthiest habit, but she indulged him.
The second she emerged, she ran straight into Dennis, fuming and puffed up like an angry crab.
He barreled forward. Quinley was holding scalding hot coffee.
The cup tipped, coffee spilled everywhere, and the mug shattered on the floor.
"I didn't touch you. You ran into me."
He jumped back, putting distance between them and throwing her under the bus in one move.
"What happened?"
Hearing the commotion, Zachary strode over quickly.
Dennis played the victim.
"Ms. Promise wasn't watching where she was going."
His words were harsh. Ever since Quinley refused to help him, he'd been nothing but passive-aggressive toward her.
A sharp slap cracked through the air.
Five clear fingerprints bloomed across Dennis's cheek.