Chapter 36
Grace's POV
I was reviewing quarterly reports in a secluded meeting room when my phone vibrated with Richard's name flashing across the screen. After avoiding his calls for days, I decided it was time to answer. Taking a deep breath, I swiped to accept.
"Thank God you finally answered, Grace." Richard's voice carried an unnatural cheerfulness that immediately put me on guard.
"What do you want, Richard?" I kept my voice neutral, professional. The old Grace would have apologized for not answering sooner, would have felt guilty about causing him worry. But that woman was gone.
"I've been thinking about everything," he started, his words carefully measured. "You're right - you deserve compensation for your contributions to Harrison Group. I'm prepared to offer you ten percent of company shares."
I almost laughed. Ten percent. As if that would make up for two years of lies, exploitation, and humiliation.
"Not enough," I replied coolly. "I want fifty percent."
"Fifty—" His voice cracked. "That's impossible! I only own twenty percent myself. The rest is held by my father and the board."
I smiled to myself. Richard wasn't calling because he missed me or felt remorseful. This wasn't even his idea.
His stuttering denial confirmed my suspicion.
"Laura's gone," he blurted out. "She... she resigned. She was only helping temporarily. Grace, please don't make this harder. Do you really want to see me suffer?"
"Are you suffering because of company losses or because of me? From what I've seen, Laura almost replaced me when I wasn't around. Now that Laura's gone, you suddenly remember me?"
My mockery left Richard momentarily speechless. I had never been so confrontational before.
"The company is in chaos without you. I have no choice. But Laura was never capable of replacing you," Richard admitted, his voice softening in that manipulative way I once found charming. "The investors are threatening to pull out. The IPO timeline is in jeopardy. Please, Grace. I need you."
"You need me," I repeated, emphasizing the word. "Funny how you only value me when your back is against the wall."
I could hear his breathing grow heavier with frustration. Richard had always hated not getting his way.
"Without your immediate return, the Harrison Group won't meet its quarterly projections. The Aurora fragrance line is stalled. Three key investors are wavering. You understand what's at stake here."
"From what I know, many projects are at a standstill. If this continues, forget about going public—I truly believe everything Harrison Group has built over the past few years will be lost."
There wasn't a hint of compromise in my tone. Though my voice remained pleasant, each word carried unprecedented intimidation, making Richard feel like he was talking to a stranger.
We'd been apart for less than two weeks, yet I seemed to have become a completely different person.
"Grace, tell me the truth, do you have another man?" Richard suddenly raised his voice just as I was about to end the conversation. "Someone answered your phone the day before yesterday. Who is he?"
I pulled the phone away from my ear, surprised by this abrupt change of topic. This wasn't about business anymore - this was about ownership. Richard had never seen me as a partner; I was property.
"When the company was at a critical moment and you insisted on taking time off, I didn't say anything. When you were stressed and lost your temper at home, I understood... I loved and tolerated you so much. Have you forgotten how much pressure I endured for you?" he continued, growing more unhinged with each word. "I even maintained our marriage despite your inability to have children, and adopted Emma! Do you know how hard that was for me?"
The audacity of using Emma - his biological daughter with Laura - as an example of his "sacrifice" for me was almost comical. I felt a cold fury build inside me.
"Let me make something clear," I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous calm. "The core projects at Harrison Group were built by me. Your entire IPO strategy relies on my work. Yet I was never respected by you or your family."
Richard started to interrupt, but I continued.
"As for the man who answered my phone - that's none of your concern anymore. My personal life is no longer your business."
"Grace, please—"
"Two days, Richard," I cut him off. "You have two days to draft an agreement giving me fifty percent of Harrison Group shares. Otherwise, I'll formally announce my resignation and make a public statement completely severing ties with the Harrison family."
"You can't do that! It would tank our stock before we even go public!"
"That's your problem now. Two days."
I ended the call before he could respond, setting my phone down with trembling hands. The conversation had left me shaken, but exhilarated. For the first time in our relationship, I held all the power.
---
The following afternoon, I stood in the center of our office space as my team erupted in cheers. We had secured a partnership with Vanguard Company, and the project was proceeding steadily. I had won my bet with Andrew.
"We actually pulled it off!" Julie exclaimed, high-fiving me across the desk.
"Was there ever any doubt?" I smiled, genuinely proud of what we'd accomplished together.
"Following you to Wilson was the best career decision I've ever made," Marcus said, raising his coffee mug in a toast. "Working with Grace might be stressful as hell, but it's always worth it!"
The others laughed and raised their mugs in agreement. These five people had followed me from Harrison Group without hesitation. Their loyalty meant everything to me.
"The celebration isn't quite complete yet," I reminded them, gathering the project files into a sleek presentation folder. "Andrew still needs to sign off on everything."
"He's going to have to eat his words," Julie grinned. "His face when he sees these numbers will be priceless."
I took a deep breath, straightening my blazer. "Time to find out."