IAN’S POV.
“Who do you work for?” I asked Peter angrily.
“I work for you sir.” He stammered.
“Maybe I should evicted you when I evicted your pass boss because I don’t understand why I recieved this mail?” I shouted pointing to the rejection mail from my tablet.
“Are you sure you’re not in cohort with Saraya to bring me down?” I added. “This is our first project since I took over and now this?”
Peter’s face turned pale as he glanced nervously at the tablet in my hand. His mouth opened, but no words came out, just the faint sound of his shallow breathing.
“I-I would never do that, sir,” he finally managed to stammer. “I’ve been loyal to you since day one. This…this must be a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?” I repeated, my voice dripping with disdain. “A misunderstanding doesn’t make our proposal get rejected with such scathing feedback. It’s sloppy work, Peter, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think it was sabotage!”
Peter’s eyes widened, and he took a cautious step back. “I swear, sir, I worked on that project day and night. I followed every directive you gave. If it failed, it wasn’t because I didn’t try my best!”
I slammed the tablet down onto the desk, the sound echoing in the room. “Your best isn’t good enough! This failure reflects on me. On my leadership. Do you know what that means? It means the vultures on the board will circle, waiting for any excuse to take me down. And now you’ve handed them one on a silver platter!”
Peter looked like he wanted to sink into the floor. “Maybe it wasn’t our proposal. Maybe the client was biased…or others were more influential.”
“I don’t care what happened,” I said finally, my tone sharp and final. “Fix it. I don’t care what you have to do-call them, beg them, rewrite the entire proposal if you have to. I want this project back on track, and I want it done and submitted today.”
Peter nodded frantically, relief washing over his face now that he wasn’t immediately fired. “Yes, sir. I’ll do everything I can to make it right.”
“Good,” I said, my voice cold. “And Peter? If you screw this up again, I’ll make sure you’re not just evicted from this company-you’ll be blacklisted so thoroughly, no one will even look at your resume.”
“Understood, sir,” he whispered before scurrying out of the office like a frightened mouse.
As the door closed behind him, I let out a frustrated breath, running a hand through my hair. “This is more tough that I expected.” I muttered to myself. “If only Mary was willing to cooperate with me, then, my position will be solidified.”
Just as I leaned back into my chair, letting the tension ease from my shoulders, the door to my office swung open. I glanced up to find Attorney Collins standing in the doorway, a confident smile on her face.
“Congratulations, Ian,” she said, her voice smooth and reassuring. “I see things are moving in your favor.”
I stood up almost immediately and sat opposite her on the cushion. “It’s all thanks to you, Ms. Collins. I wouldn’t have figured out what was going on if it hadn’t been for your advice.”
She raised an eyebrow slightly, stepping into the room with her usual grace. “It’s nothing to be thankful for, Ian. But I’m glad it helped.”
There was something about the way she called my name, it was soft and affectionate.
“I’m yet to thank you for what you did, I didn’t realize Alex had given his power of attorney to Mary until you mentioned it. You helped me uncover something huge.”
I noticed she was lost looking at me. I cleared my throat. “I still don’t understand why you did what you did. You’ve always been Alex’s attorney. Why are you helping me?”
Attorney Collins smiled and nodded like she had expected the question, I was starting to get uncomfortable. “You look so much like your mother.”
I paused, looking at her in confusion. “You know my mother?”
“Why did you think I let the cat out of the bag?” She asked me. “Only a good woman like your mother would have made me gone against the ethics of my job. Back to your question, your mother, Patricia, was my very good friend.”
My chest raced at the mention of my mother’s name. It had been years since I’d heard anyone speak of her like that. At the very least, people spoke of my father but my mother seems to be long forgotten.
“She was a woman of steel who superceded men and made them jealous,” Collins continued, her gaze faraway for a moment. “She would’ve been proud of how you’ve handled things, especially with the way you turned out.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. “Thank you,” I managed to say, my voice thick with emotions I didn’t usually allow myself to feel. “It means a lot to hear that. It’s nice to meet a friend of my mom.”
Collins smiled faintly. “You’re welcome, Ian.” I replied. “So how is it going with Mary, do you have her support now?”
I rubbed my hands together. “I’m sorry but it’s not as easy as I thought it would be.”
Attorney Collins leaned forward. “Of course it’s not easy, Ian. But you need her support if you’re going to regain control. She’s a key player in all of this.”
I nodded, agreeing with her. “I know, but she’s not exactly willing to cooperate. She’s playing her cards close to her chest. I’ve tried reaching out, but nothing seems to break through.”
“Mary might seems like an ordinary house wife I can tell she is a tough one to crack,” Collins said with a knowing smile. “But I’m sure there’s something that will get her to move. Have you considered offering her something she wants in exchange for her cooperation?”
I shook my head, frustration bubbling up again. “I don’t know what she wants, and every time I try to make a move, she shuts me out more. It’s like she’s hiding something.”
“Of course she is,” Collins replied. “People like Mary don’t play their cards unless they have something valuable to gain. You just need to figure out what that is.”
I leaned back, thinking hard. “I thought she would be easier to deal with after Alex collapsed, but it seems like she’s got more power than I realized. And with Alex backing her up, it would be difficult to go head to head with her.”
Collins studied me silently for a moment before speaking again. “Nobody exist without one weakness or the other. Mary is not an exception, you should find her weakness and leverage on it.”
I stared at Collins, the weight of her words sinking in. “Her weakness?” I muttered, thinking aloud. “But how do I even begin to find that? She’s so guarded, it’s almost like she is a different person.”
Collins leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers lightly on the armrest. “People like Mary are controlled by something, Ian. It could be power, money, status, or even fear. You need to figure out what it is she values most. Once you know that, you can figure out how to use it to your advantage.”
I rubbed my temple. “You’re right about her but time is what I don’t have. The company might look stable to you but there is a brewing storm threatening to bring everything crashing to the ground. I can’t believe she has this side.”
“Patience is your best ally here,” she said calmly, her eyes locking with mine. “If you rush it, you’ll make a mistake. Mary is strategic. She’s not going to reveal her cards just because you demand it. You need to approach her differently.”
I turned back to her. “Alright. I’ll play the long game. But you need to help me, Collins. I can’t do this alone.”
She gave me a sharp, almost predatory smile. “Of course. I’ll help you, but remember, I’m in this because of your mother. Not because of your ambitions. Don’t mistake my help for loyalty to you, Ian. I’m here to ensure things go in the right direction.”
Her words stung, but I knew she wasn’t wrong. She was only here because of my mother. Still, I had to use her to my advantage. And if that meant playing by her rules, then so be it.
I nodded. “Understood.”
“Good,” she said, standing up to leave. “We’ll touch base again soon. But remember, you need to be patient. You have one shot at this with Mary. Make it count.”
With that, she turned and walked out of my office, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The walls felt like they were closing in around me, the pressure mounting with every passing minute. But Collins was right. I couldn’t afford to rush this. Not if I wanted to win.
Now, I had to find Mary’s weakness-and use it. But where would I even start?