Chapter 4

I looked at Rick's face, twisted with manic greed, and found the entire situation absurd.

"Fine," I said, smoothing down my rumpled collar and standing up straight. "Since you all want to be corporate presidents so badly, I'll happily step aside and fulfill your wish."

Rick paused, shocked by how easily I had caved.

Evelyn looked at me with deep suspicion. "What underhanded trick are you pulling now?"

"No tricks," I replied, casually dusting off my clothes. "The bankbook is tucked right under my mattress in my bedroom. The password is my mother's birthday. Go fetch it yourselves."

Rick's face lit up with wild ecstasy, and he immediately shoved Evelyn's shoulder. "Hurry! Take Simone and catch a cab back to the house right now."

Evelyn grabbed Simone's arm, her face splitting into a gleeful grin as she rushed out. "Oh, my goodness! My son is going to be a corporate president!"

I watched them leave with a cold smirk.

...

Tony lifted his megaphone, eagerly seizing the moment to brainwash the remaining marks. "Did everyone see that? That is what true courage and executive vision look like!

"Mr. Gould didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second to invest in his son's future! What are the rest of you waiting for? Executive slots are strictly limited! First come, first served!"

Whipped into a frenzy by Rick's display, the surrounding crowd went berserk. Some began frantically making calls to borrow money, while others openly discussed mortgaging their homes on the spot.

Rick stood proudly at the epicenter of the chaos, basking in everyone's envious stares.

"Rick, you've got serious guts!" one of them shouted. "Once your son takes over as president, you've got to throw some opportunities our way!"

Rick waved his hand with insufferable smugness. "Of course! We're all future colleagues in the consortium here."

He whipped his head around to glare at me, his eyes brimming with unadulterated contempt. "See that? That is what a grand vision looks like! What's the point of you clutching onto those few hundred thousand dollars?

"You're born with the soul of a lowly corporate slave! Just wait until Simone gets his luxury penthouse. I won't even let you step past the welcome mat!"

I found a vacant chair, sat down, and watched the unfolding circus with icy detachment.

"Dad, let me offer you one piece of friendly advice," I said, keeping my voice smooth and deliberate. "If you back out right now, the judge might shave a few years off your prison sentence."

"Bullshit!" Rick flew into a rage. "You're just rotting with jealousy over your brother! You can't stand to see this family succeed!"

He thrust his finger in my face, unleashing a torrent of abuse. "How did I ever raise such a worthless jinx of a daughter? If Simone doesn't walk out of here as a corporate president today, I'll snap your legs in half!"

...

Half an hour later, a breathless Evelyn came sprinting back into the lobby, a bankbook clutched tightly in her sweaty palm. "Rick! I got it!"

Rick snatched the bankbook, cradling it in his hands as if it were a holy relic. "Let's go! Time to run the account!"

They crowded around Tony, marching toward a POS machine sitting in the corner of the lobby.

Tony expertly punched in the transaction amount. "Mr. Gould, please have your young executive step forward and input the PIN."

Simone shot me a smug look before proudly stepping up to the terminal and punching in the code. Soon, the machine began processing the transaction.

Rick stared unblinkingly at the thermal paper slot, his breathing growing shallow and rapid. Evelyn clasped her hands together in front of her chest, muttering a string of greedy prayers.

Just as the slip was about to slide out of the machine, I smoothly stood up from my chair and casually brushed the dust off my hands.

"What a show!" I remarked, clapping lightly.

Rick whipped his head around to glare at me, his eyes alight with the manic frenzy of impending wealth, heavily poisoned by deep-seated disdain.

"What are you trying to pull now?" he spat. "The presidential seat is practically in Simone's hands! Don't you dare ruin our luck!"

I strolled over to them, my eyes resting on the vibrating POS terminal.

"Before Simone becomes the president, I have one quick question for you." I paused for dramatic effect, watching his face tighten. "Did you bother to open that bankbook and check whose name is printed on the account?"