Chapter 260 Chapter 8: Least Of Worries
Ella
The frosted glass door to Mr. Henderson’s office opened, revealing the man himself. Upon seeing Logan, I felt Ema’s restlessness inside of me. His scent overwhelmed the both of us, instinct urging us to overreact and move closer to him. But I felt her suppress it. She was just as displeased with him as I was.
Mr. Henderson looked jovial and appeared to be in the midst of a spirited discussion with Logan. However, as I stood in the doorway and looked back and forth between the two men, I could sense a shift in the dynamic. Behind Mr. Henderson’s pleasant exterior, his eyebrows were knit tightly together and his eyes flashed with anxiety.
“Ella,” he began, his voice tight. “Can I have al word?” Logan reclined comfortably on the plush couch, looking surprisingly unperturbed by the tension in the room. “Should I leave?” he asked.
“No, no, you stay here,” Mr. Henderson replied, flashing a bright smile.
Mr. Henderson ushered me into a smaller adjacent conference room, closing the door. behind us. The thick glass muffled Logan’s voice as he chatted on the phone. It was a stark contrast to the high-pitched tone that Mr. Henderson now adopted, now that we were alone. “Ella,” he whispered frantically. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
I was a bit taken aback. “Pardon, sir?” I murmured, raising my eyebrows.
Mr. Henderson shot me an angry glare. “Don’t play coy with me, Ella,” he hissed. “I’ve been kinder to you than I should be, all because of who your father is. You have to take this case, which, might I add, just fell into your ungrateful little lap. Do you understand the gravity of this situation?”
“And if I don’t take it?” I asked, choosing to ignore Mr. Henderson’s angry remarks.
“If you don’t, you can find another firm to work for. You’re embarrassing not just yourself, but all of us. My partners are already foaming at the mouth over this client being handed to you on a silver platter. I’ll be on the platter next, served up like a fat pig with an apple in my mouth, if you don’t take it.”
My pulse quickened, still taken aback by my boss’s change in attitude. He had never been. this cruel to me before. “I didn’t know that choosing not to work on this case would lead to an ultimatum, sir.”
His face turned an alarming shade of red. “It’s not about Logan. It’s about the influence he and his… associates hold. If you don’t cooperate, I really will have to ask you to leave the company.”
I felt like I had been punched in the gut. “Are you threatening to fire me?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling deeply. “I wish it didn’t have to come to this,” he murmured, his face overtaken now by sympathy. “But he’s too important, Ella. And frankly, I’m out of options.”
Before I could respond, Mr. Henderson placed his hand on the doorknob. “It’s your choice,” he hissed, narrowing his eyes. “Your choice and your consequences.”
As Mr. Henderson opened the door, Logan’s firm gaze instantly met mine. There was a new depth to his eyes, one that I hadn’t noticed before – a mix of understanding and something more profound, darker.
“Mr. Henderson,” he interjected smoothly, rising. from his seat. “I really need Ella’s expertise. Trust me, you want her on this case.”
“I’m well aware, Mr. Barrett,” Mr. Henderson replied, putting on another jovial smile. “We’re very lucky to have your business at all. But, alas, youngsters…”
Logan chuckled. “I know,” he said. “Ella is full of fire, I’ll give her that. That’s why I really need her on my team.”
I took a deep breath and tried to quell the fury that was beginning to bubble up inside of me. These two men were talking about me as though I wasn’t even standing right there in front of them, like I was a prize horse at auction.
In my eyes, Logan was nothing but an arrogant bastard who saw women as transactions, and nothing more. He was a jerk, a chauvinist, an elitist… The list could have gone on and on.
But my dream job was slipping through my fingers. I had come to the city to make a name for myself, without my family’s influence. Losing this position would set me back significantly. I didn’t want to go crawling back to my parents. I didn’t want to become the next CEO of WereCorp.
“Well, I’ll leave you two to discuss your options,” Mr. Henderson said, checking his watch. It was then that I noticed that his watch was new, a Rolex. He never wore stuff like that. I glanced over to the floor near his desk, and felt my heart sink upon seeing the little bag with tissue paper sticking out of it. Was Logan bribing him? For me?
Mr. Henderson left. The room was silent, filled by a heavy tension that hung in the air.
“Well?” Logan asked, standing to his full height, towering over me. The room suddenly felt all too cramped. “What do you say, Miss Morgan?”
After what felt like an eternity, I managed a response.
“Fine,” I whispered, letting out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll take your case. But once this is over, you and I, Mr. Barrett, are done professionally.” Logan nodded, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly, hinting at a smirk. “Understood.”
With that settled, we moved on to sign a confidentiality agreement. Every clause and term weighed heavily on my heart, but I put pen to paper, locking myself into this strange, high-stakes alliance with a man who I had only met a few days ago but already despised with every fiber of my being.
Hours later, my phone vibrated, breaking me out of a trance. Logan’s number flashed on the screen. “Ella, join me for dinner? There’s a small place I want to show you.”
I hesitated before typing back, “Why should I?”
A moment later, he replied, “Because it’s not like last night. Trust me. Besides, I want to get started on my case. Let’s discuss.”
Still skeptical, I arrived at the venue he had mentioned a little while later. The restaurant was inconspicuous, nestled between two bigger establishments. The exterior was humble, but the aroma wafting out hinted at delicious possibilities inside.
It was, indeed, much different from the restaurant from last night. This one seemed family-owned.
When I walked in, I was immediately hit with a wall of garlic and rosemary. It smelled delectable. Huge pizzas on wooden boards were carried out to waiting families. Soft Italian music played in the background, their notes punctuated by the sweet sound of trilling voices and mandolins. I could hear what sounded like two people arguing in the kitchen in thick accents.
Logan sat at a red leather booth in the corner, waiting. There were two glasses of red wine in front of him, one for him and one for me. “You made it,” he commented with a hint of surprise as I walked up to him.
I raised an eyebrow and slid into the seat across from him. “I want to get this case over with just as much as you do,” I said, glancing around. “This place seems nice. Nicer than yesterday.”
He chuckled. “I haven’t brought anyone here before. Not even family.” I scoffed. “Let me guess, you usually prefer those showy, overpriced places that offer style over substance?”
Logan shook his head, looking almost. vulnerable. “I never learned to share. Not my secrets, not my vulnerabilities. Not even places like this.”
I tilted my head, considering him. “Why?”
He looked down at me, his blue eyes piercing into mine. “Remember when I said there’s something worse than my infidelity you should be worried about?”
A cold shiver ran down my spine. “Yes… and?”
He took a deep breath, his face serious.
“I’m the son of the city’s most influential mafia boss.”
