Chapter 147

“Grandfather,” Logan said into the phone. It was the end of the day. Hazel had left, as well as most of the office. This gave Logan the privacy he needed for this conversation. “Even knowing these new facts as I’ve described them, you intend to continue the company on this path?”

“We don’t cater to idle gossip, Logan,” Grandfather’s annoyed voice came through the speaker of the phone. “Let the clients think what they want for now. When our profits raise our share value, they will fall in line. We are the best option available to them. Money talks, don’t forget.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” Logan said. He was starting to regret this phone call entirely. Why did he think any of this new information would matter to Grandfather?

Oh, right. Hazel.

One of the many frustrations in Logan’s life.

Why was she being so damned difficult about accepting the traditional role of his wife? She didn’t need to push herself so hard, to the point where she actually passed out in front of him.

God, how his heart had stopped in that moment.

If anything happened to her, Logan didn’t know if he’d recover. Why couldn’t she understand that he just wanted to protect her?

“The employees at this company have come to think more of themselves than they should,” Grandfather continued. “Our actions, above anything else, help remind them of their place. Break them here, and this will resolve any future disruptions.”

“They seem… unhappy,” Logan said, remembering Hazel’s frown, as well as her passion.

She called him heartless and soulless.

Ridiculous, of course. Though he couldn’t turn a blind eye to the displeasure of his employees. He could see, same as Hazel could, that the new policies were creating unrest.

“Their happiness is not our concern,” Grandfather said. “We create their livelihoods. It’s only with our grace that they have any homes to go back to. They should be so grateful that when we need to call on them for more, they are happy to deliver.”

“Unfortunately,” Logan said. “That doesn’t seem to match with reality. They only see how much we are pushing them. They are working hard. I’ve had one employee that had been working so hard she forgot to eat and passed out right in my office.”

Logan wouldn’t name Hazel in front of his grandfather. Even the mention of her seemed to set off Grandfather’s fury.

“It is hardly our concern if they cannot properly care for themselves. We aren’t their babysitters.”

Hazel had called Logan heartless, but never had he said anything as heartless as what his grandfather did now.

Logan’s care for Hazel itched inside of him, making him want to speak back to his grandfather and stand up to his employees. But, his grandfather was a man of extreme influence and power. One wrong move and, grandson or not, Logan could find himself back at the bottom of his career path with no way forward.

“Now. I have a dinner appointment. I trust I won’t be receiving any more of these frivolous phone calls? Your job as CEO is to shield me from these baseless concerns, not bring them to my doorstep,” Grandfather said. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Sir,” Logan said on reflex. When he thought to say anything more, he realized his grandfather had already hung up the phone.

Grumbling, Logan hung up the phone.

Well, he tried. Hazel should appreciate that.

Why was she so damned stubborn about everything? She should just accept that this was the new way of things here. The sooner she could do that, the sooner she and Logan could return to what they were before.

He couldn’t wait for that.

Maybe time was what she needed. Surely tomorrow, after she had time to think about his offer and his words, she would be softer. Likely, she would walk right into his office with her resignation letter, a smile on her lips.

Would she kiss him in gratitude?

If she wasn’t his employee anymore, he could kiss her right in the office without worry. He could lift her onto this desk, pull down her panties, and –

Patience.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

The next day, nothing changed. No, that wasn’t entirely true. Some things changed. They got worse.

Hazel was entirely avoiding him. She did not come into his office that morning for her usual assignments. Instead, she sent him a message on their work messenger, asking after her day’s duties.

Logan didn’t like not seeing her face, her smile, her outfit and how it hugged her curves today.

Well, fine. Two could play at this game. If she wanted to be stubborn by ignoring him, then he could do the same.

He responded to her work messages but made no action to speak with or check on her throughout the day.

It was torture. He desperately wanted to know how she was feeling. Had she eaten enough today? Was she drinking enough water?

His own productivity began to suffer because he was constantly glancing out the windows of his office to make sure Hazel was okay.

At breakfast, Maria brought her an egg sandwich. Logan was pleased by this. He’d work hard to keep Maria off the layoff list. Though that list had drastically shortened after the employee exodus that had been happening.

At lunch, Hazel left with her box lunch to return with a hot plate of rice and chicken. She must have used the microwave in the breakroom, and brought her lunch back to her desk to work and eat at the same time.

As long as she was eating.

Logan tried to ignore her, but his worry pulled at his thoughts and feelings.

She thought him heartless and was giving him the cold shoulder. Surely he didn’t deserve such treatment?

Yet a little voice in the back of his mind warned him: what if he did?

What if he was the one being stubborn and difficult this time? It had been known to happen from time to time, but usually Dylan was there to snap him back to reality.

Thinking of Dylan, he sighed.

He missed his friend. Dylan was the only person he’d ever talked to who had the courage to tell Logan exactly how things were. If Logan was being an asshole… If Logan was becoming his grandfather’s perfect triggerman…

Dylan was the only one Logan could trust to tell him the truth.

Even now.

Logan looked at his phone.

Calling Dylan was a tremendously bad idea. Dylan didn’t want anything to do with him anymore, and for good reason. Though Dylan had been a dick as well. He should have told Logan the minute he discovered Hazel was Logan’s wife.

Yet there was a reason Logan hadn’t signed the papers yet to officially relieve Dylan as his duties as Logan’s lawyer. It was because this was the last connection Logan had to his friend, and he didn’t want to lose it.

Perhaps he should be more straightforward.

Checking the window, Logan spotted Hazel hard at work on the computer. With the way she’d been ignoring him today, she was unlikely to interrupt him.

But Dylan still had to answer the call. He still had to agree to talk to Logan.

“It’s worth a shot,” Logan said.

He picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number. His fingers moved almost on their own, so used to the rhythm.

This conversation was long overdue.

Better late than never, Logan hoped.

The line rang and rang. Then rang some more.

Yet just as Logan’s hopes started to sink. The call connected, and Dylan spoke up.

“This better be an emergency.”