Chapter 27

Billy darted out of the conference room, phone in hand,eager to call Brenden.

The word "masochist" still lingered in his mind-he'd glimpsed it on Wesley's screen and had a vague idea of what was happening.

When Brenden answered, Billy told him that Wesley had summoned him, then hesitated, tempted to hint that he was in trouble. But Brenden didn't give him a chance to elaborate; he sounded downright pleased that Wesley was asking for him

"Today's the company's annual meeting. Is Wesley summoning me to announce my transfer back to headquarters?" he murmured.

Brenden had been stationed at an Apex Group subsidiary-director in name, but the branch was barely scraping by. The so-called promotion felt hollow, especially with a dismal year-end bonus looming. A transfer back to headquarters would be the best thing for him right now.

Listening to Brenden's bright, clueless optimism, Billy couldn't bring himself to shatter it. He stifled the truth and replied, "Mr. Moss wants you at headquarters immediately."

"I'm actually close by," Brenden said, eager. "I'll head over now."

Once Billy returned to the conference room, Wesley resumed the meeting without missing a beat, his commanding presence effortlessly reasserted.

Billy found himself quietly impressed by Wesley's composure.

Just before the meeting wrapped up, Brenden arrived.

He lingered outside the meeting room,leaning against the door frame with his usual easygoing charm, a cheerful note in his voice. "Wesley, I..."

Before he could finish his words, every head in the meeting room swiveled in his direction.

Brenden's easy grin faltered, his expression tightening under Wesley's ice-cold stare. The tension was so thick it prickled his skin.

He scrambled to figure out what he'd missed-had he somehow offended Wesley without realizing it?Instinctively, he straightened and cleared his throat."Uh, did something happen? Who got on your bad side,Wesley?" Wesley flicked him a glance from the corner of his eye, then calmly snapped his folder shut. His tone was perfectly composed, almost disinterested.new project in Claei Swea needs your expertise-you're perfect for it. You'll head out this afternoon."

Relief flickered through Brenden's chest,though he remained wary. He forced a smile, hesitating as he asked,"Sorry-where exactly is Claei Swea?"

He was in unusually high spirits about the assignment,treating it as a company-sponsored getaway. Still, a nagging sense of unease tugged at the back of his mind, warning that this trip might not be as straightforward as he hoped.

Catching Brenden's puzzled expression, Billy stepped in to explain, "Claei Swea is an island nation out in the middle of the Ottercroft Ocean. It's a volcanic chain -gorgeous weather,breathtaking views.Honestly,it's the perfect place to escape the winter chill."

That seemed to settle Brenden's nerves. Puffing up with confidence, he nodded. "Thanks, Wesley! You can count on me-I'll see this project through."

Already planning to turn the trip into a mini-vacation with his new girlfriend, he pulled out his phone to do a little research.

The moment the word Afluena appeared on his screen, he froze, convinced his eyes were playing tricks on him.After triple-checking, the truth hit him like a sudden jolt of electricity.

"Why are you sending me to that desolate continent?"he blurted out, still trying to process what he'd just read.

Wesley didn't so much as blink. "You've been with the company long enough. It's about time you got some real experience."

His flat, detached voice offered no room for protest,as if Brenden's opinion didn't even register.

Brenden envisioned himself living in the harsh conditions of barren deserts and treacherous mountains.

That thought sent him spiraling. Ignoring the row of senior executives, he all but begged Wesley for mercy "| can't go to Afluena! The living conditions there are terrible, with unreliable resources and extreme weather. My girlfriend definitely won't be willing to go with me."

Billy couldn't help but find the whole scene ridiculous.

Rather than worrying about what might have triggered Wesley's anger, Brenden seemed far more distressed at the prospect of his girlfriend not accompanying him on the business trip After moaning for a solid minute, Brenden finally noticed that Wesley's face was as unmoved as a stone statue, and his heart plummeted.

Just as he was about to surrender to despair, he remembered those chat logs Fiona had once shown him.

If pitiful whining couldn't sway Wesley, maybe provoking his temper would work.

Desperation coursed through his nerves. Drawing a deep breath, Brenden hurled his last-ditch effort across the silent room.

He glared up, shoulders squared, and barked, "You jerk!You're unbelievable!"

Billy's jaw dropped, and a ripple of disbelief ran through the circle of senior executives.

The air went dead,thick with tension-every eye glued to Brenden as the shock registered in silence.

Was he really losing it right in front of everyone?Calling out Wesley like that in front of everyone?

If Wesley's frigid stare was any indication,the chances of anyone collecting a year-end bonus were evaporating fast. Wesley fixed his gaze on Brenden, a flash of warning glinting in his eyes.

Unfazed by the growing chill in the room, Brenden actually believed his little performance was having an effect. He squared his shoulders, doubling down with fresh bravado. "Wesley, let's be reasonable here. Just transfer me back to headquarters already-I'm not going to rot away in some backwater like Afluena!"

The senior executives exchanged nervous glances and quietly shielded their faces, pretending they hadn't witnessed any of this train wreck.

Billy,stunned and speechless, somehow managed to snap out of his daze to quietly signal the others to clear out of the conference room.

All the while, he ran the numbers in his head, weighing the fallout if anyone caught wind of their CEO's eccentricities. If rumors leaked that the man steering a publicly listed company harbored strange tendencies, the stock would plummet overnight-maybe even vaporizing hundreds of millions in market value.

Brenden's ignorance bordered on suspicious. Was he just dim-witted, or had a competitor planted him here as a saboteur?

Wesley's gaze turned glacial, his voice low and deliberate."What did you just say? Go on-say it again."

A frigid unease prickled down Brenden's spine, but instead of backing down, he doubled down and yelled,"I said you're a jerk!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a squad of uniformed bodyguards swept in and hauled Brenden out, ushering him firmly into the lounge next door.

Billy's nerves jangled as he scrolled frantically through his contacts, coming up empty-there was no one to bail him out.

Out of the blue, the memory of witnessing someone call Wesley a jerk on WhatsApp crossed his mind. If he could just track down that elusive figure, maybe they could help calm Wesley down.

But he had no idea who that person was, leaving him feeling helpless, reduced to silently rooting for Brenden's survival.

A handful of nosy executives, certain they wouldn't get caught, hovered just outside the door, straining to catch every word

Brenden, born with a silver spoon and handed the general manager's job through Wesley's connections,had never been more than a meddlesome, bossy nuisance in their eyes. Now he'd crossed the line by mouthing off to Wesley in front of everyone. They could hardly contain their anticipation, itching to witness exactly how Wesley would make him pay.

The muffled sounds of chaos from the lounge-a scuffle and Brenden's strangled yelps-caught the executives' attention.

"Wesley, what the hell? We're family-why bring out a squad of bodyguards on me?" Brenden wailed, voice rising in panic.

A solid thump echoed, followed by a sharp cry

"I'm sorry! If you want someone to curse you, I'll do it in private next time-ouch, that hurts! Wesley,get him off me. My arm's about to snap!"

As the executives exchanged glances, silently agreeing Brenden's luck had truly run out, Wesley strode from the lounge, serene and unhurried,straightening the cuffs of his dress shirt with the poise of a man untouched by chaos.

A moment later,Brenden emerged, limping badly, his face battered and swollen beyond recognition-his self-proclaimed handsomeness reduced to a tragic punchline.

He then shot Billy a look brimming with resentment. Had Billy warned him about the brewing storm,he wouldn't have walked in blindly and upset Wesley.

Billy simply looked away, saying nothing.

Meanwhile, in the sales department office Gabriela sat at her desk, growing increasingly anxious as the hours ticked by with no response from "NotASaunders."

She could already sense the rumors ballooning,every minute of silence giving them more room to spiral out of control.

Aubrey slid into the seat beside her, her complexion noticeably ashen. "Word is, Mr. Saunders got called into conference room by Mr. MMoss and walked out with a battered face."

She suspected that the sudden beating Brenden received was connected to the gossip about Wesley being a masochist.

She remembered spilling the story to another friend in the company besides Gabriela and wondered if her friend would also face a beating.

Regret flooded Aubrey's face; she looked on the verge of tears. Swallowing hard, she vowed never to gossip about others, especially when it involved Wesley. Noticing Aubrey's distress, Gabriela leaned in and murmured, "Don't panic. I'll go find out what actually happened."

This was the perfect opportunity to ask Brenden for the real story.

"Thank you, Gabriela." Aubrey's eyes followed her with a desperate, pleading hope.

Gabriela made her way up to the twelfth floor, nerves simmering as she lingered outside the conference room.

But she didn't catch a glimnpse of Brenden.Instead,she ran into Wesley, who had just stepped out of the room.

She straightened and offered a quick, polite greeting."Hello, Mr. Moss."

Wesley's brow creased in obvious irritation."Are you here for Brenden?"