Chapter 3

Lila was sitting on the leather couch in the living room, sipping tea when I returned to Langford Manor.

Even though it was a workday, she had returned home early.

When she saw me, she put down her cup and crossed her legs, adopting an air of authority. She must have assumed that I would come home in a huff and beg her after my cards were frozen and my office taken away.

"You're back," Lila said coolly.

I sat down opposite her.

She took out a bank card from her suit pocket and placed it on the coffee table, pushing it toward me. "Take this. You'll have a limit of 20,000 dollars per month. It'll be enough for going out and having fun with your friends."

Lila looked at me, her voice earnest. "Theo, don't be mad at me, okay? Even though what Daniel did may be a bit too much, he's doing it for the company's good. I'm sure you don't know this, but people at the company are complaining about you spending money without ever contributing. If I didn't follow Daniel's suggestion and freeze your cards, I wouldn't be able to answer to them.

"I'm the CEO, so I have to be responsible for everyone. I can't keep siding with you. Also, if you don't know how to run a business, you should behave yourself and make a few sacrifices for the good of the company. As long as you do as you're told, I'll make sure you never have to worry about money for the rest of your life."

I looked at the card, finding the whole notion ridiculous. With my 60% stake in the company, my annual dividends alone amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Lila used my money to win people over while letting Daniel walk all over me. And now, she wanted to brush me off with 20,000 dollars and expected me to be grateful?

I didn't take the card. I just stared at Lila's hypocritical face as I remembered Grandpa's final words to me, his hand wrapped tightly around mine.

Grandpa was gravely ill by then, and even breathing took all his strength. He pressed the share transfer agreement into my hands, his cloudy eyes gleaming with a sharp, knowing look.

"Theo, I know you're not business-savvy, and that's okay. You just have to remember that you're the owner of Langford Corporation. If a manager isn't good enough, we can take the time to find someone better. Just hire the most capable person to work for you. But if one day, an employee you hired dares to treat your property as their own and even dares to disrespect you…"

He suddenly gripped my hand tighter. "You should break their legs and kick them out with nothing!"

I snapped out of my thoughts and stood up. I didn't argue with Lila or ask her why she was treating me this way.

I just looked down at her, my voice eerily calm. "No need. You can keep it for yourself."

With that, I walked upstairs and returned to my room. The moment I closed the door, the calm on my face vanished, replaced by a cold expression. Then I walked over to my desk and dug out a black, encrypted contact book from the bottom of a locked drawer.

I dialed the first number listed inside.

It only rang twice before a middle-aged man answered in a deep, stern voice, "Mr. Langford."

James Tate was the head of the private legal team Grandpa had left me, and he controlled the entire shareholding structure of Langford Corporation.

I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, my eyes locking onto Lila's Maybach that was parked below, and said coldly, "James, I'm done playing these childish games. I'm ready to take full control of all the shares and assets Grandpa left me."

James' voice grew serious. "Understood. How would you like me to proceed?"

"Draft the paperwork to remove the company's top executives."

I paused, my voice devoid of warmth. "Also, notify Helena that I'm going to bring her out of retirement."