Chapter 28

Jadon's thoughts were still spinning by the time he made it back to his office. His legs moved on autopilot as he stepped off the elevator and walked across the open space toward his office.

"Mr. Paterson."

"Hmm," Jadon answered absently, still moving toward his door.

Out of the corner of his eye, he realized that Mrs. Sitta hurried toward him but he didn't stop to attend to her. He knew he had taken longer with his friends than he had originally anticipated and now he was behind schedule with his work and would probably stay when everyone else went home just to make up. To say that he wasn't looking forward to that would have been an understatement so he pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

A few steps later, Jadon reached his office door but to his surprise, his secretary was right there next to him, stopping him from turning the knob with a firm grasp of her smaller hand.

Startled out of his daze, Jadon stepped back, effectively breaking her hold on his hand. He then faced her, a frown quickly creasing his forehead. "Is there a problem, Mrs. Sitta?"

The older woman released a breath as though she had just run an entire football field and not the short distance from her desk to his door. Now that Jadon paid attention, he realized the woman looked very flustered. Her usual tight, no-nonsense bun had loosened and released a few strands of hair that curled around her face. He also noticed a few creases in her blouse, which was so unlike his usually freakishly clean secretary. Concern immediately gripped him and it only amplified when he noticed her eyes dart to his office door and back.

The worst thought went through his mind. He immediately concluded that whatever was wrong had something to do with the blackmailer. The mere idea made his headache come back with full force.

"What is it, Mrs. Sitta?" Jadon pressed, barely resisting the urge to shake the woman so she would tell him already.

"Uhm forgive me, Mr. Paterson. But Mr. Paterson senior is in your office. He has been waiting for over half an hour. I offered to call you when he arrived but he said he would wait and not to be disturbed "

Jadon was grateful he hadn't eaten anything before he left his friends at the hotel like they had insisted because his stomach immediately churned. What could his father want that he couldn't have handled over the phone? Again, his mind raced back to the blackmail and a shudder raced up his spine.

"Mr. Paterson?" Mrs. Sitta called hesitantly.

Jadon blinked. Right. He couldn't just stand there. Forcing a smile for his secretary's benefit, he assured her that everything was fine. Then Jadon squared his shoulders and walked into his office to find his father seated behind the desk like he owned the place.

Technically, Lewis Paterson owned the company and the office. But he didn't run things anymore so there was no reason why the man sat in Jadon's seat going through the papers on the desk.

"Father," he said in greeting meeting Lewis' scrutinizing gaze. Jadon ground his teeth for a second, biting back his irritation. Then he forced himself to relax and walked over to one of the visitors' seats and sat down.

A look of disapproval flashed over Lewis' face. He made a point of checking his wristwatch before he met his son's eyes again and spoke. "You took a very long lunch break."

Seriously? Jadon thought with growing anger. Still, he maintained his composure. "I had some business to take care of."

"Your secretary said you didn't have a meeting."

"I don't run everything by my secretary."

Lewis scoffed and then went back to studying the papers on Jadon's desk before he spoke again. "I hope it was actually important enough to justify neglecting your work."

A hot wave of anger washed over him in an instant. Jadon gathered himself until his spine was a steel column. "I have never neglected my work, father."

"Really?" Lewis asked with an arched brow. He made a thoughtful hum in the back of his throat that Jadon knew was all for show. Then he lifted the papers Jadon immediately recognized as the contract with Sunset estate. His stomach did another twist.

"Then explain to me why you are not focusing your efforts on securing this contract."

Jadon looked at the papers and then his father's face. "I'm double-checking some things before we sign." Technically, it wasn't a lie. He just wasn't going to mention that he was trying to find out who wanted the deal bad enough to set him and Tapiwa up and then blackmail him for the deal.

Unfortunately, Lewis Paterson wasn't a man who took procrastination and delays kindly regardless of the reasons behind it. He dropped the contract and tapped his finger on the paper. "The legal team has already confirmed everything is in order. What on earth are you checking?"

Jadon gritted his teeth together. "Father, can you just allow me to do the job you appointed me to do? If you trusted me enough to make me CEO, then trust me to make the right decision for the deal. I will sign it when I confirm everything is in order."

For a long minute, Lewis gave him an unimpressed stare. Then he shook his head and stood up. His hands straightened his jacket and cuffs before he looked down at his son. "Let me remind you, Jadon. I gave you the position of CEO because you showed a quick mind full of intelligence. It's what you have shown since you took over. Don't change now."

The warning was clear in the air as though his father had said the words out loud. Being CEO came with the condition that he met the expectations set. Failure to do so and he would probably find himself without a job. The idea wasn't as bad as Lewis probably thought it was. Thankfully, Jadon kept that bit to himself.

Still, Jadon felt the need to get his father's approval. So, he stood up and met his father's gaze with determination. "I will sort everything out before the end of the week.