Chapter 167
Harrison wanted to see shock, maybe even a hint of panic, flicker across Selene’s face.
So she’d been invited into Golden Gate–so what?
Those tech titans just wanted Selene for her skills, nothing more.
He’d admit it: anyone who could snag gold at the ALI Math Competition had the chops to land a job at any big–name firm in the country. She could even lead a small project team–honestly, for a 27–year–old woman with zero work experience, that was about as high as she could aim.
Even Vaughn Enterprises only offered her the CTO position because she used to be his woman.
Harrison ran a hand through his hair, slicking back the strands matted to his forehead by the splash of red wine. The wild look only sharpened his chiseled features, making him seem even more imposing.
The last drop of wine traced his jaw before falling. And yet, even doused in wine, he looked less like a man humiliated and more like a general fresh from the battlefield, the red wine like blood marking his victory.
“This is the greatest favor I could ever grant my ex–wife,” he declared, voice icy. “Tomorrow, you start at Vaughn Enterprises.”
Harrison’s gaze slid past Selene to Adrian, who was still clutching his chest and playing up his injuries for all they were worth. Harrison’s eyes flashed with open disdain.
Satisfied he’d made his point, Harrison tucked one hand into his trouser pocket, ready to leave.
But Selene’s voice rang out behind him, cool and mocking. “Harrison, with all that water sloshing around in your head, you’d think you could spare a little to water the tree where your heart’s supposed to be.”
He spun around, his stare/cutting. “Keep talking back, Selene, and you’ll regret …
She only smiled. “Oh? Am I supposed to bow my head in gratitude just because you’re offering me CTQ? You expect me to be grateful for your ‘generosity‘?”
She let her words hang in the air, her voice steady. “The CTO position at Vaughn Enterprises? I’m not interested. I have far better options than that.”
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Chapter 167
The moment Selene finished, the group of business moguls who’d been hovering by the staircase finally surged forward, unable to hold back a second longer.
At first, those on the ground floor had just been watching, sizing up the situation. Everyone wanted to recruit Selene, but no one wanted to cross Harrison. Even though he and Selene were divorced, most of these executives feared the two still had unfinished business.
But now Selene had made her stance public–she was drawing a clear line between herself and Harrison.
That was all the invitation they needed.
The stairway was suddenly a racecourse, executives practically tripping over each other to reach Selene first. They didn’t give Harrison another thought; some even seemed eager to elbow him aside.
“Miss Thompson, here’s my card!”
“Miss Thompson, if you’re not interested in Vaughn Enterprises, perhaps you’d
consider us!”
One of the CEOS, a distant cousin of Harrison’s, caught the sour twist on his face and couldn’t resist a jab. “Harrison, I know it’s bad form to poach talent right in front of you-”
“Uncle Jarrod-” Harrison started, but Jarrod just laughed and waved him off.
“But you and Miss Thompson are divorced! You know what they say—an ex–husband should learn to disappear quietly.”
A vein throbbed on the back of Harrison’s hand, anger pulsing all the way to his
temples.
He watched helplessly as Selene was surrounded on all sides, the executives bombarding her with questions–Would she consider their company? What kind of partnership did she want? Salary, shares, title–whatever she could name, they’d deliver.
She was putting on a show, and Harrison knew it.
He raised his voice, desperate to reclaim the upper hand. “Selene, whatever you want–just tell me! Whatever terms you ask, I can meet them!”
Selene turned to face him, her expression calm and unflinching. The crowd of executives fell silent, waiting to see what she’d say.
“But, Harrison,” she said quietly, “what makes you think you’re even in a position to
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negotiate with me now?”
Her words sucked all the air out of the room.
Back when they divorced, she’d tried to fight for the house, for some money for herself and Daph. All she’d gotten was Harrison’s cold dismissal: “Selene, what right do you have to negotiate with me?”
And now, in this glittering hall packed with the city’s elite, at the very moment Harrison finally recognized her worth and tried to reward her with the CTO title at Vaughn Enterprises-
She handed his old scorn right back to him, every ounce of it.
