The Rebirth of a Scorned Heiress

Mark felt the weight of Frederick’s gaze as he sat down beside him. The air around them grew heavy with tension, the clinking of silverware and glasses echoing through the silent dining room as the servants arranged the table for the family dinner. Frederick leaned closer, a triumphant smirk playing on his lips.

“I heard you got a partnership with a new company,” Frederick taunted, his voice laced with contempt. “Aren’t you insulting the Alpha Tech image too much? Of all the companies you could have chosen from, a new company.

Michael, Mark’s father, frowned, his eyes flicking between his son and Frederick. “It’s a deal that would bring profit to the company. How is that insulting the image of the company?” He countered, making Frederick scoff as he turned away from Mark.

“Uncle might not be aware, but the company he’s partnering with isn’t exactly a startup. It’s a company with a negative reputation among consumers. It’s obvious they’re just using him to sway public opinion.” He pointed it out, and Michael’s brows furrowed deeper.

“For someone hailed as a business genius, how could he not see past such an obvious scheme?” He continued and waited for a reaction from Mark.

Unfazed by Frederick’s jabs, Mark slid his phone from his pocket, pretending not to hear his words. Frederick’s face reddened with anger after being ignored, his hands balling into fists under the table as he glared at Mark, his eyes filled with hatred.

‘Let’s see how long you’ll remain smug!’ he thought to himself. ‘This time I will make sure to crush you without giving you an opportunity to get back up!’

Mark could feel the weight of Frederick’s glare, but he refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction as he continued playing with his phone.

Just as Frederick opened his mouth to continue his taunt, the sound of shuffling footsteps silenced the room. Chairman Watson entered, leaning on his walking staff for support. His shrewd eyes scanned the table, taking in the tense atmosphere and the silent battle between Mark and Frederick.

“Why is the atmosphere here so gloomy?” Chairman Watson jokes, easing himself into the seat at the head of the table. “I’m not dead yet, you idiots.”

Mark suppressed a smile, watching as Frederick’s jaw clenched in frustration as he turned away from him.

“What is it I am hearing about the start-up company and its bad reputation?” The old man asked.

Frederick scoffed and smirked in satisfaction. Even though he hadn’t achieved his goal of getting a reaction from Mark, he was happy that he could at least get their grandfather’s attention on the topic.

“Won’t any of you answer me?!” The old man asked with a firm tone, seeing as no one attempted to explain.

“He is probably too regretful about his actions. It’s fine as long as the damage is not too much; it can still be salvaged,” Ethan, Frederick’s father, chuckled and took a sip of the wine.

“I’ve never made a losing deal since I started as the president of Alpha Tech; are you doubting my ability to make a profit?” Mark questioned with a raised brow, and Ethan scoffed.

“You have to learn to admit when you make mistakes! Nobody is above them! Just admit you did, and we will help you with the problem,” he reprimanded with a glare.

Finally deciding to pay attention to the father and son, Mark placed his phone on the table face down and relaxed into the chair with a smug look. “But I didn’t make a mistake; my title as the business genius was earned, not given, so give me some credit for it.”

“Besides, do you even think you are worthy of correcting any mistakes I make?” He taunted, his lips turning up in a smile as he maintained eye contact with the older man sitting in front of him.

Ethan, like his son, had always considered Mark a thorn that needed to be removed before it dug deeper into their flesh. However, every time they try to remove him, it always seems as though they are giving him a push to go forward.

Ethan tutted and took a sip of his wine. “No matter what happened, he is still your uncle, and he is looking out for you, so stop the unnecessary word battle,” Chairman Watson breathed out, already having a headache from having all of them over at the same time.

“So did you have something to say about the project?” He asked, and Mark gave him the files that had been lying on the table beside him.

“The project is a virtual reality device for a video game, and the programme of the game was written by a longtime partner, and they were the ones who asked me to jump on the offer,” he began.

“Of course, I won’t just jump on the project due to the recommendation. I did my research and realised that parenting with them will bring us even more profit than our past project this year,” he explained, and the old man nodded as he read through the details on the file.

“Are you kidding? More profit than all the projects you’ve made this year?” Frederick asked, not knowing whether to be surprised or terrified.

Having known Mark all his life, he could tell it was not a bluff, which scared him even more than when he heard that he already had three percent more shares of the group than he had.

“I don’t bluff. To test out the theory, I asked the team to build the virtual reality capsule, but we only made ten initially, and we sent all ten to top gamers in different countries for closed beta testing.”

“The review we got gave us the go-ahead to continue, and now, even though it has not been released, we have made fifty percent of the initial investment,” he clarified.

Frederick’s face paled, his eyes darting between Mark and the file in Chairman Watson’s hands. His mind raced as he tried to process the implications of Mark’s success.

He knew that if this project turned out as lucrative as Mark claimed, it would solidify Mark’s position within the group and the family, leaving him further behind than he already was.

“Well, it seems like your little side project has some merit, Mark,” Chairman Watson said, setting the file down and steeping his fingers. “I’m interested to see how this plays out, both for Alpha Tech and for you personally.”

Mark inclined his head, his expression remaining neutral despite the sense of satisfaction he felt at his grandfather’s words. Frederick, meanwhile, clenched his fists under the table, his jaw set in a firm line.

“It’s always good to have a backup plan, especially with how quickly the tech industry changes,” Mark continued his tone even. “This project provides an opportunity for diversification and growth.”© NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

“And what if it fails?” Frederick interjected, his voice tinged with desperation. “What if this ‘backup plan’ of yours ends up dragging the rest of the company down with it?”

Mark turned his gaze towards Frederick, his eyes cold and calculating.

“I don’t believe in failure, Frederick,” he said softly. “I believe in learning from mistakes and adapting to new circumstances. If this project doesn’t meet expectations, we will analyse the results, make adjustments, and move forward.”

Frederick glared at Mark, his frustration mounting as he struggled to find a way to undermine his cousin’s confidence. Meanwhile, Chairman Watson observed the exchange with keen interest, his sharp gaze shifting between the two men.

He gave a nod. You indeed grow by analysing your past mistakes.” He voiced. “How about the security project you were working on before now? I haven’t heard about the development,” he pointed out.

“I’ve submitted the proposal to the federal government, and we will be getting a response from them somewhere during this week,” Mark replied.

“Are you aiming for the housing project in the new development area?” Michael asked in surprise, knowing how tight the bid for that particular project was.

“Yes, I am. And I’m sure of a positive response,” Mark replied with a smug smile directed at his uncle Ethan.

Unable to sit still to continue listening to Mark’s achievement, Ethan let out a small smile and stood up. “You’ll please excuse us early; Federick and I have a meeting with a partner tonight,” he said, bowing to Chairman Watson before dragging his son along with him.

As they exited the mansion, Ethan’s face turned ugly with rage as he glared at his son. “You said you have a way to deal with him?” He asked.

“Yes, I’m just waiting for the right time,” Frederick replied with a mischievous smile, and Ethan nodded.

“Be fast about it; now that the old man’s health has begun to deteriorate, he’ll be in haste to hand over the power, and you know you have no chance at all at this point,” he urged.

“I promise to pull him down this time!”