Chapter 7 The Harrison Family’s Wrath

The words that came through the receiver shocked everyone present. Everyone turned to stare at Lucian in disbelief. His claims had come true. A single phone call made them lose the project and caused the Infernal Group to shy away from cooperating with the Harrison family. It was a massive blow to the family. Dax took the news the hardest. It was as if he had aged in that split second. The Harrisons were a family that hinged on that project to give themselves a boost but that all came crashing down with one phone call. “What happened, babe?” Nadine knew what the project meant to the family. “Don’t ask me.” The anger was palpable throughout the call. “I can barely even defend myself here. I hear the Infernal Group is looking into me. I’ll be put in prison if they find proof of embezzlement.” Nadine’s husband then hung up. It was likely he was thinking of a way to get out of it. The silence was palpable in the parlor. Everyone’s attention was now on Lucian. Dax’s hands curled into fists. He began to vent his anger on Frank. “What do you think you’re trying to do here, Frank? What kind of demonstration is this?” Everyone knew that Frank’s branch of the family ranked low on the food chain ever since Freya had become a cripple. They were often the target of Aaron and Hugo’s branches of the family. What Lucian had done was antagonize the entirety of the Harrison family. “No, Dad.” Frank turned to Lucian for an explanation. He was rendered speechless by what Lucian had done. He had claimed to come here to apologize and yet the first thing he did was make a call that cost the Harrison family a precious project. “What’s going on here?” Dax smacked the table and asked in fury. All three branches of the family shuddered at the sudden show of wrath. All felt inexplicable fear for him after having been suppressed for years on end. Everyone was too afraid to say a word. Eleanor got to her feet and jabbed a finger at Frank. “We’ll forget about everything that happened before. You better get Lucian to get us that project or you’ll suffer the consequences.” Frank and Annie turned to look at Lucian. Even Freya shot him a look. “Get that project back, Lucian. It’s important to the Harrison family.” Frank and his family were afraid of the Harrisons. Lucian, however, was not. His smile was cold as he scanned the group. “Sure, I can give it back if you play nice. Fay and I will be waiting back home. Show us your sincerity. You can forget about getting that project back if we’re not satisfied!” He wheeled Freya and left the Harrison residence. It didn’t matter how Freya struggled. She was powerless when she couldn’t move. Frank and Annie shared a look and trailed after Lucian under the murderous glares from the Harrisons. Staying behind was the same inviting their ire. They’d be eaten alive. “What are we supposed to do, Grandpa? The project…” Nadine gritted her teeth. “He says he wants us to play nice. It’s obvious they want us to apologize to them. They’re rebelling.” Dax was panting for breath. Frank’s branch had always been nothing but ants to them and yet Lucian’s mere return had put a dent in their plans. He had beat up Dax’s favorite grandson and caused him to lose his most valued project. “This is anarchy!” Dax smacked the table before turning to Aaron. “Investigate how Lucian pulled this off. Fix this! We need this project.” “Are we not going to apologize to them?” Aaron seemed hesitant. “Apologize?” The look in his eyes was menacing. “What qualifications do they have for me to bow to them? I finally see their ambitions clear as day. They really think they have power over me. I’ll deal with them once I get that project back.” Everyone immediately understood. Dax had no intention of lowering himself to apologize. He intended to get that project back by his own means. … Freya felt fear when they returned to the rented space back in the urban village. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done, Lucian? The Harrisons won’t let us off. Your one phone call made them lose an important project. What if some other company gets ahead of us and gets it instead? They’ll kill us!” Frank and Annie sprang into action at her words. “Are you out of your mind, Lucian?” Annie looked beyond livid and ready to pummel him into the ground. “They’ll put the blame on us if they don’t get that project. Dax will kill us all.” “Why are you so afraid of them, Aunt Annie?” Lucian sighed. It was clear from a glance that Freya and her parents feared the Harrisons. It wasn’t difficult to understand why after everything that had happened but he was back now. Things were going to change. He was doing this to make the Harrisons fix their tempers. He was going to show them the consequences of messing with Freya and her family. “Why wouldn’t we be afraid?” Frank bellowed. “Annie and I signed a lifelong contract with the Harrison Group. We are to work there for the rest of our lives to afford Fay’s care. They are going to come for us for breach of contract. We’ll die then! Do you understand that?” “Enough, Mom, Dad.” Freya stopped Annie from continuing her tirade. “Was what you said back at the Harrison residence true, Lucian? You can give and take away the project as you please?” “It’s true. This project is firmly in my grasp. It’s yours as long as you come with me to the Infernal Group.” Lucian nodded and patted his chest with full confidence. He had come to fully understand that their fears stemmed from the lifelong contract. His goal now was to find a way to rid them of the contract. Otherwise, the family would never be free. “Sounds like bullsh*t.” Annie was unconvinced. A demolition project that large required a start-up capital of several million. Countless companies were scrambling for it. How could he, the outcast of the Gray family, possibly be able to take it for himself? “Alright. I trust you. I’ll go to the Infernal Group with you tomorrow.” Freya nodded with great indifference. “But you have to come up with a plan tonight. A casual one will do,” Lucian added after thinking about it. “I can do that.” Freya agreed. She wanted to see what connections he had to be able to snag the project so easily.