Chapter 174

The mysterious big boss of OceanixCorp—always unseen, yet seemingly omniscient—hung over the scene. Jace's anger instantly shifted toward Ron. "No deal? Do you even know who you're talking to? Do you know who I am?" Jace embodied the epitome of an arrogant, nouveau riche jerk.

Ron, casually sipping water, smiled politely yet patronizingly. "Oh, my boss knows exactly who you are. That's why he's not proceeding with this deal." The statement, though seemingly insignificant, struck Jace hard.

Jace appeared on the verge of explosion. His eyes narrowed, and he hissed, "Who the hell is your boss? Does he not want to do business in Seavora anymore?"

"Mmm, my boss said even if he couldn't do business in Seavora, he still wouldn't work with you," Ron replied smoothly, a sharp edge underlying his politeness.

Jace's face turned an angry purple. "Fine! Just wait. And tell your so-called boss the same."

"Will do," Ron replied. "Oh, and my boss said to tell Mr. Johnston he's more than welcome to bring it on." The words were incendiary, and Jace's forehead veins seemed about to burst. I half-expected him to strike Ron's infuriatingly calm, smiling face.

But he restrained himself. After a tense silence, he turned to me. "Rea, I know you're soft-hearted. You hate dragging others into your problems. If you come with me now, I'll let this go. But if not, don't blame me when this company ends up paying for your stubbornness."

Sweet talk failing, he resorted to threats. Typical Jace. I grew up in the Johnston family, but my parents didn't raise me to cower. If Jace thought he could intimidate me, he was mistaken. "If you go through with that, whatever respect I have left for you will be gone. Completely."

"You've already thrown me away. What the hell is there left to respect?" he snapped.

I refused to argue in front of everyone, or provide more gossip fodder for my coworkers. I straightened, my eyes cold. "Mr. Johnston, you may leave now."

His hands twitched, as if debating strangulation or forcible removal. Ron intervened. "Ms. Kay, if you're not escorting Mr. Johnston, would you mind joining me in my office? There's something I'd like to discuss."

The timing was perfect, and I wanted to speak with him as well. I left with Ron, ignoring Jace. Let him simmer in his anger.

Once in Ron's office, I wasted no time. "Mr. Shane, who exactly is the big boss? And how did he know about what happened today?" Whoever the OceanixCorp CEO was, he wasn't merely mysterious—he was watching out for me. Canceling a potentially lucrative deal solely because of Jace felt personal, and suspicious.

"I told him," Ron said casually, leaning back. "How else would he know? He's not omniscient."

"Why did he cancel the deal? Does he know Jace?" I pressed.

Ron ground coffee, his fingers—more graceful than most women's—moving effortlessly. The process was strangely mesmerizing.

"Maybe. I don't know the details," Ron said with a practiced smile.

That smile unsettled me. Beneath the sunny masculinity, there was a softness that felt wrong.

I searched Ron's office for clues about the mysterious CEO, but found none. I took a deep breath. "When is the big boss coming to the office?"

"Hmm… hard to say. Maybe around the end of the year, but honestly, he doesn't really care about day-to-day matters."

I suppressed an eye roll. Uninterested in company affairs? Yet, he personally scuttled a major deal because of me?

I let out a sarcastic laugh. "So, the big boss is a figurehead?"

Ron nodded, amused. "More or less," he agreed, flashing that sly grin. "Except when he feels like flexing his authority, like today."