CHAPTER 7

Mr. Brown quickly straightened his shirt and tried to compose himself as realization hit him hard this man, this tall, calm, sharply dressed man… was now the owner of the entire building.

Immediately His throat tightened even more.

He'd heard whispers that the building was being put up for sale, but he didn't believe anyone would buy it so soon, let alone someone like him. This man didn't just walk in he arrived. With presence, with authority, with money that didn't seem to end.

The property was valued at ten million dollars at most. Maybe less, considering the repairs it needed. If Sir Connor was grinning this widely, then he definitely didn't sell it for ten. No judging from the pride in his face, the excitement in his eyes, he probably pushed the price up to fifteen million, maybe even seventeen.

But the next words that left Anderson's mouth stunned the air out of everyone's lungs.

"You've received the twenty million dollars, right?" Anderson said smoothly, not loud, not showy just matter-of-fact.

At that moment the hall fell quiet, Dead quiet.

Sir Connor gave a respectful nod, his smile calm. "Yes, sir. Everything's been transferred. It's a pleasure doing business with you."

Mr. Brown nearly lost his balance. Twenty million? He could barely breathe. Who was this man? Who throws double the value of a building just to secure it?

Hailey's eyes widened in disbelief. Her heartbeat quickened again, but this time from pure confusion and awe. She had never heard someone speak with that much calm about that kind of money. He didn't blink. He didn't flinch.

Anderson stepped forward toward her and Mr. Brown, every movement precise and composed.

His eyes, sharp and observant, flicked from the scattered boxes to Hailey's wrinkled wedding dress, then back to Mr. Brown.

"What is happening here?" he asked, voice cool but firm.

Before Mr. Brown could say a word before he could come up with a single excuse Anderson glanced at him briefly.

"You're fired," he said flatly. Not a raised voice. Not a hint of anger. Just a decision. Immediate. Final.

Mr. Brown's lips moved but no words came out. He looked like someone had knocked the breath out of his lungs. His clipboard slipped from his hands and clattered on the floor.

Anderson's eyes then moved to Hailey.

Mr. Brown stood frozen for a moment, his mouth hanging open. His pride had been shattered, but his ego was still trying to piece itself together.

"You…Sir... you can't do this to me!" he burst out suddenly, pointing at Anderson. "I've been the one keeping this building together! I'm the reason GK Apartments even made it into the top listings last year! I've been the backbone of this place!"

His voice grew louder, more desperate, his words tumbling over themselves in a messy rant. "You can't just walk in here and fire me like that! I've been the major component of this building!"

But his words were cut short by the ding of the elevator.

The security men who had been summoned earlier to throw out Hailey's things stepped out in a group, all dressed in black uniforms, ready to follow Mr. Brown's previous instructions.

Mr. Brown's face lit up with false hope, and he turned to them, puffing his chest. "Good. You're here. Get this girl and her boxes out—"

But Sir Connor raised a hand and gestured toward Anderson.

"Gentlemen," Sir Connor said. "Meet your new boss. From now on, you take orders from Mr. Anderson. He is the new owner of GK Apartments."

The security team paused, turned, and gave a quick nod of acknowledgment to Anderson.

Without missing a beat, Anderson raised one hand and pointed directly at Mr. Brown.

"Remove him."

The room seemed to freeze.

Mr. Brown's body stiffened. "What?! No—wait—what are you doing?! I—"

But it was too late.

Two of the security men grabbed him by the arms, while another picked up the clipboard he had dropped. His legs scrambled, his feet tried to resist, but the grip was too strong. They dragged him backward across the hallway, his shoes squeaking against the tile floor.

"This is a mistake! I made this building what it is!" he shouted, flailing slightly.

No one answered him.

Moments later, the elevator doors closed, swallowing his cries and ending the chaos he'd brought.

Sir Connor turned to Anderson with a smile. "I have a few more documents to wrap up on my end. I'll take my leave now, sir."

And with that, he left without another word.

Now, the hallway was silent.

Just Anderson, Hailey, and the few building workers who had been packing up her things. The workers paused, unsure of what to do. Their hands hovered mid-air over her belongings, waiting for the next instruction.

Anderson's eyes scanned the scene once more, calm as ever. Then, with a small motion of his hand, he spoke clearly. "Put everything back where it belongs. She stays."

The workers immediately nodded and got to work, gently placing her belongings back into her apartment.

Hailey watched in disbelief. Her hands came together in front of her, fingers tightening around each other. Her lips parted, then formed a shaky smile.

"Thank you…" she said, her voice soft but sincere. "Thank you so much."

She took a step forward, trying to explain, to clear the air. "Mr. Brown said… he said that the person who rented this apartment was from the Taylor family. But I still have one month left on my lease. I paid for it. So I—I had the right to stay."

Mr. Anderson remained calm and composed, his hands tucked neatly into the pockets of his tailored coat. His gaze settled on Hailey for a moment, then he nodded slightly.

"I've heard a lot about you, Miss Hailey," he said in a smooth, respectful tone. "My boss—the real owner of this building—will be flying into the city tonight. He asked that I arrange a private meeting with you first thing tomorrow morning."

Hailey's eyebrows pulled together with a small twitch.

She looked at Mr. Anderson carefully, her lips parting slightly in surprise. He wasn't the true owner? She had assumed—no, she was sure—he was the one who had just paid twenty million dollars without blinking. Now she wasn't so sure.

The air around him was composed and powerful, but the way he spoke… he wasn't flaunting anything. Just delivering an order.

Hailey nodded slowly, still confused but grateful.

"Thank you," she said again, her voice calm. "For helping me… for everything."

Mr. Anderson simply gave her a gentlemanly nod. "Get some rest," he said before turning and making his way back to the elevator.

The doors opened with a gentle chime, and he stepped inside.

As soon as the doors slid closed, a vibration buzzed in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and checked the message.

[Did you arrange the meeting. I need to be ahead of my brothers.]

Anderson smiled faintly and typed back.

[All done.]

**

Meanwhile, Hailey stepped slowly into her apartment.

Everything felt strange now. She had cried so much earlier that it was almost like her tears were dry. But as she walked through the door, giving quick instructions to the building staff on how to place her things back in the right spots, she felt something crack inside again.

The moment the last staff member left and the door shut behind them, silence wrapped around her like a heavy blanket.

She walked into her room, shut the door gently, and leaned her back against it. Her hands dropped to her sides, and she slid slowly to the floor.

And then… she broke.

The sobs came without warning. Deep, painful sobs that made her shoulders shake and her chest ache. She buried her face into her hands, crying out quietly into the empty space.

Benjamin, she had loved him. Trusted him. Defended him.

And he… he had humiliated her, called her a whore, insulted her dead mother, and now… now he had tried to leave her homeless.

Hailey's body trembled with anger and sorrow. She wiped her tears, only for more to come. She hated that she still felt anything for him. Hated that the pain still lived inside her like a wound that refused to close.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed beside her on the floor, She blinked through blurry eyes and picked it up.

The message on the screen made her entire body go still.

[You are going to pay for what you did. I am going to ensure somebody like you never gets born into this world again. That is what I would do]