RISE OF THE ALMIGHTY WARLORD GRANDMASTER

Chapter 10

Cullen parked his car in front of the large gates and stepped out with a certain squareness to his shoulders – the type that screamed his lack of humility.

“Midas’ Touch,” he read the illuminated sign aloud and scoffed. He was a member of one of the most prestigious houses in the city. It didn’t matter who was in there. They would give him the contract and partnership, for sure.

For him, this was more than just taking the company from his sister. All his life, he had always wound up feeling sub-par to no one. No one but his sister. To him, she was the only one that didn’t see him for the God he was.

Him sealing the deal in this company would put his sister to shame, and she would finally kneel before him.

Oh, he could visualize it. He could taste the power. It tasted citrus-ey, with a mix of grape and honey. 

If only he could manufacture the taste from his mind.

He dropped his car keys in the hands of the nearest person to the lot, assuming they were the valet service. 

“If a single scratch should be spotted on the new paint job I did on that car, I would use your skin to repaint the car,” he sneered at the man who looked at him awkwardly, but he didn’t notice.

He never noticed the poor. It wasn’t his place to.

“Uh…sir…I’m not a Valet,” the dark-skinned man whom he left his keys with chimed.

“I don’t care. You’re probably a low-life, anyways. Come back with my keys for a tip. I’ll be in the office of the CEO of this place,” Cullen waved his hand dismissively. What did the man think? That it would matter?

The poor were the poor, and Cullen couldn’t care less about his role. He could repurpose him for whatever he wanted.

“I’m here to see the owner of this establishment,” Cullen announced as he stepped through the rotating doors. Usually, this is the point where two or three receptionists would rush to take his bag and maybe his coat.

None of them did anything.

One woman dressed in a smart suit looked at him like she had just seen a street rat.

“And you are?” she questioned.

His ego faltered. Did they not know him? “C…Cullen. Cullen Coll…”

“Your first name is enough…I think. I’ll ask if I need more. Wait there,” she gave him a look that warned ‘not a step further,’

She entered into a phone conversation with someone and proceeded to ask him a few questions while on the call about his purpose for the visit, and with each answer, he began to doubt the usefulness of his grand entry.

He felt like a galoot.

“Uhuh…yes, boss…” the lady’s voice went quiet for a bit, and she ended the call shortly after, looking up at him with an air of superiority only his mother and grandmother would have dared.

“No open contracts here, sir. The company also isn’t looking for any collaborations at the moment,” she leered at him.

He chuckled. This must have been some kind of mistake. “No contracts…really?”

“None for you,” she clarified, not minding her tone and his feelings that were now being dragged through thick, gooey mud.

“I am Cullen Collins, of the House Co…”

“Boohoo, man. Take a hint and leave with whatever pride you have left!” the lady barked, and a few echoes of laughter rang around the reception. She looked around harshly and the laughter stifled a little, but the glint in her eyes told her workers that they could keep laughing.

And they did. Scathing mockery travelled faster than the speed of light to Cullen’s face and seared his neck, making him red all over.

He took a step back to collect his composure, but unknowingly bumped into someone. Turning back to growl about his personal space being invaded, he came face to face with his sister.

Slyvester told Emily to come here, and even she didn’t know that this company belonged to her husband. She just needed to deliver documents for him since he was still “recovering” his strength. He took his first steps yesterday. It would be cruel to have him moving about so soon.

“Cullen?” she frowned. “You’re going to prostitute yourself to every big company until you score yourself a deal? That’s your plan?”

Her voice annoyed Cullen. It had that same air of superiority…

No. Not superiority. Condescension. She had always seen him as beneath her, and in Emily’s mind, she didn’t mind that accusation.

Cullen was an oaf that knew absolutely nothing about running a business. She wasn’t even sure he could walk and chew gum simultaneously without tripping over his shoelaces.

“I wouldn’t know. You’re the woman,” Cullen folded his arms and stared down at his sister. “You crippled husband send you to do his dirty work for him and sell your body for deals?”

“You wish. I’m here to drop of a document for him and skedaddle. You’re the one looking for a partnership and I won’t get in your way,” Emily smiled sweetly and brushed passed him.

In actuality, she was seething inside and wished she had brought a partnership plan. She would have loved to show Cullen in real time how business was done.

It turned out that she didn’t need to.

The receptionist received her with a warm smile, much to Cullen’s dismay.

‘Shouldn’t they be treating her like trash?...like they treated me?’ he thought to himself.

“Mrs. Wright. It’s so good to have you here. While out CFO scans these documents, would you like to follow me to the executive suite where we have some entertainment ready?” the woman gave her a sweet smile.

‘That was supposed to be me,’ Cullen burned internally. He was supposed to be the one getting treated like royalty, but again, his siter has gone ahead of him to whore herself to the CEO, perhaps.

Just to make him feel worthless.

Cullen left the office with a defined promise. He was going to make Emily pay for this humiliation.

As he got outside, his shoulders sagged and so did his face.

Where the hell was that valet?