Useless Husband is now a Muti-Billionaire

Chapter Nine Take Him In

Abel held out his hand.

Adriano Kelvin took it in both of his and bowed his head slightly, the way a man might greet someone he had been waiting years to meet.

“Thank you for coming, Mr. Kane. This way, please.”

He gestured toward the elevator. Abel nodded and followed, leaving the three executives to fall in behind them. Every footstep sounded loud on the marble.

As the elevator doors began to slide closed, Abel glanced back through the narrowing gap.

Grant had rounded on the receptionist. “Why didn’t you check the system? You almost got me killed!”

“How was I supposed to know?” Maria’s voice was shrill. “Look at how he was dressed!”

“And you!” Grant spun toward Michael. “You saw the message. Why didn’t you stop us? You’re fired!”

Michael looked at the floor for a second. Then, to Abel’s surprise, he laughed.

“Fired?” he said. “You should worry about whether you still have a job.”

The doors met, and the lobby disappeared.

The boardroom was on the top floor, with a view over the whole city.

Adriano pushed the double doors open. Around a long mahogany table, a dozen people sat in dark suits. They rose as one.

“Everyone,” Adriano said, “meet the genius who saved this company. Our new chairman, Mr. Abel Kane.”

Nobody in the room needed that explained. Six months ago, Northwest Energy had been losing clients by the week, with its name dragged through every review site. Then Abel’s battery had come out of a forgotten pile, and everything had turned around.

One director, an older man with white hair, rose last. He took a long, slow look at Abel’s worn suit, as if checking it against the number in the announcement.

Abel held his gaze until the man lowered his eyes and bowed.

“Please, sir,” Adriano said, drawing back the chair at the head of the table. “This seat is yours.”

Abel sat. Eight years ago, he had been a young man obsessed with a battery. He had dreamed it would take him places he had never imagined, to rooms where people looked at him with respect instead of through him.

The room seemed to wait for him to say something. He didn’t.

“Mr. Chairman.” Adriano placed a thick folder on the table and opened it to a page marked with a yellow tab. “If you would sign here. Without it, the appointment isn’t official.”

Abel read through it carefully, every line. It was all in order, so he signed.

A breath went around the room. Adriano bowed again and took the seat to his right.

In Abel’s pocket, his phone began to vibrate.

He took it out and glanced at the screen. Adora. It rang out, and a second later, it started again. Marvin’s name this time.

Abel held the phone for a moment, then turned the screen face down on the table.

“Mr. Chairman,” Adriano said gently. “Now that you have assumed your position, we await your first order.”

Abel looked at the faces around the table. He thought of the man at the door who had dragged him by the collar, and the woman who had laughed at his suit. He thought of the slap, and how loud it had been.

Five years ago, he would have let all of it go. Today, he didn’t have to.

“Bring me the doorman, the receptionist, and the man in the gray suit.”

“Yes, sir.” Adriano turned to the HR manager. “You heard the chairman. Bring all three of them up here. Now.”

The HR manager rose and hurried out.

Abel folded his hands on the table and waited.