Chapter 56
Hunter never expected me to call Soren. After getting slapped by his father, he couldn’t say a single word.
Soren rushed over to me, looking mortified.
“Max, I’m really sorry about this. You helped me so much last time. That deal would have bankrupted me if you hadn’t reminded me of it. I’ve been trying to figure out how to pay your back ever since. But I never thought my son would cause you trouble.”
He carried himself like the kind of man who’d built his reputation with his fists and kept it
with his word.
When the Levine family’s cargo business ran into trouble, nobody in all of Brinestone dared to deal with Soren. I used the Layton family’s dock access to help him ship his goods out and also found him buyers. Without that, the shipment would’ve bankrupted him.
That was why he’d been looking for a way to return the favor. But I wasn’t naive. I knew exactly how much that favor was worth, so I wasn’t about to cash it in over something petty.
With his son coming at me like that, Soren would only feel that much worse about what he
owed me.
“Don’t sweat it, Soren,” I said, smilingly, but he looked even more uncomfortable.
He hadn’t even gotten the chance to repay me for what happened last time, and now his son was trying to mess with me. How could he not feel terrible about it?
“Bastard, what the hell are you standing around for? Get your ass over here and apologize to
Sir Max.”
Soren shot him a death glare, and Hunter’s face went pale.
The whole situation made me uncomfortable. I’d always been on a first–name basis with
Soren, but I never realized that his child was an adult.
Hunter and I were about the same age. Making him address me as “sir” would be… pretty
satisfying, actually.
Hunter looked ready to explode, but he didn’t dare say much. He walked over to me and forced
out the words through gritted teeth.
“Sir Max, I’m… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t mention it, Mr. Hunter.”
I wasn’t about to waste time with some entitled brat. Instead, I turned to Soren and said, “I’ve left the Layton family and started my own business.”
Chapter 56
Everything else could wait, but business came first.
He looked stunned. “You left?”
“Yeah.”
Soren burst out laughing. “Good for you! You should’ve done it years ago. What kind of family are the Laytons, anyway? Benson is a capable man, but his daughter… She’s a walking nightmare. You’re better off without them.”
I smiled and quickly introduced Sophia. “This is Sophia Hartwell. You’ve probably heard of her. She and I are now business partners. If you ever need anything and you trust me, just give me a call.”
Soren’s face lit up when he heard the name. Naturally, he knew who she was since his son had been trying to get her attention for months.
He said, “Excellent choice! I know her. She takes after her mother and is sharp as a tack. With the two of you teaming up, you’ll definitely make it. I’ll cooperate with you when the opportunity comes up.”
He immediately clapped me on the shoulder.
“If there’s nothing else, I should get going,” I said, smiling.
Soren hummed. “Sure thing. I’ll swing by your place in a few days.”
As Sophia and I headed for the stairs, I heard Hunter’s disgruntled voice.
“Dad, you slapped me over that guy? And what about Sophia? I’ve been pursuing her you know that. I thought you had my back.”
Soren’s voice followed. “Of course I know. But do you have any idea who Max is? He’s a well- known figure in the logistics industry.
“The Layton family wouldn’t be where they are today if he hadn’t single–handedly built them up. You know they have tons of projects, but do you have any idea how many of those deals he secured for them?
“Listen carefully–you can mess with anyone else you want, but you stay the hell away from Max. Cross him, and I’ll make you regret it.”
Chapter 57
