The Girl Behind His Empire

CHAPTER FOUR

Dinner was unusually quiet.

Holler ate while occasionally checking his phone, answering a message here and there. Maria

watched him from across the table, waiting.

There was something she wanted to tell him.

Something she had been thinking about since Greg left her earlier that afternoon.

But she knew her husband.

If she approached him too abruptly, he would dismiss the conversation before she finished the

first sentence.

So she waited.

When dinner was finally cleared away, they moved upstairs.

Holler entered their bedroom and placed his watch on the bedside table.

Maria followed behind him.

“Holler.”

He stopped.

The way she said his name made him turn.

“What?”

“I spoke with Greg today.”

His expression changed almost immediately.

“About what?”

“Eldoria.”

Holler sighed.

“Maria…”

“Let me finish.

”He looked at her for a moment before walking toward the armchair beside the window.

“Go ahead.”

Maria sat on the edge of the bed.

“He came home upset.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“He was at the market today.”

Maria frowned slightly.

“So you knew?”

“I knew he went.”

“But did you know how affected he was?”

Holler leaned back in the chair.

“Greg is emotional.”

“He is your son.”

“And?”

“And you should listen to him.”

Holler gave a short laugh.

“I listen to him. That doesn’t mean I agree with him.”

Maria’s expression softened.

“He told me about the people there.”

“I’ve seen the market.”

“No, Holler. You’ve seen land.”

His eyes narrowed.

“And what’s the difference?”

“The difference is that Greg saw people.”

Holler was silent.

Maria continued calmly.

“He saw the women selling their vegetables. The children helping their mothers.

He saw families who depend on that place. He said they don’t have much, but it’s home to them.”

Holler leaned forward.

“And?”

Maria blinked.

“And that should matter.”

“It doesn’t change the project.”

“Holler...”

“No.”

His voice was firm.

Maria remained calm.

“You didn’t even let me finish.”

“I know where you’re going.”

“Then you know I’m not asking you to abandon the project.”

“You’re asking me to delay it.”

“I’m asking you to reconsider the way we’re doing it.”

Holler stood.

“Maria, the decision has been made.”

“The decision can be changed.”

“No.”

“Holler.”

“No.”

He walked toward the wardrobe, his tone growing more authoritative with every word.

“Construction begins next month. Eldoria Market will be demolished. The land will be cleared,

and the development will proceed as planned.”

Maria stared at him.

“You sound as though you’re discussing an empty plot of land.”

“That is what business requires.”

“No. That’s what ruthless business requires.”

He turned sharply.

“Careful.”

Maria’s expression remained peaceful, but she did not back down.

“I am being careful.”

“You’re challenging my decision.”

“I’m challenging your heart.”

That stopped him.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then Holler slowly shook his head.

“This is exactly what happens when you spend too much time with that boy.”

Maria smiled faintly.

“My son?”

“Yes. Your son.”

“He’s your son too.”

“Unfortunately, you make him too soft.”

Maria raised an eyebrow.

“Me?”

“Yes, you.

”He pointed at her.

“You are the reason Greg thinks every problem can be solved by kindness.”

“And what’s wrong with kindness?”

“Business doesn’t run on kindness.”

“Perhaps that’s why you and Greg see things differently.”

Holler stared at her.

Maria immediately knew she had touched a nerve.

But she didn’t retreat.

“He needs someone who reminds him that people matter.”

“He needs someone who reminds him that he is going to inherit a company, not run a charity.”

Maria stood.

“And perhaps the company needs someone who reminds it that it belongs to people.”

Holler’s jaw tightened.

For a moment, Maria expected another argument.

Instead, he let out a frustrated breath.

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Making me feel guilty.”

She smiled.

“I haven’t said anything.”

“You don’t have to.”

He walked toward her and stopped in front of her.

“You’re the one making me have a soft heart like you.”

Maria’s smile widened.“And you don’t like it?”

“I hate it.”

“You don’t.”

“I do.”

“You’re smiling.”

“I am not.”

“You are.”

Holler immediately wiped the faint smile from his face.

“Don’t push your luck.”

Maria laughed.

“You spoil him too, you know.”

“I do not.”

“You do.”

“I discipline him.”

“You call him every morning.”

“To check on the company.”

“You ask whether he’s eaten.”

“That is basic responsibility.”

“You tell him to rest.”

“He works too much.”

“You defend him.”

“He is my son.”

“And you just said I spoil him.”

Holler stared at her.

Then he sighed.

“Fine. Perhaps I spoil him a little.”

Maria smiled triumphantly.

“A little?”

“Don’t push it.”

She stepped closer.

“Holler, Greg is trying to understand what kind of man he wants to become.”

“He will understand when he takes over.”

“And what if what he learns from you isn’t what he wants to become?”

Holler’s face hardened again.

“Then he’ll have to learn.”

Maria looked at him quietly.

“And Eldoria?”

“Will be demolished.”

There was no hesitation.

No uncertainty.

The answer came with the finality of a command.

Maria exhaled softly.

“You really won’t reconsider?”

“No.”

“Not even after hearing what Greg saw?”

“No.”

“Not even for the people?”

“No.”

“Holler…”

His voice softened only slightly.

“Maria, I built this family by making difficult decisions. I will not allow emotions to interfere with

what is best for this company.”

She looked at him for several seconds.

“And if Greg chooses to stand against you?”

Holler’s eyes sharpened.

“He won’t.”

“You sound very sure.”

“I am his father.”

Maria lowered her gaze.

“And he is your son.”

Holler walked past her toward the bed.

“That is precisely why he will eventually understand.”

Maria followed him.

But neither of them noticed the faint movement outside the bedroom door.

A shadow passed briefly across the hallway.

Then disappeared.

The shadow that had slipped across the hallway was not a stranger.

It was Greg.

He stood several feet away from his parents’ bedroom door, completely still.

He had not intended to eavesdrop.

He had only been on his way back to his room after checking on his mother when he heard his

father’s voice.

At first, he had planned to keep walking.

Then he heard his own name.

He stopped.

And somehow, one sentence became another.

Then another.

Until he was standing there, listening to a conversation he was never supposed to hear.

His father’s words echoed in his mind.

“Eldoria Market will be demolished.”

Greg swallowed hard.

He heard his mother trying to reason with Holler.

He heard her speak about the traders.

The families.

The children.

The people who depended on the market.

And for a brief moment, something inside Greg tightened.

His mother had seen exactly what he had seen earlier that day.

People.

Not buildings.

Not numbers.

Not profit margins.

People.

Then his father’s voice came again.

Firm.

Unshaken.

“The decision has been made.”

Greg lowered his eyes.

His father wasn’t reconsidering.

Not even slightly.

He heard his mother ask whether Holler would reconsider after knowing what Greg had seen.

His father’s response came without hesitation.

“No.”

Greg’s jaw tightened.

He had expected resistance.

Perhaps even anger.

But hearing the certainty in his father’s voice was different.

This wasn’t a discussion.

His father had already made up his mind.

And somehow, that hurt more than Greg expected.

He took a slow step backward.

Then another.

He didn’t want them to know he had been standing outside.

He didn’t want his mother to feel guilty.

And he definitely didn’t want his father to know that he had heard everything.

So Greg quietly turned around and walked back to his room.

He closed the door behind him.

Softly.

Almost carefully.

Then he leaned against it.

For several seconds, he didn’t move.

His room was dark except for the faint glow from the city lights coming through the curtains.

He stared into the darkness.

“Eldoria…”

The word escaped his lips.

He pushed himself away from the door and walked toward his bed.

But he didn’t lie down.

Instead, he stood beside the window.

Outside, the city continued moving.

Cars passed.

Streetlights illuminated the roads.

People were probably still awake somewhere.

Somewhere in that same city, people were preparing for another morning at Eldoria Market.

People who had no idea that their entire livelihood could disappear within weeks.

Greg closed his eyes.

And suddenly, the market was there again.

He could see the narrow pathways between the stalls.

Hear the voices of traders calling out to customers.

He remembered the way everyone had looked at him when they discovered who he was.

Not with admiration.

With fear.

Because they knew what his family represented.

Development.

Money.

Power.

And now Greg understood why.

He walked to his desk and sat down.

His father’s words returned.

“Business doesn’t run on kindness.”

Greg rubbed his forehead.

Maybe his father was right.

Maybe that was simply how the world worked.

Maybe people like his father had built empires because they knew how to make difficult

decisions without allowing emotions to interfere.

But then another thought came.

What kind of empire did he want to inherit?

Greg leaned back in his chair.

He stared at the ceiling.

For years, he had been preparing to take over everything his father had built.

The company.

The properties.

The investments.

The reputation.

The empire.

He had always thought inheritance meant receiving something.

Now, for the first time, he wondered whether it also meant inheriting the choices that came with

it.

His father’s choices.

His father’s methods.

His father’s way of looking at the world.

Greg’s expression darkened.

He didn’t know if he wanted that.

And that frightened him.

He walked around his room restlessly.

He picked up his phone.

There were several notifications.

Messages from Charles.

A few work-related messages.

And one from Victoria.

Greg stared at her name.

For a moment, he thought about calling her.

Then he remembered the argument earlier.

He sighed and dropped the phone back onto the bed.

Tonight wasn’t about Victoria.

Tonight wasn’t even about himself.

It was about the market.

And the people he had met there.

He sat on the edge of his bed.

His mother’s words came back to him.

“He saw people.”

Greg looked down at his hands.

That was exactly the problem.

He had seen them.

And now he couldn’t unsee them.

If he had never gone to Eldoria, perhaps he would have slept peacefully tonight.

If he had stayed in the office.

If he had simply approved the plans.

If he had trusted his father’s judgment without asking questions.

Everything would have been easier.

But he had gone.

He had seen.

And now he knew.

Greg picked up his phone again and checked the time.

12:47 a.m.

He frowned.

He hadn’t realized how late it had become.

He placed the phone face down and finally crawled into bed.

He pulled the blanket over himself.

Closed his eyes.

And tried to sleep.

Nothing.

His mind refused to corporate.

His mother’s calm voice.

His father’s commanding tone.

“The decision has been made.”

Greg opened his eyes.

He turned onto his side.

Then onto his back.

Then onto the other side.

Nothing.

He reached for his phone again.

1:18 a.m.

He groaned softly.

“Seriously?”

He tossed the phone aside.

Five minutes later, he picked it up again.

1:34 a.m.

Sleep still refused to come.

He sat up.

For some reason, his father’s words from earlier in the evening kept colliding with the image of

Eldoria Market in his mind.

Business.

People.

Profit.

Lives.

Where was the line?

And more importantly

Which side of it did he want to stand on?

Greg walked to the window again.

The glass was cool beneath his fingertips.

He stared down at the quiet street.

His reflection stared back at him.

For the first time, he didn’t see simply Holler Jason’s son.

He saw a man standing at the beginning of a decision that could change everything.

He didn’t know what he was going to do yet.

But one thing had become painfully clear.

He couldn’t simply sit back and watch Eldoria Market disappear.

Not anymore.

At 1:52 a.m., he finally returned to bed.

He turned off the lamp.

The room fell completely dark.

His thoughts continued racing.

But exhaustion was beginning to win.

He remembered his mother’s words one last time.

“The company needs someone who reminds it that it belongs to people.”

Greg closed his eyes.

Maybe that person didn’t have to be his mother.

Maybe it had to be him.

At exactly 2:03 a.m., after hours of fighting with his thoughts, Greg finally drifted into an uneasy

sleep.

But even then, Eldoria Market followed him into his dreams.

And somewhere beneath the exhaustion, beneath the confusion and beneath the fear of

standing against his father, one quiet thought remained.

I have to find another way.

He didn’t yet know what that way was.