LARISSA

Chapter 5

CLINT LAURENT

20 years ago.

"You've got this, Clint. I believe in you. You demonstrated your worth to me. You must prove to your father that you are worthy of being his son, that you are Clint Laurent. Come on," our mother, Veronica, said with a smile.

"D-Do you think father will... listen to me, mom?"

"Of course, he will.  You've shown that you're worthy of his trust, sweetie. Just trust me," my mother said as she wrapped her arms around me.

I sighed heavily. Mother is the one person who believes I can do big things that I am deserving of my father's trust. I've spent my entire life waiting for my father to recognize and rely on me. But fate is not on my side. I acknowledge that, unlike my younger brother, Franco, I acknowledge that I am not a great businessman. I was always bad at making decisions, especially when it came to business.

Unlike my brother, he never fails. He is usually excellent at everything he does. I can tell how much our father adores him. He is ecstatic about Franco. He never looked at me in that way. I'd never seen dad be proud of my minor achievements. For him, those minor accomplishments pale in comparison to what Franco has accomplished.

He has high expectations of me because I am older than Franco. But who can blame me if Franco is superior and more skilled than I am?

I've always been a follower of my younger brother's shadow. Nobody looked at me. No one is complimenting me on my efforts. Our mother is the only person who still cares about me.

Oh, I'm aware that my younger brother loves me. But with each day that he outperforms me, the affection I felt for my little brother fades. He's taking everything away from me. I'm filled with envious and jealousy of him. I saw him as an adversary rather than a brother. After years of my father ignoring me, I've developed a deep loathing for everything.

However, I still want to give my father another chance. It's impossible for him not to adore me. All I have to do now is acquire his trust.

So, just as Franco was ready to lose concentration on the business, I found out from our colleagues that my younger brother was seeing someone. I seized the opportunity to shine in front of my father's eyes. I want him to know that I, too, am capable.

I hired people to keep track of my younger brother's every move and plan.

"I heard Franco is due to meet Henry Tan," 

My eyes widened in surprise. "H-Henry Tan?  You're not joking, are you?"

"No, I'm not. And, yeah, you heard me correctly. Henry Tan, the second-richest man in the country,"

My lips quiver in terror. How in the world did my younger brother get an appointment with him? Henry Tan is a man on the go. How could an old, busy rich man discuss business with my younger brother? How could my brother do such a thing?

I'm sure they'll make plans to invest in something.

And my father will undoubtedly love it. Franco will surely make a father proud once more.

In frustration, I gritted my teeth. No. I couldn't allow the two to meet. I need to put a stop to them. I need to prove my importance to my father. I want him to be pleased with me as well. I want him to see what I'm doing!

So I sought the help of men who could damage the situation. I requested that they flatten Franco's tire. I don't want him to arrive at their meeting spot.

And it appears that faith is on my side. The mission was a success. Franco and Henry Tan didn't meet. My men even told me that Henry is mad and sees Franco as a red flag.

Many businessmen despise squandering their time. Time is money to them. That is their life motto.

And I'm confident that Henry will no longer give Franco a second chance. That's a good concept.

I do not despise my younger brother. But I'm starting to dislike him because he's always right and appears to be perfect.

He has it all: business, attractiveness, my father's attention, popularity... things I don't.

Following that incident, I learned that our father was disappointed with Franco. And I can't help but be happy.

That's exactly what I desired.

I saw this as an opportunity to attract my father's attention because the transaction between the two had fallen through.

“Father,”

"Please tell me whatever is going on at home.  I'm busy, Clint," my father already dismisses me.

I refused to let him devour me. I want him to realize that I'm not the Clint he once knew.

"Don't be concerned. All of this is relevant."

I noticed how I drew his attention to myself. I cleared my throat and began to talk. "I heard Henry Tan had cut our ties.  And I am well aware of how that has a significant impact on our image and market. Investors are beginning to withdraw."

"What's the deal, Clint?  I'm not joking."

"I'm the same way, father.  Allow me to speak first. If this trend continues, our stock will undoubtedly fall in value. And it's all because of Franco. He lowered his guard. I heard from colleagues that he is dating someone, which is why he was distracted."

My father has a solemn expression on his face as he looks at me. "Please don't tell me this is genuine,"

Inside my head, I grinned.

"Father, if you don't believe me, prove it to yourself.  Well, it's no longer my concern. What is crucial to me is the image of the WIC Company. The image of our company,"

He didn't say anything.

"However, we can yet save our faces from this shambles,"

"Wait, Clint, what do you mean?"

"I had a wonderful meeting with Sergio Spade. We met and discussed business. He intends to buy stock in the WIC."

I noticed my father's eyes expand in surprise. I knew my remarks had made an impression on him.

"Who is Sergio Spade?"

“ He may not be a wealthy and well-known businessman like Herny Tan, but he runs an international company. Not to mention the fact that he is a well-known public figure. For your information, he is also a billionaire."

Father seemed to be finding his voice. "Oh, I know Sergio Spade. Are you certain you have a deal with him?"

I want him to see how calm I am in this situation. “Yeah. If you don't believe me, go ahead and ask him."

"N-no, it's fine. So, if you've already spoken with Sergio Spade, I'll entrust you with this transaction. Clint, you must be cautious and serious about this. This is one of the year's largest transaction deals. I don't want you to fall short. This time, I'm going to give you a chance."

My eyes glowed. "Thank you, father."

After a few weeks, I successfully signed and finalized a contract with Sergio Spade.

I couldn't be more thrilled.

"See, your son is doing fine, too," my mother attempted to encourage me.

My father did not answer, but he appeared to be in good spirits.

And this is enough for me to know that he is not disappointed with me.

However, as we were about to complete the money transaction, we learned that Sergio Spade is not your average individual.

He's much more than that. He is the brains behind the country's largest syndicate. And they're attempting to seize our assets and money.

"If it weren't for Franco, our hard-earned money and business would vanish in an instant, Clint!  Do you see what I mean? How can you put your trust in just one person so quickly?" My father yelled at me.

I clenched my fist. Sergio is a dangerous guy who intends to take money from us, but it never occurred to me.

I'm depressed and devastated. “Please. Clint. Keep yourself separate from the business. This is not the place for you. Just... go!"

I felt hot liquids around my eyes. My mother hugged me and attempted to console me. "I'm sorry, Clint. Just try to understand  your father..."

I chuckled bitterly. Try to comprehend what?

My father plainly has no idea how hard I tried to make this transaction work. It's not my fault if Sergio is part of a criminal. Why can't my father see that I'm only trying to be relevant?

"Don't be concerned, father. I've already apologized to Henry Tan. I apologized to him and all. Now he wants to keep our agreement."

My father's demeanor quickly shifted. “Really? Oh, Franco, I'm so glad you're here!"

My brother smiled softly as he gazed at me.

I tried to return the smile, even though it hurt so much.

Franco, Franco, Franco! Franco, franco My younger brother's name was all I could hear!

I despise this f*****g life!

I was with my right-hand man after the shift.

“Boss… Wait, isn't that your brother?" He drew his lips together.

"I don't care,"

"No, you must see him and the woman he is currently with.  I'm sure they're in a relationship. I saw him kissing the woman,"

I raised a brow at him. "And o?  When it comes to business, I despise my brother. But when it comes to women, I don't give a f**k to his whereabouts,"

"I'm not sure if you can say it again..."

My brows merge into a single narrow line. "What exactly do you mean?"

I followed his gaze and noticed my brother holding hands with a woman. We are here on the roof of WIC Company. And I can see my brother clearly from here.

My pupils dilated when I noticed the woman he was with.

The woman is no other than... Alice! The woman I only loved. The woman I used to court a year ago!

My heart is filled with pain and hatred.

"Franco, you're really taking everything away from me!"