Free Web NovelChapter 38: The Owner Steps In!
Luca Hale never expected to witness a scene like this inside a hospital.
The corridor outside the administrative offices was spotless and quiet, polished floors reflecting the bright overhead lights. Yet despite the professional setting, the argument unfolding before him felt more like something out of a corporate battlefield.
Miss Brooks stood rigidly near the doorway, her expression tight with disgust.
As the regional sales director for Octaveo Pharmaceutical, she was accustomed to difficult negotiations. But Sebastian Caldwell wasn’t negotiating. He was cornering her.
What made it worse was the smug confidence written all over his face.
"Sebastian Caldwell, do you ever listen to yourself?" Miss Brooks snapped. "Everything coming out of your mouth is disgusting."
Sebastian leaned casually against the mahogany doorframe, completely unfazed.
A cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Disgusting?" he repeated. "I’m being realistic."
His eyes narrowed.
"Your company is tearing itself apart right now. Everyone in the industry knows it. If Chairwoman Vivienne loses control of the board, a lot of people beneath her are going down with her."
Miss Brooks’ expression darkened.
Sebastian chuckled.
"When that happens, let’s see how long your current position lasts."
The threat was obvious.
Kanda Hospital was one of the largest medical institutions in San Fierro. Landing its supply contracts would bring enormous revenue to any pharmaceutical company. As Head of Procurement, Sebastian controlled a considerable amount of influence over who received those contracts and who didn’t.
That influence had clearly gone to his head.
"Let me make this simple," Sebastian continued calmly. "No purchasing order gets approved without passing through my department. That’s the reality."
"Oh?"
A voice suddenly interrupted.
"Judging from the way you’re talking, you’d think you personally owned the hospital."
Both of them turned.
A handsome young man strolled down the corridor with his hands in his pockets, looking completely relaxed.
Luca Hale.
He had originally been heading toward the restroom after finishing his meeting with Director Harrington.
Then he’d heard the name Octaveo Pharmaceutical.
That alone was enough to catch his attention.
After all, the system had recently granted him a 15% stake in the company. While he hadn’t yet investigated Octaveo’s internal situation, it was obvious from this conversation that there was much more happening beneath the surface than public reports suggested. freewēbnoveℓ.com
’Interesting.’
The deeper the water, the bigger the fish hiding underneath.
And Luca had never been the type to avoid deep water.
Miss Brooks studied him carefully.
She didn’t recognize him.
Yet something about his composure felt unusual.
Most people avoided getting involved when Sebastian started throwing his weight around. This stranger had walked directly into the confrontation without the slightest hesitation.
For some reason, she found herself paying closer attention.
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed.
He had noticed Luca standing nearby earlier but hadn’t paid him much attention.
Now the guy was inserting himself into business that had nothing to do with him.
Bad move.
"You got something to say, kid?" Sebastian asked coldly.
Luca smiled faintly.
"Not much."
He took another step forward.
"I don’t know who you are."
"And honestly, I don’t care."
The smile vanished.
"But based on everything I’ve heard in the last few minutes, I can confidently say you’re not qualified to be making decisions inside a hospital."
The atmosphere instantly chilled.
Several nearby employees stopped walking.
Others peeked out from office doors.
Then Luca pointed toward the elevators.
"Pack your things and get out of my building."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the air seemed to freeze.
The surrounding staff stared at Luca in disbelief.
Had this guy lost his mind?
Everyone in the administrative wing knew Sebastian Caldwell.
Not because they respected him.
Because they avoided him.
The procurement chief had spent years throwing his influence around, and very few people were willing to challenge him openly.
Yet this young man had just told him to get out.
A few senior clerks standing near the back exchanged glances.
Unlike everyone else, they immediately recognized Luca.
He was the same young man Director Harrington had personally escorted into the executive offices earlier that morning.
The same young man Harrington had treated with extraordinary respect.
Their eyes lit up.
Maybe things were about to get interesting.
Sebastian’s face darkened.
The calm arrogance he’d been wearing moments ago disappeared.
"What did you just say?"
Luca remained expressionless.
"You heard me."
A dangerous look flashed through Sebastian’s eyes.
Across the corridor, several staff members instinctively took a step backward.
Unlike the loud, arrogant executives people saw in movies, Sebastian was at his worst when he became quiet.
"You’ve got guts," he said softly.
"Most people around here know when to mind their own business."
His gaze swept over Luca.
Designer clothes.
Expensive watch.
Confident posture.
Clearly wealthy.
But Sebastian wasn’t impressed.
Rich kids appeared everywhere.
Money alone didn’t earn respect.
"You should be careful," he continued.
"My father sits on the executive board. Creating trouble for me isn’t going to end well for you."
Miss Brooks frowned.
There it was.
The card Sebastian always played.
Not often.
But whenever he did, people usually backed off.
Luca didn’t.
Instead, he looked almost amused.
"I don’t work here."
The words caught Sebastian off guard.
For a brief moment, a victorious smile appeared on his face.
Exactly what he expected.
Some rich outsider trying to play hero.
Pathetic.
Then Luca continued.
"I don’t work here because I own the place."
The smile disappeared.
"So let’s be precise."
Luca’s gaze turned icy.
"I acquired controlling ownership of San Fierro Kanda Hospital yesterday."
"Which means this entire facility belongs to me."
The corridor exploded into stunned silence.
Everyone froze.
Miss Brooks’ eyes widened.
The young man she’d assumed was some wealthy bystander was claiming ownership of one of the most prestigious hospitals in the city.
At first, it sounded absurd.
Then she remembered something.
Director Harrington.
The confidence.
The way he carried himself.
The complete lack of hesitation.
Slowly, suspicion began forming in her mind.
’Who exactly is this man...?’
Behind the crowd, the senior clerks felt realization crash into them.
Now everything made sense.
Director Harrington hadn’t been showing respect to some influential young master.
He had been showing respect to the hospital’s owner.
Sebastian’s confidence finally wavered.
Only slightly.
But it was there.
A flicker of uncertainty.
Luca looked far too calm.
Far too certain.
Still, Sebastian refused to believe it.
No twenty-something-year-old could simply buy a hospital of this scale overnight.
Impossible.
His jaw tightened.
Then he pointed directly at Luca.
"You’re lying."
The veins in his neck bulged.
"Spreading rumors inside this hospital won’t save you."
His voice rose sharply.
"Do you really think I can’t have security drag you out of here right now?"
