“Burn those who burned me!” Chapter 43

***Jameson Granger’s POV:***

It’s been over two years since that ungrateful brat left the estate. She’s just like her mother! She thinks she’s smarter and better than me! If it hadn’t been for me needing to keep face, I would have disowned her all together. Still, even I can’t deny how brilliant she is. JGP will most certainly benefit from her.

Sigh, she really is just like her mother…

As Jameson went over the latest reports, his business partner Edward came into his office with a look of excitement.

*“Jameson! You’re never going to believe this! Guess who wants to have a meeting with us?”*

Jameson looked up at his business partner with an inpatient expression, he hated suspense.

*“Well, who is it?”*

Edward let out a light chuckle, he was used to his partner being rash. Sitting in the chair, he ran his fingers through his hair.

*“Ethan. Fucking. Taylor.”*

It took Jameson a moment to process what he was hearing. Ethan Taylor, THEE Ethan Taylor as in the chairman of ETP Pharmaceuticals and the youngest chairman in the entire world. For years ETP has been the highest rated pharmaceutical and bio-chemical corporation throughout the world, and he was a pioneering genius.

*“Are you saying that Ethan Taylor wants to collaborate with us? You’re sure?”*

Edward’s face lit up. He began to fill Jameson in on everything.

*“So that’s the gist of it. He want’s a meeting with us tomorrow afternoon.”*

That night, Jameson couldn’t wait to share the news with his family.

*“Honey that’s wonderful!”*

Anna’s eyes beamed with joy as Jameson informed her and Sophie about ETP’s chairman.

Anna had been with Jameson for over 17 years. They first met one morning at a coffee shop. She’d accidentally spilled her orange juice on him and offered to help him clean up. What Jameson didn’t know was that their chance encounter had been thoroughly planned out by Anna. She’d seen him several times at that coffee shop and later learned he was a biochemist. It didn’t bother her that he was married to a pioneering genius like Caroline Rouleau. Like most men, she knew he probably hated living in the shadows of his wife.

Frome the moment she met him, she made sure to appear as submissive, demure, and innocent as possible stroking Jameson’s ego at every turn. This caused Jameson to fall head over heels in love with her. He’d got her pregnant the same month he and Caroline announced her pregnancy. For years, she played the role of the dutiful mistress, never wavering or placing pressure on him to leave his wife.

She knew how influential Caroline was so if it ever had come out about an affair, that would hurt Jameson. By now, he’d already formed JGP, and she was not about to allow any demise. Besides, as long as his heart belonged to her and the child they shared, nothing else mattered. After Caroline’s fatal crash, Jameson immediately moved both her and their daughter into his estate and married her. He also legally adopted Sophie and changed her last name to Granger. Finally, all of her hard work had paid off, not to mention, she and Sophie had finally ran off that dreadful daughter of his. Now, she beamed proudly as her husband was on his way to landing the greatest merger their company had ever seen, and Sophie would be the one to inherit it all.

The next morning, both Sophie and Anna made sure Jameson had everything he needed. From a hearty breakfast to his clothing, they’d spent the entire morning catering directly to him. In his smugness, Jameson relished it.

*‘This is how you’re supposed to treat the man of the house. Not like that wretched Clara or Caroline.’*

As Jameson finished his coffee, Sophie came out with his briefcase while Anna opened a small gift box. Inside were diamond encrusted cufflinks with the initials JP on them.

*“I brought something for your special day my love. Wear these and think only of me and Sophie, your good luck charms.”*

As Anna placed the cufflinks on Jameson’s suit jacket, he couldn’t help but gleam with arrogant pride. ‘That’s right! I’m the king! No more being overshadowed by that wretched woman, and I’ll make sure to take every bit of credit for that girl. Afterall, if it weren’t for me being her father, what would she have.’

Jameson’s smug thoughts followed him all the way to the office. Once he arrived, Edward immediately began going over what the primary focus of the meeting should be.

*“So, I think if we keep him interested in what we’ve been working on regarding our nano technology as well as vaccines we should definitely be able to maintain his interest as well as broker a deal!”*

Jameson paid little attention to what Edward was speaking on. He’d convinced himself that Taylor was coming to work with him because his own genius.

‘He may be the youngest chairman, but I’ve got years of experience!’

As Edward finished the planned proposal, Jameson looked slightly annoyed.

*“Edward, while I appreciate this proposal, we mustn’t forget, Taylor came to US! So, I don’t want to appear as if we are begging for his business. He clearly concluded he needed the assistance of JGP. We’ll be prepared, but we won’t grovel.”*

Edward felt a surge of annoyance, although he loved working at JGP, it was no secret Jameson had the ego of a thousand men. And while many respected Jameson for the work he did and forming the group, Edward knew the truth. If it weren’t for the brilliance of Caroline, JGP would not have existed. During the startup, she’d singlehandedly structured and created their entire bio-labs, not to mention, it was her revered brilliance that brokered many of their investors. Though it was true Jameson was highly intelligent, he’d rode off the back of his first wife’s brilliance. Over the years, it became clear that his inferiority out wayed his admiration and his greed and arrogance out wayed his common sense.

Still, JGP needed this contract, though the company was successful, it had grown stagnated. ETP monopolized a large sector in pharmaceuticals making it difficult for them to expand to other regions. Over the past several years, many hospitals, clinics, and companies praised ETP on their effective and inexpensive medications.

Many facilities praised ETP abilities to care about the quality and healing structures of their patients while maintaining cost and care. There was certainly no way JGP could compete, but they most certainly could benefit from a collaboration. Edward took a deep breath, hoping Jameson would listen to bottom-line above everything else.

*“Jameson, I’m not looking to grovel, but I think we should be realistic here. I’m not sure why Taylor is wanting this meeting, but I think we should stick to what makes us unique so we can secure this deal.”*

Though annoyed, Jameson reluctantly agreed, Edward wasn’t wrong about them needing this deal, but he would not allow Taylor to make a fool of him.

At exactly 2pm, Ethan Taylor arrived at JGP for his meeting with Jameson. Throughout the past several years, Ethan watched the development of JGP with little admiration. He’d been a huge fan of Caroline Rouleau’s work and her medicinal breakthroughs. After her death, he watched with irritation as Jameson Granger made one greedy decision after another in an attempt to only secure financial increasement. No longer did the company have someone that cared about the progression of medicine and curing illnesses.

That was until he’d learned about Clara Granger.