Chapter 1230: I hope you don’t regret what you just said

"Yes, of course. I’ve got my coffee. And I got my little kitten back. Let’s go, Trainee. Time for you to bathe in my wisdom and guidance again."

Jonathan deadpanned and glanced at William.

"Haha. He wouldn’t save you," Dean laughed, noticing Jonathan’s subtle reaction. "Director William has other places to be right now."

His playful gaze then landed on William again. "Director, someone is calling for you."

"Someone is calling for me? Hah! Director Dean, who do you think dares summon me this early in the morning?" William scoffed. "Unless, of course, Zoren has returned from his trip. Aside from him, who would be bold enough to call me at their convenience?"

Dean just laughed, his mouth stretching from ear to ear until his eyes were mere slits. His expression alone was enough to make anyone suspicious—like he had just picked up a dangerous weapon he could wave around recklessly.

"Oh, Uncle. I hope you don’t regret what you just said," he remarked with a mischievous giggle. "I’ll see you in thirty minutes. Let’s go, Trainee. Once you’re old enough, you can have coffee with the big boys. It’s still too early for you right now."

Jonathan secretly rolled his eyes before reluctantly following Dean to their department. And sure enough, when he sat down in his cubicle, a mountain of work was waiting for him.

---

Thirty Minutes Later

In the top-floor conference room, William walked in and stopped in his tracks. Not only were the stakeholders present, but several familiar faces from different branches of the Pierson Family were also in attendance. Dean was already there, smiling and waving at him.

William snorted and took a step inside—only to stop again.

He flinched when he caught sight of a small figure seated at the head of the table. As his gaze slowly traveled upward, his breath hitched.

There, in the head seat, was none other than Old Mrs. Pierson, the chairwoman.

The old woman stomped her cane on the floor, her fierce eyes locked onto William. "What are you still standing there for, boy? Take a seat so we can start this meeting. I didn’t know William has had this so much influence that he makes people wait for him now."

"Hehe. Madam Chair, I think Director William is just surprised," Dean commented happily. "After all, he only considers Zoren Pierson the one person in the world who can command him."

"Hah!" The old woman let out a single sharp laugh before fixing her gaze back on William. "Is that so?"

’That brat!!’William almost choked, his face turning red as he glared at Dean, the cunning fox.

What William and Jonathan thought would be a smooth five days had changed completely on the very first day.

Old Mrs. Pierson had told her grandson and the Bennet children that she would let others handle Pierson Corporation matters. However, she never mentioned that those people were merely assistants—she was still the one in charge.

She might have been old, but she wasn’t about to make a mistake.

Even so, as a woman who once dominated the business world and had Pierson Corporation at her feet for decades, managing these affairs wasn’t difficult. All she had to do was stomp her cane—a warning and a reminder that she was present and everyone needed to get themselves together.

Especially William Pierson, whom the Old Madam was watching closely. As for Jonathan, Dean kept a close eye on him. If one didn’t know better, one might mistake Dean for a clingy lover who couldn’t stand being apart from him.

In other words, it had been hell for everyone—so much so that William wished Zoren would return soon.

---

[Present Time]

"Uh." Finn rocked his head, staring at the diabolical look plastered on Dean’s face. Dean hadn’t gone into detail about what had been happening at the office, but Finn could already grasp the situation. If Dean was making that face, Finn was certain there was nothing to worry about anymore.

"Since I’m reassured that you survived the past five days, I’m leaving," Finn said, preparing to get up. "I still have my last therapy session, so I won’t take up any more of your time."

Dean smacked his lips, snapping out of his happy thoughts. "I guess the wedding’s coming up soon, huh?" He wiggled his brows knowingly. "Considering you’ve fully recovered now."

"I wish." Finn flashed a smile before Dean furrowed his brows. "Ever since Nina and I got engaged, I haven’t had a proper meeting with her family. I still need to earn their approval before I can walk her down the aisle."

"Haha." Dean laughed mockingly. "Why do you need that? It’s not like you’re marrying them."

Finn maintained a patient smile, knowing that some things—even for a genius like Dean—were hard to understand. "I’m not marrying them, but they hold a significant place in my fiancée’s life. Their opinion of me is important to her, so it’s important to me. You don’t have to understand that, Dean."

"It’s your life. Who am I to argue?"

"That’s right. It is my life. And even if you wanted to argue, you wouldn’t be able to—you can’t argue against something you don’t understand," Finn said as he rose to his feet, flashing Dean one last smile. "After all, you’ve never been in a relationship before."

"I have."

"I meant a real relationship—one founded on love, not calculation and personal gain." Finn shrugged. "Good to see you doing well, Dean."

With that, Finn walked away, leaving Dean idling in his seat. As the door closed behind him, Dean tilted his head slightly.

"A real relationship?" he scoffed. "Ever since his accident, he’s been acting strange."

But then again, Dean wasn’t in a position to meddle in Finn’s personal affairs. If it were a business decision, perhaps he would—but they both made a habit of staying out of each other’s personal lives.

"A real... relationship..." he murmured, his eyes lowering as his thoughts drifted elsewhere. "For some reason, he’s starting to sound like Belle."

The last time Dean had seen and spoken to Belle hadn’t ended well for either of them.

After a moment, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. His thumb hovered over Belle’s number, hesitating to make the call. But then, considering all the hurtful things he had said to her—how he had dismissed everything she tried to tell him—he pressed the call button.

At the end of the day, Belle was like a big sister to him. And unlike the rest of his family, Dean had a conscience.