Chapter 154

“Resignation?” Calen’s eyes widened, his voice laced with disbelief as he stared at his father. “Father—are you kidding me? If you are, this isn’t funny.”

Renard Weiss didn’t respond. Instead, he tossed a piece of paper across the desk; it landed neatly in front of Calen.

Calen snatched it up, his eyes darting over the contents. The words blurred momentarily, but the neat handwriting and signature at the bottom were unmistakable. Resignation Letter. Two weeks’ notice.

Calen’s grip tightened, his knuckles turning white. “She’s leaving,” he breathed, a flicker of something raw in his eyes. His hands shook slightly. “She’s actually leaving?”

Renard’s eyes flicked up, cold and steady. “It seems so,” he muttered, leaning back with a tired sigh. “She submitted her reports and handed over everything related to the Macau Project. All that’s left is for her to finish her two weeks and walk away. I already signed her resignation.”

Calen’s jaw clenched. “This is absurd! Why would you sign this?” he snapped, tossing the paper back onto the desk. “Why is she doing this?”

Renard watched him, fingers steepled beneath his chin. “It’s not hard to figure out,” he said slowly. “You took over her project—the one she built from scratch. Frankly, I’m surprised you thought she would stay.”

Calen’s fists clenched, his eyes narrowing. “She’s leaving over that? Just because I took over one project? Father, she’s been working here for years. She didn’t leave when she discovered that thing about Monica, yet now—” He trailed off.

Renard exhaled sharply. “Don’t be naive,” he muttered. “This isn’t about one project. You’ve been undermining her for months. It was only a matter of time.” He drummed his fingers on the desk, his gaze sharp. “Besides, it’s not like she needs this job.”

Calen’s eyes flashed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Renard arched a brow, unimpressed. “Exactly what I said,” he replied. “She’s a Rossi. She could walk into any boardroom in the country and have a seat at the table. The job needs her, not the other way around. Also, she now has a significant number of shares. She knew what would make her more money.”

Calen’s breath hitched, his hands flexing. His glare darkened, but he couldn’t muster a response. He knew it was true.

Renard’s gaze grew colder. “You’re in this position because of her,” he said bluntly. “More than half the projects you’ve completed were based on her proposals. Do you honestly think the board doesn’t know that?”

Calen’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

Renard leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve been coasting on her work for years,” he continued. “This was bound to happen eventually.”

Calen gritted his teeth, a faint tremor running through his shoulders. The truth stung more than he wanted to admit.

Renard’s eyes flickered with something cold and calculating. “Focus on maintaining your relationship with Pamella Johnson and the Johnson family,” he instructed smoothly. “I’ll back you up and handle the rest.”

Calen’s head snapped up, his eyes glinting with something dark and bitter. “So that’s it?” he growled. “You put me in charge of the Macau Project just to please Pamella and her family? Not because of my skills?”

Renard’s silence was damning.

Calen’s lips curled into a bitter snarl, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists. “Unbelievable,” he muttered. “So that’s all I am, huh? A pawn in your business deals?”

Renard’s eyes narrowed. “If that’s what it takes to stabilize this company, then yes,” he replied coldly. “The Johnsons are the only thing keeping us afloat. So unless you have a better plan, I suggest you start acting like a Vice President and less like a petulant child.”

Calen sucked in a breath, his teeth grinding audibly. He turned sharply and stormed out, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the windows.

Renard exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. The resignation letter lay crumpled on his desk.

Izzy was almost at the elevators when a hand grabbed her arm.

She flinched, her eyes narrowing as she was pulled into a quiet alcove. The shock was brief, replaced by a cold glare as she met Calen’s eyes.

“You’re leaving?!” he snapped. “What the hell are you thinking, Izzy?”

Izzy’s eyes flickered to his hand, her gaze turning icy. She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened.

“Let go,” she bit out. “This is not appropriate.”

Calen’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t move. “I’ll let go when I want to,” he ground out. “Answer me first. Are you seriously leaving the company?”

Izzy huffed inwardly, her expression remaining cold and composed. “You already read the notice, didn’t you?” she countered smoothly. “Then you should already know the answer.”

Calen’s grip tightened, his eyes narrowing further. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” he growled. “Do you have any idea what leaving like this will do to the project? To the people working under you?”

Izzy snorted softly. “That’s not my problem,” she replied. “You’re in charge now. Aren’t you supposed to handle things like this?”

Calen’s eyes flashed with something dark and furious. “You—”

Izzy arched her brow, unbothered by his glare. “If you’re done,” she said sharply, tugging her arm. “Let go.”

Calen scoffed, but he didn’t release her. “How can you be so damn selfish?” he snapped. “Do you even realize how many people are going to be affected by this? You’ve got teams relying on you—departments that can’t function without your input!”

“Then you better step up, Vice President,” she said, a faint smirk playing on her lips. “After all, isn’t that your job now?”

Calen’s teeth ground together. “Stop acting like this,” he snapped. “You can’t just walk out because you’re pissed off. This isn’t some petty argument—you’re abandoning an entire team!”

Izzy’s smile didn’t waver. “That team is your responsibility now,” she pointed out lightly. “Not mine. I did my part—I handed over all the files and briefed your assistant. What happens next is up to you.”

“So that’s it, huh? You’re just going to walk away and leave everyone else to clean up the mess?”

Izzy’s eyes narrowed. “What mess?” she asked smoothly. “Everything’s in order. Or are you admitting you can’t handle it?”

Disbelief flashed in Calen’s eyes. “So that’s how it is… you wanted me to beg,” he said, finally releasing her arm. “You wanted me to beg you. You wanted that power… didn’t you?”

Izzy only smirked. “I’ve seen shamelessness in many forms, Mr. Weiss, but yours… yours is a cut above the rest.”

“Please stop wasting my time,” Izzy said, batting her eyes almost innocently. “I still have tasks to delegate. Two weeks is just two weeks. After that, I’m gone. I can’t actually leave without training a few people, right?”