Chapter 4 - The Shadow of the Past
The news of Grant Holloway’s sudden change of heart did not remain private for long.
By four o'clock that afternoon, rumors were sweeping through the forty-third floor of Holloway Development like fire through dry prairie grass.
"He took a cleaning woman to lunch?" Arthur Pendelton, the head of acquisitions, asked as he leaned against Claire’s desk in the executive hallway. "Grant Holloway? The man who docked my department’s budget by four hundred thousand dollars last quarter because our paper usage was eight percent over projection?"
Claire didn't look up from her monitor. "He took an employee to clear up a administrative misunderstanding, Arthur. Go back to your office."
"He canceled the New York banking delegation!" Arthur hissed, lowering his voice. "Van Ness called me personally from his cell phone in a rage! He said Grant walked out of the building with a woman in a faded coat and a little kid!"
The door to Grant’s inner office opened.
Arthur snapped his mouth shut, straightening his tie instantly.
Grant stepped out, holding a thick stack of blueprinted site plans under his arm. His face had returned to its usual unreadable mask, but there was an energy in his stride that had been missing for months.
"Arthur," Grant said, stopping in front of the acquisitions head.
"Grant! I was just... checking on the revised harbor projections—"
"I don't care about the harbor projections right now," Grant interrupted calmly. "Call Van Ness back. Tell him if he wants the Chicago port contract, he will fly back here on Friday morning at eight. If he refuses, tell him I'll fund the initial phase out of my personal equity line and buy his bank out of the second phase entirely."
Arthur blinked, stunned. "You... you'd risk twenty million in personal equity?"
"It's not a risk if you know the property's value better than they do," Grant said smoothly. "Claire, where is the file for the Oak Street residential complex?"
"On your desk, top left," Claire replied, a subtle, approving smile touching the corners of her lips.
"Good. I'm going to inspect the site personally."
"You haven't done a site inspection on a residential building in six years, Grant," Claire pointed out.
"Then I'm six years overdue," Grant said.
He turned toward the private elevator, but stopped before pressing the call button. He looked back at Claire.
"Claire."
"Yes?"
"Have accounting process the medical benefit papers for Rachel Bennett by five o'clock today. If there's any bureaucratic delay from the insurance carrier, pay the pharmacy bills directly out of the executive discretionary fund."
"Already done," Claire said softly.
Grant nodded once, stepped into the elevator, and disappeared as the brass doors slid shut.
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Arthur turned back to Claire, looking utterly bewildered. "Who was that man? And what did he do with Grant Holloway?"
Claire turned back to her computer keyboard, her fingers flying over the keys. "He just remembered who he was before he got rich, Arthur. Now get out of my hallway."
