Chapter 227: Contracts, Eavesdroppers, and Family Secrets

Three days later, Eric, Melissa, Avery, and Katie gathered in the company conference room. Katie handed over three copies of the lease agreement, which Martin had signed earlier and a courier had just delivered back. Beside the documents on the table lay payment receipts for three years’ rent and a security deposit, both transferred to Martin’s account as soon as he signed. Once Eric, Melissa, and Avery added their signatures, Katie collected the finalized papers,

"Alright, all done! Congratulations, everyone, we’ve officially leased Mr. Martin’s building," Katie said with a warm smile, holding the stacked contracts in her hands.

"Finally... time to get down to business," Eric murmured with a breath of relief.

"Wait, why didn’t we sign the agreement in person? Wouldn’t it be more official if we all met up together?" Avery asked.

"Well, Mr. Martin isn’t an outsider. Besides the lease, he also signed a partnership agreement, right? Once this is out of the way, we’ll meet up at the new building to map out our programs and hash out the execution details," Melissa explained.

"Plus, regarding our future staff, Dad reached out to his former accountants, IT specialists, operations personnel, and other competent ex-employees, right? If I’m not mistaken, he reached out to about fifteen people who were eager to jump on board. So we can hold off on discussing our programs with Dad until the whole team is assembled—right, Katie?" Eric added, turning to her.

"Yep... our HR team is conducting interviews, and two people have already come in today thanks to Mr. Martin: one of his former in-house accountants and an IT specialist who built his company’s system back in the day," Katie answered, adjusting her glasses.

"Oh... so two people have joined already?" Avery asked.

"According to HR, they’re fully qualified with stellar resumes. My team is currently drafting their contracts," Katie replied.

"We’re also opening doors for former employees who lost their jobs when his company closed down and got acquired, but didn’t make the cut in the transition. So it’s a win-win for everyone," Eric added.

"Oh, right... Mr. Martin also suggested we host a fundraising event to attract new investors and build brand awareness," Melissa chimed in.

"Let’s put a pin in that for now. The office isn’t even ready yet—we still need to get in there and do the interior renovations," Eric countered.

"True, there’s still plenty to be done. Besides, I followed up on the foundation’s official permit, and it should be finalized by next week," Katie added.

"No snags, right?" Eric checked.

"All smooth... just waiting for the paperwork to clear, so don’t worry about it," Katie assured him.

"That’s great. Oh... I should head upstairs now, I think my husband is here to pick me up," Avery said.

Avery signaled to Eric, Melissa, and Katie with a subtle glance toward the frosted glass window. All three turned to look in that direction, spotting the silhouette of a man pressed against the frosted pane, hands cupped around his ears as if trying to eavesdrop on the conversation inside. Eric caught a few passing employees whispering and giggling at the sight.

"Give me a break..."

Eric stood up immediately, walked over to the door, pulled it open, and hauled the man, who indeed turned out to be Caleb, straight into the conference room,

"What on earth are you doing? If you came downstairs, just walk in! Why are you lurking around like a creep?" Eric scolded.

"Sorry... sorry! I just came back from Anthony’s office. There was an issue with the agreement and renegotiations with The Red Tide... not on our end, but from Trinity’s side," Caleb explained quickly.

"Oh... they’re moving over to our label, right?" Eric asked.

"Exactly. So I was helping Anthony talk directly to Trinity’s team. But everything’s sorted out now... so I just came down here, and since I didn’t want to interrupt, I peeked in," Caleb answered.

"Man, you’re the CEO! Aren’t you embarrassed having employees watch you spy on a conference room just because you weren’t invited to the meeting?" Eric teased.

"Hmm... good point. Didn’t think about that," Caleb replied sheepishly.

Caleb turned as Avery approached him, slinging her tote bag over her shoulder.

"Are Abby and her nanny upstairs?" Avery asked.

"Yeah... couldn’t really bring Abby into Anthony’s office," Caleb replied.

"Alright... let’s head upstairs and grab a bite together," Avery said, patting her bag.

"Yeah, go on up. Poor Abby’s up there all alone with the nanny," Eric urged.

"Alright... alright... Avery and I are heading up," Caleb agreed.

"Cool. And after you eat, wash your face. You look like a corpse that just got reanimated," Eric cracked.

"You’re a pain. Fine, I’ll wash my face. Avery and I are outta here," Caleb shot back.

Caleb stepped out with Avery. Eric shut the door behind them and sat back down next to Melissa. But the second his back hit the chair, "riiiing," his smartphone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, Ruby’s name flashed across the display. Eric picked up,

"Eriiiic!"

Eric yanked the phone away from his ear as Ruby’s piercing squeal blasted through the receiver. Bringing the phone back closer, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps, hurried breathing, and loud background noise, sounds like she was at school, since Ruby and the six girls still had two weeks left before holiday break.

"What’s the big deal... why are you screaming out of nowhere? You’re gonna blow my eardrums out," Eric complained.

"Hey... what is going on with Dad?! For the past two days, he’s been calling me non-stop out of nowhere and being super attentive... plus he sounds so energized and happy... then last night I went over because he kept calling, and he was acting like a hyper kid who just got something he always wanted... and he kept smiling... isn’t that weird?!" Ruby blurted out.

"Oh... that. Don’t worry about it. He just landed something great, but for now, it’s better if you don’t pry into it," Eric replied, rubbing his forehead and leaning back into his seat.

"Ugh... but it’s so weird! What actually happened? Don’t keep secrets from me!" Ruby demanded.

"It’s a long story... let’s talk later, okay?" Eric deflected.

"Fine! I’m coming to your office later, and you’re spilling everything," Ruby snapped before hanging up.

"Sigh." Eric let out a long breath and tossed his smartphone onto the table. He turned to see Melissa and Katie staring at him.

"Ruby?" Melissa asked.

"Yep... you could hear her?" Eric checked.

"Of course... her phone voice is still super shrill, totally different from when she sings in the studio or on stage... What was that about? Why is she so worked up?" Melissa asked.

"About Dad," Eric answered.

Eric relayed everything Ruby had just told him. Melissa burst into a wide grin, and Katie adjusted her glasses with an equally amused smile.

"Is that ’something great’ Aunt Miranda?" Melissa asked cheekily.

"Well... yeah. Yesterday when we were calling back and forth to revise the paperwork over the phone, he sounded like he was at a restaurant, and you could faintly hear Aunt Miranda’s voice in the background," Eric admitted.

"Hmm... interesting. Don’t worry, it’s totally legal. Aunt Miranda is Emma’s mom, and your dad shares no blood relation with you, so it won’t mess with your relationship with Emma. Besides, they’re both single," Katie remarked with a laugh.

"Don’t even stress about it. Katie’s right, Mr. Martin and Aunt Miranda are both single, so there’s zero issue. Besides, it’s pretty unlikely Mr. Martin is looking to take things any further right now. On top of having just met her, he’s fresh off a divorce, so he definitely needs time to process everything," Melissa added.

"Yeah... true. My concern is that he might just be looking for a rebound by getting close to Aunt Miranda," Eric noted.

"Hmm... personally, I don’t think so. He’s not chasing after Aunt Miranda. Ruby said he was energized and acting like a kid who just got something he wanted, right? That clearly isn’t about Aunt Miranda. It’s a sign that he’s starting to move on and is just genuinely happy to have someone he can talk to as an equal... so if you ask me, just let it be. And when Ruby gets here, there’s no need to mention Aunt Miranda at all," Melissa advised.

"Exactly right. So there’s really nothing to worry about. Besides, from a legal standpoint, there’s no issue whatsoever if they do end up together down the road," Katie added, pushing up her glasses.

"Yeah, I guess... I think I’m just overthinking it because it feels super weird to me imagining Dad and Aunt Miranda actually being together. It’s just a bizarre thought for me," Eric admitted.

"Hahaha... I get it. It’s completely natural for you to feel that way," Melissa laughed.

"When Ruby comes by later, just keep quiet about this. I’m only reminding you because if you tell her, she might not take it as well, just like you," Katie cautioned.

"Yeah... I got it," Eric replied softly, lost in thought as he leaned back casually in his chair.