Jason laid on his bed, though his eyes were closed, his mind was wide awake, replaying the events of the previous day. The shock, the anger, the disbelief—it was all a blur. He was now the CEO of Harrison Technologies and a billionaire. The thought was so absurd it was almost laughable.
He finally dragged himself out of bed and went to the kitchen, the aroma of fresh coffee guiding him. Alice was already there, leaning against the counter with a mug in her hands.
"Morning," she said, her voice soft.
"Is it?" Jason replied, pouring himself a cup. "I'm still not sure yesterday was real."
"It was real, Jason," Alice confirmed. "All of it."
Jason took a sip of his coffee, the bitter liquid doing little to clear his head. "He should have left it to you, Alice. You were the one who stayed, the one who worked alongside him. You deserve it."
Alice shook her head firmly. "No. Dad knew what he was doing. He wanted you to have it. Maybe this was his way of trying to make things right."
Before Jason could argue, he heard voices coming from the living room. He walked past the open doorway and saw Victoria, Nathan, and Stacey huddled with the family lawyer.
"There must be a way to contest it!" Victoria insisted, her voice shrill. "To prove he wasn't of sound mind!"
The lawyer sighed, a look of weary patience on his face. "Mrs. Harrison, as I've explained, the will is ironclad. It was witnessed by multiple parties, and Mr. Harrison had a full psychiatric evaluation six months ago when he made the changes. There are no grounds for a challenge."
A small, satisfying smile touched Jason's lips. That was one good thing to come out of this mess. He stepped into the room, his presence immediately silencing the conversation.
"I want you all out of this house by tomorrow," he said, his voice cold and steady.
Victoria scoffed. "You can't just throw us out!"
"Actually, I can," Jason retorted. "This is my house now. Be gone by noon." He turned and walked away, leaving them sputtering in indignation.
An hour later, he and Alice were in a car heading toward the Harrison Technologies headquarters. As they walked through the gleaming glass doors of the lobby, a hush fell over the bustling space. All eyes were on him, a mixture of curiosity, suspicion, and awe in their gazes. Jason felt a fresh wave of unease as they took the private elevator to the top floor.
The executive floor was a hive of quiet, focused activity. Alice led him to the main boardroom where the company's top executives were gathered. They all stood politely as he entered, but their expressions were guarded, their handshakes brief. They saw him not as a leader, but as an interloper.
After the stiff introductions, Jason went to his father's—now his—office. It was a large, corner office with panoramic views of the city. Behind the enormous desk sat Mary, his father's assistant. She was just as he remembered from the funeral preparations—coldly professional.
"Mr. Harrison," she greeted him, her voice flat. "Ms. Harrison asked me to prepare these preliminary reports for your review."
"Thank you, Mary," Jason said, again sensing her barely concealed dislike but choosing not to address it.
Later that afternoon, Jason found himself in front of a wall of cameras for a press conference. Alice stood beside him, a reassuring presence. She handled most of the questions with practiced ease, speaking of a smooth transition and a continued commitment to Richard Harrison's vision.
"Mr. Harrison," a bold journalist called out, "can you comment on the nature of your relationship with your father in the years preceding his death? Is it true you were estranged?"
Before Jason could form a response, Alice stepped to the microphone. "We are here today to discuss the future of Harrison Technologies, not to rehash private family matters. Next question."
That night, Jason collapsed into his bed at the mansion, utterly exhausted. The following two weeks were a grueling ordeal. He existed as a passive observer in his own company, sitting in on meetings he didn't understand, reviewing documents filled with jargon he couldn't decipher. He could feel the lack of respect from every corner. The executives treated him like a child, the media painted him as an unqualified heir, and he even overheard employees gossiping by the water cooler.
"There's no way he can fill his father's shoes," one said. "He's been gone for years and knows nothing about the company. Someone like Mr. Mercer should be in charge."
One evening, Jason was in his office, rubbing his temples, feeling the weight of it all crashing down on him. Mary entered without knocking, her arms full of folders which she dropped onto his desk with a thud.
"These need your signature by morning," she stated.
"Can't it wait?" Jason asked, his voice strained.
"The board meeting is tomorrow at nine. They can't," she replied coldly.
Jason finally snapped. He looked up at her, his eyes narrowed. "Do you have a problem with me, Mary?"
She met his gaze without flinching. "I don't have a 'problem,' Mr. Harrison."
"Don't lie to me," Jason pushed. "I've felt it since the day I came back. Just say it."
A switch seemed to flip behind her stoic facade. "Fine," she said, her voice laced with the frustration she had clearly been suppressing. "You want me to say it? You're not meant to run this company. You know nothing about technology, nothing about business, and nothing about finance. I spent years watching your father dedicate his entire life to building this empire, working himself into an early grave. I don't understand why he would leave it all to you—the son who abandoned him. If he wanted it to stay in the family, he should have left it to Alice. She's competent. Or he should have left it to someone who could actually lead, someone like Alexander Mercer." With that, she turned on her heel and left, closing the door softly behind her.
Her words echoed in the silent office, each one a confirmation of his own deepest fears. He sat there for hours, staring at the city lights, the unsigned folders forgotten on his desk.
A soft knock came at the door. "Jason?" It was Alex.
"Come in, Uncle Alex," Jason said, his voice hollow.
Alex entered, his expression concerned. "Are you alright, son? You look like you're carrying the weight of the world."
Tears welled in Jason's eyes. "She's right, Alex. Mary. The employees. They're all right. I can't do this. I'm not him."
"It takes time, Jason," Alex said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Your father was a giant, but you don't have to be him overnight. You'll get the hang of it."
"No," Jason said, shaking his head. "I won't. I was never supposed to. My father made a mistake." He stood up, a new, strange resolve in his eyes. "The company needs someone qualified, someone who knows what they're doing. Someone the employees already respect. Someone like you, Alex."
"Jason, don't be ridiculous," Alex began, but Jason cut him off.
"I'm not. I've made a decision. I'm giving the company to you."
"You can't be serious," Alex protested. "This is your legacy!"
"It's his legacy, not mine," Jason said, his voice firm. "I'm adamant. I'll have the lawyers draw up the papers tomorrow. We can sign everything over by the end of the day."
He walked past a stunned Alexander and out of the office. For the first time in weeks, Jason felt a sense of relief. He left the building, a feeling of freedom washing over him as he stepped into the cool night air. The pressure was gone. He was free.
Suddenly, his vision tunneled, the city lights blurring into streaks. A sharp pain lanced through his head, and the world around him tilted violently before everything went black.