His Naughty Lessons

** Harper **

Harper studied the man in front of her dubiously. He was surely in a good mood, to still be up for more mind games after that hell of a gala.

"Eli never wanted that position at your company," she said. That much was a statement of the obvious fact. "But if you get the public on your side with an unfortunate health story, maybe you’ll be able to pressure him into accepting it. Or at least so you think."

Eli’s father gave her a smile of approval. "So I think?" he questioned her addendum, sounding intrigued.

"He doesn’t give in to anyone as easily as it might seem. If he ends up eventually bending to your wish, it is only because a part of him does see value in what you’re offering, and your manipulation simply gives him an excuse to convince himself that it’s ok to do it."

A look of surprise crossed Ronald Sterling’s eyes.

"Eli has a great talent for business." The old man let out a wistful sigh. "Sterling Trust is the perfect place for him to do what he’s good at, and he knows it. But because of ... personal reasons, he doesn’t want anything to do with my company. A terrible decision that will cause irreparable damage to his own career."

"Can you blame him for that choice?" Harper asked.

It wasn’t like her to talk this way, especially not when the other person was an elder and a supposed patient needing gentle care. But she didn’t like the righteous tone she heard, as if the loving father was lamenting over an ungrateful son who didn’t understand his sacrifice.

"... I see, so he has told you the story." Eli’s father, surprisingly, did not look offended by her attitude. "Do you agree with him then, and think that I’m overly calculating as well? That I simply want to push him into a place I want him to be without caring for his opinions at all?"

Harper was quiet for a moment, unsure how to respond to that complex question.