The Surrogate He Discarded

”Brother, I’m sure it’s nothing you can’t handle,” Isobel said reassuringly.

She opened the takeout containers and began transferring the food onto the porcelain plates already arranged on the round table in the corner. The rich aroma of roasted meat and herbs quickly filled the room, softening the earlier tension.

”Of course I can handle it.” Morgan leaned back in his chair, a faint, confident smile tugging at his lips. ”How could I possibly be the CEO of the top company if I didn’t know how to handle a little office politics?”

Isobel laughed softly.

She was beginning to see the side of Morgan that few people outside the family ever got to witness.

At work, he was the formidable CEO everyone feared—a man who could silence an entire boardroom with a single glance. But surrounded by his family, that intimidating presence seemed to melt away, revealing the man beneath the title...

The protective husband,

The dependable brother,

and, when the mood struck him, the teasing older brother who could make everyone laugh...

The person who could actually laugh at himself.

It was a side of Morgan that few people outside the family ever got to see.

And somehow, seeing him like this made him feel less like the untouchable CEO of a powerful corporation...

and more like family.

...

That afternoon, Morgan called an emergency meeting.

Every member of the Marketing Department was required to attend.

When they filed into the conference room, the atmosphere was unusually subdued.

No one joked.

No one whispered.

Several employees sat with their arms crossed, their expressions guarded. Others avoided eye contact altogether, as though simply looking at the wrong person might draw Morgan’s attention.

Chen Lotte chose a seat near the back.

Morgan stood at the head of the long conference table, his hands resting lightly against its polished surface.

He didn’t mention Claire.

He didn’t accuse anyone.

Instead, he opened the Lexan project dashboard on the screen behind him.

The latest figures appeared in stark rows across the display.

”We have several delays,” he said.

His voice was calm...too calm for comfort.

No one answered.

”Several reports were not submitted on time. Important documents were misplaced. And beta-test feedback has yet to reach Product Development.”

Morgan slowly lifted his gaze from the screen.

His eyes swept across the room.

”These are not minor administrative problems.”

Silence.

”These delays affect more than Marketing. They affect the entire Lexan launch.”

He paused.

”They affect Aioryx.”

The weight of his words settled over the room.

One employee shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

Morgan continued.

”I understand that this department is going through a transition.”

His expression remained unreadable.

”I also understand that Claire Landers’ departure happened suddenly. Many of you respected her. Some of you worked closely with her for years.”

Several employees exchanged uneasy glances.

”But whatever your personal feelings about her resignation may be, the work does not stop.”

His voice hardened slightly.

”Claire violated company policy. Because of her years of service to this company, she was given the option to resign rather than face formal termination.”

The room went completely still.

No one dared speak.

Several employees lowered their heads, suddenly very interested in the documents in front of them rather than meeting Morgan’s penetrating gaze.

”If you have questions,” Morgan said, ”raise them with me directly.”

His eyes narrowed.

”Do not spread rumors. And do not turn speculation into accusations.”

Still, no one spoke.

”If you believe Claire was wronged and choose to let those feelings interfere with your work, then you will have to make a professional decision about whether you still want to be part of this company.”

A few employees shifted uneasily.

Someone clenched a fist beneath the table.

Aaron noticed.

He noticed everything.

And there was no mistaking it now.

Their CEO was angry.

Very angry.

”I expect every one of you to do your job as you did before.”

He let the words hang for a moment.

”Preferably better.”

His voice became colder.

”No sabotage.”

The room seemed to shrink.

”No deliberate delays.”

His gaze moved from one employee to another.

”No withholding of information.”

A beat of silence.

”And absolutely no personal attacks.”

Chen Lotte’s fingers tightened around the edge of her chair.

She wasn’t the only one.

Several employees who had deliberately made things difficult for Isobel kept their heads down.

Morgan finally addressed the issue that had been hanging over the department since Claire’s departure.

”Claire’s resignation was my decision. It was based on facts, not rumors.”

His gaze swept across the room.

”And let me make one thing very clear.”

Everyone looked up.

”The claim that Claire was removed because of Isobel is false.”

A ripple of uneasiness passed through the room.

Morgan’s expression remained cold.

”Do not allow malicious people to manipulate you into turning against your colleagues. And do not allow office politics to interfere with the company’s interests.”

He closed the dashboard on the screen.

”The future of this department is now your responsibility.”

He paused.

”What you do next will determine whether this department moves forward—or falls behind.”

”Just remember one thing. I don’t keep useless people.”

The room remained silent.

Then Morgan turned toward the woman standing quietly beside the conference table.

”Effective today, Assistant Director Abigail Brown will take over Claire Landers’ responsibilities.”

For a moment, Abigail didn’t move.

She had not expected the announcement.

Then she slowly straightened.

Her heart pounded.

For years, Abigail had watched her work disappear beneath Claire’s name.

She had been the one staying late in the office long after everyone else had gone home, refining marketing reports and checking every figure until she was certain there wasn’t a single mistake.

She had drafted campaign proposals that Claire later presented to senior management as her own.

She had spent weekends studying market trends, analyzing consumer behavior, and developing strategies for Lexan’s product launches.

More than once, she had rewritten entire presentations overnight because Claire had decided that the original version wasn’t good enough—only to watch Claire walk into the boardroom the next morning and receive praise for the very ideas Abigail had created.

At first, Abigail had convinced herself it didn’t matter.

Claire was the Marketing Director.

Abigail was only her assistant.

That was how the corporate world worked, she told herself.

The person at the top received the credit.

So Abigail kept her head down and continued working.

She never confronted Claire. Never demanded recognition. Never complained to Morgan or the executives.

She simply hoped that, someday, someone would notice.

But as the years passed, that hope had slowly faded.

Every promotion Claire received felt like another reminder that Abigail’s hard work could remain invisible forever.

Until now.

Standing in the conference room, Abigail suddenly realized that Morgan had noticed.

He had seen the work behind the presentations.

He had seen the reports and the results.

And perhaps, more importantly, he had finally seen her.

Her fingers curled slightly at her sides as she fought the sudden sting behind her eyes.

For years, she wondered whether all those late nights had been wasted.

Now she had her answer.

They hadn’t been.