Kapitel 206: The Mole
The boardroom of Todd Corporation was buzzing with hushed conversations. The air was thick with tension and stress, as everyone sensed the gravity of our situation. I paced at the head of the long conference table, my mind racing with the mounting challenges facing my company and personal life.
Helen was attacking me in private and my company in the public! I had to do something to counter the duel attack in some way or I would lose something important whether it was my family or Todd Corporation.
Jasper stood nearby, his eyes sharp and vigilant as ever since what happened a few days ago with Ivan and my visit to Emily in the hospital. Mr. Wallace, Mr. Chambers, Jared, and Marissa sat around the table, their faces reflecting the same anxiety I felt from my silence.
"We've been hit by three lawsuits this week alone," Mr. Chambers said, breaking the uneasy silence. "All frivolous, but draining our resources and time nonetheless. It's all by Jameson Inc."
Marissa looked up, her eyes reflecting the anxiety we all felt. "And the media is running with every rumor and half-truth for some reason. It's damaging our reputation in some areas."
"The timing of these attacks is too precise to be coincidental. This is a calculated media witch-hunt," Mr. Wallace added. "It's clear someone is targeting all of us."
I stopped pacing and turned to face the team, surprised that they hadn't figured it out yet. "It's Helen from Titan Industries. She's behind this."
Mr. Wallace frowned. "But why now? We've always been competitors, but this... this feels personal."
"Because it is personal," I replied, my voice tinged with frustration. "On Friday, I pissed Helen off by shooting her in her hand and I recently cut all her contact with Emily in prison, so she's finally teamed up with Jameson Inc. They don't care about you, they just want to take me down, and they're using every dirty trick in the book to do it."
"I'm not sure if I heard that correctly. You shot her?" Mr. Chambers asked.
"Only in her hand. It's no big deal compared to what she did by kidnapping my son from school," I said. "I'm sure you would do the same thing if she kidnapped your kid too, right? Right?"
"Where did you even get a gun?" Mr. Chambers pried.
"Does that matter? The bitch stole my child!"
"A-hem! She's currently dividing the city," Marissa said softly, bringing us back to the topic at hand. I was grateful for that. "Half of it supports us vehemently, including Governor Carter, but the other half is backing Helen and Jameson Inc. and they have a few more useful connections than you do."
Mr. Chambers nodded. "And it's not just lawsuits. We've had reports of corporate espionage, missing files, strange glitches in our systems."
"Which brings us to the most pressing issue," I said, taking a deep breath. "We clearly have a mole in our midst. Someone inside Todd Corporation is feeding information to Helen."
A collective gasp filled the room. Mr. Wallace looked stunned. "A mole? Are you sure?"
I nodded. "The evidence is mounting. Project details leaked, insider knowledge used against us in lawsuits... someone is betraying us."
"We need to find this mole and fast," Jasper said, his voice hard. "But we have to be extremely careful. We can't tip our hand, please keep this matter as quiet as possible. Don't even tell your assistants."
"Agreed," I said, looking around the room at my trusted team. "We need to stay united and vigilant. Trust no one outside this room. We'll root out the traitor and take the fight back to Helen and Jameson Inc."
The days that followed were a whirlwind of activity. Meetings, strategy sessions, and investigations filled our schedules as we desperately tried to stay one step ahead of Helen and her allies. The stress in the office was at its peak, but the team remained focused and resolute to my surprise.
Having such dedicated staff was great.
One afternoon, Marissa called for a meeting with me in my office. She entered, carrying a stack of documents and a proud look on her face.
"Alex, I think I've found something," she said, placing the papers on my desk. "I've been tracking media leaks and cross-referencing them with our internal communications."
I raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"And there are some inconsistencies," she replied, pointing to a highlighted section. "Certain pieces of information that were leaked couldn't have come from anyone outside this room."
I leaned forward, studying the documents. "Are you saying one of us is the mole?"
Marissa hesitated. "I don't want to believe it, but the evidence points that way."
Just then, Jasper walked in, his expression grim. "Alex, we need to talk."
"Marissa found some discrepancies in our communications," I said, motioning for him to join us. "It looks like the mole might be closer than we thought."
Jasper frowned, looking over the papers. "This is bad. We need to be careful how we handle this. If the mole realizes we're onto them, they might do something drastic."
"Agreed," I said, my mind racing. "We'll have to keep this investigation tight. Only involve those we absolutely trust."
Marissa nodded. "I'll keep digging, discreetly. We need to find more concrete evidence before we confront anyone."
"Good," I said. "And Jasper, increase security. I don't want any surprises."
He nodded, his jaw set in determination. "Consider it done."
As Marissa left the office, I turned to Jasper. "What did you need to talk about?"
He closed the door behind him, lowering his voice. "We intercepted a communication from one of Helen's operatives. They're planning something big, but we don't know what or when."
"Damn it," I muttered. "She's escalating quick. She must know we're onto her."
"We need to be ready for anything," Jasper said, his eyes locking onto mine. "And we need to find that mole before they can do any more internal damage."
"I know," I replied, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. Our once secure fortress felt like it was crumbling from within. Every meeting, every conversation was laced with suspicion. Trust was a fragile thing, and it felt like it was slipping away.
The next evening, I called a meeting with Mr. Wallace and Mr. Chambers. They looked twice as exhausted as I did, especially Mr Wallace.
"Any progress on identifying the mole yet? Anything at all?" I asked, trying to keep my frustration in check.
Mr. Wallace shook his head. "We've narrowed it down to a few suspects, but nothing concrete yet."
Mr. Chambers sighed. "It's like chasing shadows. Whoever it is, they're good at covering their tracks."
"Meanwhile, Helen and Jameson Inc. continue their assault," I said, rubbing my temples. "We need a breakthrough."
Just then, Jared entered the room, a look of concern on his face. "Alex, I think I found something new."
I motioned for him to sit. "What is it?"
He handed me a folder. "I've been going through our project files, cross-referencing them with the leaked information. There's a unique pattern."
I opened the folder, scanning the contents. "A pattern?"
"Yes," Jared said, pointing to a series of highlighted entries. "The leaks are tied to specific projects, and those projects were all handled by the same team members."
"Are you saying the mole is part of that team?" Mr. Wallace asked.
"Possibly," Jared replied. "But it's more complicated than that. The information leaked was only accessible to a select few. Someone with high-level clearance."
"Which narrows it down significantly," Mr. Chambers said.
I looked up from the folder, my mind racing. "We need to interview those team members. Discreetly. And we need to monitor all their communications closely."
"Agreed," Jasper said, entering the room. "I'll set up surveillance and make sure we keep this under wraps."
As the team dispersed, I sat back in my chair, feeling my spirits lift a little more. The pieces were starting to come together, but the picture was still far from complete.
I couldn't shake the feeling that Helen's next move would be even more devastating than anything we had faced so far. The thought of a traitor within our ranks, working to undermine everything i'd built, filled me up with anger. I couldn't afford to let my rising paranoia cripple me, but neither could i afford to underestimate Helen.
Every shadow seemed deeper, every whisper more suspicious. In the quiet moments alone, I found myself questioning everyone's motives, even those I had trusted for months. It was a lonely position, being at the helm of a company under siege from all sides.
But as I looked out across the city skyline from my office window, I knew one thing for certain: i couldn't afford to lose. Todd Corporation wasn't just a business to me—it was a legacy. A legacy not only carried on by me, but elevated by my tireless efforts.
And I would fight tooth and nail to protect it, no matter the cost.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein