Capítulo 14: CHAPTER FOURTEEN; Shareholders
Laurent was grinning. He packed his bags, keeping the flash drive of secrets in a hidden compartment and stepped out of his office. The time was 1:30 pm on a workday and he had a date with the Boss' daughter. He felt like a high school boy meeting a teacher in secret.
Julia stood up in a rush when she saw him.
"How was your meeting, Sir?" she asked him.
"What meeting?" he asked, and then palmed his head when he remembered. He'd forgotten. After settling Max in his bed and ensuring there was something for him to take when he woke up, he'd forgotten about every other thing.
"And where were you when I came in?" he accused her. Because there was no way he was shouldering the blame alone. Had she been seated in her right position when he'd returned, he would have remembered.
"Oh" was her only response.
"Really, where were you?" he asked, suspicious now.
She scratched her ear, "I had to run to the restroom, Sir. I'm allowed to, right?"
He rolled his eyes upwards, "Of course. Well, I'll have to put off the meeting today, I have to leave now"
She picked up her phone all of a sudden, typed something on the screen and placed it to her ear.
"What are you doing?" he had to ask.
She blinked her wide eyes in a way that could only be described as devious, "You said you have to put off the meeting today, Sir. I'm only calling to inform them"
He snatched the phone out of her hands to see that, indeed, she had been dialing an unsaved number.
"And since when were you on telephone privileges with your so-called 'higher parties'" he asked with the calmest voice he could muster.
"I was given their number to update them. I'd have called earlier but I didn't know you were in your office"
He threw the phone onto the table, "Who the fuck do you actually mean by higher parties? Start talking and don't leave out a comma"
By the time Julia had finished her half-assed explanation, he was in an even worse mood than before. Other than the fact that he was on Mr. Blackwell's radar, he hadn't been aware the other shareholders knew of him too. Mr. Blackwell was in the hospital, and the shareholders were demanding a meeting, put two and two together and he didn't need a genius to tell him that this meeting wouldn't be a pleasant one. But he had to be there. Irrespective of his plans, he didn't need to have a bad relationship with the shareholders.
He stopped outside the door he'd been ordered to, and stared at his phone. He had no idea what to tell Rose. She'd wonder if he suddenly mentioned that he suddenly had a meeting with the shareholders -which he couldn't even do for his own selfish reasons, and she'd be hurt if he suddenly appeared disinterested in the plans he'd facilitated not twenty minutes ago.
"Hey babe, will be a little late… " he started typing, but deleted it. What if the meeting spanned longer?
After discarding different starts, he finally went with
"Sweetheart. Could I take a raincheck? Family emergency suddenly came up. Will plan to be in the hospital soon though. Sorry babe"
Then he sent it, turned off his phone and knocked on the door.
"Come in" an unfamiliar voice commanded from inside, and he took a deep breath before opening the door. This was a part of the office he'd never been - not exactly strange. The office was 2 doors further from the main executive meeting room from the front and another 2 doors down from Mr. Blackwell's office from the back.
The heavy oak door swung inward silently, revealing a room that made him feel like he'd stepped into a different world. Unlike the rest of the company- at least the ones he'd seen, this room was cold and uninviting.
Dark mahogany paneling climbed the walls, broken only by floor-to-ceiling windows that should have let in ample light. Instead, heavy burgundy drapes were drawn, leaving the room in a state of twilight, likely intentional. A massive conference table dominated the center, and seated at the far end were two figures with their faces half-shadowed.
As Laurent's eyes adjusted, he made out their features. To the left was a man with steel-gray hair and a face etched with deep lines, and on his right was a woman with silver hair pulled back in a severe bun and one of the fiercest scowls he'd ever seen. From the curious looks in both their faces, they'd clearly been interrupted. As he approached the table, the click of his shoes on the hardwood floor echoing in the silence, he tried to remember if he'd ever seen them before but nothing came to mind.
"You're late, Mr. Ricco," the woman snarled and he bowed his head in apology. If his hunch was right, Julia had already sent her report to them, better to keep the excuses to a minimum.
"I apologize, ma'am," he said and left it at that.
When they both realized he wasn't going to say more, the woman's face clouded in anger but he could swear he caught the glimpse of a smile on the man's face.
"Well, don't hover. Have your seat" the man waved him to the chair at their front and he took it, sinking gracefully into the most comfortable chair he'd ever sat in a meeting setting. He waited for someone to talk.
The man leaned forward, a small smile on his face as his eyes bore into Laurent. "Mr. Ricco, I'm sure you've been curious about why we wanted to see you"
He nodded.
The man smiled wider before he continued "We shouldn't leave you in the dark then. This is related to the company especially seeing how the foundation has been proven to be so weak"
He shook his head, "I don't understand, Sir"
The woman leaned forward, "We believe you were aware of Mr. Blackwell's sudden collapse, right?" she waited for his nod, "Well, the board isn't very comfortable with that. Especially hearing the doctor's diagnosis…"
He stared at her blankly, already knowing where this was going.
She stared back, and the man picked up again, "The board has found ourselves in a... delicate situation. With Mr. Blackwell indisposed, certain opportunities have arisen."
"Opportunities?" he asked, keeping his voice clueless.
The woman's thin lips curled into a cold smile. "Don't play coy, Mr. Ricco. We know you've been cozying up to the boss and his daughter. Quite the rise for someone with your... background. And your plan of course"
Laurent felt his stomach drop, but he maintained his composure. "I'm not sure I follow."
The man chuckled, a dry, humorless sound, his gaze glancing from Laurent's face to that of his partner "Let's cut to the chase. We know about the discrepancies in your resume. Your sudden appearance in Rose Blackwell's life. It's all very convenient, isn't it?"
"I don't see how my personal life is relevant to—" Laurent began, but the woman cut him off.
"Your 'personal life' becomes relevant when it intersects with company interests," she snapped. "We also know about your little indiscretion last month. The research and the questions. You have quite the attention to detail, Mr. Ricco"
Laurent's blood ran cold. What were they talking about? They couldn't know about that, right? He'd been so careful.
The man's voice softened, taking on an almost paternal tone. "We're not here to judge, Mr. Ricco. We're here to offer you aid to secure your position. And perhaps... advance it."
"What exactly are you proposing?" Laurent asked calmly, his heart beating wildly in his chest. They were likely bluffing. If they knew what his plan really was, they wouldn't be having a conversation with him irrespective of their own nefarious plans.
"Simple," the woman said. "You'll be our eyes and ears. Report on Blackwell's condition, his plans for the company, get closer to him. Use your... relationship with his daughter to our advantage."
Oh, that was what they thought? If they were complimenting him based on the assumption that he was simply pursuing a relationship with Rose as a way to curry favor then that was good. It threw a few hitches in his plan, but at least over ten years of planning wasn't draining away right before his eyes.
He clenched his jaw "And if I refuse? If I insist that all your assumptions about me are wrong and simply report this conversation to Rose?"
The woman tensed, but the man just shrugged, "Then I'm afraid certain information might find its way to Mr. Blackwell and his daughter. Or worse, the board, and national finance body. Who will they believe I wonder? I doubt your career would survive the scrutiny, what with those impressive references on your resume."
Silence fell over the room as Laurent pretended to weigh his options. Every fiber of his being wanted to tell them to go to hell, but he needed to play it smart.
Finally, he nodded slowly. "I understand. You have my cooperation."
The woman's eyes glittered with cautious triumph. "Excellent. We'll be in touch with further instructions."
"Can I at least know your names?" he asked.
"Maybe the next time we meet, Mr. Ricco"
That had been a long shot anyway. Laurent stood, his movements stiff. "If that's all?"
The man waved him away. "For now. Remember, Mr. Ricco, we'll be watching."
He nodded and left the room, his mind whirling. He had played enough, he needed to put the plan in action as soon as possible. Tonight, if possible.
Without a second glance at his assistant, he picked up his already packed bag from his office, locked the door again, and walked purposefully to his car.
As he inputted the hospital directions into his GPS, he allowed a slow smile spread across his face. Sooner rather than later, everything would change. And when he'd yanked the rug off the feet of everyone, his brother would finally be able to rest in peace. The plan would start tonight.
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