The moon was still in the sky, the sun rising on the horizon, Elliot went down the stairs greeting the staff who where up and bright early. He pulled open the door and left in his car in less than five minutes. Arriving at the bank, Elliot looked at the time sighing, it was too early for the bank to be open to customers. He leaned back in his car and picked up the phone to call the bank manager. The phone rang for a while before the call was answered.
"Good morning, Mr. Sinclair. It's quite early isn't it?" The bank manager said.
Elliot let out a long breath, "Yes it is. I have an earlier deal to catch up on." Elliot told him.
"Oh really, is there anything I can assist you with?" The bank manager asked.
"Yes there is. I'm currently outside the bank and I need to be let in to place a withdrawal." Elliot told him.
"No issues Mr. Sinclair, a staff would be with you soon to bring you in." The bank manager said.
"Thank you." Elliot appreciated before ending the call.
He sat restless in his car, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel as he watched people through his windshield. Soon enough a young lady, in a sharp blue pantsuit rapped on his window. Elliot rolled it down.
"Hello, are you Mr. Sinclair?" She asked in a chirped tone.
Elliot nodded slowly as he scrutinized her look.
"Great, my name is Melody and the manager sent me to usher you in." She added, introducing herself.
Elliot's demeanor softened and he slipped out of the car, walking right behind Melody. In a few minutes Elliot was situated with the bank manager. The manager welcomes him and asks him what he'd like to do today.
“Mr. Harrison, I need to make a substantial withdrawal,” Elliot stated, his voice strained.
Mr. Harrison looked up, his expression polite but firm. “Of course, Mr. Sinclair. How much were you looking to withdraw?”
“Ten million,” Elliot replied, his eyes fixed on the manager.
Mr. Harrison’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Ten million? That is quite a large sum. Let me pull up your account.” He tapped on his keyboard, his gaze flickering across the screen. “Ah, I see. There’s a new policy regarding withdrawals of this magnitude from company accounts, Mr. Sinclair. Your father needs to authorize it with his signature.”
Elliot’s stomach dropped. “A new policy? Since when?”
“It was implemented just last week, Mr. Sinclair. I’m afraid I cannot proceed without the proper authorization,” Mr. Harrison explained, his tone apologetic.
Frustration surged through Elliot. “This is ridiculous! I need that money today!”
“I understand your urgency, Mr. Sinclair, but these are the regulations. I’m truly sorry.”
Elliot clenched his fists, the deadline for the blackmailer’s demand ticking closer with each passing second. He stormed out of the bank, his mind racing. He pulled out his phone, dialing his father’s number. It went straight to voicemail.
“Dad, it’s Elliot. I need to talk to you urgently. Call me back as soon as you get this.”
He drove to Sinclair Enterprises, his father’s office building. He entered the sleek, modern lobby, making a beeline for his father's office. The receptionist stopped him and informed him that Mr. Sinclair was in a meeting.
“How long will he be?” Elliot asked, his voice tight.
“I’m not sure, Mr. Sinclair. It’s a very important meeting,” she replied, her tone professional.
Elliot paced the lobby, his eyes glued to his watch. Each minute felt like an eternity. He checked his phone repeatedly, but there were no missed calls. This couldn't happen, the deadline pulled closer and Elliot had not gotten even a single penny to offset the blackmailer. His father felt like a time wasted to him.
After what felt like an endless wait, the meeting finally concluded. The office doors opened, and his father emerged, followed by several other executives. Elliot didn’t hesitate. He pushed his way through the departing group, his eyes blazing.
“Dad, we need to talk” he told his father, his voice low and teeth gritted as he tightened his grip on his father's arm.
His father, Mr. Sinclair, looked surprised, then annoyed. “Elliot, what is the meaning of this? I have just finished a very important meeting.”
Elliot didn’t care. He followed his father into his office, shutting the door behind him. “Why is there a new policy regarding withdrawals from the company account?” he demanded, his voice sharp.
“What are you talking about?” Mr. Sinclair asked, his brow furrowed.
“Mr. Harrison at the bank told me I need your signature to withdraw ten million dollars. Ten million, Dad. I need that money today.”
Mr. Sinclair’s expression hardened. “Ten million? Elliot, what on earth do you need ten million dollars for? And why are you trying to withdraw it without my knowledge?”
“That’s not important right now,” Elliot retorted, his voice strained. “Just tell me why this new policy exists.”
“It’s a matter of financial security and financial integrity, as well as proper finance management Elliot. We can’t have large sums of money being withdrawn without proper authorization. Especially in these times where the merger is just around the corner.” "Especially with these times around the merger, we can't have investors looking at our finances and getting a bad notion," Mr. Sinclair continued, his voice firm, his eyes locked on Elliot's. "It's a matter of maintaining confidence and stability. You should understand that."
Elliot's frustration boiled over. "Confidence and stability?!" "Since when did you start caring about that dad?"
"I've cared about it for a long time young man and it is this skill that has helped me build our wealth." Mr. Sinclair's voice lowering an octave as he scolds Elliot.
"You don't seem to get it dad. You're the prize, every investor is dying to have a share of this company especially after the merger. Why do you have to care about a measly ten million dollars." Elliot vented.
Elliot's father sighed, taking off his reading glasses and kept it on the desk, "I can only authorize such withdrawal if you tell me exactly what you need it for." Elliot's fathe told him.
Elliot sighed, accepting this little defeat. Silence filled the room as he tried to come up with the perfect excuse.