Chapter 97 Trembling.
CHAPTER 97
Trembling.
ROMAN – POINT OF VIEW
Pressure builds in my head, and I press my fingers into my palm, trying to hold it together. Rage coils in me like a snake, and I’m about to lose my mind.
“What the fuck do you mean they leaked our information?” I stare at the head of AI.
“We’re not sure, but they’re under investigation. I know you want to fire them immediately, but they’re senior engineers, and we need to keep this contained. If you fire the wrong person, we can end up being sued.” She tries to calm me down, but that’s next to impossible.
My head aches painfully. It pounds with every inhale, and my heart isn’t left out, racing. I hope this stress doesn’t lead me to an early grave.
“All we can do is wait for the investigations to be wrapped up. Perhaps they leaked important information to our competitors, perhaps not. Either way, we’re going to figure it out soon. I have everything handled here.” She assures me.
I scoff, looking around her office, “You have nothing handled. Absolutely nothing. I was gone for less than a week, and everything is falling apart. Now, walk me through the algorithms they leaked, and their implications.”
She nods, cheeks flushed, and we spend the next hour going over possible factors that contributed to this failure. I smell a lot of bullshit. This is company espionage, and I do not take it kindly. Whoever is responsible for this will pay.
“I’m here now, so if there are any problem that requires my presence, let’s work through it. I have to be in New Jersey tomorrow.” I remind her, arms folded, watching like a hawk. It’s her job to manage my Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence company, but she’s not doing a good job at the moment. The only reason she’s still standing here is because of years of good work.
“It is not a problem currently, but we may need to expect a regulatory audit.” She says carefully.
My heart races faster. I look at Damian in absolute despair and lean against the wall. The tie around my neck feels like a noose with every passing second. This cannot be real.
“Why a regulatory audit?” He asks her, being every bit the lawyer he is.
“Date compliance regulators may demand an emergency audit if this gets out. This can freeze our operations until the audit is cleared and may result in fines. It can affect our investors. It’s not happening right now, but it is a possibility. We need to keep this supposed espionage between us, so we can’t trigger any whistleblower and get the wrong kind of attention.” She articulates, waving her hands in the air. She knows her ass is on the table for this.
Damian shakes his head, “That won’t happen, but we need to be prepared for it. Focus on containing the current investigation. No one has to know. I want it tight-lipped. My team will be ready to handle it if it happens. I’ll speak to Elena and get her to prepare the PR team. We’re here now, so there’s nothing to be worried about. I want any whistleblower caught. This is our business, and we have to handle it within ourselves. You know how expensive negative publicity can be.”
“Yes, you’re right. I am sorry for any stress this has caused –”
My phone rings, and my heart skips a beat, expecting it to be Scarlett, but it’s Caleb.
“You need to come down to New Jersey now.” He says gravely.
Heat flushes upwards, climbing from my chest to my neck and my ears.
“I’ll be there.” I end the call. One of my major hospitality companies, Sterling Hotel and Suites, is in New Jersey, and this doesn’t sound good.
“Get it handled,” I tell her, and storm out of her office.
Damian and I get in the car, flanked by my bodyguards. I haven’t slept well since I left Italy. The ghosts of the Cartel followed me behind, and they’re not all dead. They’re still out there, plotting, planning, getting ready to strike, again. How am I supposed to sleep?
I tap the window impatiently, aware of the gun strapped to my hips. I stand on the threshold of ruination. Everything I’ve ever worked for is tumbling down, and I cannot let that happen.
In less than an hour, we get to New Jersey.
Caleb, Elena and the management are waiting for us.
“Hello, Mr Sterling. Would you like to –” The General Manager smiles at me.
I cut him off, “Tell me what the problem is. Do not waste my time.”
I glance around the lobby. This is one of my many hotels. I built this up from the ground, and now, the ground is trembling.
“The staff are threatening to strike over safety concerns and privacy violations. We have a Gala tomorrow. All the rooms are booked. The Gala is spread out across the city, and it’s very important. There’s a charity happening in the evening. We are booked,d but we are paralysed if the union strikes. We have tried to negotiate with them, but they won’t listen. A strike can shut down multiple hospitals, and we cannot cancel all the bookings. We … we do not know what to do.” He stammers, sweat beading on his forehead.
“You do not know what to do? I pay you good money to know what to do, and now, you’re at a loss? You are proving to be a useless addition to my chain of hotels, and soon, you will be relieved of your duties.” I seethe, trying to control my rage.
Despair ripples through me in waves, but I do my best to stamp it down. I figure out what to do now, and think later.
“Gather the unions. I’ll speak to them this evening. They want an audience, well, they’ll get one. They committed, and they need to honour that. So, get to work. I do not have all day.” I wave my hand dismissively, exhaling sharply.
“Sir, there … there is another problem,” he stammers.
“Speak.” Caleb snaps.
“The suppliers are delaying the shipments, and this will also affect –
Panic spread through my chest and expanded like a glove. I bite my lip hard enough to draw blood, and his words float around me. I can barely hear anything he’s saying. I’m swallowed whole in my despair. Everything is slipping from my feet. I haven’t worked this hard just to lose everything in one day.
“Scarlett?”
I look up immediately, hope spilling into me like ink.
“Hi,” she smiles, walking towards us, smiling so beautifully.
Fuck.
I exhale slowly.
I close the distance between us immediately and cup her soft cheeks. I don’t kiss her. I just hold her to see if she’s real, and she is.
“Is this the wrong time? I didn’t want to wait alone at home.” She whispers, running her fingers through my hair.
“This is the perfect time.” I smile.
My phone beeps, and I reluctantly bring it out, only to freeze in horror.