The office was alive with chatter by the time Jason stepped inside. His circle was already gathered — Daisy with her tablet balanced on her lap, Hendricks leaning back in his chair like a skeptic waiting to be proven wrong, Natalie perched cross-legged with a notebook, Maya quietly flipping through documents, and, at the far end of the table, the former owner of Eversage, hands folded, observing with the patience of someone who had already lost and regained too much in life.
Jason set the sleek black case on the table. Instantly, the room quieted.
He clicked it open. Inside, a full lineup of products gleamed under the fluorescent lights — cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, balm. The packaging was minimalist but elegant, each bottle radiating promise.
"This," Jason said, his voice even, "is the future of Eversage."
Daisy raised a brow. "Looks expensive."
Jason smirked. "It will be. But not just expensive. Unrivaled."
He slid the moisturizer across to Natalie. "Try it."
Natalie dipped her fingers into the cream, rubbing it across the back of her hand. Within seconds, her eyes widened.
"…holy—" She lifted her hand for everyone to see. The roughness and faint dryness had smoothed out almost instantly, her skin catching the light with a soft, healthy glow.
"Impossible," Hendricks muttered, snatching it from her. He tried it himself, and the same stunned silence fell across his face.
Soon everyone was testing each product in turn, the office filling with gasps and murmurs of disbelief. Even the former Eversage owner leaned in, inspecting the transformation like a man who couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.
"This'll top the market," Daisy said finally, looking at Jason. "No question. With effects this immediate, nothing can compete."
Jason leaned back, expression unreadable. "Topping the market isn't good enough."
They all looked at him.
"I don't want to wait. I want this line to dominate from day one. Maximum profits, maximum exposure. No slow build."
A silence lingered, then Natalie tapped her pen against her notebook. "What if we used the salon?"
Hendricks caught on immediately. "Yeah. Give out small free packages — like a 'thank you' gift for customers. Everyone who walks out leaves with proof of what this stuff can do."
Daisy frowned. "That's a loss. We'd be bleeding product for free."
Natalie shook her head. "Not for long. Think about it. This works instantly. People will be back within days begging for more. We'll make back the cost by the end of the week."
The room considered it. Jason said nothing, letting them work it out.
Ideas began spilling after that.
"Pair it with a campaign," Maya suggested. "Influencers, beauty bloggers — get them to rave about it after trying it. Authentic reactions will carry weight."
"Package tiers," Hendricks added. "Sell starter kits cheap, but make the full-size versions premium. People won't resist upgrading once they're hooked."
"Pop-up events," Daisy said, her voice quickening as excitement sparked. "Set up in malls, universities, even parks. Free trials, live demos. People see instant results in person, they'll buy on the spot."
The former Eversage owner finally spoke, his voice low but firm. "Exclusivity. Control the supply. Don't flood the market — make people fight to get their hands on it. Nothing makes a product hotter than scarcity."
The room buzzed, ideas overlapping, tangling together, reshaping into something sharper with each pass. Jason listened, occasionally interjecting, but mostly letting them drive the discussion. He watched their faces, the way their eyes lit with possibility.
By the time the frenzy died down, they had a plan:
Launch through the salon with free mini-kits, creating a word-of-mouth explosion.
Pair the rollout with select influencer partnerships to spread viral buzz.
Host limited pop-up events to draw crowds and build hype.
Control the supply carefully, keeping demand high and resale markets buzzing.
Jason nodded once, approving. "Good. That'll do."
Relief and pride rippled across the group. They'd built this together.
Then Jason's gaze swept the table, his expression hardening, though not unkindly. "One more thing."
The shift in tone pulled everyone to silence.
"I'm creating a new corporation."
The words landed heavy.
Hendricks blinked. "A… new corporation? What kind?"
Jason folded his hands. "Not public. Not loud. A secret organization operating in the shadows. Its purpose will be simple: to invest in and support small companies across the city — businesses no one pays attention to. We build them up, strengthen them, bind them to us. Quietly, without anyone knowing who's behind it."
Maya's brows furrowed. "So… like building a hidden empire."
Jason's lips curved faintly. "Exactly. Influence that no one sees until it's too late to stop."
The room was stunned. Daisy leaned forward. "And you're telling us this why?"
Jason's gaze softened, just slightly. "Because I want you in on it."
Silence again, but this time sharp with disbelief.
Natalie's voice broke it. "Wait—you want us to be in? As in… equal parts of this secret corporation?"
Jason nodded. "Yes. I've spent most of my life moving alone, doing everything myself. But lately…" His eyes flicked around the table, meeting each pair of eyes in turn. "Lately I've realized it's different with you. I don't want this to just be my fight. I want it to be ours."
Daisy's lips parted. For once, the sharp-tongued secretary was quiet. Hendricks sat back heavily, trying to mask the way his chest tightened. Natalie glanced down at her notebook, blinking too fast. Maya's eyes lingered on Jason, searching, as though she couldn't quite believe he meant it.
"You all keep asking me why I trust you so much," Jason continued, his voice steady. "This is why. Because you've proven yourselves. Because you've already stood with me when no one else would. And because… for the first time, I don't feel like I have to carry the weight alone."
A silence settled over the room, heavy but warm.
Finally, Daisy let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Damn it, Jason. You almost sound human when you talk like that."
Hendricks chuckled, rubbing a hand over his face. "You realize you've basically asked us to help you build a shadow empire, right?"
Jason smirked. "I realize. The question is: are you in?"
Natalie closed her notebook with a snap. "You already know the answer."
Maya's lips curved faintly. "If I wasn't in before, I am now."
Hendricks let out a long breath. "You're insane. But fine. I'm in too."
Daisy crossed her arms, eyes narrowing, but the faintest smile tugged at her lips. "You're lucky you've got me. Otherwise, this whole operation would collapse in a week. But yeah. I'm in."
The former Eversage owner looked around at the faces, then back at Jason. His expression was unreadable, but his words were steady. "Then so am I."
Jason leaned back, satisfaction flickering across his face. For the first time, his circle wasn't just followers, assistants, or subordinates. They were partners.
"Good," he said quietly. "Then let's begin."
And as the room filled with renewed energy, Jason realized something he'd never admitted before: for once, he wasn't just building power. He was building a family.