''Where is he!? Where the hell is he?'' The voice boomed, echoing off the walls.
It thundered down the polished hallway of SMART POWERS ENERGY like a cannon shot, startling employees out of their seats. Heads turned. Screens dimmed as fingers froze over keyboards. The fury, raw and unrestrained, vibrated against glass walls and echoed into every corner of the high-rise Facility.
The guards tried to contain the clearly agitated man while still showing respect for his apparent status. The man in question was broad-shouldered, with greying hair and an expensive but rumpled three-piece suit. He carried himself with the authority of someone used to being obeyed, and his age — sixties, at least — only seemed to add to his dignity.
''Sir, please keep your voice down. This is a professional establishment!'' One of the guards pleaded, trying to reason with the irate individual.
Inside, Tonna was walking briskly out of a meeting room with Kyle. "After the meeting with the Marios, do I have anything else scheduled?"
Kyle looked through his iPad, tapping on it before speaking. "You were supposed to meet with the R&D team today, but I received a call from Mr. Dannon. He wanted me to tell you that he had rescheduled the appointment with the potential investors for this afternoon at half-past three."
Tonna checked the time on his watch; it was just a little past 2 p.m. "Where are we meeting? Did he say?" Tonna inquired.
"But Boss, what about the R&D?" Kyle questioned, looking up from his iPad.
Tonna stopped in his tracks, a look of contemplation on his face.
''Anyway, I can't meet with the team now. My Gun isn't polished yet.'' He muttered, more to himself than to Kyle.
Kyle's eyes widened.
''Gu-n?''
He asked, Stunned. The colour seemed to have drained from his face. Tonna's smirk at Kyle's reaction was easily missed because it disappeared as soon as it appeared. He seemed to think for a moment before pulling out his phone to make a call. It had been several weeks, but he had been too busy to check on the progression of things. Given the current situation, he needed some updates. He rang Ms. Kim.
"Yes? What do you want?" The cold voice from the other end of the line did not bother to hide her irritation.
Tonna just snorted. "How are things going?" he asked, his tone neutral.
''You don't call to check in for weeks, and now you do just out of the blue? Since I know you so well, tell me, are you planning on keeping me here?'' The woman's sarcasm was palpable.
Usually, he had time to argue with her, but he was currently on the hot seat and needed to start rolling out his plans. He had delayed them because of her in the first place, and he didn't want this to have a great adverse effect on the company.
"When will she be ready?" he asked with a bit more urgency than he had intended to, but he couldn't care less. He was in a hurry. Ms. Kim must have noticed because she kept her answers short and precise.
''Come pick her up in a week.''
His face relaxed, and he broke into a smile. "Than—"
She hung up before he finished his words. He scoffed. Of course, the woman was made of iron steel. His smile broadened, seemingly amused by her abruptness.
''Kyle, call the R&D team. We are rescheduling the meeting for next week.'' He instructed.
''Yes, Boss!'' Kyle replied, making a note on his iPad.
"Also, contact Mr. Dannon and tell him I'll be at the meeting. Where's the location?"
"Palms Springs Hotel, Boss!"
He looked at his watch. It would take about thirty minutes, give or take, to get there. He would have an extra thirty minutes before the meeting, so he could deal with one or two paperwork. As they continued towards their destination, the commotion in the hallway escalated.
''Where the fuck is that nuisance?'' The angry voice cut through his thoughts.
He looked at Kyle, who immediately rushed out to see what the fuss was all about. Tonna followed behind. He saw three guards trying to hold back an older-looking man. He looked familiar. Only when the man turned around did Tonna realise who he was. He didn't mean to, but he let out a small, quiet laugh, causing the older man to turn and stare at him. His eyes were red with so much anger.
''You are laughing? You think this is funny?'' He accused, his voice rising.
Now, everyone was quietly watching. Tonna might as well give them one since they wanted a show. With an innocent expression, he replied.
''Mmmmm, I don't seem to recall having any business with you, Mr.....?'' He trailed off, pretending not to know the man. This caused the man to throw his arms up in frustration. He clearly knew that Tonna was pretending, and it infuriated him even more.
''You are pretending not to know me? After what you did?''
Tonna looked around, feigning confusion.
''Me?'' He asked, pointing to himself.
The scene was unfolding like a drama, with the employees and the board of directors watching with bated breath.
One of the BODs, Mr. Bode, seeing how humiliating this was, intervened, attempting to diffuse the situation. After all, this was his plan to ruin Tonna.
''Ah, Mr. Achebe! It's our honour to see you here.'' He said, extending a hand for a handshake.
However, Mr. Achebe was beyond reason. He ignored Mr Bode and walked up to Tonna speaking directly to him.
''I want you to undo everything you have done right now! I am giving you just one hour.'' He demanded, his voice firm.
Tonna's expression remained calm.
''Mr. Achebe, I am afraid I have no idea what you are talking about. I-'' He began to explain.
Before he could finish, the older man grabbed him by the collar, causing whispers to float through the room. The guards and Kyle rushed to intervene, trying to pry the older man away from the younger one.
Tonna spoke calmly, his words measured.
"I think you must be confused, Mr. Achebe, but I honestly have no idea what is going on. Besides, you walk into my company, call me all sorts of names, and then attack me for reasons you have yet to explain. You even accused me. I do not know you and have never seen or interacted with you my whole life. We have no connections with each other. I wonder why you are doing this to me. Did someone send you to do this? I promise I won't take legal action."
He spoke, watching Mr. Bode, the COO, who was seemingly trying to de-escalate the situation. To an outsider, Tonna's words did not carry any disrespect or seem out of place. In fact, they seemed natural and without any malicious intent. But in reality, he was subtly downgrading the prestige of the older man. Saying he, a CEO of a big company like SMART POWERS ENERGY, did not know Mr. Achebe was a huge slap to the older man's face. From the files, Mr. Achebe was not only a huge investor in pure fuels, but he was also the founder of the Klarity Foundation, an auctioneering organisation that also sponsored orphaned children through school. Everyone in the industry knew who he was, especially now that the news of his foundation was everywhere.
"Don't even pretend like you have no idea what I am talking about. Let me tell you something. You don't want to mess with me, young man! I have had way more experience in dealing with little flies like you, so I suggest you do what is necessary and fix the damage you have caused, else...." The man was a good orator, but unfortunately for him, Tonna was in no mood to entertain his nonsense.
Tonna scoffed. ''Mr Achebe, please don't be unreasonable. You can't come here to throw tantrums if you have encountered some trouble. You should take a good look at the place you are standing in. This is an energy company, not a law firm or a police station. If you have trouble with things, I suggest you go to either of these establishments I have mentioned and let my workers do their job. Your little tantrums are obstructing business, and in case you do not know, this is a crime.''
He concluded, waving his hands for the security guards to kick the man out. Seeing that the younger man simply ignored him, making him look like a joke, the old man started yelling and cursing, becoming more irritable.
"Tonna Ziko! I am warning you: Give me back my foundation and restore all my investments. I won't let you off."
Tonna rubbed his head like he was having a headache. "Mr. Achebe, I have no idea how you know me, but I can't deny my popularity among the minorities. However, I really do not know you. Okay, say what you say is true. Say I really took away your foundation; why in God's name would I do that?" he asked, looking at the older man who was already losing his sanity.
"You found out! You found out I secretly bought the company's shares!" he screamed at him.
The whole place went quiet as every eye rested on the old man, who was slowly losing his strength and was very distressed. Tonna looked genuinely surprised.
"You bought shares from the company? Why don't I know about this?" He asked rhetorically, but his eyes fell on Mr. Bode, the COO, who quickly avoided his gaze. Everyone was murmuring now. They knew their boss was a crazy man without morals, but somehow, even while they knew of his characteristics, he still managed to shock them. Seeing how he was speaking to this very important-looking man.
"Mr. Achebe, this is the first time I have heard that you secretly bought shares from our company. Now I am wondering, what ulterior motives did you have for using this underhanded trick? seeing you reacting like this. Are you planning to do something to my company?"
The man looked around him. He realised his mistake. He had just openly confessed to this. Of course, Tonna was not stupid and would put two and two together because of his reaction that he had an insider helping him. while still trying to keep a pristine and favourable image in public, especially now that there was news of mismanagement within his foundation. He had no intentions of leaving things the way they were. His livelihood had just been snatched away from him. How would he live? He still thought he could turn public opinion around; he was planning on it. He did not know how this man managed to destroy his life in seconds, but he was starting to realise that there was more to Tonna than he had initially thought. He had seriously underestimated this young man, and he was out for blood. It was better to humiliate himself and still have food on his table, so he freed himself from the grasp of the guards and walked to Tonna. Tonna immediately prepared himself for defence by putting his arms up to fend off any attacks, but surprisingly, the man knelt down.
"Please return Klarity Foundation to me. That foundation is my life, please." He grabbed Tonna's jacket, his voice breaking.
Tonna knelt beside the man and whispered in his ear. "You shouldn't have messed with my company and dreamt beyond your means. I guess this is where your greed lands you." He tapped the other man's shoulder and stood up. Mr. Achebe was still kneeling on the ground, very deflated.
"Security, please show this man out."
He walked away as everyone chatted about the shocking and unbelievable drama that had played out right in front of them. His phone rang; it was Arnold.
'Boss, the acquisition of the Klarity Foundation has been completed. It's now under the Danish umbrella.' Arnold reported.
Tonna's instructions were clear.
'Let's move on to phase two also; make sure you bankrupt all of his investments and that he's never able to do business in this industry again.' He ordered.
Arnold coughed vigorously.
'Boss, isn't that too much?'.
'Why are you talking too much? Just do as you are asked.' He said, hanging up before Arnold could reply.
When the line cut, Arnold shook his head. It was never a good idea to cross his boss. The man was batshit crazy, and once he bites a target, he wouldn't let go until he had crushed their bones to dust. He thought back to the start of it all
The Investor Meeting
The boardroom smelled faintly of old money and polished wood. Heavy drapes dimmed the afternoon light, leaving only the glow of the chandelier that cast sharp angles across the sleek shiny table. Ten men and twelve women sat there—wealthy, powerful, accustomed to being the hunters rather than the prey. But today, Arnold could see it in their eyes: unease.
He had dropped the first bomb already. Using the plan his Boss orchestrated, Spreadsheets and documents lay scattered before them, printed in crisp black and white. Wire transfers that led to offshore accounts, reports doctored beyond recognition, Money funnelled through the foundation's veins like poison. Achebe's poison.
"You're suggesting," one gray-haired investor finally spoke, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, "that Mr. Achebe has been laundering money with his own foundation? That he has been stealing from it?"
"I'm not suggesting," Arnold said smoothly, leaning back in his chair. His voice was low, but every word was clean and clear. "I'm showing you." He tapped a page with the tip of his pen. "Look. Transfers routed through shell companies. Funds disappearing into personal accounts in Rivera Island. If the regulators see this—and they will—the foundation collapses. And so do your shares."
A ripple of murmurs passed through the room.
Another investor, a sharp-featured woman with a diamond ring that caught the chandelier's light, frowned deeply. "Even if this were true, why in God's name would you want to buy our shares? If the collapse is inevitable, wouldn't you be losing everything too?"
That question lingered like smoke. Several of the others nodded. Their eyes darted between one another, suspicion flickering.
Arnold smiled faintly, exactly as his boss had predicted. Let them doubt him. Doubt was bait.
"You all think I'm mad," he said, spreading his hands. His tone was almost amused. "That's fine. But consider this: when chaos hits, fortunes are made. If you want to gamble on Achebe surviving this storm, keep your shares. But if you want to walk away whole, while you still can, sell them to me."
Silence pressed down on the room. It was a dare.
The oldest man in the room, a former banker with a habit of drumming his fingers on the table, broke first. "And what do you know that we don't, young man? What guarantees do we have?"
Arnold leaned forward now, his eyes gleaming. "I don't deal in guarantees. I deal in inevitabilities. By tomorrow morning, this information won't just sit in your hands—it'll sit on every journalist's desk. When that happens, the foundation's name will be filth. The shares will be toxic. Investors will flee. You'll be holding scraps."
The air shifted. Some of them stiffened, others leaned back, lips tightening as the weight of the prediction settled.
"But the deal I'm offering," Arnold continued, lowering his voice like a conspirator, "is a golden parachute. Cash now, before the world finds out. Walk away clean."
They looked at one another. A silent conversation unfolded in glances, in the nervous clearing of throats, in the twitch of a hand resting on a briefcase.
The diamond-ringed woman shook her head slowly. "It doesn't make sense. Unless…" Her eyes narrowed. "Unless you plan to use this scandal for your own advantage."
Arnold gave her nothing but a smile. Let her think what she wanted.
The wavering began with the banker. His hands, still drumming, suddenly stilled. He signed. The papers slid across the table toward Arnold's waiting hand.
That was all it took.
One by one, the others followed, some hesitating, some rushing as though desperate to rid themselves of burning coals. In less than an hour, the foundation's shareholders had stripped themselves bare.
But the true masterstroke wasn't in their signatures. It was in the whispered instructions Arnold gave as they shook his hand.
"Leak to Achebe that you're withdrawing," he told them, lips barely moving. "Tell him you've seen the truth. Tell him the newspapers will carry it by dawn."
And they did. The old man had panicked, seeing the future of his investment deals crumbling and his shares tanking like a lead balloon. His boss's instructions were clear; only when he was in deep desperation, Arnold would step into the spotlight, the very picture of a wealthy fool with more money than sense. Achebe, half-mad with desperation, latched onto him like a drowning man clutching driftwood. To him, the heavens had sent an idiot. And so he signed the papers, handing over his shares without hesitation.
And now, it's been ten hours since the news broke out. Arnold received a text from his Boss.
"Do it now."
The next few minutes were filled with buzzing news. Suddenly, a well-known, reputable philanthropic company known for rehabilitating weaning or dying organisations bought the Klarity Foundation and stepped up to clean the mess made by the previous C.E.O. They generously compensated the people who had been affected by the shares dropping and even went as far as spotting plans in place to revitalise the organisation to even greater glory. They promised that, as an auction-minded business, regularly expensive items would no longer be acceptable for auction. Only very rare, high-demand, and limited-supply items would be auctioned at the foundation. This was in a bid to stop someone from secretly moving the money around. Since these items were scarce, it would be hard to embezzle the funds, and they couldn't be easily accounted for. Soon, investors tripled in less than an hour.
"My boss is such a demon, using one stone to kill two birds. He appeases the public and does good at the same time, drawing multi-millionaires with his plan, only to auction those unique items. Of course, these rich people who have nothing better to do than to spend money will surely invest in the foundation. It is such a shame that man dared cross him. Such bad luck, Tsk.''
Arnold thought before concentrating on the research he was conducting.