The tension in the room was a palpable, thick force, a heavy air that pressed down on all of us. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at the sheer panic on Alex's face. He was sweating profusely, like an ice block left to melt in the midday sun, his usually slick composure completely evaporated upon hearing Lucia.
"What?"
She exclaimed, her voice shattering the tense atmosphere. The single word acted like a starter's pistol. Alex flinched and then moved in a sudden, graceless scramble as he bolted for the door.
I sighed inwardly. Fear did this to people, short-circuiting their logic and making them do profoundly stupid things. Did he truly believe he could just run from this? That he could escape a fortified corporate building? The man was an idiot.
Lucia's expression changed drastically, becoming like that of a sneering lion. In one fluid motion, she pulled her phone from her blazer pocket and hit a speed dial number. Her voice was low, calm, and utterly devoid of mercy. "Don't let Mr. Croft leave the building. Restrain him and bring him to my office. Now."
It took less than a minute. The door opened again, and two large security officers entered, their presence immediately shrinking the room. They moved with efficient purpose. A moment later, they returned, each holding one of Alex's arms. He writhed between them, looking utterly pathetic.
"Let go of me! How dare you treat me like this? You bastards, I'm your boss!" He shrieked, his voice climbing an octave with desperation.
It was a useless protest. The CEO had spoken. Men like these followed the chain of command, and the orders of the woman signing their paychecks far outweighed the flailing of a condemned traitor.
Lucia's chest rose and fell in a slow, controlled rhythm. I watched her from the corner of my eye, fascinated by how she held the storm of her anger so perfectly in check. Then, with a motion both swift and oddly graceful, she swung her hand. The slap connected with Alex's cheek with a sound that was shockingly loud and seemed to bounce off the walls.
"Ruben, take him away," she said, her voice dangerously quiet. "Make sure he is thoroughly persuaded to abandon any further plots against this company."
Alex spat on the floor, looking utterly defiant. "Beat me up? Ha! If anyone lays a finger on me, there will be hell to pay. You'll be hearing from my lawyer! Get ready to see me in court!"
It was then that I decided to intervene. The theatrics were entertaining, but we had larger goals.
"Miss Lucia," I said, still keeping the look of Mr. Mysterious. All eyes turned to me.
"Perhaps it would be best to leave Alex to me for the time being. We have more pressing strategic matters to discuss." I gave a slight nod to Ruben, the senior guard. "Lock him up somewhere secure for now. I'll decide what to do with him shortly."
Ruben nodded, his face a mask of stunned betrayal as he looked at his former colleague. He and the other guard hauled a sputtering Alex away, leaving Lucia and me alone in the sudden quiet of the room.
Lucia turned to me, and I could see the questions swirling in her sharp, intelligent eyes. There was confusion there and a healthy dose of suspicion. I decided to answer the most obvious one.
I waved a hand dismissively. "Regarding any potential conflict of interest with OmniCorp, you needn't worry. I was recently fired." I offered a small, wry smile.
My words had an effect. A visible wave of relief softened the tight line of her shoulders. The suspicion in her eyes didn't vanish, but it was now tempered with a newfound curiosity.
"So, Mr. Landon," she began, using the name Alex had called me. "What is it that you really want?" The bluntness of the question was refreshing, and it startled a genuine laugh from me. This was the opening I had been waiting for.
"Nothing too extravagant," I replied, leaning back casually. "Just four hundred and fifty thousand dollars."
Lucia's eyebrows rose almost to her hairline. "That is an extremely specific amount. What are you planning to do with it?"
I smirked. "Aren't you a bit too eager to pry into my personal business, Miss Lucia?"
"Well, you are quite literally standing in the middle of mine," she countered, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Why can't I get to know more about the person I am about to be working with? That being said, I would love to see how you propose we tackle this 'app' problem."
"The hard part is already done," I said. "I've identified the flaw and the malicious code Alex planted. Now, we simply need to control the narrative. We release a detailed public document alongside an official statement, cataloging every instance of misinformation OmniCorp has propagated through our platform." I paused, rubbing my fingers under my chin. "And then we sue them. Not only does a lawsuit give our story immense credibility, but it also stands to put a significant amount of money in our pockets."
The expression on Lucia's face was one of dawning admiration. She fell silent, her gaze intense as she studied me, as if trying to map the limits of my ambition. The quiet stretched for nearly a full minute. I didn't dare avoid her gaze; instead, I met the eyes of this beautiful CEO head-on.
When she finally spoke, the weight of her words was immense, though I could not yet know they would change my life forever, that I would never have to worry about money again.
"I heard OmniCorp fired you?" she asked, her curiosity evident.
"Not exactly," I admitted, choosing my words carefully. "I resigned. It was due to a rather… personal issue." I let the statement hang, hoping she would not press. How could I possibly explain that a sudden, inexplicable 'system' had inserted itself into my mind? And not just any system—a harem system. She would have kicked me from the building and labeled me a creep. It was a struggle even now to maintain eye contact and not let my gaze wander; the system's influence, a constant, hungry pressure in the back of my mind, was becoming a genuine distraction.
"That settles it then," Lucia said decisively, snapping me from my thoughts. "I like you, Mr. Landon. I think you have the potential to do something great here. Effective immediately, you are the new head of the sales department." She rose from her chair, smoothing her blazer. "I am not entirely sure how many other spies I have in my company, so I am leaving the task of handling the OmniCorp problem entirely in your hands. You have full authority."
And with that, she simply turned and left the office, either not noticing or deliberately ignoring the look of utter bewilderment on my face.
Me? Head of Sales? A department head? A big, big boss!
A slow, triumphant smile spread across my face as I pumped my fist in the silent, empty room. I couldn't help but recall the poisonous word my ex-girlfriend had so often hissed at me: "Useless." The memory of it had once made me feel ashamed. I had thought she was right, but now? That memory only fueled my satisfaction. "Ha!" I barked a laugh. "Who is useless now?"
I smiled as I saw my path to revenge forming clearly. The guy she had ditched me for worked at OmniCorp, my manager. If we sued OmniCorp and won, effectively proving the company was spreading lies, they might go under. Then she wouldn't have anyone to turn to.
But that was not the best part. The part that made my soul tingle was that I was the person in charge of the whole operation. Regina, James, and Elise—they were all going to pay. I was reveling in the intricate, satisfying details of my plans when the door opened again.
Lucia peered in, a look of mild confusion on her face. "Mr. Landon, what are you still doing in here?"
I was ready with an answer, crafted to sound professional, not unhinged. "Just getting my thoughts in order, Miss Lucia. A lot to process."
"Of course," she said. "About that four hundred and fifty thousand dollars you mentioned… consider it your first quarter's discretionary budget. In fact, I'll add another three hundred thousand; use it as you see fit to get this done."
She closed the door, and I was alone once more. The rewards from this single move, guided by the system's cold logic, were already astounding. It had resulted in a vast sum of money and a significant influx of aura farming points. I knew exactly what my first step would be. It was time to visit my mom. I finally had the means to pay her medical bills. My mind wandered to the points I had gathered. Just what amazing skill would I purchase?