The conference room buzzed with a subdued tension, the kind that filled the air when the CEO himself was present. Employees, dressed in crisp suits and formal wear, sat straight-backed in their chairs, laptops open and notepads ready, their fingers hovering over keyboards as they prepared to take notes.
The atmosphere was sterile and focused, with only the soft hum of the projector and the occasional rustle of paper breaking the silence.
At the head of the sleek, glass-topped table sat Silas Blackwood, the enigmatic and coldly composed CEO of Blackwood Enterprises. His tailored charcoal suit hugged his broad frame perfectly, and his piercing eyes scanned each speaker with an unreadable expression that made even the most seasoned executives swallow nervously.
One of the department heads stood, adjusting his tie before clicking to the next slide in the presentation. "As per the Q3 strategy, we've expanded our beta launch of the HavenTech integration platform. Early data suggests a 17% increase in system efficiency and a 12% improvement in user engagement."
Silas gave a slight nod, the only indication of approval. "What about the data leak containment strategies?" he asked, his voice low and precise.
Another employee, a woman from cybersecurity, stood to answer. "We've implemented a new end-to-end encryption protocol that uses rotating keys and biometric access. We're currently in the process of stress testing the firewall under simulated breach conditions."
"Good. I want a full report by Friday. No delays," Silas said, voice clipped.
The meeting continued for another twenty minutes, filled with sharp, pointed questions from Silas and clipped answers from department leads. When it finally ended, the room exhaled collectively, and people began to pack up their things with silent relief.
Silas stood, buttoning his suit jacket with practiced ease before striding out of the room. Nial, his long-suffering assistant, followed closely behind, a tablet clutched to his chest.
"Nial, call Kai. And after making sure he's in a decent position to talk, hand the phone over to me," Silas said without glancing back as he made his way into his cabin.
Nial let out a silent sigh, already dreading the circus this call might become. He pulled out his phone and tapped Kai's contact, praying to every known deity that Kai would pick up without background noise or chaos.
To no one's surprise, the call connected and was immediately greeted with the thumping beat of party music and the unmistakable sound of laughter and clinking glasses.
"Hello, Nial!" came Kai's overly enthusiastic voice, sounding slightly winded.
Nial winced. 'Who the hell parties in the middle of a Tuesday?' he thought, though the answer was obvious—Kai did.
"Nial, can you make this call quick? I'm in the middle of something important, bro," Kai continued, his voice cheerful and annoyingly carefree which made Nial roll his eyes. He was probably in the middle of flirting with yet another poor woman—one who, in a few days, would end up beating him with her heels.
Then Nial snapped, "Kai, the boss wants to talk to you. Straighten up before you lose the only stable job you've ever had."
That got Kai's attention. The music began to fade as Kai presumably walked toward a quieter part of the venue. A few seconds later, Nial heard a door shut.
"Okay, okay, I'm in a quiet room. Put the big guy on."
Nial stepped into Silas's office and handed over the phone. "Boss, Kai's on the line."
Silas barely glanced up from the documents spread across his desk. With a curt nod, he took the phone, pressing it to his ear. "Speak."
"Hello, Silas! I mean—Boss!" Kai's overly cheerful voice blasted through the line, laced with unnecessary excitement and the unmistakable sound of club music thumping in the background.
Silas didn't even blink. "How's it going with my mother?"
That single question made Kai jolt upright in his chair—wherever he was. His tone immediately shifted, scrambling to align with the seriousness in Silas's voice. "Boss, don't worry! Everything's going perfectly according to plan."
He moved through the room on his end, footsteps echoing slightly as he sought out a quieter corner, most likely trying to escape whatever chaotic scene he was in.
"I've been feeding her updates regularly. I told her that you specifically instructed not to be disturbed while on your trip—'time away for mental clarity' was the line I used." He chuckled proudly. "You know how she is, she ate it up. She thinks she's the only one privy to your 'secret location' in the H Islands. She's parading it like a badge of honor."
Kai's voice dropped a little, practically glowing with self-satisfaction. "Honestly, she's doing our job for us. She's turning away anyone who tries to sniff around your whereabouts. Keeps telling people that only she knows where you are, and that it's a family matter. So dramatic—it's perfect."
He paused for a second, expecting a reaction. "Boss, you're impressed, right? That was some top-tier handling, wasn't it?"
Silas simply replied, "Yes."
And with that one-word approval, he passed the phone back to Nial without so much as a smirk. The gesture was so dismissive, so casually cold, that it sent Kai into visible confusion on the other side.
"Boss? Hello?" Kai said into the phone, now only hearing dead air.
He stared at the screen. Disconnected.
For a moment, he looked stunned—until the faint jingle of bracelets pulled his attention back to the present.
A gorgeous woman, tall with elegantly styled hair, was approaching him with a coy smile playing on her glossy red lips. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor as she strutted toward him, radiating charm and confidence.
Kai straightened up immediately, practically shoving the phone onto his ear and forcing on a charming grin. He dusted off his already pristine suit jacket, making it seem like he'd just wrapped up an intense business negotiation.
"Just because we were schoolmates once, I'll do this favor for you," he said aloud into the phone , his voice full of fake modesty. "No need to say thank you, it's what friends are for." And then with ease shoved the phone into his pocket when the woman reached him.
The woman raised a perfectly sculpted brow. "A work call?"
Kai's expression softened into one of fake humility. "No, nothing serious. Just a childhood friend needing a small favor. You know me—I can't say no."
He took her hand with practiced ease, and the two of them disappeared further into the luxury lounge room. Jazz music filtered in from somewhere, blending into the muffled laughter and the clink of cocktail glasses. But even with all the smooth lines and flirtatious ease.