Chapter 13

  Daniel, Joe, and Graham stood as Chief Director Michael gestured for them to leave. Their movements were hesitant, the weight of the meeting still pressing heavily on their shoulders. Joe and Graham exchanged nervous glances, while Daniel maintained his calm demeanor, the faintest trace of satisfaction lingering on his face.

  Behind them, Director Clayton, Director Brian, and Managing Director Leo rose as well, following the IT team out of the room. Leo’s steps were slower, his face pale, his usually confident stride now replaced by a nervous shuffle. Chief Director Michael’s piercing gaze followed them as they exited, his expression unreadable but his mind clearly working through the next steps.

  Once the door closed and the room fell into silence, Chief Director Michael leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled under his chin. His eyes narrowed slightly, his thoughts turning to the man who had once been his closest ally in the company: Leo.

  For years, Leo had been more than just a colleague; he had been a confidant, someone Michael trusted implicitly. But that trust had been shattered. Leo’s favoritism, his negligence, and his deceit had cost the company far more than just inefficiencies. The mysterious departures of several dedicated employees weighed heavily on Michael’s conscience. Employees he had valued had left under unclear circumstances, their complaints buried or ignored. Now, the pieces were finally falling into place — and Leo was at the center of it all.

  Michael pressed a button on the intercom on his desk. “Lucy, come to my office.”

  A few moments later, Lucy Ford entered, her confident strides breaking the stillness in the room. “Yes, Chief Director Michael?”

  Michael gestured for her to take a seat, but she remained standing, her notepad in hand, ready for instructions.

  “I need you to arrange a meeting with all the department directors,” Michael began, his tone clipped and focused. “We need to discuss contingency plans. Specifically, who will take over Leo’s role if — when — he fails. And I want to determine who will monitor his performance in the interim.”

  Lucy nodded, jotting down the instructions swiftly. Her expression remained neutral, but Michael could see the understanding in her eyes. She, too, had likely seen Leo’s failures unfolding over time.

  Michael leaned forward, his voice dropping slightly, laced with a bitterness he rarely allowed to surface. “I trusted Leo, Lucy. For years, I treated him as a friend, someone I could rely on. But he’s been lying to me this entire time. Covering up his incompetence, creating a toxic environment, and driving away some of the most dedicated employees this company has ever had.”

  Lucy’s pen hovered above her notepad for a moment, her eyes meeting Michael’s. “I understand, sir. I’ll make the arrangements immediately.”

  Michael nodded, leaning back again, his gaze distant. “Good. I won’t let this company suffer because of one man’s failures. Not anymore.”

  Lucy left the room swiftly, her heels clicking against the polished floor, leaving Michael alone with his thoughts. He stared at the door for a long moment, the faint hum of the office beyond barely registering. The betrayal lingered like a bitter taste in his mouth, and his resolve hardened.

  Leo had his chance, Michael thought, his jaw tightening. And now it’s time to prepare for what comes next.

  As Leo stepped into his small office, the door closing behind him with a faint click, a heavy sense of dread settled over him. The once-familiar space, with its neatly organized desk and framed certificates on the wall, now felt suffocating. He slumped into his chair, his mind racing.

  How did it all unravel? The question echoed in his head like a drumbeat. He rubbed his temples, trying to piece together how Chief Director Michael had learned the truth about his behavior. For years, he had operated unchecked, shielded by Michael’s trust and his own carefully curated relationships. He had always believed himself untouchable.

  One of the employees? he wondered, his jaw tightening. Did one of them finally snap and go to Michael?

  But that didn’t add up. He knew Michael’s unwavering loyalty, especially when it came to defending him. A single complaint wouldn’t have been enough to break that bond. Michael would have brushed it off, dismissed it as a misunderstanding. No, this was something bigger.

  His mind turned to another possibility, one that made his stomach churn. One of the directors. He frowned deeply. The directors were his peers, his allies. He had always prided himself on maintaining good relationships with them. Brian Ortega, Clayton Pierre, even Elaine Park — they had always been cordial, friendly, even supportive. He had never clashed with any of them.

  So who? His thoughts spiraled, grasping at straws. None of them had shown any signs of animosity. None had hinted at dissatisfaction or betrayal. And yet, the information had reached Michael, and not just in passing. It was detailed, damning, enough to destroy the trust that had protected him for so long.

  Leo leaned forward, his elbows on the desk, his hands gripping his hair. The worry gnawed at him, a relentless tide of anxiety that he couldn’t shake.

  Why now? Why me?

  The walls seemed to close in as the weight of uncertainty pressed down on him. He couldn’t trust anyone. Every friendly smile, every handshake, every passing conversation now felt suspect. Someone had exposed him, and he had no idea who or why.

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  I have to figure this out, he thought, his jaw clenching. Before it’s too late.

  But even as the resolve formed, the nagging truth lingered in the back of his mind. The damage was already done. Chief Director Michael’s trust was shattered, and Leo’s position hung by a thread.

  And he was running out of time to fix it.

  Leo sat at his desk, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a physical force. His eyes flicked to his phone, the temptation to lash out and call Daniel rising like a tidal wave. Snapping at Daniel, his usual punching bag, had always been a quick way to vent his frustrations. But as his hand hovered over the phone, he froze.

  No.

  He clenched his jaw, his fingers curling into a fist. Harassing Daniel now could have devastating consequences. The walls were already closing in, and another outburst could push him further into the abyss. If Chief Director Michael or the directors caught wind of even one more incident, Leo knew he wouldn’t have a thread of justification to cling to.

  His mind turned back to Daniel, suspicion flickering to life like a slow-burning flame. Did he have something to do with this? For years, Daniel had been the easy target — quiet, compliant, and seemingly unremarkable. But the timing of all this felt too convenient. The IT section was under scrutiny, and somehow, Daniel had emerged unscathed. In fact, Daniel had even drawn praise for his contributions.

  Could he have swayed the directors? Leo thought, his lips pressing into a thin line. It wasn’t impossible. If Daniel had gone directly to Chief Director Michael, he likely would have been dismissed outright. Michael wouldn’t have believed him, not with the loyalty Leo had built over the years.

  But the directors? That was a different story. Brian Ortega’s frustration with the IT section was well-documented, and Clayton Pierre’s adherence to company policy left little room for tolerance of Leo’s antics. If Daniel had found a way to present himself as a valuable, competent employee — and Leo as the problem — it could explain everything.

  But how? Leo leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowing. Daniel had never shown signs of ambition or manipulation before. Yet, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Daniel’s quiet demeanor, his consistent work ethic, his ability to stay under the radar — it was the perfect setup. The directors wouldn’t suspect him of having ulterior motives, making him an ideal candidate to plant seeds of doubt about Leo’s leadership.

  The idea gnawed at Leo, a mix of paranoia and reluctant admiration. If Daniel had truly orchestrated this, it was a masterstroke — subtle, calculated, and devastatingly effective.

  But there was no proof. No way to confirm his suspicions without exposing his own vulnerabilities further. All he could do was stew in the uncertainty, his mind racing with possibilities.

  For the first time in his career, Leo felt powerless, his usual methods of control slipping through his fingers like sand. The thought of Daniel, the quiet technician he had dismissed for years, being the catalyst for his downfall was almost too much to bear.

  If it was him… Leo thought, his teeth gritting. He played me perfectly.

  The realization was both infuriating and chilling. And for once, Leo didn’t know what to do.

  Leo’s curiosity got the better of him, and he hurried his way towards the IT section.

  Leo’s footsteps echoed faintly as he entered the IT section, the emptiness of the space amplifying the sound. His eyes swept over the room, lingering briefly on Ray’s empty chair, a pang of nostalgia hitting him. Ray had been his closest ally, someone he could rely on to validate his decisions, to back him up when things went south. But now, Ray was gone, and the void felt deeper than Leo cared to admit.

  His gaze shifted, landing on Daniel, the only person present. Joe and Graham, predictably, were nowhere to be seen. Daniel was seated at his desk, his focus seemingly absorbed by the glowing computer screen.

  Leo approached slowly, his mind swirling with thoughts of how he had ended up in this situation. Every step felt heavier than the last, the weight of his actions pressing down on him. He reached Ray’s old workstation and pulled out one of the spare chairs. Sitting down next to Daniel, he hesitated for a moment, staring at the younger man who had remained so calm throughout the chaos.

  Taking a deep breath, Leo did something he never thought he would do. His voice, uncharacteristically soft, broke the silence. “Daniel, I… I want to apologize.”

  Daniel’s fingers paused briefly on the keyboard, but he didn’t look up. His gaze remained fixed on the screen, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he spoke, his tone flat and firm. “It’s too late, Leo.”

  Leo blinked, startled by the sharpness of the response. He opened his mouth to say something, but Daniel continued.

  “I’ve given you too many chances already,” Daniel said, his eyes finally meeting Leo’s. His voice was calm but carried an unmistakable edge. “Unlike the others you bullied, I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t just quit and leave the company. I had responsibilities — obligations that kept me here. So, I did the only thing I could do.”

  Leo frowned, confusion flickering across his face. “What do you mean?”

  “I gathered evidence,” Daniel said bluntly.

  Leo’s breath hitched. His mind reeled as the implications of those words sank in. Evidence? Against him?

  Daniel leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms, his gaze steady and unflinching. “You danced to my tune like a good circus monkey, Leo. Did you really think you could get away with bullying employees forever? Did you think there would never be consequences?”

  Leo’s face paled. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. The confidence, the control he once wielded, evaporated in an instant.

  “I had everything I needed,” Daniel continued, his voice calm but laced with quiet satisfaction. “Every outburst, every unfair treatment, every moment you thought you were untouchable — it’s all documented. And when the time was right, I made sure it reached the people who could do something about it.”

  Leo sat frozen, his mind racing. The carefully constructed image he had built over the years, the trust he had manipulated, the power he had abused — all of it unraveled with Daniel’s words.

  “Speechless?” Daniel asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not surprised. You’ve spent so long thinking you were untouchable, but this is where it ends.”

  Leo’s hands trembled slightly as he gripped the armrests of the chair. He had underestimated Daniel, dismissed him as just another employee he could push around. And now, he was paying the price.

  For the first time, Leo realized that he wasn’t the master of the game. He had been outmaneuvered, and the man he had once seen as weak had proven to be his undoing.