All Chapters of The Mysterious Chairman Keith: Chapter 101
- Chapter 110
176 chapters
Chapter 101
THE COMPANY'S DECISION “Sir, you can’t stay on this side of the line.” Manuel didn’t answer the nurse. He didn’t move either. He just stood with his arms folded across his chest. The glass wall separating him from Dave’s bed reflected his face back at him, older than it should have looked. The machines were fixed on his body to aid him as he laid still. Manuel rested his palm against the glass, not touching his father, not even crossing that last inch. He just kept looking at him as though that would wake him. “His vitals are getting weaker,” the doctor said from behind him. “The progression is… faster than we anticipated.” Manuel nodded, placing his hand back in his pocket. Faster than expected. Everyone kept saying that. “How long?” he asked. The doctor hesitated for a while before answering. “We’re not measuring in months anymore.” Manuel let out a slow breath through his nose. He didn’t look away from Dave. “What ever happens..” Manuel said, voice steady, “don’t sugarco
Chapter 102
He's Not Dead Yet!He stopped. She stepped closer. Her gaze fixed solely on him as though that would fix him. “Running doesn’t make you stronger,” she said quietly. “It makes them bolder.”Laura had been trying to find a way to make him feel better even in the chaos, but it looked as though it wasn't yielding a thing.His jaw tightened. “Standing still doesn’t save him either.”“No,” Laura said. “But it saves you from mistakes.”He looked at her, and something passed across his face. “For the first time,” he said, “I don’t know what move keeps everyone alive.”Laura looked at him for a while. “Then don’t move alone.”A nurse called his name from behind the glass as Dave’s monitor beeped irregularly. Manuel turned sharply, instinct overriding everything else.Laura followed him as he strode back toward the room.*****MANUEL'S OFFICE Manuel got to his office very early that m
Chapter 103
THE RESIGNATION She leaned against the wall beside him. “I saw three names….”He looked at her. “Only three?”She looked at him. “Three that moved quietly. The loud ones are just noise.”That earned her a look, but not for too long.“I’m surrounded,” Manuel said softly. “And somehow still alone.”Laura didn’t answer right away. Then, quietly, “Not completely.”He looked at her again, longer this time, but didn't see anything. “You should rest a bit boss, we can continue this tomorrow…” Laura said, looking straight at him. Manuel nodded and then grabbed his jacket, his tie and then walked out of the door. Laura heaved. He knew how heavy Manuel's heart was towards everything that has been ongoing. She felt uneasy, but didn't know how to resolve it. She followed him immediately. They drove home, but Manuel didn't speak to anyone. He walked straight to his room and locked the door, not wanting to see anyone.*****The next day, Manuel returned to the company, but everything felt awfu
Chapter 104
CHRISTOPHER'S STRANGE FEELING Laura, who had been quietly reviewing notes on the couch, looked up. “What is it?”Manuel turned the phone toward her. She leaned in, eyes going over the image once.“That’s him,” she said.“Yes.”“With Tommy,” she added.Manuel locked the phone and set it down slowly. “He resigned to join him?!!”Laura straightened, her gaze a bit distant. “He didn't even do it discreetly.”Manuel stood, pacing before stopping near the window. “They’re not just choosing sides,” he said. “They’re being welcomed.”Laura’s voice was steady. “Then this isn’t about losing authority.”He looked at her.“It’s about who’s building power while everyone’s watching your father die.” She continued drawing closer
Chapter 105
SHE'S MINE!! Christopher leaned slightly toward the hallway corner, unseen. Laura continued, her tone steady. “You’re allowed to hurt. Even leaders are.”Manuel exhaled. “If they see it….”“They won’t,” she said. “Not like this.”Christopher’s fingers curled slowly against the wall. He could picture it too clearly. Manuel breaking and Laura holding the pieces.Something in him twisted. He should step in and announce himself, but he didn't.And as Laura’s voice continued to soothe the Mannuel, Christopher's chest tightened even more.He decided to let them be for now, he'd come back later. He didn’t leave loudly. He didn’t slam the door or announce himself. He slipped away the way people do when they don’t want to admit they’re retreating.The hallway light caught him as he moved towa
Chapter 106
MANUEL’S GAZE *****The next morning, Laura woke up feeling embarrassed, but she was happy Manuel wasn't up yet. Manuel’s arms still wrapped around her in a deliberate manner. “Oh crap! What have we done?! Does this mean love or just a game?” She stared straight at Manuel for a while and when he stirred, she knew it was time she left before he was fully awake. She gently removed his arm and then brought the the pillow closer and placed his hand on it. She climbed down and walked towards the door. “Laura…” he called in his sleep, and then slept back. Laura heaved when she saw he was sleeping again. She opened the door gently and left. Immediately she stepped out, the older maid called out to her, walking faster than she used to. Laura froze, but didn't want to show how shaken she was. She had to mask it, so she won't suspect a thing. The maid was one of the loyal persons of the Nightingales.“Ms Laura, is young master still sleeping? I guess you went to check on him.” She said,
Chapter 107
THE STABILITY MEASURE Manuel sat alone in his office, jacket off, sleeves rolled, hands braced on the desk, thinking about the happenings in the company.He feared losing control. Feared losing Laura herself. He leaned back, eyes closing briefly.“I didn’t mean to fall,” he admitted to the empty room.Meanwhile, Laura stood in the parking structure, phone in hand, staring at nothing.She had survived worse. Loss, betrayal, danger. So why did this feel like standing on a fault line?Because she hadn’t planned it. Because she hadn’t guarded against it. Manuel hadn’t needed her strength, he’d needed her presence.And that changed things.Suddenly, her phone buzzed. A message from Manuel.I won’t push. But I won’t pretend either. It read.She stared at it, thumb going over it.What does he mean?! She thought, her thoughts going wild.Meanwhile, Manuel remained in the office long after most lights went out. He reviewed reports without reading them, and stared at charts.All he could think
Chapter 108
THE CULTIVATION Laura handed him a folder. Inside were timestamps, call logs, meeting minutes that didn’t officially exist.“They’re not waiting for Dave to die,” Laura said. “They’re using his condition as leverage.”Manuel closed the folder slowly. “They’re carving the future while pretending to mourn.”“Yes.”He looked at her. “Thank you,” he said.She nodded. “That’s my job.”“No,” he corrected quietly. “That’s loyalty.”That made her stare at him, at least once since that day.____BACK AT THE MEETING….Back in the room, one of the board members, Mr. Sean stood.“We’ll proceed with the vote tomorrow,” he announced. “Pending Dave’s evaluation.”Manuel laughed. “You already decided,” he said. “You just want it to look clean.”“This is necessary,” Sean insisted.“For who,” Manuel asked, but no one answered.Laura’s phone buzzed suddenly. She glanced at it, then leaned in close to Manuel’s ear.“They moved it up,” she whispered. “The vote.”“When.”“The day after his evaluation,” sh
Chapter 109
SECRET SOURCES Manuel exhaled, staring at the whole place as though he was waiting for something before proceeding. After a while, he spread his arms and closed his eyes. Just then, he heard a sound from the door, it sounded as though someone came knocking, but when he opened his eyes and listened very well, he didn't hear a thing anymore. “The least I expect is someone disrupting my flow.” he said and moved quickly to the door, as though he was being chased.He opened the door and saw how bare the corridor was, he signed and came out of the room properly, his arms on his waist.He walked down a bit and then he saw the old maid, Elena.“Sir, is everything alright?” She asked, studying his expression. She knew him better than the other maids and she could tell when something was wrong or not. Manuel looked around and drew closer, “what if you help watch over my room and don't allow anyone in?” She looked at him like he was rapping and nodded, staring straight at his eyes. Manuel s
Chapter 110
A USEFUL WEAKNESS Manuel’s jaw clenched. “What?”“They’re saying you’ve requested reduced involvement due to emotional distress.”Silence filled the office. Manuel laughed, standing up from the chair. “They’re burying me while I’m still standing.”Laura’s eyes were cold now. “There’s more.”She pulled up an internal messages and they saw the managers instructing teams to “hold off” until further notice and the department heads CC’ing someone else instead of Manuel.“Who are they reporting to?” Manuel asked.Laura zoomed in on a name and he froze for a second.Manuel leaned back slowly. “Get me my phone,” he said.“It’s right there,” she replied.“I want the secure line.”She handed it to him without a word and he started dialing numbers, before one finally picked. “Did I authorize that?”“No.”“Then why is my name on it?”There was a pause from the other end.“You have ten minutes to reverse it.” Manuel said and ended the call. He dropped his phone. He paced the room, his hand on h