All Chapters of The Mysterious Chairman Keith: Chapter 41
- Chapter 50
176 chapters
Chapter 41
FILES THAT SHOULDN'T ’t EXIST “You’re uncomfortable,” Orland observed, looking at her more closely.“Because you’re looking at me like an investment,” she replied.He didn’t deny it. “Everything valuable is an investment.”“I’m not property.”“No,” he said. “You’re leverage.”The word hit harder than she expected.Lisa stood. “This meeting is over.”Orland didn’t move. “Sit down.”She hesitated, then did, angry at herself for obeying.He regarded her calmly. “You have influence,” he said. “Visibility. A name that opens doors. Combined with mine, it becomes something formidable.”“And what do I get?” Lisa asked.“Security,” he said. “And relevance.”She laughed softly. “You think I need you to be relevant?”“I think,” he replied evenly, “that relevance expires without power.”Lisa swallowed. He leaned forward slightly. “Tell me something.”She braced herself. “What?”He looked into her eyes closely.“Would you ever marry for power?”The question felt like a bomb on the chest as Lisa f
Chapter 42
THE FIRST CRACK Manuel Keith’s rise hadn’t been clean, it had been managed and shielded by men who’d believed he was worth the risk.Orland smiled to himself as he tapped his fingers lightly.“Every empire has cracks,” he said softly and he closed the files and locked the system.Then he reached for his phone and then started thinking of what to say first.“Mrs. Stone,” he said when she answered. “We have proof.”On the other end of the line, she went silent for a while, as though thinking of what to say.“What kind?” she asked.“The kind that makes a king bleed,” Orland replied.Orland Hyde now knew better, a smirk played out on his cheeks as he waited for the response from the other end.Then, he dialed the number now, a bit cheerful that everything was working out at least.The call had come just after midni
Chapter 43
Jamie’s Other LifeLisa was asleep down the hall, unaware of any of this.Mrs. Stone’s expression softened briefly. She didn't want to tell Lisa yet of all of this.She gathered the documents into a neat stack and locked them away in a drawer beneath the desk. Then she sat back, folding her hands.“Patience,” she murmured to herself. “The best moves are the ones no one sees coming.”****THE GALAThe cameras found Jamie the moment he stepped out of the car.The media was outside already, fighting their way to snap him and ask questions. Some were carrying the banner of the Nightingale Civic Trust Gala, but Jamie didn't pay any attention to them. He just moved, the guards behind him and in front of him trying to create way for him.He stood and then he adjusted his cufflinks and then, he turned to take Ivana’s hand, who was already smiling and waving at the people rushing at them. She knew how to make people believe she was so much in love with Jamie and likewise Jamie. That was all
Chapter 44
Nightingale Whispers“I know.” Jamie's voice softened. “And I meant it then too.”She laughed, but it wasn't funny. “You always mean it. That’s not the problem.”He shifted closer. “Lisa, listen to me. None of that changes what’s real. Not for me.”“What’s real,” she said, “is that the world thinks you’re married to her.”“And you know why.”She looked away. “Knowing why doesn’t make it easier.”He reached up, brushing her hair back gently. “I need you to trust me a little longer.”Her eyes closed at the touch. “I’m tired of being patient.”“I know,” he said. “And I hate that I’m asking.”Silence settled between them and then she leaned into him, resting her forehead against his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.“I don’t want to lose you,” she whispered.“You won’t,” he said without hesitation. “I won’t let that happen.”Unknown to them, Ivana planted someone to spy on Jamie and take secret pictures of him and Lisa. Ivana sat in the living room, strolling thr
Chapter 45
The Cost of SilenceA woman near the head of the table tapped her pen once. “We cannot ignore what’s surfaced. If this becomes public, Nightingale suffers.”“Only if mishandled,” someone else countered.“Which is why we’re here,” she replied. “To decide how to proceed without causing panic.”A folder was slid across the table.Inside were copies of old records of the company. “Manuel’s authority was once disputed,” the woman said quietly. “That fact alone changes things.”They all murmured at once.“What are you suggesting?” a man asked.“That we prepare,” she said. “Just in case.”LATER THAT DAY….MANUEL'S OFFICE Manuel felt something surge within him, it was nothing like before. A strange stillness settled over the floor.His assistant knocked lightly and entered, her expression tight.“Sir,” she said. “There’s… something you should know.”He looked up. “Go on.”“There was a meeting this morning. Board-level.”Manuel’s eyes narrowed. “Why wasn’t I invited?”She hesitated. “Your n
Chapter 46
ORLAND’S ’s IMPATIENCE Mrs. Stone was in the sitting room, going through some guest lists and some other documents. She had a drink placed close to her, it was on top of a stool and she was sipping it at intervals. She lowered her glass, reasoning through the first list with her face showing no emotions. Just then, her phone beeped close to her. She stretched to take it, but it was a bit far from where she was sitting. She walked over to the shelf, where she had dropped her phone and glanced at the screen. She has been expecting the call of just one person and fortunately, it was the person that called and that made her smile boldly.It was Orland Hyde.She didn’t answer immediately. She let it ring twice more than necessary, just enough to remind him that access to her was not unconditional.When she finally picked up, her voice was calm. She didn't speak too loudly.“Orland.”“You’re moving too slowly,” he said, skipping greetings altogether.Mrs. Stone leaned back against th
Chapter 47
THE CHAIRMAN'S SHADOW The call came while Manuel was reviewing a quarterly projection that should have interested him more than it did.His phone vibrated once against the desk.He glanced at the screen and it was an internal line, and it was also restricted.He picked it up immediately.“Speak.”There was a pause on the other end, the kind that told him the person calling was choosing words carefully.“Sir,” the voice finally said. It was Ethan, head of Nightingale’s internal systems and one of the few people Manuel trusted not to panic. “We have an irregularity.”Manuel leaned back slightly. “Define irregular.”“A sealed archive was accessed.”That got his full attention.Manuel’s fingers stilled on the edge of the desk. “Which archive?”Another pause.“The legacy vault,” Ethan said. “The one marked for deletion twelve years ago.”The room seemed to tighten.“That vault doesn’t exist,” Manuel said quietly.“That’s what it was supposed to look like.”Manuel closed his eyes for a bri
Chapter 48
A CHOICE LISA NEVER WANTED Orland paused as though something passed by.“History has a way of resurfacing,” Orland said. “Especially when people forget it exists.”Manuel leaned back in his chair. “History only resurfaces when someone digs it up.”Silence settled over the table and Orland chuckled lightly. “Always so direct.”Manuel didn’t smile and the meeting ended without incident, but the message was clear.Someone had crossed a line and they needed to be put in their place.That evening, alone in his study, Manuel poured himself a drink he didn’t touch.He stared outside, staring at the sky.Orland Hyde had reached into a grave and pulled something out.And if those files saw daylight, Nightingale wouldn’t fall immediately, but it would bleed.Manuel’s phone buzzed once more and it was a message from Ethan.We traced the proxy.Manuel typed back one word.Who.The reply came seconds later.Connected to Orland Hyde’s personal network.Manuel closed his eyes slowly, thoughts runni
Chapter 49
THE MEETING THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING Lisa pressed her palms flat against the desk.This wasn’t just about power anymore, it was about truth.Her phone buzzed and it was a message from Jamie.Did I say something wrong?She didn’t reply.Instead, she opened her contacts and scrolled until she found the name she hadn’t expected to ever select.Manuel Keith.Her finger hovered over it.She thought of Jamie’s voice, asking for patience.She thought of her mother’s voice, speaking of strategy.She thought of the way the world felt lately and she inhaled slowly.Then she typed.I need to speak with you. Privately.The reply didn’t come immediately.She stared at the screen non-stop and when it finally buzzed, her breath caught.When?Tomorrow.She typed it before she could second-guess herself.Lisa leaned back in her chair, eyes closing briefly.She had just stepped onto a path she might not be able to leave.___Lisa arrived ten minutes early.She had chosen the place carefully, an underst
Chapter 50
LINES DRAWN “It gives you exposure,” Manuel said. “Nothing more.” Silence followed them immediately. Lisa realized, slowly, that she wasn’t holding the upper hand. She never had been. “You’re already ahead of this,” she said quietly. Manuel didn’t deny it. “I don’t know what my mother plans to do,” Lisa admitted. “And I don’t know where Jamie fits into it anymore.” “That uncertainty is not accidental,” Manuel said. “It keeps you still.” Her eyes burned. “So what am I supposed to do?” “That,” Manuel replied, “depends on whether you want to be protected… or powerful.” She laughed weak