RISE OF THE MORTE CONGLOMERATE HEIR

Chapter 4

River forced himself to stand, taking a deep, shuddering breath to compose his executive demeanor. He smoothed his suit and put a forced, cold smile on his face.

River: "Nothing, Ice. Have a healthy lunch."

River walked away quickly, leaving Ice kneeling alone on the pavement, feeling a profound sense of isolation and mystery. Ice returned to his car, his focus shattered. He knew that River's distress was real, and whatever secret he was holding felt critical.

That night, at 9 PM, River sat in his expensive condo, his face red and slick with frustration. He immediately started a group videocall with his friends through the eMessaging app (My own Meta Messenger), full of angst over Zander/Ice’s worsening amnesia.

Merk, Onyx, Teggo, and Ellvys started answering the call from their various different locations.

Onyx: "I did my part. What's up, River?"

Merk: "Guys, I'm on a date. She's petite, smart~"

River: "Really Merk? Petite? Smart? Then Zander can't remember again!!!"

Ellvys: "Holy... Are Berna and Fred reliable? I mean, are they checking Zander's meds as his acting parents?"

River: "I don't know. You want me to go there? You want me to get caught?"

Teggo: "Burner phone."

River: "So you want me collect burner phones? Besides, I wasn't~"

Teggo: "Hey, hey, hey... Stop River, I'm joking!"

River: "Guys? Any SOLID PLANS? C'mon, we have two weeks."

A wave of profound melancholy fell over the five men. They realized the massive weight of their secret: their brilliant (and slightly ruthless) friend Zander might not be able to claim his birthright because the trauma of the accident was stealing his mind piece by piece.

Teggo, at his lowest tone: "I really admire Zander, man. He's so better competitor than Sable." 

Ellvys: "Right. Hundred percent."

Onyx: "Maybe, I jog his brain when I helped Ice the last time we~"

River: "Ok, Onyx. You did what you need to do."

Merk: "Man, I can't imagine Zander that every time he wakes up... he could possibly... forget~" 

Teggo: "Ok men... guys, let's observe Zander. Ok? Especially you, River. Keep us updated."

Onyx, Ellvys, Teggo, and Merk: "Thanks for the update, man."

River, slightly calmer now: "Always. I really owe Zander for having this place in their business."

Teggo: "No man, you and Zander and best in Real Estate, man. You have it, because you earned it too."

Onyx: "Even if we don't know the whole story, Zander really admires your dedication that's why you're a Top Property Specialist now."

Ellvys: "Forget what happened earlier, man. If Zander can't remember fully, we're always on the move. Okay?"

River: "Okay, man. Good morning, every one."

Merk: "See, your spirit is always in SALES!!! ALWAYS GOOD MORNING!!!"

All of them laughed, the stress momentarily lifted by their shared camaraderie. River wrapped up the call: "Hey Merk, petite and smart women are dangerous, man. Let's focus on helping Ice... Zander, first. Ok?"

All laughed and waved to each other, ending the videocall. River sat back on his bed,

the adrenaline leaving him. He looked at the ceiling and asked himself,

How can we help Zander, more?

then put the groupchat in the archive.

Sable is a man unraveling. The subtle, anonymous leaks about his finances, the ones Ice initiated using the burner phone had hit the Morte Board of Directors like a tremor.

In his opulent office, Sable was shouting at his assistant, demanding to know the source of the leaks. His hands shook as he paced the floor. He looked physically ill, his carefully tailored suit appearing rumpled. He didn't know the source of his misery was cleaning the dirt off his expensive car downstairs.

Sable called River into his office. "River! That Janowski deal collapsed. The board is questioning the liquidity. Did you check that accounting report? The one Ellvys Fog prepared? I don't trust that guy."

River stood perfectly still, maintaining his professional composure. "Sir, Ellvys Fog is meticulous. The report is sound. Perhaps the market reacted to the news of the Morte Tower sale?" River pushed the blame onto the announced sale, knowing it was a truth Sable couldn't deny.

"It's incompetence!" Sable shrieked. "Get me the latest demolition report on the Tower site. I need to make the sale look like a clean, immediate cash-out. Get the damn driver to bring me the hard copy now!"

River, relieved the spotlight wasn't on him, nodded. He walked out, his mind spinning. Sable was desperate. This is the moment for Teggo Steel's evidence.

River headed straight for the parking garage. He found Ice polishing the wheels of a Maserati. River approached slowly, checking to ensure Onyx who was strategically positioned nearby observing.

River: (Whispering urgently) "The demolition report. Sable wants the physical copy. It's the moment for Teggo's evidence. You have to swap it before you deliver it."

Ice, calm despite the urgency, simply nodded. "Where is it?"

River: "In the storage room. The one with the green seal. Go now." River patted Ice's shoulder, a gesture of affection disguised as a command.

Ice immediately dropped his cloth and moved toward the storage room, the memory of the "M" key and the archive door now vivid in his mind.

Ice successfully swapped the fraudulent demolition report with the real one, which detailed Sable's illegal cutting of support beams. The evidence provided by Teggo.

Minutes later, Ice was driving Sable Morte to a dinner meeting with the potential buyer of the Morte Tower. Merk, disguised as a new administrative assistant, was in the passenger seat, taking notes.

Sable, confident he had squashed the leaks, began to boast, using the time in the car to rehearse his lies for the meeting.

Sable leaned forward, addressing Ice's reflection in the rearview mirror. "Listen closely, driver. This is how you close a nine-figure deal. I tell them the building is an unnecessary luxury. That it's a weak asset. And my cousin Zander? He would have sold it years ago. He was a fool."

Merk’s pencil paused on his notepad.

Sable continued, his voice dripping with arrogance. "In fact, I'm doing the Morte legacy a favor. Zander was weak. He was soft. A man who gets himself killed in a car wreck is a man who can't handle the empire."