2025-12-14 06:33:31
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CHAPTER 57
The video call connected at eight, all four faces popping into the familiar little grid. Everything looked normal, but something in the air felt tight, a kind of tension none of them acknowledged at first. “So,” Jacy said when the greetings faded. “I have news. I’m taking a gap semester. Rebecca offered me a full-time position through fall, and… I’m accepting it.”Silence dropped over the call like a blanket.“That’s great,” Charlie said, genuinely meaning it, even though something beneath his words seemed to shift, like a floorboard giving way.“I’m staying in Thailand through fall,” Cindy added, voice soft. “The microfinance project got extended funding. They want me to help launch two new programs.”Daniel looked between the screens. “Guess it’s just Charlie and me going back to Yorkers in September.”“Yeah,” Charlie said. “Just us.”The little grid suddenly felt like a map, California, Thailand, Connecticut, New York. Four corners of a life that no longer lined up the way it used
CHAPTER 56
Charlie spent the next morning drafting and deleting responses. Every version sounded defensive and emotional, the exact trap Nathan Cross wanted. By noon, he gave up and walked to Joseph White’s office.Joseph looked up from his monitors. “Let me guess. You’re trying to respond to the article without looking like you’re melting down.”“Something like that.”“Don’t defend yourself,” Joseph said immediately. “That’s what they expect. Defense looks weak. You need to redirect.”“Redirect to what?”“To the work.” Joseph pulled up a blank document. “Talk substance, not noise. Make it about results, not personality. Make Cross look petty for attacking you personally instead of competing professionally.”For two hours, they crafted a statement. It was short, measured, and with every word calculated. At three p.m., Charlie’s statement went out via Claire Corporation’s communications team:“I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals at Claire Corporation. Every
CHAPTER 55
At seven-fifteen, Charlie’s phone was vibrating off his nightstand. He had snoozed the alarm he set for 6 A.M twice but the constant sounds from his phone forced him up. The first he saw when he opened his phone was a news headline. The headline read: “Claire Corporation’s Controversial Wunderkind: College Student Wields Power Over Major Acquisitions.”Charlie sat on the edge of his bed, reading with growing dread. The piece opened with the Grant party, the photos and videos from the event and the social media speculations by Angela and Jerry Stone's group. Then it shifted to questions about his age, his qualifications, and whether someone still in college should influence deals worth tens of millions.The worst part came near the end: “According to unnamed sources within Claire Corporation, there is significant internal disagreement about Maxwell’s role in the firm.”Nepotism. They didn’t use the word, but the implication lingered like smoke.His phone buzzed again. Daniel in the
CHAPTER 54
Emily’s phone rang as early as six-thirty that morning. Charlie’s rang half a minute later.“Conference room. Now,” was all she said.It took Charlie less than 5 minutes to get ready and that included taking a glass of orange juice for breakfast. When Charlie arrived, Emily and Marcus were already seated with Joseph White. Emily’s laptop displayed an email chain that made Charlie’s stomach twist. Lines of text that spelled trouble before a word was even spoken.“Nathan Cross offered Riverside’s CEO a five-million-dollar personal bonus,” Emily said, her voice clipped. “If he pushes the sale to Blackstone instead of us.”Charlie stared. “Is that even legal?”“Technically,” Marcus muttered, anger tightening every word. “Ethically, it’s garbage. Cross is bribing David Christof to sell out his own company.”“Can we match it?” Charlie asked.“No.” Marcus’s refusal was immediate. “Even if we could, I won’t. Our deal has to stand on merit, not payoffs.”Charlie shifted his gaze to the email c
CHAPTER 53
The emergency meeting was called for seven a.m., which told Charlie everything he needed to know before anyone spoke. Emily stood at the head of the conference room, her expression harder than he'd seen in weeks."Blackstone Acquisitions just filed preliminary interest paperwork for Riverside Manufacturing," she said without preamble. "Nathan Cross is leading the bid."Charlie watched the color drain from Marcus's face."Cross," Marcus repeated, the name landing like a stone. "How certain are we?""Completely. Their letter of intent went to Riverside's board yesterday evening." Emily pulled up a photograph on the screen, a man in his early forties with sharp features and a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "For those who don't know him, Nathan Cross specializes in what he calls 'value extraction.' What that actually means is buying companies, liquidating their assets, and selling the pieces for profit.""What about the workforce?" Charlie asked.Emily's jaw tightened. "If Cross gets R
CHAPTER 52
The video call connected at 8 PM Sunday, but the energy felt different from the start. Jacy appeared first, calling from what looked like a hotel business center, her expression thoughtful and slightly troubled."Big news," she said once everyone had joined. "Rebecca Wong offered me something."Charlie leaned forward. "What kind of something?""An extended opportunity. Instead of returning to Yorkers in the fall, I could take a gap semester and work full-time at the VC firm. Real analyst position, not just an internship." She paused. "It's incredible, but I'd miss an entire semester of school.""That's huge," Daniel said, though his tone carried uncertainty. "What are you thinking?""I don't know," Jacy admitted. "Part of me thinks this is the chance I've been working toward. Rebecca doesn't make offers like this casually. But another part worries I'm throwing away stability for something uncertain."Cindy's connection flickered before stabilizing. The beach backdrop had been replace
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