2026-01-21 22:10:41THE 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.
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Chapter 116
PUBLIC NOISE Laura turned the screen toward him and he saw it.Christopher walked closer and placed his both arms on the table, “that's the real sabotage!”Suddenly, Laura's eyes narrowed.“What is it?” Manuel asked, drawing closer to her.Laura didn’t answer immediately. She tapped into the server logs again, rerouting through several encrypted paths before opening a newly surfaced file.Her breath caught slightly. “Sir…” she said slowly.Manuel stepped around the desk, standing beside her. Christopher leaned closer from the opposite side, stealing glances at Manuel.The file displayed an internal memorandum. Official Nightingale formatting and board watermark. Subject line: Preliminary Review of Executive Legitimacy, Manuel Nightingale acting CEO of Nightingale cooperations Manuel’s heart thudded in his chest. Acting they said?! The media was risky for real. Laura opened the document fully. The memo didn’t accuse him directly. It questioned procedural gaps and suggested revalida
Chapter 115
WHISPERS THAT TRAVEL FASTER THAN TRUTH Clara, the senior administrative coordinator appeared before Laura before she went inside Manuel's office.“Clara, have you noticed changes in document routing lately?” Laura asked immediately she stopped in front of her, like she has been expecting her.Clara hesitated before nodding slowly. “Certain approvals are being copied to departments they normally wouldn’t be.”“Without authorization?” Laura pressed.“Yes… and some files are returning with edited timestamps.”Laura’s stomach tightened. She thanked Clara and stepped back into Manuel’s office.He was sitting behind his desk now, staring at Dave’s framed photograph resting near the corner. His father's smile in the picture felt like a ghost watching over the room and then Manuel spoke up before Laura did.“Do you think I’m losing them?” he asked softly.Laura didn’t answer immediately. She walked closer, placing her tablet down carefully on his desk.“I think they’re scared,” she said. “A
Chapter 114
SHIFTING GROUNDS Laura didn’t answer immediately. “That’s what I’m checking.”There was silence for a while before Manuel finally said, “Be careful.”Laura nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. “Always, sir.”When Laura left, Manuel stood and walked over the balcony, his both arms in his pocket as he moved.He stood and then pressed his phone to his ear. “Yes,” he said calmly. “I want background checks on every board member. Quietly.”He listened. “No. I don’t want suspicions confirmed. I want surprises prevented.”He ended the call slowly. Just then, behind him, the door opened softly and Laura stepped in, holding a tablet.“You’re still working,” she said quietly.Manuel didn’t turn around. “Yes.”She stepped closer. “There’s something else I found…”He faced his face quickly, turning to face her. “What?”She hesitated, then handed him the tablet. The screen displayed a confidential alert and unauthorized legal reconstruction requests tied to Nightingale ownership archives.Manuel’s
Chapter 113
THE FORGERY BEGINS Tommy didn’t like repeating himself. So when he called for a meeting, people arrived early.“They're ready for you sir..” One of his men announced. He nodded, taking the final gulp of his liquor before heading to the door.The conference room at Nexagen sat at the top floor. Twelve chairs surrounded the long obsidian table, but only six were occupied. Those were the only six Tommy trusted.Tommy leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin. He wasn’t smiling, but there was something worse than a smile sitting in his eyes.“Tell me,” he said calmly, tapping the table once, “how long does it take to erase a man legally?”The head legal advisor, Mr. Kelvin Ward, adjusted his glasses nervously.“That depends… on the structure of the claim, sir.”Tommy nodded slowly, like he expected that answer.“And if the claim was built on decades of layered ownership, hidden investments, and silent transfers?”The room grew quiet. Kelvin cleared his throat. “Then you
Chapter 112
SILENT TRANSACTIONS Mrs. Stone sat alone in her private study, the tall curtains half drawn. The sun brightened where she was like it was searching for something she wasn’t ready to give.Her phone rested beside a stack of files, it was the same file Orland handed over to her that night.She flipped a page slowly, her fingers trailing over the Nightingale seal stamped across the document. “These people never learn,” she murmured under her breath.The study had a scent she couldn't forget in a hurry. The same scent she had kept since Lisa and Mira were little girls running through the hallways, spilling juice across her furniture and laughing.Mrs. Stone leaned back in her chair and rubbed her arms gently. The document in front of her wasn’t just company paperwork. It was Manuel’s internal inheritance claim. His proof and defense. She smirked as her eyes moved to her phone again. She stared at Lucas’ name sitting unread in her message thread.For a long moment, she didn’t move. Then
Chapter 111
WHAT HE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE Manuel laughed. “My father is dying,” he said. “And this is what you’re circling.”“We’re thinking long-term,” the man replied.“You’re thinking opportunistically.”.“She’s a liability,” one of them said.Manuel’s eyes hardened. “She’s competent and you don't get to question her.”“She’s close,” another added.“You should reassign her.” One stood and said, looking at the others as though to assure her she was in line.Manuel didn’t look up.The voice belonged to a man who had never once stayed past eight. A man who smiled too much during meetings and spoke carefully when Dave was still strong.“She’s becoming… visible,” the man continued. “Visibility invites attention.”Manuel signed the document in front of him and slid it aside. “She’s my aide,” he said. “Visibility comes with the role.”The man hesitated. “With respect, sir…”“Respect would be leaving my office, I can't let go of her.” Manuel said calmly.“And that makes you vulnerable,” Mr. Finn, one
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