Page 10 of His Undercover Wolf

“Did Matilda fail to live up to expectations?”

Cillian laughed before saying, “Matilda blew records away and we battled to keep up with demand. By the time sales settled, we’d made over a billion dollars and shares were at two-hundred-and-ninety dollars each. When things settled a little, people scrambled to get their hands on stock, again expecting the company to continue growing. Evan had no luck in finding who the insider was and we let it go hoping it was a one off. But then it happened again eight days before the release date announcement of Byron. Evan started looking closer but there was still nothing. Eleven days before Krista’s release date was made public, he came to me and said he was putting an extra five computer experts on our case. There hasn’t been one valid piece of information that has led anywhere. Two days ago, which was nine days from announcing Panda’srelease date, it started over, and Evan said he was handing it to a team that had better knowledge of, and resources for, this kind of crime.”

“How long before the release date for each product is it announced?”

“Four weeks,” I answered.

“What’s the current value of the shares?”

I deferred to Cillian, our number’s man, even though I was well aware of the value. “Four-hundred-and-sixty-seven dollars each.”

“Jesus! They’ll hit more than five hundred dollars when you release. I should have invested! Even many of the blue-chip stocks aren’t bringing prices that high. I’m impressed.”

“We would be too if it had been achieved honestly,” Cillian said, every bit as annoyed with the situation as I was.

“Hopefully, my team will get to the bottom of what’s happening. From previous experience, we find the perpetrator is usually a long-time employee in a senior position who is the last person you would suspect. Junior employees don’t normally have access to sensitive information to be effective.”

“I don’t…”

Otsana held up one hand and I clamped my mouth shut. What can I say? The woman had a commanding presence.

“Usually,” Otsana emphasized knowing I was about to defend those who had been with our company the longest. “It doesn’t mean it won’t be someone else, but another reason I would like to begin with investigating senior staff is because it appears you have previously refused to allow access to them which has hindered Evan and his team.”

Cillian and I exchanged a glance. I suspected the guilty expression on my best friend’s face was the same as I was wearing.

“We didn’t give them full access because they are men and women who have been loyal to us for years and they are like family.”

Otsana tilted her head and pierced me with her oddly mismatched eyes. “As far as you know,” she argued. “You may consider them family, but from my experience, those who do not share our blood will never be as loyal and trustworthy as those who do.”

Otsana spoke with a deal of animosity, and I wondered what had happened in her past. Someone had let her down, or maybe hurt her, badly.

“I respectfully disagree.” I inclined my head at Cillian. “Cillian has been more loyal and trustworthy, and a better friend than anyone I share blood with.”

“I thought you were an only child?” Otsana would have read the file and known that to be true, but she appeared to assume I was speaking about a sibling.

“I am an only child. I was referencing a couple of cousins I grew up with, and who after a couple of unsavoury incidents, I would not trust as far as I could throw them. We have not spoken for years, and I do not accept invitations to family gatherings, although few and far between now my parents have moved to Florida, they are invited to attend. I prefer our current estrangement to stay that way…Permanently.”

“It appears we have both been burned in the past. Maybe those of us on the bottom rungs of society’s ladder aren’t alienated from our family by squabbles over wealth as I suspect you may have been.”

“Ouch! Otsana picked it in one, Xavier.” Cillian spoke the words I’d been thinking.

Considering my wealth it wasn’t rocket science to work out my recalcitrant cousins had come calling to request a handout. One they did not get.

Otsana’s face pinked and her entire body tensed. She must have come to the conclusion she’d crossed a line by passing judgement when she really knew nothing about mine or Cillian’s private lives.

“I apologize…”

This time it was me who held up a hand forcing the apology to die on her lips. “No need for an apology or to explain.”

She nodded and relaxed. “Getting back to what we were discussing…Can you advise me of the names of all those holding executive positions? The file indicated there has been only minimal investigation, and when Evan demanded more access, he landed in court where a judge agreed with you. He ruled there was no need to delve into the lives of trusted, long-time employees who have been with you for over seventeen years as it was more likely to be someone employed closer to the time of Matilda’s release.”

“That was mine and Cillian’s belief which is why we fought against having their lives turned upside down.”

“What’s changed that has made you more willing to cooperate?”

“This investigation has been going on for fifteen years and nothing suspicious has been found despite the fact our other employees have had their lives turned inside out. It hurts to think it may be someone we have trusted beyond doubt, but the time has come that we take a close look at everyone.”

“Including yourselves?”

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