Page 13 of Dirty Little Secrets
Someone extraordinary.
THE DOMINO EFFECT
DAMON
Cavanaugh Industries’head office occupies the top five floors of one of New York City’s tallest skyscrapers, each one below belonging to its subsidiaries. A hundred and one levels of hell, the top belonging to the executive team. To me.
As I tilt my head, the top of the tower hidden by the fog, I hear my father’s voice.One day, my son, all of this will be yours. When that time comes, I know you’ll do great things.My teeth clench, anger stewing in my gut. That day wasn’t supposed to come for a long time. He had a decade of vision left in him, and just like that, that vision was taken. All his dreams were shattered. And I was left behind to pick up the pieces. Pieces that I never truly wanted to possess.
It’s all a domino effect. A cruel joke played by thepuppeteer in the sky. An eye for an eye. They should have never covered it up. That in turn made them all guilty. And yet, I’m still here. Another joke. He’s laughing at me. He left me here so that I’d suffer, so that every waking day, I'd remember everything I lost.
It’s been twenty-three months since I’ve set foot in his building. Since I’ve roamed the halls that were once my playground. Since I laid my eyes on the people whose livelihoods depend on me. That require my presence, my attention,myfucking vision.
“Sir.” Javier opens the front door for me. “We’re late. The Li brothers are waiting in the conference room.”
Everyone looks at me with sympathy as Javier and I make our way through the lobby. The front desk staff, the security officers, the fucking mailman. It sickens me. I’ve become a broken child to them. A young boy. A goddamn orphan. Their sympathy means that I’m weak. That the edge of my sword has turned rusty and dull. It’s my own fault. Javier was right. Iwashiding. But the world around me kept moving. I haven’t had a desire to move with it until now.
“Welcome back, Mr. Cavanaugh.” Miranda greets Javier and me outside the elevator doors, handing us both a briefing of today’s meeting. She flashes me a white smile, and I remember the day I had to cover those pretty little lips because she was screaming my name too loud. Her cheeks turn pink as if remembering the same memory. She clears her throat. “We’re all, um…” Tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear, she whispers, “We’re all really glad to see you again.”
“I’m sure.”
Dismissing the walking reminder of my poor coping skills, I lead Javier into the boardroom. The Li brothers grin up at me, and I rethink my strategy moving forward. The terms they offered were offensive, to say the least. It’s because, like everyone else, they think I’m weak, they think I’m broken, they think I’ve lost my touch. That’s been the theme these past few days.
“Thank you both for coming in so early,” I begin, taking a seat at the head of the boardroom table, Javier on my right. “In front of you, you will find a revised contract.” I snap my gaze at Javier who is caught off guard. I silence him with a tactful look. The Li brothers flip open the folder, immediately bursting out with worry. I put my hand up. “These numbers might come as a shock to you given our previous discussions, but I had time to do some research over the weekend, and I believe you are in no position to negotiate.”
Han glowers at me. “I do not understand.”
I cock my head. “No?” Pulling out a stats sheet from the briefing, I slide it across the table, Javier examining his own copy, eyebrows scrunched as he connects the dots. “Your organization is being investigated by the SFC for insider trading. Did you honestly think we wouldn’t find out?”
“I…” Pei swallows, glancing at his brother. “Where did you get this?”
“I’m not sure how you conductyourcompany’s business, but here at Cavanaugh Industries, we do ourdue diligence,” I state. “Now, are these new terms acceptable to you?”
The Li brothers converse amongst themselves, their tones indicating they weren’t expecting to be called out for greed. Javier turns to me, lowering his voice, “How did we not know this earlier? Markus and Yannis said they verified their status twice.”
“I’ll deal with them later,” I whisper harshly as the Li brothers turn their attention back to me. With a smug smile, I ask, “Well? Ready to sign?”
“We need time to think,” Han says, clearing his throat. “It is not?—”
“Time’s up, Mr. Li,” I say. “We need your capital and you clearly need to diversify into foreign markets. Pick up the pen and sign. No thinking is required.”
“What if we…”
“Refuse?” I finish Pei’s sentence, letting out an incredulous laugh. “You won’t and do you know why?” I lean forward, gaze hard and cold. “Because if you refuse to sign with us today, I will ensure that your name is blacklisted from every Fortune 500 company around the fucking globe.” I stand up, adjusting my tie. “Sign the damn contract and don’t you ever try and fuck with me and my company ever again. Understood?”
The Li brothers nod, hands nearly shaking as they pick up the pens and sign the contracts, cursing under their breaths.
I round the table and hold out my hand to the two shady men. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen. Miranda will see you out.” Once the Librothers exit the conference room, I slump down in a rolling chair, Javier shutting the door behind them. “Call in Markus and Yannis.”
“Damon…” Javier frowns, knowing exactly what I’m about to do. “I’m sure it was a mistake. I’m sure?—”
“Now,” I command. Javier pulls out his cell phone and dials two numbers as dozens of my employees take turns sneaking glances into the conference room. I can’t remain a broken child in the eyes of my subordinates. Sympathy must turn back into fear and fear into respect. Markus and Yannis scurry into the boardroom, both visibly nervous as they take a seat. “No need to sit.”
“Damon, we—” Yannis begins, but I cut him off.
“One of you is getting fired right now,” I say, reclining into the chair and interlocking my fingers over my chest. “Who will it be?”
Their faces turn white. “Damon, please.” Markus stutters, shooting Javier a desperate look. “It was a?—”
