Web of Deceit

Chapter 1

There was pin drop silence in the boardroom of Elrod Enterprises, as all those present, waited with bated breath for their boss to react.

Treyton Elrod was quiet, and still.
A tic beating at his temple, was the only sign that he had even heard what his accountant had just announced, as he continued leaning back in his plush armchair.
'A leak?'
His voice sounded loud in the tensed atmosphere.
'Wie zum Teufel? How the hell did this happen?'
The accountant almost shook in his shoes, although the CEO had not raised his voice.

'Herr Elrod..'
The accountant began.

'This is unacceptable!'
Treyton's chair straightened, and he slapped only one hand on the long table, causing the entire table to shake with the impact.

All of the ten people sitting there, felt their heart race, and they bowed their heads, unable to meet the eyes of their now furious employer.

'Never in the ten years that my company has been around for, have I ever heard something so scheußlich! Ridiculous!'
The fact that he kept switching from English to German, indicated how angry he was.
He turned accusing eyes back to his accountant.
'Has there been a lead, as to who..'

'I'm afraid we don't know that yet, sir..but..we do know who bought the property before you were due to...'
He paused, and took a deep breath, before speaking in a rush of words.
'It's the Hubers..I'm sorry!'
He staggered a bit, as Treyton suddenly stood up, his armchair almost falling backwards behind him.
All those present, quickly rose as well.

'Verdammt! Dammit!'
Treyton exploded, hitting his fist on the table again, this time causing a water glass to skid across, and crash to the floor, shattering into pieces.
'How could this happen?'

The Huber Company was his biggest rival in the city, a rival who held almost as much as, but not even close, the credibility that the Elrods did.
Elrod Enterprises had been built solely by him, and he was proud of his achievements. He was the only thirty year old who had attained such heights not only in Vienna, but in the whole of Austria as well. It meant a great deal to him, because he had started from scratch, and built it to its' former position today.
Whenever a new project began, or a property was up  for sale in the city, it was usually Treyton's company who obtained it, fair and square.
To hear now, that information had been leaked to David Huber, the owner of THC, and the land he had wanted, had been bought by his competitor, just a few hours before he was due to, was the biggest blow.

'I want to know who is responsible for this! And I want to know it, as soon as possible! Verstehe?'
His tone heeded no compromise. What he wanted, he got.

'Understand, sir!'
The accountant stood ramrod straight now, a look of determination on his face.

Treyton walked out of the room, followed by his personal assistant, Irma  Wagner, who hurried to catch up to his long stride.
He reached his office, and she entered too, as he moved to sit on the chair behind his desk.
The light from the morning sun, cast his face in a shadow, as he sat facing away from the huge picture window, that was situated behind his desk.

'Irma! I need my lawyer on the phone, right now!'
Treyton barked out, already busy typing something on his laptop.

'Yes, sir!'
Irma hurried over to his desk, and put him through to the lawyer, before walking towards the door.
But her boss was already speaking rapidly into the phone in German, as she shut the door behind her.

Treyton watched his young, and pretty assistant walk to the door, as he spoke to his lawyer, and couldn't help but admire her long legs, very much visible beneath her short, slim skirt. Irma was in her twenties, attractive, with brown, wavy hair, and a slim figure that hinted at full curves, underneath the short jackets she usually wore to work.