Billionaire's Second Chance At Love

Chapter Seventeen

"I don't pay you to make excuses, I pay you to get things done. And if you can't do that, then maybe I should find someone else who can," he said, his voice dripping with venom.

The man nodded frantically, sweat dripping down his face. "I understand, boss. It won't happen again, I swear."

Simon narrowed his eyes, studying the man in front of him. He had been working with him for years, but he was starting to lose faith in him. Maybe it was time to cut ties and find someone more reliable. He took another deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"Fine," he said finally. "But I want you to double down on security. We can't afford any more slip-ups."

The man nodded again, relief evident on his face. "Yes, boss."

Simon's eyes narrowed, his fists still balled up in anger. He didn't seem to notice the blood oozing from the cuts on his knuckles as he adjusted his suit and tugged at the sleeve of his shirt. "And what about the footage? Did you recover anything?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

The man straightened his tie and reached for a folder on the desk, handing it to Simon. "Here are the reports and the footage we managed to recover before the cameras went down," he said, trying to sound confident despite the pain in his face.

Simon snatched the folder from his hand and began flipping through the pages, his eyes scanning each line carefully. As he read, his expression grew darker and more furious with each passing second.

"This is just fucking great," he seethed, slamming the folder down on the desk. "They play with our latest gadgets like they're goddamn toys and leave us with this fucking joke? I swear to God, Randy, you're making me question every damn investment I've made in you."

Randy swallowed hard, his eyes darting around the room as he tried to avoid Simon's burning gaze. "I-I'm sorry, boss. I didn't know this was going to happen. We had tested it multiple times before it was deployed," he stammered.

Simon's fist collided with the desk, sending a shockwave that made the items on it rattle. "Excuses won't cut it," he growled. "This is completely unacceptable. If I can't trust you to keep me informed of what's happening on this damn ship, then what the hell do I need you for?"

Randy shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of Simon's disappointment bearing down on him. "I understand, boss. I'll do everything in my power to make it right."

"You better, or you can kiss your job and your career goodbye," Simon spat, his anger still simmering. "Get out of my sight and don't come back until you have a solution to this mess."

Once Randy left with a bleeding nose, the door had barely closed when another man walked inside. He was dressed in a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a black leather jacket that hugged his broad shoulders and muscular arms. His eyes were dark, like the pits of hell, and his sharp jawline gave him a menacing look.

Simon turned to face the man, his expression more relaxed now that he had dealt with the nuisance. He took a stick of cigarette and fumbled in his pocket for a lighter. The man stepped closer, extending his hand to offer the lighter.

"I hope you have a piece of good news for me," Simon said, his voice more controlled than before.

The man grinned, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. "Of course, I have," he said, shrugging. "One of the two men involved in the attack - we have him. I came here to see if you'd like to have the honor of landing the first punch."

Simon's eyes widened with excitement. He took a long drag on his cigarette, then snuffed it out in an ashtray on the desk. "Lead the way," he said, getting up from his chair. "I've been itching to let out some steam."