Dirty Little Secrets

Ch. 6: The Domino Effect

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 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 Li brothers 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—"

"You have a minute to decide," I state. "If you cannot come to a mutual decision then you're both fired." I pause, waiting for a response but they remain stunned and muted. I sigh. "How unfortunate. It's a shame I'll have to lose both my COO and CFO on the same day."

"Fire Yannis!" Markus peeps, a sheen of sweat on his forehead. "He... He was the one who suggested the Li's. He's the one who..."

My gaze floats to Yannis. "Is that true?"

Yannis swallows. "Yes, it is."

"I see," I hum, pursuing my lips. "Alright then. Yannis—" His eyes widen with trepidation. "Take those contracts and process them immediately." He blinks, confused, as I turn my attention to Markus. "Clean out your office. Miranda will go over severance with you before you leave."

"What?!" Markus shouts. "But you said—"

"While I think self-preservation is a valuable asset, loyalty, in my eyes, is far more important," I state. "You've worked with Yannis for over five years, and it took five seconds to throw him under the bus. I don't need people like that working for me." I push myself to my feet. "Best of luck to you, Mr. Fields." I nod at Javier and he follows me out of the office. "Make sure security is on standby. I don't need Markus making a scene."