Fractures in the Glass
1009 Words
I entered Dane Enterprises' spacious, glass-paneled foyer, and Alcazar exclaimed, "You're late." He spoke clearly, yet his gaze lingered on mine for far too long.
I arched an eyebrow and straightened my blazer. "Traffic," I replied bluntly.
It's New York.
You may be familiar with it.
A faint ghost of a smile flickered at the corner of his mouth, but it was soon overshadowed by the clipped correctness of a man on the verge of fainting.
Turning on his heel, he walked to the elevator bank and said, "Follow me." I hadn't been here in years when we were making plans for the future.
Despite the completely contrasting mood, the building's uniformity demonstrated Alcazar's love for clean modernity.
His ambition and desire were reflected in the facility's flurry of activity at the time. The whole group seemed to be holding its breath, and there was a sharpness in the air now.
Alcazar pushed the button for the top floor as we entered the lift.
"You'll get to know the team," he replied quietly. "They'll give you an update on the situation."
"Are they aware of... us?"
I asked in an unbiased manner. He said, "They are aware that we were engaged." "And they know I have faith in you to make this right."
I wasn't sure if I was annoyed by the extra difficulty or grateful for his candor. I couldn't even consider it.
A large executive floor with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city was seen when the lift doors slid open.
Despite the stunning view, there was a noticeable tension in the room.
Alcazar and I walked in, interrupting the whispered conversations of a few executives seated around the conference table.
Alcazar told them sharply, "This is Jewel Ford, everyone." "From now on, she will be in charge of our crisis management."
The crew looked at me, some cynically, others with hardly disguised curiosity. However, one woman's eyes lingered longer than the others.
Call away, Sarah. I thought Dane Enterprises' COO would be as self-reliant and professional as she was.
Wearing a well-fitting navy suit, she exuded height and authority. Her piercing green eyes examined me as if I had broken into her home.
"Ms. Ford." Sarah held out her hand. "I've heard great things about you."
I shook her hand and offered, "Good things, I hope."
She had a thin smile.
"For the most part." The tension in the room was so great that a knife might pierce it, and for a minute there was silence.
Alcazar then pointed to the table. In his own words, "Let's get started."
The crew started telling me about the issue, which included a lot of bogus stories, leaked papers, and a media frenzy stoked by claims of corporate wrongdoing.
However, as the conversation continued, I became aware of the underlying tension between them.
When Alcazar begged for more, Sarah, in particular, seemed to control the conversation and lead it away from specific topics.
Once, he cut her off with a sharp voice.
"Sarah," he said somewhat sharply, "you're dancing around the question."
"Who had the financial reports before their disclosure?" Sarah hesitated a tiny fissure in her smooth veneer.
She said, "The customary gatherings," with caution. "But just to be sure, I'll have IT do another audit." Neither Alcazar nor I appeared persuaded.
I noticed Sarah and another executive, Gregory, glancing at one another as the meeting was coming to a close.
It was short but impassioned as if they were saying something they did not want Alcazar to hear.
As the rest started to depart, Alcazar muttered, "Jewel, stay for a moment."
After a brief moment of lingering and passing glances between us, Sarah left. As soon as the door shut, I muttered, "I don't trust her."
Alcazar smiled at me grimly. "That's not the first time someone has said that."
"So why do you still have her as your COO?" His answer was, "Because she's good at what she does."
"And I can't afford to lose her until I have evidence to the contrary."
Not quite convinced, I scowled. Alcazar's phone buzzed on the table before I could ask any questions, though.
He reached for it and glanced at the screen, his face darkening. He turned the phone towards me and said nothing.
The message was clear: This time, you can't keep her safe. My blood became icy. Is Harlow to blame? "Probably," Alcazar said, his teeth clenched. "But it goes beyond that."
"What do you mean?"
After hesitating, he took a tiny black flash drive out of his pocket. He held it and remarked, "This was left on my desk this morning."
"What's on it?"
I took it from him and asked. Using the phrase "I'm not sure," "However, I believe it should be you who opens it."
With my heart racing, I returned to my office, put in the flash drive, and waited for the data to load on my laptop.
The screen came to life, revealing a folder called TRUTH.
I gasped as I opened it and saw what was inside.
During our engagement, Alcazar and I were featured in numerous pictures.
I don't even recall any of those private moments being caught on video.
It wasn't only the pictures, though.
Records with specific timings, transactions, and correspondence were also discovered, creating a picture that was much more intricate than I had ever thought possible.
There was a single video file at the bottom of the folder. After a moment of hesitation, I hit play.
Alcazar was seen in the blurry video chatting into a phone in a dimly lit office.
And he repeated himself: "She can't know." "It will ruin her if she finds out."
As the screen turned black and only one line of text appeared at the conclusion, my stomach turned.
What more might he be concealing? My hands were shaking as I reclined in my chair. The results were astounding.
I was being fed this stuff by someone who wanted to make Alcazar look bad.
What's the worst? It was functioning.
- Writer
