The Tenth Explosion

Chapter 6: The CEO's Shadow

The city was already awake before sunrise. You could feel it in the noise alone. Horns layered over impatient engines, bike riders squeezing through impossible spaces, street vendors shouting prices over the rain-heavy wind. One of those mornings where the entire city felt restless, like everybody had somewhere urgent to be.

Inside a black Uber crawling through traffic, Mr. James sat lazily against the backseat window, completely disconnected from the chaos around him. You would never guess the man was heading to become the new CEO of one of the biggest companies in the country. No suit. No security convoy. Just a plain black shirt, loose gray shorts, expensive wristwatch, and a white bandage wrapped around his thigh beneath the fabric. The gunshot wound still hurt whenever he moved too quickly, though he pretended it didn’t.

That was James in a nutshell honestly. Money had never impressed him much. Power neither. The driver kept glancing at him through the mirror like he was trying to confirm if this was really the billionaire heir everybody had been talking about online for weeks.

“You sure you don’t want me to drive closer to the entrance, sir?” the driver asked carefully.

James smirked faintly. “If you can make these cars disappear, go ahead.”

The driver laughed nervously.

Rain clouds had been gathering since morning, thick and dark like bruises across the sky. The moment the Uber finally stopped in front of Covaler Associate skyscraper, the heavens opened aggressively. Heavy rain crashed down instantly.

James cursed under his breath. “Perfect timing.”

He stepped out anyway. Cold rain soaked through his shirt within seconds. His injured leg protested immediately, sharp pain traveling upward through his body, but he ignored it and started limping toward the entrance.

Then another car pulled over nearby. A lady stepped out first beneath a large black umbrella. She looked young. Mid twenties maybe. Not dressed extravagantly either. Simple cream blouse tucked into fitted dark trousers, low heels splashing lightly against the wet ground. Her hair was packed neatly, though strands already escaped because of the wind.

Kate. New employee. First month at Covaler Associate. She had spent half the night preparing reports because she was terrified of making mistakes at work. One wrong move in a company this big and people noticed immediately.

As she turned, she noticed James struggling through the rain. At first glance, he looked like some random stubborn man refusing help. Then she noticed the slight limp. The soaked bandage. The pain hidden behind his face. Most people would’ve kept walking honestly. Big cities train people to mind their business. Compassion starts feeling expensive after a while.

But Kate paused. Something about him felt… strange. Not dangerous exactly. Just lonely. Without overthinking it, she walked toward him and tilted the umbrella above both of them.

“Hey… you can share mine.”

James blinked in surprise before looking up at her. For one second, the rain noise seemed quieter around him. “Wow,” he said softly. “Thanks so much.”

Her smile came naturally. Warm. The kind that reached the eyes instead of stopping halfway. “It’s nothing.”

Now this was the funny part. James had spent most of his life around people who wanted something from him. Money. Access. Influence. Favors. Yet this random girl standing under the rain beside him had no idea who he was. And somehow that made her kindness feel real.

He adjusted slightly beneath the umbrella. “So,” he said casually, “where are you heading? Since you’re officially the pilot of this umbrella.”

Kate laughed. “I’m going to Covaler Associate actually. I work there.”

James raised an eyebrow with fake curiosity. “Oh really?”

“Yeah. Newly employed though.” She sighed dramatically. “Still trying to survive probation period.”

“You sound serious about it.”

“I have to be serious. Covaler isn’t some small company.” She looked ahead toward the massive skyscraper towering over them. “People would kill for opportunities like this.”

James studied her quietly. There was ambition in her voice, but not greed. Big difference. “Hm,” he murmured. “You sound like you’re really good at what you do.”

“I just try my best.”

That answer made him smile a little. Most people brag too quickly nowadays. Especially in corporate spaces. Everybody pretending to be geniuses while barely surviving deadlines.

The rain continued pouring heavily around them while they walked slowly together. “You know,” James suddenly said, “Covaler’s quarterly sales have been struggling in the pharmaceutical and lifestyle sector recently.”

Kate stopped walking briefly and looked at him. “You know about that?”

“A little.”

“A little?” she repeated suspiciously. “Even some employees inside the company don’t know that.”

James shrugged casually. “I read.”

She narrowed her eyes playfully. “No normal person reads company sales reports for fun.”

“Maybe I’m abnormal.”

She laughed again. Honestly, that laugh did something unexpected to him. Not lust. Not obsession. Just peace. And James hadn’t felt peace in a very long time.

“You sound lovely actually,” Kate admitted. “But… what happened to your leg?”

The question sat between them for a second. James looked ahead quietly. “Gunshot.”

Her expression changed instantly. Not fear. Pity. Pure human concern. “Oh my God…”

“It’s fine.”

“No it’s not fine,” she said immediately. “Someone shot you.”

“I’m recovering.”

She stared at him differently after that. Like she suddenly realized this man carried heavier stories than his casual attitude suggested.

By the time they reached the front entrance of Covaler Associate, Kate finally looked upward fully at the gigantic building. Glass walls stretched endlessly into the cloudy sky. Employees moved in and out through rotating doors while luxury vehicles lined the entrance.

Then something clicked in her mind. She looked at James. Then at the building. Then back at James again. “Wait…”

He said nothing.

“You’re coming here too?”

“Looks like it.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you work at my company?”

James smiled faintly. “We just met.”

That answer somehow embarrassed her. Before she could respond properly, several executives near the entrance suddenly straightened themselves. Their expressions shifted instantly the moment they noticed James. One of them hurried forward nervously.

“Sir, the board members are waiting upstairs.”

Kate froze completely. Sir? Board members? Upstairs? Her eyes slowly widened as realization finally slammed into her chest. No. No way. She turned toward James carefully.

“You’re… Mr. James?”

“The one and only surviving son,” one executive added respectfully.

Kate nearly lost her breath. This wet man beside her. This casually dressed stranger beneath her umbrella. The future owner of Covaler Associate. Her brain replayed every casual joke she had made during the walk. Dear God.

James noticed the panic entering her face and chuckled softly. “Relax,” he said. “You treated me like a human being. That’s rare.” Then he looked at her properly one last time. “Thanks for your kindness, Kate.”

The fact that he remembered her name made her chest tighten strangely. Before she could even answer, he stepped into the private elevator with several executives following behind him immediately. The doors closed. Kate remained standing there speechless beneath the lobby lights while rainwater dripped softly from her umbrella. One thought kept repeating inside her mind: I shared an umbrella with the CEO.

•••

The boardroom at the top floor felt cold enough to preserve dead bodies. Long black table. Floor-to-ceiling windows. Silence thick with tension. Every board member had already been waiting nearly forty minutes before James finally entered.

The moment the doors opened, everybody stood immediately. Not out of affection. Power. His father owned ninety-eight percent of Covaler Associate. And now that James was the only surviving child left alive, that power naturally transferred toward him.

At the head of the room sat his father. Old. Sharp-eyed. Still intimidating despite the gray hair.

“Sorry I’m late,” James said calmly while taking his seat.

“No problem,” his father replied. “You’re here now.” The old man stood slowly before addressing everyone. “As from today, my son, James Arthur, becomes the official CEO of Covaler Associate.”

Applause filled the room immediately. Some genuine. Most fake. Corporate people clap the way wolves smile. Beautiful until you notice the teeth. James already understood that.

His father gestured toward him. “Say something.”

James leaned back slightly before standing. Even injured, his presence shifted the room naturally. Confidence like his couldn’t be taught in business schools honestly. Some people carried leadership the same way storms carried thunder. Effortlessly.

He adjusted his shirt sleeve casually. “Covaler Associate became successful because my father built it without fear,” James began. “But fear is exactly what destroys companies after success arrives.”

Everyone listened carefully.

“We’ve expanded too fast in areas that no longer produce enough returns. Pharmaceutical sales are unstable. Logistics are wasting money unnecessarily. Half our branches operate with outdated systems while competitors are evolving aggressively.”

A few board members exchanged uncomfortable looks. Because he was right.

James continued walking slowly around the room despite the pain in his leg. “This company doesn’t need louder advertising.” He looked directly at several directors. “It needs smarter structure.”

Now the atmosphere changed. This wasn’t some spoiled billionaire heir reading speeches written by assistants. James actually understood the business.

“We cut dead weight. We modernize internal operations. We invest heavily in security technology and medical research partnerships before competitors corner the market first.”

Then it happened. His eyes drifted toward a man seated halfway down the table. Blue shirt. Calm face. Cold eyes. The moment James saw him properly, his heartbeat slowed dangerously. Memory crashed violently into him. Smoke. Crowds screaming. City Sermon Lab protest. Bombs. That face.

James suddenly remembered exactly where he had seen him before. The man had been there during the protest attack. Not just present. Leading. James remembered being manipulated unknowingly into carrying explosives before security forces interrupted the operation. And now that same man sat comfortably inside Covaler’s boardroom.

His speech stumbled briefly. “…and our strategic exp—” He stopped mid sentence.

The room noticed immediately. The man in blue noticed too. Then slowly… He smiled. Not friendly. Predatory.

James felt cold rage crawl through his body instantly. Jackie. Leader of Sun Thunder. One of the most violent mafia organizations in the country. The group dealt in weapons, trafficking, political assassinations, illegal tech imports. Rumors connected them to half the city’s chaos, but nothing ever stuck legally. And somehow… one of their leaders sat on Covaler’s board of directors.

James’ mind started connecting possibilities rapidly. Money laundering. Corporate infiltration. Access to pharmaceutical resources. God. How deep was this corruption?

Jackie leaned back comfortably in his chair while maintaining eye contact with James the entire time. That smile never disappeared. Almost like he was enjoying the shock. The room became tense quietly. Some board members sensed something strange immediately but stayed silent. Corporate survival depends heavily on pretending not to notice dangerous things.

James forced himself to continue speaking, though his concentration had already shattered. “…Covaler will become stronger moving forward. More disciplined. More secure.”

Jackie’s smile widened slightly at the word secure. The bastard was mocking him openly. James suddenly understood something terrifying. This wasn’t coincidence. Jackie wanted to be seen. Which meant the mafia already knew who James was. And if they knew… then the gunshot probably wasn’t random either.

His injured leg suddenly felt heavier beneath him. By the time the meeting finally ended, tension clung invisibly to the air. People began standing gradually. Collecting files. Speaking softly. But James never took his eyes off Jackie. Neither did Jackie.

Then finally, the mafia leader stood smoothly from his chair. Expensive watch. Blue shirt perfectly fitted. Completely calm. He buttoned his suit jacket before speaking softly enough that only James could hear.

“Interesting speech.”

James said nothing.

Jackie smiled again. “You have your father’s eyes.” He paused. “But not his patience.”

Every instinct inside James screamed danger. Jackie glanced briefly at the board members nearby before leaning slightly closer. “The city is changing, Mr. CEO.” Then casually, almost mockingly, he added: “Try not to get shot again.”

James’ jaw tightened instantly. Before he could respond, Jackie turned and walked away toward the exit. Slow. Relaxed. Fearless. Like a man completely comfortable around death.

The boardroom doors closed behind him moments later. And for the first time since arriving at Covaler Associate, James no longer cared about becoming CEO. Because now he understood something far more dangerous. The enemy wasn’t outside the company. The enemy was already sitting inside it.