The Executive Lie

Chapter 7: Strange Kindness

I was working non-stop for three days, checking every number. I drank too much coffee and slept too little. I was waiting for Elias Thorne to get mad. I thought he would yell at me for working too slowly or for making mistakes. But he didn't. Instead of yelling, I got something far more confusing: strange kindness.

Late on the third night, after 2:00 AM, I sent him a report. I knew I was too tired, and the final math was messy, but the main point was correct. I waited for him to call me over and tell me off.

Five minutes later, my phone buzzed.

The report is fine. But the math is in the wrong layout.

Then came the next text. I had to sit up straight, shock washing away the fatigue.

I fixed the layout and sent the document for filing. You shouldn't work so late, Miss Lane. Being tired creates more problems. Review the file in the morning when you’ve rested.

I stood up from my desk. He had used his own valuable time to fix my careless error and then ordered me to go to bed. He made it sound like a cold rule, but the effect was that he had helped me. I decided to listen to my boss and get some rest.

The next morning, I was at my desk when the phone buzzed. It was his assistant. "Director Lane, Mr. Thorne asked to see you."

I quickly walked across the hall, my heart beating fast. Elias was at his desk. His eyes immediately fell on my face, looking for the tiredness he expected. He pointed to a chair. "Sit down, Ms. Lane."

He didn't talk about the audit. Instead, he just looked at me. "You look like you need a better plan for breaks. The cafeteria here might not suit you. There is a small coffee shop across the street. I've heard they make a decent espresso."

I just stared at him. He was giving me coffee advice?

"I appreciate the thought, Mr. Thorne," I managed to say, "but I can handle the hours. I'm worried about the time we'll lose if I slow down the audit."

He leaned forward, "I insist, Miss Lane.. I won’t risk you making careless errors because of something as little as a good rest."

He continued, looking back at his screen, completely serious. "You are managing the entire integration process. If you burn out, we lose time and money. I need you to perform at your best."

I knew the instruction was entirely self-serving, yet it was deeply considerate. He saw me as a valuable, high-performance machine he needed to protect.

"Understood, Mr. Thorne," I managed to say.

He looked up quickly. "Good. Now go. You can bill the coffee to the general operations account. Just make sure you don’t take too long."

I walked back to my office, completely confused. This man was supposed to be a heartless tyrant the media said he is, yet he was managing my sleep and ordering me to get good espresso. It was the total opposite of the tyrant I was prepared to fight.

Why is he being so patient? I wondered. What does he want?

I pulled out my phone and texted Avery to meet me at the coffee shop.