Breaking The Rules

Chapter 7

Harrison's POV

“Tony Anderson has only four days to clear his company's reputation and secure one of the biggest deals of his life,” I thought.

Wow, I chuckled internally. To think that I always thought Tony was a very smart business entrepreneur. Does it mean he hadn't seen the so-called documents he signed to actually confirm if all this is true? Or was he just that desperate to get the contract?

The sharp knock on my office door interrupted my thoughts.

"Come in."

The door swung open, and a man dressed in a dark suit stepped inside, carrying a slim black folder. He closed the door behind him before approaching the desk.

"You wanted a report, sir?"

I leaned back in my chair, my fingers tapping impatiently against the armrest. "Tell me everything."

The man placed the folder on the desk and opened it. "Tony Anderson hasn't made any significant progress in securing the funds he needs to save his company. He's been making several calls, but none of the people he's contacted have agreed to help him so far."

A faint smile touched my lips. "And Sandra?"

"She's becoming increasingly worried. She's trying to find a solution without involving you, but the four-day deadline is putting her under considerable pressure."

My smile widened slightly. "Stubborn woman."

There was something about Sandra's determination that I found both frustrating and fascinating. No matter how difficult things became, she refused to surrender easily.

And that was precisely what made this situation so interesting.

"There's something else, sir."

My expression sharpened. "What is it?"

“Sandra's parents have promised to help her raise the funds.”

I raised an eyebrow. "That can't be possible. We know their financial situation."

“Yes, sir. Just to be on the safe side—”

I waved a hand dismissively. “I know what I'm doing. What about Mr. Anderson's best friend? Any news about him?”

“Nothing for now. But I'm guessing he will be his next target.”

“I know. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“Another thing, sir.”

“What is it?”

“Sandra's best friend, Deborah. You know she is a nurse; she might help with the issue at hand or perhaps knows people who can help.”

I considered it for a moment. I’d already weighed Deborah's potential involvement, but she wasn't my immediate concern. “I've thought about her, but don't bother about her now. Alright?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Keep an eye on the target. We should know immediately if he changes tactics.”

“Noted, sir.”

The man turned to leave.

“One more thing.”

He stopped and faced me. “Always remember the rules. No suspicions. Clean movements.”

“Always, sir.”

“You can go now.”

The man nodded and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

For a moment, I remained still. Then I slowly dragged the folder closer and began examining its contents.

Interesting.

I knew Tony's business was in trouble. What I hadn't expected was that someone inside the company, someone actually very close to Tony, might be working behind the scenes to bring him down. Someone who knew his business well enough to strike where it would hurt most.

I leaned back and stared at the ceiling, then rose from my chair to walk toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.

Sandra?

I let out a quiet chuckle.

One of the qualities I admired most about her was her ability to observe people. Sandra could read and interpret someone's facial expressions in the blink of an eye. She noticed the smallest changes in people's behavior, even when they thought they were hiding something.

And now, that very quality could become a dangerous threat to my plans. It wouldn't take long before she started putting one and two together.

I turned back toward the desk and picked up the folder. The moment I opened it, my attention returned to the documents inside.

How could these people be so blind?

How had no one recognized that Tony Anderson's signature had been forged? The person responsible had done an impressive job. At first glance, the signature looked convincing enough to fool an unsuspecting reader. But I had recognized it as a forgery the moment I'd laid eyes on it.

Perhaps Tony hadn't examined the documents himself. Perhaps he'd trusted the wrong person. Whatever the case, the evidence was right there. And if Tony ever looked closely enough, he might realize that he'd been sweating over a problem that could easily be resolved by exposing the real culprit.

I hissed through my teeth and pushed the documents aside. What a waste of a perfectly good opportunity.

Still, there was no reason to rush things.

I picked up my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found her number.

"Let me give Sandra a call," I muttered, a dark chuckle slipping out.

She’d probably be furious. She might even ignore my call altogether. And somehow, that only made me want to hear her voice more.

I pressed the call button and lifted the phone to my ear.

Ring.

Ring.

I waited.

The call was rejected.

I stared at the screen for a moment before a slow, predatory smile spread across my face.

"Let's try again."