Hearts Of Wall Street

Rachel Bennett was at her messy desk in the lively newsroom of Financial Perspectives, the highly-regarded financial magazine that she worked for. Overhead lights blinked on and off. The bull pen was buzzing with conversations and the sound of typing with the occasional telephone ring. It was like every other Monday, but Rachel was filled with anxiety. Her editor, Jonathan, called Rachel to his office. Jonathan Reed is a veteran journalist who knows how to spot stories that count. He had taken Rachel under his wing since she joined the journal, helping her maneuver through the dangerous grounds of financial journalism. But today, there was something strange about it; it was a huge matter. Rachel took a deep breath and knocked on Jonathan’s door. “Come in,” he said from inside with his deep voice. She opened the door and walked into his office. Jonathan sat behind his mahogany desk with files piled up before him. He glanced up and warmly smiled at her, saying “Ahh, Rachel, please sit.” Rachel settled herself down; this made her heart pound so heavily she thought it would explode out of her chest.“You requested for me” she said to Jonathan. Jonathan gave a serious look as he leaned back on his chair.“ We have a tough proposition which will shape your future career as well as your life: we want you to write about Mark Donovan.” Rachel was greatly taken aback. Mark Donovan was the name that everyone in the financial sector was connected with. A man of charisma, rich hedge fund boss at Donovan Capital, famous for his merciless behaviour and record-shattering profits and Mark Donovan was now a successful man. He was always in the shadow of his publicity, and he very seldom gave interviews or allowed journalists to get an idea of his real world. "Mark Donovan?" She uttered the name over and over, and even though she felt the surge of astonishment, she managed to control her feelings. "That's... rather tough." "It is really hard", agreed Jonathan. "However, I think you can do it. We request some type of report that is intensive, unlike the typical ones. The report must shine a light on his background, which is normally covered by the surface info. I'd like you to start from scratch, and bring to light the man who has created the empire." Rachel's heart sank that what she had to ask was somewhat irrelevant. "Why me?" "Since you are one of the few who are exceptionally good, I believe the answer is that," Jonathan replied nonchalantly. "And because I believe you won't back down from a challenge." Rachel felt proud and happy as the first words expressed his emotions, and that could not kill her. She heard the stories of Donovan himself, and the way he had crushed his competition by playing the only thing he knew. What if she never tried to get an interview out of him, or even worse, she wrote an exposé? "I'm going to do it," the young lady said sonorously. Jonathan laughed and said, "Great,here are some files on him to study. Start with that and I’ll further arrange an interview for you. Don't forget this is not just about his innovation in business. Our main goal is to get the exact Mark Donovan who he is!" As Rachel was snagging the file, she was already getting all the questions she had to do all she could. As she came back from Jonathan's cabin to her desk, she felt as if this task would change her life. The following few days were a flurry of investigation. Rachel studied every article, interview, and financial report she could find about Mark Donovan. He started from scratch, creating his own small investment firm after graduating from college, and went on to construct the most prominent and largest hedge fund worth several billion dollars. One of his strengths was keen market insights and an aggressive acquisition strategy, which were complimented by his ability to foresee market changes. Yet there was not much about his personal life. Donovan made sure that his personal life was not splashed in the media publications over the years. The more Rachel read the more she was interested. Who was this man that despite being absolute in his power and his rule with an iron hand, was so obscure? Finally, the day and the hour of the interview was set. Rachel dressed carefully, opting for a professional yet understated outfit: white cognoscenti blouse, and black slimline pencil skirt. Hypocrisy was needed in order to convey confidence to the outside world if it was not felt inside. She arrived at the stylish glass tower that Donovan Capital was located in, with both the joy of something new and the jitter of the unknown emanating from her. The place had modern beauty as well as the presence of nature, which was visible from the marble floors, to the furniture of the building that allowed for fun and creativity from the art and artists to paint the walls of the place. As she moved towards the desk, a smart young lady in formal clothing, who had fashionable values, welcomed her with a warm smile. "Hello and welcome to Donovan Capital--what can I do for you, madame?" the secretary, with a sweet smile, said to Rachel. "Rachel Bennett with Financial Perspectives." Rachel ratcheted up trying to maintain a calm voice. The receptionist acknowledged the information and consulted her PC. "I see that Ms. Bennett, Mr. Donovan is anticipating you. Just take the elevator to the 45th floor and Elena Martinez, his assistant, will be there." Rachel thanked her and headed toward getting an elevator, her heart beating faster every time she entered a new floor. When the doors slid open and the organization number flashed 45 on the board, she found herself stepping out of the lift into a tastefully decorated large office with floor to ceiling windows. A woman came up to her and offered her a handshake. “Hello, Ms. Bennett Nice to meet you. I am Elena Martinez the personal assistant to Mr. Donovan.” ‘Let me show you’, said Elena and led Rachel to another corridor that had two huge doors at the end. She knocked on them lightly and then turned the handle and let herself in, admitting Rachel. The office of Mark Donovan like the rest of the building was magnificent. It was spacious still unencumbered; a huge desk loomed large in the middle of the room. Beside the desk there was an imposing chair where Mark Donovan sat, a man who was a perfect epitome of authority and efficiency. He was rather tall and muscular, especially broad-shouldered, with blue staring eyes, which, by their glance, embraced all objects. He was of medium build, had styled black hair, and the precious well fitted suit he was wearing implied that he was well off but preferred to keep it to himself. “Ms. Bennett,” he said, in a bid to stand and shake his hand. ”Thank you, I will do it. “ Rachel introduced herself while He shook her hand- she swore he had a strong grip- and she sat down. ”It was really nice of you to consent to this interview, Mr. Donovan.” “I prefer to be called Mark,” he said and got back to the chair and stared at her deeply. ‘’What do you want to be informed about?’’ Rachel sighed and pulled several sheets of notebook paper towards her. “Can we begin with your education? What encouraged you to go into the finance industry?” Mark narrowed his eyes, then leaned back in his chair and digested what he was told. “My early fascination has always been with the markets and I always thought that the best way to get into it was to read the stock prices and how they responded to various interventions when I was still in my tender age as a kid. Besides, I wanted to build something for myself, something which in spite of its being small, could transform into that bigger and better unspecified real thing.” Speaking, Rachel could not help but notice the passion in his tone, getting almost emotional when he was speaking. This time it was quite evident that Mark Donovan is not only business-like and heartless. She had developed a bit of fascination for him due to the complexity he held. “Your success is surely noteworthy,” she congratulated. “But it is also associated with a lot of debate. What do you say to people who argue that you are too sensitive?” In the meantime Mark's eyes squinted a bit and Rachel could feel a change in his mood. “Success in this industry is hard work, it is not always about the laughter while the shooting of a film. Bringing others to see the picture that I want to show is hard because some people cannot understand the reasons that I have for my choices. Getting the respect of my investors and my employees is my main goal among the things that I do. Therefore, sometimes, the things that I need to do for achieving my aim may not sound reasonable to others.” Rachel made her gestures a nod and proceeded to write notes. “It seems that you are very active in charity, however, it is not very conspicuous in relation to your business image.” Over the course of the interview Rachel got carried away with Mark’s character because it had many layers to it. On one hand, Mark was a man with no scruples regarding business, but on the other, he had a burning desire to help. Which also contributed to the increasing respect for him that she experienced. It was another half an hour later before Mark looked down at his wrist. “Well, I have another meeting in a few minutes unfortunately, but we can easily pick this up next time.” Rachel stood there for some time, albeit a little relieved as well as a lot curious. “That is it Mark. Thanks for your time.” He then took her to the door then waited on her, a king like posture he had even in this small move. I hereby take my leave and say — until the next time, Ms. Bennett. Rachel got out of the office and she started thinking. This was only the beginning but she already had a feeling that this was going to be much more strenuous than she expected, and it was going to get much more personal. Rachel returned to the newsroom and sat at her desk; she proceeded to arrange her notes neatly. The interview had presented her with a lot to ruminate for the whole day. It is evident that she had a stereotyped impression of Mark Donovan as a plain and boring man but she was proven wrong. He confused me, sometimes I felt like he was one massive Rubik’s with different facets with increasing depth… she thought. Rachel’s best friend and confidante, Charlotte Hastings, approached as she was typing out the first version of the note. Charlotte was a good looking woman, smart and working as a legal consultant. She had stood by Rachel and been there to support her through all her difficult past years. “Hello, Rachel, did you manage to get tickets, How did it go?” Charlotte asked, leaning against the desk. Rachel looked up, it was however refreshing to be interrupted by the chime. “Passionate, He is…not what I thought he would be like…there is so much more to him than just the powerful businessman image." Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Trolling continues: “Do I hear the lace in admiration?” Rachel laughed, shaking her head. ‘Perhaps a little, but I am still in the process of sorting things out.’ “You should be careful,” Charlotte said, seriousness written in her voice. “The truth about him is actually far from his nice and polite image, people like Donovan don’t get to the top being nice. So be cautious and keep your guard up.” “I promise,” Rachel said. She, however, felt the suspicion that she was in this matter even more than initially anticipated. While she was writing non-stop, Rachel discovered that this was not just an honour in terms of her career. She saw in it a possibility to dig into Mark Donovan's past, which in turn could, in fact, help her uncover the real person behind him. Also, she could discover something about herself during this time, indeed as well. Still, busy with tall stories of the day, Rachel tried to fall asleep that night. She was thinking about Mark, about how he looked at her and about how he spoke when he was animated. She never allowed herself to get close to people, but there was just something about him that made her want to change that somehow. As she drifted off to sleep, one thought lingered in her mind: That was not the end however – this was only the starting point. The woman realised that the assignment she had started with Mark Donovan was going to be more than just a work. This was going to compete with her in a professional and personal front like she had never been prepared for.