A Marriage of Lies and Secrets

The Orchid Group had survived every attack thrown at it for decades. Hostile acquisitions, market sabotage, corporate espionage, lawsuits and even economic crashes. Through it all, one man remained standing at the center of the empire. Benedetto Wayne and Ace Damon hated him. The thick file on Ace's desk bore the words ORCHID GROUP in bold black letters. Hundreds of pages filled with reports, financial records, board member profiles, and years of gathered intelligence sat inside yet none of it seemed to be enough. Ace leaned back in his chair, his jaw tight. For months, he had searched for a weakness. A crack in Benedetto Wayne's armor. A door that would allow him access to the man himself but every lead had ended the same way, nowhere. Across the office, Scott stood quietly, watching his boss battle with his thoughts. The silence stretched. Then Ace shut the file hard. "The board members we've bought?" he asked Scott. "They're still usefu sir”, Scott replied. "And the insiders?", Ace asked again. "They're feeding us information”, Scott replied cautiously. Ace's expression darkened. "Then why do I still feel like I'm standing outside a fortress with no entrance?", Ace said , obviously frustrated. Scott didn't answer immediately because he knew Ace was right. They've always had information, influence, they even habe people inside Orchid Group but Benedetto Wayne remained untouchable. The old man trusted nobody. He doesn't meett nobody unnecessarily and never left a trail of his actions. The room fell silent again then Scott spoke. "There might be one way." Ace lifted his eyes while Scott hesitated. Even he wasn't sure this idea wouldn't get him thrown out of the building. "Say it”, Ace said impatiently. "We become family”, Scott finally said. The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Ace stared at him. "What?" "We become family." A dangerous calm settled over Ace's face. "Repeat that." Scott swallowed nervously. "If you marry into the Wayne family, you'll have direct access to Benedetto, family dinners, family meetings,family trust and stuffs like that." Ace rose slowly from his chair. The movement alone was enough to make Scott regret every decision that had led him to this moment. "You want me," Ace said carefully, "to marry into the Wayne family?" Scott nodded. Ace laughed once. A short, humorless sound. Of all the possibilities he had considered, this had never been one of them. Marriage, to the family he had spent years planning to destroy. The thought alone made his blood boil. Yet...the more he thought about it, the more dangerous the idea became because it made sense somehow. Ace stopped pacing. For the first time since the conversation began, he wasn't looking at Scott, he was thinking. If he could get close enough to Benedetto…..If he could gain his trust...If he could access the information hidden behind Orchid Group's walls...then perhaps everything would finally begin to move. "The old man isn't stupid," Ace said at last. Scott nodded. "He'll suspect something." "He suspects everyone”, Ace said. "Exactly”, Scott affirmed. Ace clenched his jaw. Benedetto Wayne had spent decades navigating corporate warfare. The man could probably smell a scheme before it was even conceived. Approaching him directly would be suicide. Their original plan had been safer. Offer a business partnership, propose a peace agreement, then create opportunities for meetings. But the risks were enormous. One wrong move and Da Silva Corp would look desperate. Another wrong move and investors would start asking questions. Neither option appealed to Ace. Frustration surged through him. He dragged a hand through his hair. Years of preparation, years of promises made to the Da Silva family and somehow he was still standing at the starting line. Scott watched him carefully then another idea struck him. His eyes widened. "What if we combine both plans?" Ace looked up. Scott stepped forward. "We approach Orchid Group with an investment proposal." Ace remained silent. "Their latex division has been expanding aggressively. We don't compete directly in that sector." Now he had Ace's attention. "We propose cooperation. A mutually beneficial investment." Ace folded his arms. "Continue." "A meeting gets scheduled." Scott's confidence grew. He continued. "We gain legitimate access to Benedetto and his board.", "then we establish trust." "And eventually..." Scott paused. "The family connection becomes a possibility." For several seconds, Ace said nothing. Then a slow, rare and dangerous smile appeared. The kind of smile that usually meant somebody's life was about to become complicated. "I knew there was a reason I hired you." Scott exhaled. For the first time all afternoon, things were looking promising until a realization hit him. His smile vanished and Ace immediately noticed. "What now?" Scott rubbed the back of his neck. "There's one problem." Ace's patience evaporated. "What problem?" Scott grimaced. "Benedetto Wayne is the last direct member of his family." Ace frowned "And?" "And you're a man." The silence that followed was deafening. Then both men's eyes widened simultaneously. It means no daughter, Benedetto's children are all males, no obvious female heir, no marriage candidate. The entire plan collapsed in an instant. A loud crash echoed through the office as Ace's fist slammed into a nearby shelf. "Are you telling me we spent the last hour building a plan that can't even happen?" Scott winced. "Not exactly." Ace turned sharply. Scott's expression changed. The look on his face made Ace pause because suddenly, Scott looked like a man who had remembered something important. At least maybe something that might change everything. "The plan can still work," Scott said slowly. Ace narrowed his eyes. "How?". Scott met his gaze. Scott stepped closer to the desk. "Because Benedetto Wayne may be the last surviving Wayne brother..." He slid a thin file across the table. Ace's gaze dropped to the photograph attached to it. A young woman stared back at him. Scott's smile was grim. "His late brother's daughter”, he said to Ace. Ace's eyes narrowed. "A niece?" "Yes, a niece." Scott tapped the file. "And from what I've gathered, Benedetto clips her wings far more than most people realize. Infac t, some have forgotten that Joe had a child” Silence filled the room.Then Ace picked up the file. "Tell me everything.”