The company was in complete disarray.
But Nolan knew Simon Philip's side of the plan still needed time, so he couldn't simply abandon Rock Industries yet. At the very least, he had to sell his shares for a decent price.
Starting a new company required an enormous amount of money especially if he wanted his new enterprise to catch the military's attention. For that, Simon Philip's maneuvering alone wasn't enough.
Looking at the luxury cars parked nearby and the expensive watch on his wrist, Nolan let out a long sigh.
"I'm really strapped for cash."
Jessica Jones rolled her eyes at him. She'd never met anyone so shameless.
Pretending not to notice her annoyance, Nolan continued, "Jessica, I need you to help me register a new company."
"Why? Don't you already have Rock Technologies?" Jessica asked, puzzled.
Nolan smiled. "Because Rock Technologies is finished. Now go, and don't let anyone know I'm behind this. The whole thing needs to stay secret."
Jessica gave a small nod.
After watching her leave, Nolan drove straight to the company. As chairman, he still had plenty to manage.
Two days later, the police came knocking.
"Mr. Nolan Rock, we regret to inform you that Mr. Charles has been missing for two days. Do you have any information that might help our investigation?"
"What? Uncle Charles is missing?"
Nolan's face filled with grief as he delivered his well-rehearsed Oscar-worthy performance.
"Uncle Charles was like a godfather to me. Please, you must find him and bring him back safely."
Seeing Nolan's seemingly genuine sorrow, the officers' expressions softened. They had known Charles and Nolan were close, but this display suggested their relationship had been even deeper than the cold reports described.
After a pause to compose himself, Nolan added, "I remember Uncle Charles, despite his age, still had certain… interests. There are a few places in Clinton he frequented. If you have no leads, you might want to start there."
He casually offered the information.
Clinton was Hell's Kitchen's official name, though everyone just called it Hell's Kitchen. Every shady business in that neighborhood was tied to the local gangs. And conveniently, Nolan was already annoyed with them.
Throwing the cops off in that direction was a petty but satisfying move, whether it paid off or not.
The two officers frowned at the suggestion. Hell's Kitchen was a jurisdictional nightmare, far beyond their authority.
"We'll report this to Captain George Stacy. If you have no other information, we'll be on our way."
"Sorry I can't be of more help." Nolan sighed and added, "Please, you must find Uncle Charles."
The officers nodded. "Don't worry, Mr. Rock. We'll do our best."
To Nolan, it sounded no different from them admitting they were powerless.
"Let's go," one officer muttered as they exchanged a look.
Once Hell's Kitchen was involved, things always got messy. Most people who disappeared there were never found.
But this time, it was different. Charles wasn't just anyone he was a director of Rock Industries. And with the company's K-01 product selling like wildfire, even the smallest scandal could explode into a crisis.
"It looks like we'll need to escalate this to the captain," one officer said.
"Agreed. We may have to launch a raid on Hell's Kitchen."
Both sighed heavily.
…
Inside a lavish mansion, Morse lounged on a sofa with a glass of red wine.
Across from him sat a masked man.
"Morse, why did you call me here this time?" the masked man asked, setting down his untouched wine. He preferred something stronger.
Morse smiled. "Finlay, you need to change your lifestyle a little. You're the infamous boss of the Irish Mob. If even you live like this, it makes the rest of us look bad."
Finlay Cooley gave him a hard stare. "Morse, I don't care about your private indulgences. But remember, you've gone legit on paper. The mob isn't the same as the boardroom. Enough small talk. Tell me why I'm here. You know the deaths of Rock Industries' board members have already made things tense in Hell's Kitchen."
He cursed under his breath. "Damn politicians. They never have the ability to fix Hell's Kitchen, but every time they stir up trouble, it's us who pay the price."
Morse chuckled darkly. "What I want to talk about is Rock Industries. Right now, the company is a fat sheep waiting to be carved up. No one knows its condition better than I do. Don't you want a piece of it? If we move fast, the Irish Mob could walk away with at least seven hundred million. And you know, that's just the starting point."
Finlay straightened, interest flashing in his eyes. "Are you certain?"
"That's the lowest estimate. It could be more," Morse replied.
"How do you propose we do this?" Finlay asked.
Morse's grin widened. "We just need to find a way to redirect the inheritance of those dead directors before the transfers go through. I believe that's something you're very good at handling."
Finlay's eyes gleamed. He could see the obstacles, but seven hundred million and that wasn't even counting the shares themselves. The temptation was too great.
"Fine," Finlay said firmly. "I'll have some lawyers dig into the wills. I'm sure there'll be something we can exploit."
"Good." Morse leaned forward. "But there's still Nolan Rock. He's a problem."
"Then we kill him."
Finlay's voice was cold and matter-of-fact. Killing was what the Irish Mob did best.
Morse shook his head. "Not yet. I'll spread rumors pinning the directors' deaths on Nolan. That should be enough to force him out. If he refuses to back down, then we can kill him."
At that moment, a man entered and handed Morse a sealed envelope.
Morse opened it and scanned the report: Charles missing, status unknown, possibly dead.
A smile spread across his face.
"Well, that settles it. No matter what he does, Nolan won't be able to wash off the filth they'll throw on him. The world will teach him that having a brilliant mind for invention isn't enough."
His expression radiated confidence. Everything was falling into place.
Perhaps, he thought, it might even be time to force Nolan to sell his shares at a bargain.
Though he was Irish by blood, Morse had always despised Finlay Cooley's reliance on brute violence. That was why he hadn't joined Campbell and the others when they tried to assassinate Nolan.
Now, he would prove that cunning not force was the true power of the underworld.
And Nolan Rock was about to learn just how cruel the world could be.