Word had spread about our arrival, seeing how half the employees were currently lined up on either sides o f the driveway leading up to the building. Mathew parked right at the entrance before handing his key to the building's valet, who held it in the palm of his hand like it was gold. Given that Mathew had picked one of the more expensive cars in our lot, a customized red Rolls-Royce, the valet was giving the machine's key its due respect.
We were given a uniform custom bow as if the employees had rehearsed their timing prior to us coming, and given how immaculately dressed they were in comparison to the rest of the employees who were milling around in the office, they must have. We were led to the board room, Matthew surprisingly taking a step back, content to play guest in his own office. I had to kiss him before the day was up. I needed to know what went on behind the poker face he had on.
The meeting was underway in less than half an hour, and while the rest paid attention to the bullshit presentation I was being fed. I used my newly acquired ability to hack into the company's network as the CFO highlighted the various ways my money had been invested. Hacking is too technical a word considering the fact that I simply touched the firewall and it parted, allowing me straight into the system without raising any alarms. As various members presented their work, I dove into the system, processing information faster than I could read it and yet somehow still understanding everything. By the time the three-hour back-to-back presentation was concluded, I had a presentation of my own that the computer system had kindly generated after I asked it to.
Without pressing a single bottom the projector began displaying code for a few seconds before the ones and zeros shifted to a format the rest of the room could understand. The domino effect was so palpable that it was almost comical. A hundred million siphoned from over a thousand accounts in a span of ten years. Back-room deals that later cost the company more money to rectify than what was originally invested. Investments in companies with a loss track record and, as expected, money invested in these companies is simply gone. There was evidence of misconduct, embezzlement, and gross negligence to bury everyone in this room directly and by association.
"This is a company meeting, meaning every member sitting here today is simply hired by the company. While I appreciate the work that you have done with some people having spent decades here, I am afraid I am not in the money-losing business. My father may have let this fly, Mathew may be oblivious, but I am the worst thing that will ever happen to all of you." There was a lot of shifting, but the guilty pregnant silence lingered on unperturbed.
This type of activity is expected when it comes to board members, and it can be excused because they bring just as much money as they take out. The same cannot be said for the rest of you. In an attempt to do the right thing, I am going to hand all of you over to the police for a thorough investigation. The combined losses from all these issues are well over a billion dollars, and someone has to be responsible for a loss of this magnitude.
A few of the employees tried to make a run for it, showing guilt that they would be the first ones to be interrogated. I had had the door barricaded, so when they realized they were trapped, they turned on me. Experience from my previous life and my newly acquired weapons manufacturing skill allowed me to fashion a weapon using Mathew's tie, which I unceremoniously ripped from his neck, and my steel-cased pen.
The first man probably in his late forties lunged at me in desperation but I side stepped but not before throwing the sharp tipped tie in his direction and had the satisfaction of watching his crumple to the floor his eye bleeding while he tried to staunch the flow with his hands while he screamed the second target tried to get away seeing how his comrade ended but not fast enough as my grazed his check dragging the flesh away leaving an open wonder running from the corner of his mouth to his ear. The rest quickly settled down, and the previous chaotic boardroom returned to its typical calm.
"If my tone or my presentation failed to convey the severity of the situation, let this be a warning to the rest of you. For far too long, you have been enjoying a life of luxury at my expense. While the rest of the employees struggle to get work down you meet to wear suits and greet executives. I would have rather been treated poorly but given great results. While your experience had been valuable, your lack of integrity and postponed consequences made you confident in your crimes. Just as you have enjoyed my money without working for it, you should accept giving up your freedom for it. This isn't a question of morals; money was stolen from me, and I will get it back one way or another."
The police arrived later and insisted that we all accompany them to the station, given that two of the present members were experiencing medical emergencies. I argues self defense and the matching stories corroborated my alibi, so I was let off with a warning. On our way out, ignoring the pleas and cries of my former employee, I ran into a woman I immediately recognized as Linette, my novel's female, and behind her stood my supposed childhood crush, holding onto a thug who patiently waited with cuff hands.
'Linette," I called out curtly in greeting after failing to bypass her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked in a cheerful voice, but venom dripped from her tone, impossible to ignore.
"My employees have been stealing from my husband and me," I paused, pulling the uncharacteristically quiet Mathew to the front, "so we came to report them like the law-abiding citizens we are. How is work?" I finished, pasting a fake smile of my own while my eyes involuntarily darted to Tony behind her, a movement she noted, judging by her failing mask of friendliness.
"Work is fine," Tony answered before Linette could earn me a dirty glare, even though the question had been directed at her.
"Yes, Tony and I have formed quite the formidable team," she replied, trying to link my hands with Tony, who pulled away, eyes trained on me.
"Much like my wife and I." For the first time since pulling up to the company, Mathew spoke up while his hands tightened around my wrist.
"Yes, we should go on a double date and catch up with you guys," I said, but was interrupted by the system.
"Host, it's time to get to work. As the main villain, you need to foster the leads' relationship by making her seem like the better option. Do something to humiliate the female lead," the system interjected just as we were about to part ways. Before I could react, my body lunged forward, bumping into Linnet, who, despite falling, did her best to land on Tony and failed, falling to the ground. I raced out, ignoring the now bleeding Linette, trying to distance myself from the main character's cursing my bad luck