Chapter 9 - The Ultimatum
The following morning, the corporate machinery of Jacobs Global Finance was thrown into utter chaos.
Marcus Vance burst into Pedro’s executive suite on the forty-fifth floor of the Manhattan tower, slamming a printed blog post onto the glass desk.
"It's out, Pedro!" Marcus shouted, his face pale with panic. "A disgruntled former associate of the Boston family leaked the NDA settlement to the financial tabloids. Headlines are already calling Abigail a liability, and our stock dropped two points at the opening bell!"
Pedro didn't look flustered. He didn't yell. He calmly swivelled his executive chair around, looking out at the glittering Manhattan skyline under a bright morning sun.
"Issue a public statement," Pedro commanded smoothly.
"Thank God," Marcus sighed in relief. "I'll draft a severance package for Abigail immediately and announce her termination to distance the firm—"
"You will draft a press release announcing that Jacobs Global Finance is launching a full-scale legal investigation into the Boston family for witness intimidation and defamation," Pedro interrupted, his voice dropping into a lethal, glacial hum. "And you will append a personal statement from me confirming that Abigail Hill is not only the head of household management at Breakers Mansion, but my designated partner."
Marcus stared at him as if he had lost his mind. "Your partner?! Pedro, you're a billionaire CEO! You can't just marry your children's nanny in the middle of a PR crisis!"
"Watch me," Pedro said simply, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket. "And Marcus? Clean out your desk by noon. You leaked that settlement to the press, thinking you could force my hand. Don't think I didn't trace the IP address back to your private server."
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Marcus’s jaw dropped, all the color draining from his face as he realized his career had just come to an abrupt, terrifying end. He turned and bolted from the office.
Pedro grabbed his briefcase, a sense of absolute clarity washing over him. The empire he built no longer felt like an empty cage. It felt like a foundation.
