Chapter 4
"Mr. Leigh, I just did what I thought was right," I said, my voice steady.
"I trust your judgment."
Matthew let out a mocking laugh, clearly not buying it.
"Don't give me those empty words.
"Did Mr. Gale promise you something? Or maybe Mr. Chesson made you an offer?
"Just tell me what they gave you, and I'll double it."
He still thought I was just a pawn for someone else.
I was relieved.
At the same time, I couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
"Mr. Leigh, what do you think I'm worth?"
I fired the question right back at him.
He paused, clearly not expecting me to throw the question right back at him.
He studied me, like he was seeing a stranger for the first time.
"What do you want?
"A promotion? A raise?"
I shook my head.
"I don't need anything," I said.
"I'm just someone who wants to see the company get better.
"If the company does well, my job's safe, isn't it?"
My tone was completely sincere.
So sincere that even Matthew started to second-guess himself.
Exactly.
Five years on the grind, always working hard, but with zero connections.
What else could it be?
Just trying to keep my job, taking a risk, and betting everything on the boss to pull me through.
That excuse was airtight.
"Let's hope you're not just saying that," Matthew said, though his voice still carried a hint of doubt.
He leaned back in his chair, finally relaxing a little—the tension in the room easing up.
"But your luck just ran out."
"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice steady.
"Are you aware of that mysterious new shareholder in our company?"
My heart clenched.
"Yeah, I've heard of it."
"He owns 38% of Sliver Tech's shares, holding the fate of the company in his hands."
Matthew fixed his gaze on me, speaking each word slowly and deliberately.
"His lawyer just contacted me.
"He requested a meeting at the office tomorrow morning at nine."
My hand hesitated for a second as I picked up my teacup.
"What does that have to do with me?"
Matthew's lips curled into an amused smile.
"Oh, it absolutely does. Because he made it clear that you have to be there."
The next morning, at 8:50 sharp, I showed up at the CEO's office door.
Matthew's assistant looked at me with a complicated expression.
There was surprise, a bit of sympathy, and a barely noticeable hint of awe.
"Ms. Jennings, Mr. Leigh is waiting for you inside."
He held the door open for me.
Inside, Matthew was standing in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.
The sunlight outlined him in gold, but it couldn't warm up his cold demeanor one bit.
He turned when he heard me come in.
When he saw me, his brows furrowed automatically.
"You're here."
"Good morning, Mr. Leigh," I said, keeping my tone calm.
"Do you know why the new shareholder singled you out to be here?" Matthew asked, cutting right to the chase.
"I don't know."
I had no idea at all.
I bought the shares through some anonymous channels my financial advisor set up.
Aside from me and my advisor, nobody else knew my identity.
So why did the new shareholder want me here?
Did my advisor take it upon himself and make this call without telling me?
Matthew locked his eyes on me, searching for any sign of weakness or a tell.
But I kept my cool, showing nothing but composure.
"Let's hope that's true."
He scoffed coldly and glanced at his Patek Philippe.
"Five minutes left."
Time ticked by, each second stretching out like an eternity.
The office was so quiet it was almost eerie.
I could hear both my own breathing and Matthew's, the only sounds in the room.
He looked more on edge than me.
Of course.
A mysterious figure who could quietly snap up 38% of the shares—yeah, that'd make any CEO sweat.
At exactly nine o'clock, his personal phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID—an encrypted, unknown number.
He pressed the speakerphone button.
The whole office could hear the voice on the other end.
It was a digitally altered voice, impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman.
"Hello, Mr. Leigh," the voice said.
"Are you the new shareholder of Sliver Tech?" Matthew asked.
His voice carried a hint of caution.
"That's me," the voice replied.
"I think we should meet," Matthew said.
"That's not necessary," the voice replied coldly.
The synthetic voice cut him off, icy and emotionless.
"I don't trust anyone. I only believe what I see with my own eyes.
"Having you call Yvette Jennings over today was my first instruction," the voice continued.
Matthew and I both glanced at the phone.
"What instruction?" Matthew asked.
"From now on, Yvette has my full authority," the voice declared.
"Her official title is Special Assistant to the CEO.
"All major decisions, project progress, and financial reports at Sliver Tech go through her.
"She holds veto power."
As soon as the synthetic voice finished, the call was cut off.