CHAPTER 140: THREATS
Inside James's office, Timothy sat nervously facing him, flanked by Jared and Angelo on either side. Timothy glanced at the two men beside him, then back at James. "Mr. Alfred," he said, his voice strained, "could you tell your… henchmen to back off a bit?"
Jared scoffed at the word. "Henchmen?" he repeated, a hint of derision in his voice.
James glanced at his brother and shook his head slightly before turning back to Timothy. "The man on your right is my brother," he explained calmly, "and the one on your left is my secretary. They're completely harmless. We're all here for a discussion, correct?" He then addressed Angelo. "Angelo, please call in Benjamin."
Angelo exited the office and returned within moments, Benjamin following close behind. "Yes, Chairman, you called?" Benjamin said as he took Angelo's previous position, while Angelo moved to stand beside his boss.
"The prepared contract, please," James requested.
Benjamin nodded in understanding and retrieved a document from the briefcase he carried. "Here," he said, handing the contract to James.
James took the document and passed it to Timothy. "You should sign this, Timothy."
Timothy snatched the contract from James, his expression sour, and began to read through it.
"Oh," James added casually, a subtle edge to his voice, "I also received the authentication files you provided for your shares from my lawyer. So, you have every right to sign this now."
Timothy looked up from the document, his gaze meeting James's. "One question, though," he said.
"Go ahead," James replied.
"I was supposed to sign this before sitting in on the board meeting," Timothy pointed out. "Why wasn't I asked to do so earlier?"
Benjamin answered. "First, this was an emergency board meeting, so there wasn't time for the usual formalities. Second, you had already submitted the necessary documents granting you the right to be seated at the table. Therefore, this doesn't violate any rules or laws."
Timothy offered a shrewd smile and shook his head slightly.
"Now, it's my turn," James said, his tone shifting. "Timothy Hutchkins, all the way from America… You came in and poached Beulah Constructions. I don't know how you managed to get them to release three percent of our shares. Perhaps it was your plan all along for them to have it in the first place. Or perhaps," he paused, a chilling smile spreading across his face, "Beulah Constructions is a company of yours, and you were simply careless when you… lost it."
Timothy looked at the men around him and then let out a low, chilling laugh that sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the room except James. "You still have no idea who I am, do you, James?" he asked. Receiving no response, he knew his assumption was correct. "Well, Mr. Alfred," he continued, "I'm not here to jog your memory. You'll have to figure that out on your own. And as for Beulah Constructions… you're right. I had it all planned from the start. And you were also right about me being careless to lose it."
"You know, for a moment there, I might have underestimated you a little bit—just a little," Timothy said, demonstrating with his fingers.
"So, you had to join forces with our fathers' sisters to pull this off, right?" Jared asked, continuing without pause. "You're the 'backing' they claim to have. Because, thinking about it, they wouldn't be so bold otherwise."
Timothy turned to him with a sneer. "Join forces? Your fucking aunty is a bitch. I'm just using her to get what I want while letting her enjoy the thrill of being with a younger man." He laughed at his own crass remark.
Both Jared and Angelo's faces twisted with disgust, while James and Benjamin remained stoic, offering no visible reaction.
"So why risk losing one trillion? What's your endgame?" James asked patiently.
"A trillion is nothing compared to what I've planned against you, James," Timothy replied with a smirk. "I'm ready to lose much more than that, as long as I achieve my goal. And as for my endgame, I guess we'll see soon enough, Mr. Chairman."
Timothy placed the document on the table and pulled out his pen. "You see, I know everything about you. Where you live, the fact that you have a wife—I even know where she works and her daily routine."
At this, James's composure faltered. His fists clenched against the armrest of his chair, his jaw tightening as the tension in the room dropped to a chilling low.
"There he is," Timothy said with a grin. "The James I know."
Without fully reading the document, Timothy signed it with a flourish, his confidence unwavering.
James wasn't the only one who reacted when Diana was threatened. Angelo's eyes twitched while Jared's face contorted in anger.
Timothy stood abruptly, his voice low but sharp. "You should watch your back, Mr. Alfred." With that, he walked out of the room.
James turned to Benjamin, who nodded and confirmed, "It's clean, boss. The signature checks out."
"Have you secured the evidence of the document?" James asked.
"Yes, boss," Benjamin replied with another nod.
James shifted his focus to Angelo. "Check for any listening devices."
Angelo didn't hesitate. He stepped out and returned moments later with a scanner. Meticulously, he swept the room, and sure enough, a listening device was found tucked beneath the table.
Angelo removed it and handed it to James, who crushed it effortlessly between his fingers. His eyes turned to Jared.
"Ours worked, bro," he said, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "I planted it on him successfully—it's completely undetectable. I'll monitor him round the clock. He must have a weakness we can exploit."
James nodded, his tone firm. "Make sure no one enters this office except you, Angelo, Benjamin, Antonio, and the guys. Everyone else is off-limits."
"Yes, Chairman," they responded in unison.
"And Angelo," James added, "tell Antonio to triple my wife's security."
"Understood, Chairman." Angelo and Benjamin exited the room.
Just as Jared was about to leave, James called out, "Jared, now you have something to use against your aunt. You just need to gather more evidence."
Jared gave a confident nod. "I know, bro. See you later."
James returned the nod and stood. He made his way to his break room, where his wife sat, calmly watching TV.