The morning headlines weren't loud, but they were annoying enough to draw blood. The Bishop estate for all it's grandeur, was not immune to bad news.
"Local Authorities Investigate Shell Firm Tied to Bishop Consortium Subsidiary."
"An Anonymous Tip Leads to Raid on East End Storage Property."
Charles Bishop's jaw clenched as he threw the financial paper on the dining table. The entire room was unusually silent at breakfast this morning. A few chairs away, Scott was swirling orange juice in a crystal glass, pretending not to notice his father's tension.
"One of the warehouses in Essex got raided," Charles finally said, his voice low and irritated. "Not ours directly, but one of our holdings. The Virudix company one."
"Idiots", he muttered, standing and pacing. "We've run that operation quietly for eight years. Eight damn years.
Scott sighed and waited. He may not be particularly interested in his father's penchant for off-the-records dealings but he couldn't do much about it. He silently promised himself that the Bishop group would be different once he was at the helm of affairs. He had to act interested though so his father didn't know his motives.
"How did they know? Scott questioned, feigning mild interest.
Charles turned to him, eyes sharp. "This wasn't just a raid. Someone tipped them off. Someone with access. It's obviously internal and would be dealt with but we don't need this kind of attention while trying to finalize the Coleman deal. How's that coming along?"
The mention of the deal brought Passion to Scott's mind. "Oh that would be a done deal by weekend, no one can resist my charm". He replied smiling.
finalized this week. No delays. None of your... leisurely negotiation tactics."
"This isn't one of your games, Scott." Charles stepped closer, voice low. "This woman—this Passion Coleman—she's new money with old ambition. If we anchor her early, we can move through her channels. If we don't, we risk her smelling blood or worse aligning with someone else. Someone who'll dig deeper than they should."
Scott said nothing. He was thinking of Passion's cool gaze and clipped replies, the way she dismissed him without effort. There was something about her he couldn't pin down—power, yes, but also… history. Weight. As if she had already survived more than he'd ever face.
"She doesn't strike me as the blood smelling type. More like the type to freeze people's blood in their bones."
Charles rose to his feet. "Close the deal. Set another meeting and do whatever it takes. Charm her, pressure her, out-negotiate her, I don't care. I want paperwork signed before the week ends."
Scott didn't answer immediately. He dropped his glass, then looked up. "You're worried about her."
"I'm wary of anyone I can't read. I don't like that she's young, smart and operating at this level without backing I can trace. She came out of nowhere. Just do your part and we can all sleep well."
"Understood," Scott said. He watched his father leave the dining room in hurried steps and his jaw tightened.
**
At her suite later that night, Passion smiled as she recollected the news Matteo had shared with her. The Virudix warehouse was one of the smaller links in the Bishop supply chain, not enough to topple the business but enough to give her joy tonight. The anonymous tip she'd arranged had been delivered flawlessly.
"I'll take them apart, one piece at a time" she murmured, swirling her wine.
Her tablet buzzed.
Scott Bishop: How about dinner, strictly business 😁? My treat this time.
Passion tapped a reply: Confirmed.
Let them keep coming to me.
She stood and walked to the large window, arms folded. Her reflection stared back— poised, dangerous, untouchable. But underneath the steel, a pulse of something flickered. Scott's attention bothered her in a way she couldn't understand.
She didn't like that.
Not because it was threatening, but because it wasn't. It felt... human.
Uncomfortable, she forced her thoughts back to her revenge plans.