Sincere Apologies 3

Jacob Morrison is a manager known throughout the entertainment industry even before working with the members of Super 7. He worked with top celebrities in Hollywood. Everyone wanted him to work for them.

Since his mid-twenties, he worked as a manager for several celebrities. He started out working with young, up-and-coming actors. It helped him gain some much-needed experience. He learned how to deal with self-entitled stars with challenging personalities, who blamed him and yelled at him whenever there was a problem with a job. Whether they flunked an audition or the director cut a character from a script, everything was his fault.

Throughout those years, he mastered the art of flattery, whether it was hosts that he needed to win over to get his talent a few minutes on their shows or trying to appease a celeb who was throwing a tantrum. Over time, he excelled and thrived in Hollywood, going on to manage bigger, veteran celebrities at the top of their game.

Working in Hollywood only helped prepare him for when he was offered the job to manage S7 seven years ago. When he met the Supers, he was intimidated, as they not only had demanding personalities, but they were physically powerful individuals. Working with them was arduous. They threatened him with their powers and abused him with their words whenever they were displeased with something.

The nature of the jobs he had to get for them went from government jobs to public appearances. They were often dour. Dissatisfied with everything he did, they threw tantrums and made complaints.

Over time, Jacob grew accustomed to their personalities and numb to their protests. He had to adapt, or else he would not have survived; he simply became indifferent to them. If he let everything they said bother him, he'd have probably gone mad a long time ago. He did what was required of him. He promoted the members of the S7, as their manager, through interviews, live events, and television events. He always made sure the media filmed them in public when they performed their feats of heroism, allowing the members of S7 to climb to the top of the Supers chart ratings.

They were no different than actors and musicians, rated in their popularity with the public.

Yes. He adapted. Nothing scared him anymore. His coworkers respect him while the S7 members had no choice but to put up with him.

At the age of 52, he was over a decade older than the little girl sitting beside her mother. Yes, she was just a little girl. So why? Why did meeting that little girl's sharp brown eyes send a chill running up his spine? Was he afraid? No, that's impossible. He has stared down individuals with the strength to ground cement to dust in their bare hands. Why would he fear a woman with just a pair of long legs? The chill must have come from an open window somewhere.

"You know, Electro already sent out a public apology via Twitter, so why are you here?"

"Ye- Yes." He cleared his throat as he turned to the man beside him. "What happened last night was due to Electro's carelessness. Rouen Industries sent me to apologize for the blunder our employees have caused personally."

"I am not the one you should be apologizing to. The person you should be apologizing to is currently unconscious, with no signs of waking up. Last night, he went into cardiac arrest, repeatedly. He had to be resuscitated all throughout the night," Tora said. "You should be apologizing to him."

"That's what I-"

"I have not finished speaking." Tora stopped him before he interrupted her any further.

Jacob felt compelled to firmly keep his lips together as she continued. Her formal intonation made the situation almost like she was a mother reprimanding her child for something he had done wrong.

"You should be apologizing to the nurses who cared for him all through the night long without rest. You should be apologizing to the patients of this hospital who were disturbed last night. You should be apologizing to that little girl who almost died. God knows if it were not for Darren, she would be the target of the lightning, and she would be dead right now. If that had happened, you would not be here apologizing to me. You would be trying to appease the public who would be trying to bury you six feet under."

What is this? Jacob had dealt with incredible individuals. He has dealt with powerful individuals, physically, socially, and politically. But her, she had none of those traits, yet her eyes shimmered as they bore into him that he could not look away.

He shifted uncomfortably in the chair. Goosebumps formed on his skin as if the temperature of the room dropped. What is that? That atmosphere. As he looked at her, studying her closely when he sensed an overwhelming aura that radiated off her in waves. She sat with her spine straight, her hands clasped before her on the table as an icy, yet regal air surged from her.

She was not forcing it. No, it came naturally to her as she turned the room into her space. For years, Jacob had never felt fear like he felt at this moment. He sat there, alone, in the eyes of a tigress on the hunt. She was the predator, and Jacob was the prey. He was going to be devoured.

"Mr. Morrison, can I call you Jacob?"

Her voice dragged him out of his fantasy.

"Ye- yes. I mean, no." His thoughts were in disarray.

"Jacob, are you religious?"

"No."

"Well, if that is all there is to your apology, then I suggest you start praying to whatever god you think will help you." She raised her brow and leaned back in the chair. "The door is right behind you."