Chapter 9

An hour before the board of directors meeting begin,

"How are we going to do this, again?" Elliot asked the guy behind his desk who has been doing nothing other than signing documents after documents. Nathan ignore the elder while he focused on his work. The sound of the fountain pen moving its way across the paper filled the room.

They are about to attend the usual monthly meeting. The board of directors meeting where they discuss and updates about performances and future plans. In other words, a place where they would either going to destroy or getting destroyed.

The pharmaceutical company that Nathan Maverick currently leading is originally founded by his grandfather, Benjamin Maverick, who had passed down on to him. 

Who is also Elliot's grandfather's brother. 

"As far as I remember, I never mentioned I ever made any plans. But I know Hugh has one in mind." The said man immediately perked up from his tabloid, looking alarmed.

"Excuse me? How am I involved in this again?" Elliot rolled his eyes.

"Don't you?" Nathan asked toneless.

"Well, you're the boss. I'm just one of the many insignificant shareholders. Besides, the deal was that I help you hack your own multi-million security package building." Hugh shrugged off before he put his attention back to his screen. He was studying Nathan's company blueprint before he can teach Kaysen how to do things his style.

Elliot had enough with these kids. "If you guys don't have any plan for this, just follow my lead." His remarks begin to gain attention from the rest of them. Including Kaysen who was assembling his guns by one corner of the room.

"You?" 

"Yes, me. I know I'm not as great as you guys being all secrecy and everything but at least I have an idea." 

Everyone in this room knew Elliot is one hell of a guy. When he has something set on his mind, he can't accept a 'no' from others. Rejections are something he won't tolerate unless a justify and logical reasoning could counter his original idea. True to the rumours, most of the directors in the company despised him since he was so hard to be pleased with and hardly ever getting swayed with bribery. 

Something Nathan found fruitful about keeping Elliot close to him.

"Relax Elliot. Nobody would notice as long as you stick to your very own style." Nathan adds.

"Okay, wait. What do you mean by that?" The surgeon eyed his cousin, suspiciously. 

"You know what I mean." Nathan continues before he pulled up a few other documents to look over. 

Hugh and Kaysen watched those two in skeptical. They both know what Nathan means. Its Elliot they are talking about. Elliot with a doctorate title in front of his name.

\

Current timeline,

"Afternoon everyone. As you all know, I am Professor Elliot Maverick from Pearl White Hospital and I will be presenting on our latest updates regarding the clinical trial we had been done for the last sixth month on the new drugs."

Elliot's plan was simple. Talk endlessly until the point where the targeted party felt threaten and begin to loose composure. While Kaysen was trying to secure some data illegally, the other three must work together so that what they are trying to confirm finally has its answers.

That someone was working behind closed doors with the enemy. Provided that the enemy is politically disinclined with the one that the Maverick family has always been supporting.

Nathan reorganised his seating position. They had gone through with other departments before Elliot's presenting his findings. He can't say he wasn't tired with those incompetent directors who knew nothing about their works. Most of them acquire their current position due to someone's influence. Which he saw could be one of the deadliest loophole for the company.

"Elliot, I understand why your students hated being in your class." Kaysen said out of nowhere making Hugh who was trying to act cool, finally lost it. His muffled laughters had cause some people to turn their attention to him but later getting ignored. Seems like these old people are persistent to find any flaws from Elliot's presentation.

Elliot, on the other hand tries his best to not curse out loud. 

Nathan remained emotionless.

"Have you located the data yet?" Hugh mumbles. 

"Still working on it." Kaysen replies. His job was to search the financial records from the finance director's desktop regarding his illegal shipments activities. The budget, the stocks and the output, all three were not clicking together.

Based on the raw data Hugh had manage to secure, there were too much of a differences. It gets worst when the amount doesn't add up and too precise of a coincidence with reports from the finance department. It took one person to carefully follow through the numbers before he found out what was going on.

Nathan won't be surprised if the finance team had forge the original report since they could only do what they were asked to. Besides, the mentioned finance director was none other than Nathan's own uncle. His father's brother. His grandfather's second son.

The two-faced bastard. 

The company that his grandparents had build from scratch, and now inherited them to him as the sole heir. The company that was soaring high among other tycoons, ever since Nathan took over despite being young at age. The company that once was given to his parents but later revoked due to their great betrayal towards the Maverick legacy and died tragically. And yet Benjamin Maverick still put his trust on him, the child of a traitor.

And for that reason only, he won't let what is his, fall for those who doesn't deserved it.

"He doesn't look good." Hugh made a comment that cause Nathan to look straight to his uncle. He could see how the man seems bothered by the long hours of meeting, especially with Elliot who was being detailed from the get go. 

Let's be real, businessmen doesn't like all these scientific discoveries or protocols. They just want to know the output and how much it will benefit them. That's all.

"You know, if you keep looking at that ugly old man, he would really notice what we are up to." Kaysen's words making all three of them subconsciously look away. 

While the torture in the meeting hall seems to find no end, Kaysen busied himself with locating the hidden treasure. After he successfully break and entering the director's office, he went straight to the computer. 

Hugh had taught him ways to avoid getting detect for accessing the department's desktop. For safety, Nathan had all the director's desktop installed with a software that enables you to track what you had work in.

In this case, using Hugh's understanding on hacking to track down those old records were no big of a deal. Its just that, Nathan always knew that his uncle was a careful man. 

Scubert Maverick is well known for his ability to remove unwanted traces that could backfire him later. He always makes sure his ulterior motives were kept away from the public. An innate skills Nathan must say that runs in his family.

Kaysen keep his noise to a minimum as his eyes keep widening its vision. He can't let himself getting exposed if any of the workers walk in. The last thing he wanted was to create a reason for Nathan's downfall or even his.

It took him a few minutes more before he noticed an unusual name for a folder.

"Guys, I found something." 

Nathan suddenly find himself breathing normally. Hugh looks the same as him while Elliot nodded subtlety before he changes his slides and entering the new part of his presentation. The budget.

The three of them noticed the targeted man begin fidgeting at his seat. Ah yes, of course. Its always the finance director who has a lot to say regarding the matter. Before the knew it, the environment of the meeting hall suddenly started to fire up. 

As what they had predicted, Schubert Maverick finally take the bait.

\

The peaceful finance department is one of the many rare phenomenon to occur when you had work there for years. The silent nature of the finance department every single time their director went out on a meeting, was considered as a blessing. Anxious workers who hated getting surprises out of no where, could finally be at ease for awhile. Pushovers who always being the target of unnecessary workloads could finally let loose and do their own works.

Even the secretary was a little delightful.

However, all those blessings are unfortunately, were not long lasting. 

Ting!

A notification from the finance department group chat suddenly chimed in. It was the personal assistant of their director. 

"Oh shit."

"Oh no."

Listening to the sudden commotion, the secretary paid no time to look up what was going on. 

"WARNING! BOSS NOT IN THE MOOD!"

It was a simple and short text but the impact it gives to the rest of the workers is huge. Everyone in the office begin to organise their desk, themselves and someone even had to spray febreze to enhance the smell. They can't jeopardise a single flaw because nobody wants to go head to head with the likes of Schubert Maverick.

The peace of the finance department was obliterated by the sudden loud door slam from the director's room. It was a common thing for them especially when any of his meetings or deals went the other way around. And today seems to be one of it. At least they are prepared.

The rest of the workers looked over to the personal assistant who looked like he wanted to die at the very moment. The poor guy had been with him in the recent meeting and with his expression, they know it doesn't went well.

"What happened?" The secretary immediately asked him.

"Chairman."

When he said those words, they all nodded in unison. Everyone in the department had known about their family dispute that were not on public display. However, they all could feel the tension between them. The uncle and the nephew.

"Good luck, bro!" A man pat the personal assistant's back for a little courage before he enters the room quietly. 

Schubert standing by his desk, with his arms hanging on his hips. He was muttering curses that even the personal assistant could understand them. He loosen his tie from his collar as he kick his chair out of the way. A crack sound was heard.

"Damn you, Nathan!" He leaned forward on his desk while glaring to nowhere. He has always been on edge since his father, the founder of the Mav Pharma, had entrusted the company to his sly of a nephew even though knowing that he is the son of a betrayer.

Schubert still remembers the day when Benjamin Maverick officially stepping down from his position. The day where his beautiful future which he had planned after his brother's downfall bestowed upon him, had suddenly turn to pitch black.

Nobody was expecting it, neither their closed families, their acquaintances, shareholders and even the public who was watching the growth of the Maverick Empire closely. No one knew what was crafting in that old man Benjamin's mind. 

When Schubert heard not his name as the successor, he was so mad that his mother, Hadley had to interfere. That was when he realised, that he has miscalculated everything from the very beginning.

It has been more than twenty years since his brother, Robert Maverick betrays their father's trust and eight years since Nathan becoming the sole owner of their family heritage. Schubert has had enough of his nephew's antiques and every time he tries to do something, the young man always being multiple steps ahead of him.

With the meeting being exceptionally longer than ever, and he was tongue tied by the young surgeon regarding the funds, in an instance, shame and demise befall him. Schubert starts to ponder on his nephew's last words.

"Some changes will be expected from today onwards. Due to some of you, had done many reckless and useless jobs. Whether for the good of the company..." Nathan's eyes went to straight to his uncle's. "Or for your own greed." Their eyes lingered for a second.

Remembering that really boils up his already heated vessels. Schubert was surprised he could still tolerate the disrespect he got. He has no reasons to abide to Nathan despite him literally being his boss but he also knew patience is the key to reach his goal.

As he was angrily holding his fist together, his mind suddenly clicks. "Does he knows everything? No way."

Nathan is smart. Too smart sometimes that it scares Schubert all the time. There was one time he was shock how mature and direct his nephew was. It was right after the revelation of his parents' death. A normal seven year old kid would definitely wailing about the loss but not him. 

The child just stood there, looking at the tombs of his beloved parents with no emotions or any hints of sadness. The next day, he was having his time with his grandfather at the golf club, talking about business.

Schubert had thought differently back then about his weird nephew but now that things had added up into this. It becomes clearer to him that his father had never intended for his second son to lead their empire. 

It was not helping him at all that Nathan's an opportunist. He would grab anything immediately after he found how useful that thing would be for him. Someone like Nathan is really a piece of a headache. 

Schubert quickly changed his gazed towards his personal assistant who had been standing there since the beginning.

"Set up an appointment with Mr. Badger as soon as possible. And clear my schedule for today." Before the poor guy could reply, he shoves him away.

He needs to work fast. Nathan might not know entirely what he was planning. He might get misdirect provided with the intel he has on him. The trio that he watched carefully during the meeting was not some boy band you could toy with. But, if he manage to plan things out before Nathan finally grasp the entirety of it, no amount of skillful personal would fix that.

"So, you've been sneaking on me young man. Okay, let see how much further you would dare to go, Nathan."

\

.

.

.

yuuki