Chapter 401
Chapter 401:
She rolled to the left, reached into her pocket, and produced a small silver key. She unlocked the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet and pulled out a thin red folder that looked old. She tossed it onto the glass desk, where it slid and collided with Arland’s manila folder.
The label on the red tab read: Leland Industries — Quality Control Report (FAILED p>
“It is time to initiate Plan B,” Isolde said.
Arland frowned and flipped the folder open. His eyes moved across the technical data. “Leland?” he said, his voice laced with disgust. “The CEO is a known fraud. His aluminum alloys are infamous for failing under high-frequency vibration. You can’t build aerospace parts with this garbage p>
𝘋оw𝗻𝘭оа𝘥𝗮𝗯𝗅𝗲 𝗣𝗗F𝘴 𝗼𝘯
“I know,” Isolde said smoothly. “But on paper, his specifications look absolutely flawless. He pays off the right inspectors to forge the initial stress tests.” She leaned forward, elbows on the glass. “We are going to negotiate with him p>
Arland stared at her as though she had lost her mind. “You want to buy bad metal? Isolde, if the Phoenix prototypes fail the audit, Grayson takes the company p>
“I am not going to buy it,” Isolde corrected, her eyes gleaming with a dark, predatory light. “I am going to make Belle think we desperately need it p>
Arland slowly closed the folder. Realization spread across his face.
“We need a leak,” Isolde said. “Who is the mole in the accounting department p>
“Jerry,” Arland replied without hesitation. “I tracked his encrypted emails last week. He is sending our burn rate data directly to Daron McKnight p>
“Perfect,” Isolde said. “Do not fire him. Keep him exactly where he is. I want you to feed him this schedule p>
She picked up a pen and scribbled rapidly on a sheet of Carson Dynamics letterhead, then slid the paper across the desk.
It was a fake itinerary.
12:00 PM — Meeting with CEO Leland. Urgent. Final supplier option. Secure exclusive contract at all costs.
“Make it look like we are bleeding out,” Isolde ordered. “Make it look like Leland is our absolute last hope for survival p>
Arland studied the paper. A slow, wicked grin spread across his face. “You are evil p>
Isolde stood and smoothed the front of her blazer, her expression completely serious. “I am a mother protecting her cub,” she said. “And I am going to gut them p>
Two hours later, Jerry from accounting sat in his cubicle, sweating.
He clicked through the shared network drive, searching for anything valuable to pass along to Daron. He opened a folder labeled Executive Schedules.
He saw the itinerary. Meeting with CEO Leland. Urgent.
Jerry pulled out his personal cell phone, snapped a photo of the screen, and opened his messages.
Carson Dynamics is desperate. They are meeting Leland tomorrow at noon. It’s their last shot.
Across the city, in the sleek glass-walled offices of InnoTech, Daron McKnight burst into Belle’s office without knocking. He shoved his phone directly into her face.
“Look at this,” he panted.
Belle grabbed the phone. Her eyes flew across the text and the photo of the itinerary, and lit up with a greedy, manic energy.
“Leland?” she said, her mind already racing. “He is the only major supplier left with unallocated inventory p>