The executive suite of Omnicorp Solutions was a monument to excessive corporate spending. Hand scraped hardwood floors, imported Italian leather sofas in the waiting areas, and Florida to ceiling windows that offered a dizzying view of the city skyline. It smelled like expensive espresso and fear. A dozen highlevel executives were gathered in the central open plan area. They were in various states of panic, clutching tablets and frantically checking their phones.
The moment Evelyn stepped off the elevator, a hush fell over the room. Jack walked out behind her. The executives stared. They saw the grease on his jeans. They saw the faded flannel.
They saw the little girl. Then they looked at Evelyn and the confusion curdled into dread. In the main conference room now," Evelyn said. Her voice didn't carry an ounce of shout, but it echoed off the glass walls. The executives filed in like cattle heading to a slaughter house.
Jack hung back for a moment. He set Khloe down on one of the ridiculously soft leather sofas. "Sit right here, bug. I'll be right back. Can I play games on your phone?"
She asked, rubbing her eyes. Jack handed it over. Don't buy anything. He walked into the conference room. It was dominated by a massive mahogany table that cost more than Jack had made in the last 5 years.
Evelyn sat at the head. There was an empty chair to her right. She gestured to it. Jack sat down. He didn't lean back.
He placed his calloused hands flat on the polished mahogany. The executives were practically holding their breath. Greg Simons was sitting at the far end of the table. A security guard was standing directly behind his chair. Greg had stopped sweating.
Now he just looked hollowed out. Evelyn didn't bother with introductions. She didn't open a laptop or look at her tablet. She simply looked around the room, making eye contact with every single person who had allowed her subsidiary to bleed $40 million. As of 8 minutes ago, the network is stable, Evelyn began, her tone conversational, but lethal.
Client data is secure. The hemorrhaging has stopped. A collective sigh of relief passed through the room. It was premature. The collapse was initiated by a patch pushed from this floor, Evelyn continued, her eyes settling on Greg.
A patch that was untested, unverified, and forced into a legacy system that your department neglected to understand. That is gross negligence. Greg opened his mouth to speak, but Evelyn held up a single, perfectly manicured finger. The silence was absolute. Greg Simons is terminated.
Effective immediately, Evelyn said he forfeits his severance package. He forfeits his stock options. Legal has already begun drafting the paperwork to claw back his unvested equity due to catastrophic operational negligence. Greg slumped in his chair. Evelyn, please.