Chapter 32
Chapter 32:
“We are going to absorb Pulse Interactive,” Sterling boasted to his Vice President of Operations, a sycophant named Greg. “They are weak. They are desperate. I’ll offer them pennies on the dollar for their IP, and they will kiss my ring p>
Greg nodded enthusiastically. “Brilliant strategy, sir. Easy prey p>
Sterling laughed. It was a loud, hollow sound. “Exactly. Small fish exist to feed the sharks p>
The intercom on his desk buzzed.
“Mr. Thorne,” his secretary’s voice was trembling. “Elias Thorne is on line one p>
Sterling jumped up. His feet hit the floor hard. He instinctively straightened his tie, even though Elias couldn’t see him.
“Uncle Elias?” He whispered to Greg. “Get out p>
Greg scrambled out of the room.
Sterling picked up the phone. He put on his best ‘successful CEO’ voice. “Elias! To what do I owe the pleasure? I was just p>
“Stop the investigation into Pulse Interactive p>
Elias’s voice was ice-cold. It cut through the phone line like razor wire. There were no pleasantries. No ‘hello p>
Sterling was confused. “Pulse? Why? It’s a tiny studio. A bug. I’m just planning a hostile takeover to p>
“Because I said so,” Elias commanded.
Elias glanced at Julian, who was holding up a tablet displaying a surveillance photo. It showed Aurora getting into the black SUV outside the hospital. “The vehicle that retrieved Ms. Vance,” Julian had just whispered moments ago, “is registered to a subsidiary of Pulse Interactive. She isn’t just a doctor, sir. She’s a silent partner p>
Elias’s grip on the phone tightened. He was protecting his investment. He was protecting her.
“But the market share…” Sterling tried to argue. “Their game engine is decent. If we acquire it, we can p>
“Touch Pulse,” Elias said, his voice dropping an octave, “and I will liquidate my shares in your conglomerate. I will dump them on the open market tomorrow morning p>
Sterling went pale. He gripped the edge of his desk. If Elias sold, the stock would tank. The board would oust him.
“Understood,” Sterling choked out. “I’ll… I’ll back off p>
“Good p>
The line went dead.
Sterling stood there, holding the receiver. He felt small. He felt powerless.
He screamed and threw a crystal vase against the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces.
“Why?” he raged. “Why does he care about an indie game studio? Why is he protecting them p>
“There must be a spy,” Sterling muttered, his eyes darting around the room. “Someone is feeding Elias information. Someone is helping Pulse p>
Scene Shift: A Luxury Car Dealership in Manhattan.
The showroom floor was polished marble. The cars were works of art—German engineering, Italian design.