Chapter 3 - Panic in the VIP Lounge
Outside in the White House State Dining Room, the atmosphere among the Mercer family was anything but celebratory.
Arthur stood near the towering windows, downing his third glass of champagne in ten minutes. His hands shook so violently that the fine crystal clinked against his golden signet ring.
"A Four-Star General?" Evelyn hissed, leaning in close so the surrounding diplomats couldn't hear. "Arthur, you told me she was a washed-up private! You told me she was working low-level security! How could she possibly be the Vice Chief of Staff?!"
"Shut up, Evelyn!" Arthur snarled under his breath, his eyes darting frantically across the room. "How was I supposed to know? She cut off all contact twenty-six years ago! I never tracked her career—I assumed she dropped out or got discharged!"
"Father, what does this mean for me?" Trevor whimpered, pulling nervously at his bowtie. Trevor was thirty-two, pampered, and had been given the title of Executive Vice President of Mercer Defense Tech despite having zero military or engineering experience. "If she’s on the evaluation committee... is she going to block our twenty-billion-dollar contract?"
Arthur gripped Trevor’s shoulder roughly. "She won't dare. She’s my daughter! Blood is thicker than water. She’s just playing hard to get because of how things ended in the past."
"She didn't look like she was playing, Arthur," Evelyn said coldly. "She looked at you like you were dirt on her boot. If we lose this contract, the board of directors will vote you out by next week. The company stock is already down four percent on rumors of software bugs!"
Arthur set his glass down on a silver tray with a sharp clatter. His mind, trained in ruthless corporate warfare, began to spin.
"She wants an apology," Arthur whispered to himself, a greasy smile slowly spreading across his face. "That’s what this is. A power play. She engineered this entire situation just to force me to crawl back to her and admit I was wrong. Well, fine. I’ll play her game. I’ll give her a little affection, offer her a cut of the tech equities, and remind her where she came from. No child turns down fifty million dollars when it's placed right in front of them."
May you like
He checked his gold Rolex. 1:45 PM.
"Trevor, bring the master file," Arthur ordered, straightening his Italian suit jacket. "We’re going into that boardroom, and we are going to remind General Mercer who really controls this family."