Chapter 6 - The Sabotage
Richard could not stand the fact that a working-class mechanic was outperforming his Ivy League team. And he was terrified that Project Leo was eating into his department's budget.
So, he decided to burn it down.
A week before the massive tech expo where we were set to unveil Project Leo to the world, a devastating article dropped in the Wall Street Journal.
VANCE DYNAMICS CEO SQUANDERS MILLIONS ON VANITY PROJECT LED BY UNEDUCATED CUSTODIAN.
The article was a brutal hit piece. It leaked confidential financial documents, claiming Eleanor was mentally unstable, romantically involved with a janitor, and jeopardizing shareholder profits to appease her "broken" child.
The company's stock plummeted by 12% in a single morning.
I found Eleanor in her office, pacing furiously, her phone glued to her ear as she yelled at her PR team. When she hung up, she collapsed into her chair, burying her face in her hands.
"They're calling for an emergency board vote," she whispered, her voice hollow. "Richard initiated it. They want to oust me as CEO and scrap Project Leo."
"He leaked the documents," I said, my jaw tightening.
"Of course he did, Thomas! But I can't prove it! He used encrypted servers and burner accounts. I'm going to lose the company. I'm going to lose the project that finally gave my son a voice."
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I looked at the woman who had fought so hard for her child. I thought about the years I had spent fixing the hidden corners of this massive glass tower. I knew secrets about this building that Richard Sterling couldn't even fathom.
"No, you aren't," I said softly. "You just focus on the board meeting tomorrow. Let me handle the plumbing."
