Chapter 6

Chapter 6

(Someone’s POV)

While Ana was speaking, I couldn’t help but admire her skills in business. Every issue that arose, she quickly resolved, earning the applause of the board members. However, Mr. Mercado stood out—he showed no signs of satisfaction.

As the meeting continued, the discussion shifted to the disappearance of a large sum of money. Whispers began to circulate around the room, and the tension became palpable. The head of the accounting department was immediately called to present some documents. I could clearly see the anxiety written all over Mr. Mercado’s face; he was turning pale. The weight of the situation was heavy when our CEO finally spoke.

"Everyone, listen," Ms. Anastasia Clinton, the CEO of the company, began as her aura grew more intense. "Over 200 billion has gone missing from our company. Only one person is responsible for this. Due to their negligence, I am extremely disappointed. I will make sure they crawl on the ground—or they will pay with their life."

Along with her sharp words, Ms. Show, her PA, distributed documents for everyone to review. I turned my gaze back to Mr. Mercado. His condition was worsening—he looked like he was about to collapse.

"Now, let’s proceed with the voting," said Ms. Clinton, glancing at the shareholders. "Who is in favor of appointing a new CEO?"

Everyone raised their hands except for Mr. Mercado. Ms. Clinton's eyebrow arched, as did Ms. Tanya Show's.

"Who is in favor of Mr. Mercado taking the CEO position?" the CEO asked again.

No one raised a hand. A mocking smile played on Ms. Clinton’s lips, her eyes narrowing at Mr. Mercado.

"No one? Okay," Ms. Clinton said. "Who votes to expel Mr. Mercado from the company?"

Again, the majority of us raised our hands, causing Mr. Mercado to turn even paler.

"What right do you have to gang up on me? You can’t kick me out!" Mr. Mercado shouted angrily. We all stayed silent, waiting for Anastasia’s next move.

"Mr. Mercado, you have four days to return the money you stole. Tanya, call security to escort him out," ordered the CEO.

"Yes, Ms. Clinton," Tanya responded quickly and rushed out. A few moments later, the security guards arrived to take Mr. Mercado away.

"You will pay for this, Anastasia Clinton," Mr. Mercado threatened, but I saw no fear in our CEO’s eyes. Instead, she seemed amused by his threat.

"Oh, I'm so scared, Mr. Mercado. Don’t try me. You don’t know me well enough," Ms. Clinton replied, bold and full of sarcasm.

"Okay, everyone, let’s proceed to the next agenda," she continued, smoothly returning the meeting’s focus and gradually easing the tension in the room.

As we discussed the upcoming company anniversary, the doors suddenly swung open. A little girl rushed inside, full of energy.

"Oh my gosh! Why is it taking so long? I’m so hungry!" she shouted, making us all turn to look at her. Her face seemed familiar, but I couldn’t immediately place where I had seen her before.

"Can you please shut your mouth? Can’t you see they’re busy?" said the boy who followed her, irritation evident in his voice.

Their banter amused the room, and laughter erupted around us.

"Ugh, Kuya! You’re always so grumpy," the little girl fired back.

Their playful bickering made everyone laugh. As I watched the two children, I noticed how beautiful the girl was—like a living doll. Meanwhile, the boy was quiet and seemed very observant.

"Those are the CEO’s children," someone whispered.

I was shocked. I didn’t know Ms. Clinton had children—and twins at that!

‘Shit! That’s why they look familiar,’ I thought. They resembled their father—my cousin, Dave Santiago.

As the meeting went on, I couldn’t stop thinking about the twins. My mind was so occupied with their family that I barely understood the rest of the discussion. Eventually, the meeting ended, and people started to leave.

While walking out of the building, I overheard two men whispering while glancing toward the children.

‘So it’s true. My cousin really is the father of the twins,’ I told myself with a small grin. ‘This is getting exciting!’ I muttered, hurrying home to share what I had discovered at the Mondragon mansion.

On the way, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Some employees even mistook my joy for something else.

"Such a waste, he's good-looking but probably crazy!" I heard someone say.

I immediately dropped my smile and glared at them, causing them to scatter and run away.

However, as Mr. Mercado was being escorted out, something continued to gnaw at me. I couldn’t shake off the last look Ms. Clinton gave—like she was hiding something. I knew the loss of 200 billion couldn’t be pinned solely on Mr. Mercado. It felt like there was more to the story.

As I exited the building, I spotted Tanya, Ms. Clinton’s PA, talking to a man I didn’t recognize. They exchanged some documents quickly, and she hurried off. Despite her professional image, there was a strange excitement in her eyes that I couldn’t help but find suspicious.

"Who could that be?" I muttered, narrowing my eyes as I watched the man walk away. My mind swirled with theories, but I needed solid evidence.

I decided to head back to the Mondragon mansion to think everything through. One thing was clear—I would get to the bottom of the missing money, and I was certain it didn’t end with Mr. Mercado.

When I arrived at the mansion, I immediately saw Ate Merlyn smiling as she prepared some tea.

"What’s the news, kid?" she asked.

I paused before answering. "It looks like something deeper is happening at the company, Ate. We shouldn’t just be watching Mr. Mercado."

She smiled, but behind her eyes, I could see concern.

"You haven’t discovered everything yet, but you’re on the right track," she said thoughtfully.

"Be careful. This game isn’t always fair."

I felt the weight of her warning—but I wouldn’t back down.

It was time to uncover the shadows hiding behind the company’s walls.