Shift In Power

     Richard Hale stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse office, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a glass of untouched whiskey. The city stretched beneath him in clean lines of light, orderly and obedient, the way he preferred everything in his life. 

  His phone vibrated once against the desk but he ignored it. A second later, it vibrated again forcing him to pick it up with a faint frown. There was no name, no number….Only a single message.

You Don’t Remember Me Yet, But She Does.

Richard stared at the screen lost as the corner of his mouth twitched, more irritated than concerned. He typed a short reply…WHO IS THIS?

The response came almost immediately..

Ask your father what he did to the Loneria family.

Then ask yourself why Lisa no longer looks at you the same way.

Richard’s fingers tightened around the phone, he read the message twice…then a third time. A slow, cold sensation moved down his spine, not fear exactly, but something close to recognition he couldn’t place. He locked the phone and set it face down on the desk, his jaw tightening.

The door to his office opened slowly as Claire stepped inside, elegant as always with a soft smile on her lips. “You’re still here? I thought we were leaving for dinner.”

Richard didn’t turn around immediately, he kept his eyes on the city view from his window. Claire’s heels clicked softly against the floor as she approached then she stopped close behind him, close enough for her perfume to reach him, and rested her fingers lightly on his arm.

“You’ve been tensed all day,” she murmured, her voice lowering into something intimate. “I can feel it.”

Her hand slid slowly up his sleeve, then across his chest, She stepped around to face him, tilting her chin up, eyes half-lidded in a way she knew will definitely work on him. 

“Skip dinner,” she whispered. “Stay here with me.”

Her fingers trailed deliberately down the front of his shirt, pausing just above his belt. She leaned in, her body nearly brushing his, lips parted with clear invitation.

For a brief moment, Richard allowed the contact, then his hand closed around her wrist…not roughly, but firmly enough to stop her showing no interest. 

“Did you send someone to deliver a message to me?” he asked.

Claire’s seductive expression faltered. “What?” He finally looked at her fully with calm eyes but sharper than usual. 

“A message,” he repeated. “One that mentions Lisa… and my father.”

Claire’s smile didn’t disappear, but something careful moved behind it. “That’s strange, I haven’t spoken to anyone about either of them today.”

Richard studied her face for a moment longer than necessary. In his mind, an image of Lisa surfaced….. the distant way she had looked at him recently, the absence of the soft admiration she used to carry, something about that realization left a bitter taste as disgust flickered across his features before he masked it.

He released Claire’s wrist and stepped past her. “Find out who has access to this floor,” he said quietly. “And double the security around Lisa.”

Claire turned, her tone tightening. “Around Lisa? Why?”

Richard set his glass down on the desk.

“isnt she your best friend? someone out there thinks they know something I don’t.” His voice dropped. “And I don’t like being the last to know.”

Claire watched him, the rejection still hanging between them, she opened her mouth to speak again, but Richard’s phone lit up once more.

This time it was a call from his assistant, he answered with a clipped, “Speak.”

The color in his face changed as he listened, Lisa’s mother had been in an accident and She had been rushed to the hospital. Richard ended the call without another word, already reaching for his coat.

“We’re going to the hospital,” he said. Claire followed quickly. “What happened?” He didn’t answer.

By the time they arrived, the private wing was already controlled and quiet. Richard hurriedly stepped out of the car with so much confidence especially not when Hale Pharmaceuticals had always been the first call in situations like this. But that confidence cracked the moment he reached the entrance of the wing when a senior member of staff blocked his path.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hale. Access is restricted.”

Richard’s eyes narrowed. “Restricted?” he looked around probably thinking he was referring to Claire or someone else…

“Claire just wait outside, I'll be ba..” 

“Yes, sir. Mr Hale, Miss Loneria gave clear instructions that No personnel affiliated with Hale Pharmaceuticals are to be involved in her mother’s care.”

The hallway went still, Claire glanced at him, surprised…trying to shoot her shot out of shame. “Look, I'm her best friend...”

“You can wait outside with Mr Hale, you both came together.” he cut her off the delusion. 

Richard stared at the staff member, the weight of the refusal settling over him like a public slap, for the first time in a long while, his name had not opened a door.

His hand curled into a fist.. “Call her,” he said coldly. “She already anticipated that request, sir,” the man replied. “Her answer was the same.”

For a moment, Richard said nothing, then he turned slightly, eyes hard, the anonymous message from earlier echoing in his mind with new force.

 Outsiders watched in disbelief , no one was bold enough to question the situation as they mummured in disbelief. 

“ The HALE'S are now restricted from the LONERIA's property, what a shame!!” 

“I actually thought they were family friends.”

“The LONERIA heiress is the young heir’s girlfriend, why would she reject him like that in public after everything he'd done for her”. The gossip flew around him with broad wings, this is more than a public humiliation…slowly he walked back to his car as Claire tailed behind but he sped off angrily before she caught up with him. 

 “What the fuckkkk!!... Lisa has clearly disgraced me today. ” Claire yelled loudly.

The scene replayed in his head as he drove. Lisa was no longer looking at him the same way. Yeah.. and now, she was no longer allowing him near her family either.

 Now, this is a big confirmation of things falling apart.