The Murder

Charlotte was a middle-aged woman who still looked young despite her age. Her blond hair was tied in a neat bun at the back of her head. She had blue eyes that resembled the sky, just like her son's. The color of her skin contrasted with the paleness of her features, clear like an apple. She wore an elegant dress made of the finest material and embellished with gold thread. Several rings sparkled on each of her fingers in the light of her room. A single golden chain lay around her neck, resembling the sun, shining above her shoulder as it glowed and reflected the white ceiling of the room. She looked at the camera with a smile on her face, her blue eyes twinkling.

As soon as the speech ended, Ms. Charlotte boldly picked up her bag and headed for her son's office, following the bright flashes from the cameras. He started his work there that day. She felt the importance of that moment as she made her way through the bustling crowd of reporters and photographers.

Upon entering the office, Ms. Charlotte quickly dropped the phony grin and looked at Kaylee gravely. She understood Ms. Charlotte's quiet message instantly and gave a subtle nod of recognition. She shifted the multimedia images with a quick flick of her fingers.

"Sir, our net profit from 2005 to 2022 was 247 million dollars. However, as of the start of this year, our shares experienced a 15% decrease compared to the previous year," Kaylee reported.

Ethan paid close attention, his face displaying concern. "What could have caused this huge decline?" he inquired.

In response, Kaylee said, "Our industry was impacted by several issues. First, our market share was affected by increased competition. Second, our profitability was also impacted by adverse economic conditions, such as growing inflation and higher production costs. Last but not least, there were issues with our business's capacity to adjust to shifting customer tastes and technological developments."

Ethan sighed, realizing the gravity of the situation. "We needed to take immediate action to reverse this trend. What strategies did you suggest we implement?"

"It was quite challenging to take action at that time," Kaylee responded.

"Why was it so tough?" Kaylee glanced at Ms. Charlotte in response to Ethan's question.

"Because," Ms. Charlotte replied, initiating the discussion. "We received anonymous messages from an unknown sender who seemed to be targeting the companies associated with us. This individual actively took steps to conceal their identity."

"Anonymous messages?" Ethan frowned.

"Some expired food products were sold under our company's label. As a result, people who consumed them experienced food poisoning. This information was reported to the food inspection authorities, who then sent the food items to the lab for testing. Yesterday, we received the test results."

"Why didn't you inform me about everything that happened? It appeared to be a significant instance of defamation and harassment," Ethan interjected, interrupting Ms. Charlotte.

"Since you were in Australia, I didn't want you to get affected."

Ethan inquired, "Did the reports arrive from the lab?"

"Yes, and they found a large amount of Salmonella in our food products," Ms. Charlotte responded.

"Did you conduct a thorough investigation, Ms. President?"

"I had already informed the authorities," Ms. Charlotte said thoughtfully. "But you know these types of investigations took time, so we couldn't do anything but wait." She took a deep breath.

"Sir, I prepared a statement that we could issue once we had a better grasp of the situation," Kaylee responded.

Ethan nodded, clearly upset by the situation. He never expected such a welcome in the business world.

"Ms. Charlotte, tonight you had a scheduled meeting with a delegate from Singapore at the Grand Oasis hotel," Kaylee informed her about her next schedule.

"From now on, the new CEO of Lopez Food Company will handle all business matters," Ms. Charlotte stated, directing her attention toward her son.

"Reschedule the meeting at the Luxor Lodgings Hotel instead of the Grand Oasis," Ethan instructed.

"And what time, sir?" Kaylee inquired.

"10:30 p.m.," Ethan said before leaving the meeting room with Ms. Charlotte.

At precisely 11:45 p.m., a young woman tragically plummeted from the highest floor of the Luxor Lodgings Hotel. The atmosphere enveloped in stillness was interrupted only by the faint hum of passing vehicles and sporadic wails of sirens. Oblivious to the unfolding calamity above, the hotel guests remained blissfully unaware. However, as the girl's lifeless form violently collided with the unforgiving pavement below, a collective gasp reverberated throughout the premises. The sheer force of the impact shattered the tranquility of the night, compelling heads to swivel and hearts to quicken their pace. Panic erupted as individuals hurried outside, desperately trying to comprehend the recent events.

"Whose penthouse was that?" a voice echoed.

"It belonged to Ethan Lopez, the new CEO of Lopez Food Company!"

[3 hours earlier]

[Opulent Heights]

At 9 PM, Ethan sat in his penthouse, Opulent Heights. He wore black jeans, sneakers, and a white turtleneck sweater, listening to something on his hands-free device. His hair was slightly tousled from the breeze coming in through the open window, and he leaned on one arm with his legs crossed on the sofa. Without his blue contact lenses and eyeglasses, he looked different. Sipping his Chateau Lafite 1869 wine, his gaze was fixed on the wall clock, as if waiting for someone to arrive. He seemed quiet, calm, and relaxed. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. He took out his phone and typed a few words to Kaylee before heading to open the door.

Four individuals entered the room, all dressed in black suits and wearing stern, serious expressions. One of them tightly clutched a briefcase, as if it held something of great significance. The others positioned themselves in a formation, their eyes fixed on their leader.

"Welcome, Mr. Thomas Martinez," Ethan chuckled, introducing one of them and warmly shaking his hand.

"I hope I'm not bothering you, Mr. Ethan Lopez," Thomas smiled back. They both walked toward the sofa where Ethan had been seated. Thomas was a middle-aged man, tall and slender but still muscular. He had long sideburns framing his clean-shaven face, and his short hair seemed styled with gel. His dark skin was smooth and glossy, and he wore a silver necklace that glistened under the light. He worked for Ethan, handling all his illegal activities and underground business, and Ethan had given him considerable freedom to operate.

"The meeting will be scheduled for next week," Thomas began. "We have important news to announce to you."