Enel Cover Story Novels & Stories

The journalist printed the answer without editing it, which Elena appreciated. Dominic read the piece and left it on her desk with a small note that said simply: this is why you build things. Elena put the note in the drawer where she kept the few things she wanted to keep. Outside the window of her office, the city moved through its ordinary morning. Somewhere in that city, the clean energy company was installing its third pilot site. The affordable housing developer was breaking ground on a new project. The rural healthcare platform had just signed its fortieth clinic.

The screen lit up. A new headline. "𝗘𝗡𝗢𝗟𝗔 𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞?"

I hold it out so he can see. Elena’s face. Cold, furious, plastered across the headline of a major outlet. ELENA CROSS: BRIBES, CORRUPTION, COVER-UPS, SCANDALS AND AFFAIRS. Damien stares at it for a long second. His jaw tightens, his lips press into a thin line. “Well,” he mutters finally. “There it is.” I slide the phone back into my pocket, smirk pulling at my mouth again. “By morning, it’ll be everywhere. Elena’s done. Nathaniel won’t be far behind.”

She had learned over the years that a little mystery was good for business. "Good afternoon," Elena said calmly. Her voice was steady and professional. "I'm here in Vaelthorne City on private business matters." "What kind of business matters?" a reporter shouted. "That's confidential for now," Elena replied with a slight smile behind her mask. "But I can promise you'll find out soon enough." "How long will you be staying?" another reporter asked. "As long as necessary to handle my affairs," Elena said. "Miss Elena, there are rumors that Ravenwood Industries is planning a major expansion into Vaelthorne City," a female reporter said. "Can you confirm this?"

She finally sighed and picked up the call, after it rang for several minutes. "Hello, Maya." "You're really doing this? Like, right now?" Maya blurted as soon as she heard her voice. Elena stared at her reflection in the mirror. She looked pale, sharp cheekbones, dark hair pulled into a sleek knot, lips painted deep crimson to hide how dry her mouth felt. "I have to." She replied after a while of silence. "This isn't some dive bar sting operation, El. These people are ghosts. Billionaires who make people disappear for fun. If they figure out you're a journalist...

Power never stayed empty for long. The moment a system stabilized, someone somewhere began wondering if they could reshape it. That realization arrived quietly one afternoon. Elena walked into the room with a tablet in her hand and an expression that meant something had shifted. “You should see this,” she said. Adrian looked up from the table. “Problem?” “Not yet,” she replied. “But it could become one.” She placed the tablet in front of us. A headline from a respected financial journal filled the screen.

--- Three weeks later Elena knocked on my office door at noon. I was the crankiest at that time of the day and I almost snapped, but the look on her face stopped me. "We have a problem," she said. "What kind of problem?" She sat down across from my desk. "Journalists from The Guardian called our PR team. They're running a feature on you. Background piece on Lena Blackwood, CEO of BioGen Dynamics, rising star in biotech, etcetera, they called it." "That's not a problem. We've had profile pieces before."

Enola did not reply and just stared at me. “Well, sadly, I am not playing games, miss Elona,” I said, picking up the cup of the tea. “I am sure you heard about the J&E company scandal in New York.” “I heard about it,” she said. “Months ago, I went to New York as the Fantell representative. It was me who stopped the contract with J&E for the Heydiko project. The reason? Because I knew that J&E will be involve in a scandal. The project will put on halt and many workers will lose their jobs. Knowing the future, I stopped it.”

For‌ a lon‌g while, they⁠ just‍ sat in co⁠mfortable⁠ silence, shoulders‍ touchin⁠g, watc‍h‍i‌ng the wor⁠ld wake up. “The media co‍verage is… effusive,” he⁠ said fin⁠ally, gestu⁠r‌i⁠ng wi⁠th his cup to‌wards a tablet on⁠ t‌he tab‌l‌e. The screen showed a headlin‍e: STERLIN⁠G’S S⁠EC‌RET WE‌AP‍O⁠N: How Elara Sterling is Redefi⁠ning the‍ Family Business.