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@ ODILI ONUOHA
2025-04-26 08:14:16CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"I need something, Tracy anything," Mark said urgently over the phone. "A document, a record, an old file. Something we can use to destroy James."
There was a pause on the line before Tracy’s voice came through. "I’m listening."
"You're close to the system. You’ve got access. Find anything in JP Enterprises' archives that can ruin his name. I’ll make it worth your while."
"And if I find something?"
"Then you'll be well paid. Consider this... a mutual favor."
She hesitated for only a moment longer before replying. "Fine. I never liked that arrogant boss anyway."
Tracy got to work.
She waited until after hours when most of the staff had left the building. Using her clearance as assistant secretary, she accessed the company’s archival system and began a deep dive into the internal records emails, past reports, disciplinary logs anything that could point to a crack in James’s past.
Her digging soon turned up something explosive.
A buried personnel file revealed that James had once worked as a general manager in the company years ago under the leadership of his own parents. And the record didn’t end well.
Tracy’s eyes widened as she read through the document.
James had been dismissed for embezzlement. According to the official report, he had allegedly siphoned company funds and misappropriated key equipment. Worse still, his name had been added to JP Enterprises’ blacklist marked as a permanent ban from holding any role in the organization again.
"Oh my God," Tracy whispered, her heart pounding. "This is it. This will end him."
Without wasting another second, she forwarded every file and attachment to Mark and Helen.
Meanwhile, across the ocean, in a secluded estate far from the noise of city life, Mr. and Mrs. JP were enjoying the quiet of retirement. Having severed ties with James years ago over the scandal, they had left the country to escape the shame and silence.
That peace was short-lived.
Mr. JP sat up abruptly as his phone buzzed. It was an anonymous message. He opened it slowly, his eyes scanning the contents with growing disbelief.
"James has returned to JP Enterprises. Charles reinstated him. He’s now President of your company."
His blood ran cold.
Mrs. JP saw the tension in his expression. "What’s wrong?"
"He’s back," Mr. JP said grimly. "Our son. James. He's taken over the company."
He stared into space, his mind reeling. "And Charles helped him..."
They had spent years trying to distance themselves from the disgrace of James’s past only to now be faced with the reality that he had clawed his way back into the empire they built.
The anonymous message was, of course, sent by Mark and Helen, each relishing in the chaos they had ignited. With the scandalous file now in their hands and James’s own family unknowingly brought into the picture, they believed the final blow was in place.
Mark leaned back in his chair and smiled as he read the forwarded documents.
"Let’s see how your so-called empire stands after this, James," he said quietly.
Helen, standing beside him, added coldly, "This time, he won’t survive it."
"How could he do this?" Mr. JP muttered under his breath, clutching his phone tightly. "How could Charles go behind my back and reinstall him? My own brother..."
The news that James had returned to JP Enterprises and not just as a member, but as its President had shaken him to the core. But what stung more was the betrayal he felt from Charles, who had once promised never to interfere in the matter again.
Fuming with rage and disbelief, Mr. JP boarded the next flight back home. Upon arrival, he didn’t even stop by the family estate. Instead, he went straight to the Regency Grand, the city’s most luxurious hotel, the same place he used to spend time with his family during better days. He booked the presidential suite and immediately dialed Charles' number.
"Meet me. Now. At the hotel," he barked before ending the call without waiting for a response.
Within the hour, Charles walked in, calm but aware of the storm brewing.
"You defied me, Charles," Mr. JP said, his voice icy. "You brought back the one person I had removed. The one person I swore would never set foot in the company again."
"Because you were wrong," Charles replied firmly. "You made a decision based on lies."
Mr. JP’s glare deepened.
"Lies? The records were clear embezzlement. Theft. He disgraced this family, Charles!"
Charles stood his ground. "Those records were manipulated. You never gave James a chance to explain himself."
He stepped closer. "The funds he was accused of stealing? He used them to invest in a struggling tech start-up that exploded in value two years later. That investment saved JP Enterprises during the economic downturn. The company is standing today because of James’s vision and sacrifice."
Silence filled the room.
Mr. JP felt his heart sink as the weight of Charles’s words settled in. He turned away, walking slowly to the window, staring out at the city skyline.
"All this time... I condemned my own son... exiled him... because I trusted false reports?"
Charles nodded. "Yes. And despite it all, he returned not for revenge, but to help us."
Tears welled up in Mr. JP’s eyes. His pride, once like stone, was now crumbling.
Without hesitation, he picked up his phone and dialed James’s number. The phone rang twice before James answered.
"Hello?" came the familiar voice, calm and distant.
"James... it’s your father." His voice trembled. "I... I’m sorry. I was wrong. Gravely wrong. Everything I believed about you was a lie. I let you down, son."
There was silence on the other end.
"I just found out the truth," Mr. JP continued. "And I’m proud of what you’ve done for the company, for our name. I want you to know... you are reinstated as the rightful heir to JP Enterprises. I want you back not just as President, but as my son."
James took a long pause before answering.
"It took you long enough," he said softly. "But... thank you."
Though James had once sworn not to seek his parents' approval, deep down, those words still mattered. And hearing them from the father who had disowned him brought a quiet sense of closure.
The rift that had torn them apart for years was beginning to heal.
"Dad, who told you I was the President of JP Enterprises?" James asked, his tone calm but firm as he stood before his father in the grand office of the family estate.
Mr. JP, still adjusting to the emotional weight of his recent apology, furrowed his brow. "It was anonymous, son. I received a message no name, no clue. Just the information."
James narrowed his eyes. "Can you forward the message to me?"
"Of course," his father replied, pulling out his phone. Within seconds, the message was in James’s inbox.
Later that evening, James sat in his private office, staring at the message on his screen. Something about it felt off too calculated, too timely. He forwarded it to his personal cybersecurity team with one instruction: “Trace the source. I want to know everything about who sent it, how, and if they’re working with someone.”
Meanwhile, Ray Enterprises was thriving again under James’s investment. With the influx of capital and revitalized operations, profits were skyrocketing. However, while the company’s success looked promising on the surface, the Ray family was barely reaping the rewards.
James’s 85% share ensured he collected the lion’s portion of every deal. Robert, despite being the figurehead chairman, found himself managing a flourishing empire but receiving only crumbs in return.
Frustrated and desperate, Robert scheduled a private meeting with James.
"James, please... eighty-five percent is bleeding us dry. We’re grateful for what you’ve done truly but surely we can renegotiate?"
James leaned back in his chair, expression unreadable. "You signed the agreement, Robert. You knew the terms. And frankly, I'm not in the mood to revisit old conversations."
"We just want fairness," Robert pleaded. "A little breathing space"
"If this discussion continues," James interrupted coldly, "I’ll pull out my funds. And when I do, I promise Ray Enterprises will go down faster than it rose. Do I make myself clear?"
Robert’s face fell. He had no choice but to nod and walk away, defeated.
Two weeks later, James’s cybersecurity team sent their report. The source of the anonymous message had been traced and the result was both surprising and telling.
Tracy.
James sat silently as he read the details. Tracy, his own subordinate, had accessed restricted files from the company’s internal network. It wasn’t just a case of whistleblowing it was deliberate sabotage. But what intrigued him more was the fact that she had gone to great lengths to cover her tracks.
No one takes that risk alone, he thought.
Despite having the evidence in hand, James chose silence. Not out of mercy but strategy. He needed to know who she was working with. Who else had a vested interest in his downfall?