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@ ODILI ONUOHA
2025-05-13 05:21:23CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"I don't get it... How is James still in charge?" Tracy murmured, her brows furrowed as she stared at her screen. She sat in her office, fingers nervously drumming against her desk.
Across from her, Mark stood with arms folded, pacing slowly. "You mean after all that evidence? After the blacklist, the embezzlement records nothing happened?"
Tracy shook her head. "Nothing. I checked again this morning. He’s still listed as President of JP Enterprises. It’s like the files we found didn’t even exist."
Helen, who had been silent until now, hissed through clenched teeth. "This is ridiculous. Are you sure the information got to the right hands?"
"It did," Tracy insisted. "I sent it directly to the Prime Minister's inbox using a confidential channel. I even received a delivery confirmation. Someone higher up must’ve swept it under the rug or maybe James covered his tracks faster than we imagined."
Mark slumped into the chair, clearly defeated. "He’s not just lucky he’s smart. Smarter than we gave him credit for."
For the first time since they began scheming, their confidence had begun to falter. They had dug into James’s past, unearthed the most damning of records, and yet… nothing. He remained untouched. Unshaken.
James continued to lead JP Enterprises with iron resolve, his status not just preserved, but strengthened. Whatever scandal they tried to ignite had fizzled out before it could burn.
The silence from JP's top board members was loud. No statements. No investigations. Not even a whisper of an internal review. To the outside world, James remained the unshakable President who had pulled a crumbling empire back from the edge.
Mark clenched his jaw. "He must have allies who are protecting him."
Helen nodded slowly. "We underestimated him. That was our biggest mistake."
Tracy remained quiet, her eyes still fixed on the screen as if trying to decipher what had gone wrong. She had risked everything, accessed confidential files, and violated protocols, expecting James to crumble.
Instead, he was thriving.
"Have you heard?" Robert leaned over his desk, eyes wide with interest. "JP Enterprises is about to celebrate their sixteenth anniversary. It’s going to be the biggest corporate event of the year."
Christopher looked up from the documents he was reviewing. "I heard. Mr. and Mrs. JP are returning for it. The entire business world is going to be there including us."
Robert nodded. "Every major company in and out of the city has received an invitation. It’s not just a celebration, it's a power show. A way for JP Enterprises to remind everyone who’s at the top."
Indeed, the buzz around the sixteenth anniversary of JP Enterprises was like nothing the city had seen in years. Massive banners were already being hoisted across the city skyline. High-end hotels were fully booked. Fashion designers, chefs, tech specialists, and media crews from around the world were preparing for the grand occasion. It was more than a business event, it was a spectacle.
At the heart of the preparations was James, the young and surprisingly unshakable President of JP Enterprises. Under his leadership, the company had grown in power and reach, and the anniversary was both a celebration of its legacy and a testament to its transformation.
Meanwhile, at Ray Enterprises, tension brewed behind the scenes. Though they were invited, the Ray family carried mixed feelings about attending the event. Memories of humiliation and disbelief still lingered the day James had revealed himself as the President was still fresh in their minds.
"We have no choice but to attend," Helen muttered in frustration during a board meeting. "If we stay away, we’ll seem petty and afraid. But going there means bowing our heads to him again."
Sarah, the secretary, tried to mask her discomfort. "It’s a corporate event, ma’am. It might be best to appear neutral… diplomatic."
Rita, now reinstated as General Manager, remained quiet but observant. She knew better than anyone how unpredictable James could be when it came to public appearances. She had no idea what to expect from him at the anniversary.
Back at JP Enterprises, preparations continued in full force. The guest list included billionaires, global CEOs, high-ranking politicians, and the most influential figures across industries. Red carpets would roll out, cameras would flash, and speeches would echo through the grand hall like music from an orchestra.
The city, already buzzing with excitement, awaited the grand event.
"I can’t believe it," the young woman muttered as she stared at her phone, her hands trembling with excitement. "James… the same James who used to sleep in front of Mr. Kola’s grocery store? He’s the President of JP Enterprises now?"
Her name was Evelyn. Sharp-tongued, impatient, and fueled by bitter memories, she had known James during his hardest days on the streets, days when survival meant fighting for leftovers and sleeping on cold sidewalks. To her, his rise wasn’t a success story to be admired. It was a jackpot she felt entitled to.
Storming into the JP Enterprises headquarters during working hours, Evelyn ignored the receptionist's polite inquiries and pushed her way toward the executive wing.
"I want to see James!" she shouted, causing heads to turn in the busy lobby. "I know he’s here. Tell him Evelyn from the street is here!"
Security was alerted immediately, but by then, Evelyn had already reached the waiting area outside the President’s office.
James, who was in a brief meeting with department heads, heard the commotion and stepped out with a composed expression. As soon as his eyes met Evelyn’s, something shifted. He recognized her instantly.
"Evelyn?" he said, frowning slightly. "What are you doing here?"
"Don’t act like you don’t know me, James," she snapped, crossing her arms. "You owe me. We suffered together. I was there when you were nothing. Now you’re swimming in wealth and you think you can forget the people who once mattered!"
James’s expression hardened.
"This is not the place for this kind of talk. You’re disrupting my company’s operations. If you need help, there are proper channels"
"To hell with proper channels!" she yelled. "I came to get what’s mine!"
That was enough. James turned to the nearby security officer. "Escort her out. And make sure she doesn’t return without a valid appointment."
The security guards moved quickly, but Evelyn didn’t go quietly. She shouted all the way to the exit, throwing insults, struggling, and drawing even more attention.
Among those who witnessed the scene was Tracy. At first, she thought it was just a random case of disturbance by some unruly visitor trying to make trouble. But as she watched James’s calm yet stern expression, and the woman’s emotional outburst, something clicked in her cunning mind.
This is gold, she thought, quickly pulling out her phone and snapping a series of pictures from the hallway James arguing with a ragged woman, the woman being dragged out, and James watching in silence. What a perfect way to ruin his reputation.
Tracy, ever the opportunist, reviewed the photos and smirked.
This is it… this will shake him up.
Without hesitation, she sent the pictures to Helen and Mark, attaching a voice note.