Spiraled ⚪⭐⚪⭐ (A Brollins Novel)✔

EPISODE TWENTY-SIX

Quinn Mansion.  Los Angeles, California.

"Good morning."

Fergal glances up once and brief, but just long enough to catch a glimpse of Annette dressed as casually as ever, in a light pink blouse matching her white pants and her black cardigan, light brown hair pulled up into a neat, gorgeous bun. Fergal returns his mother's greeting with barely a hint of the cheerful smile plastered on Annette's face. His eyes resumes swiftly skimming through the pages of the business newspaper until he finds the specific page he wants.

"This." He folds the newspaper delicately in half, the preferred page and its news glinting in small neat words on the front, the headline in bold letters. He drags the paper across smooth, polished wooden surface to his mother's side of the table, tapping on the headline a second time. "Read this."

Annette quirks an eyebrow at him in concern but if Fergal had been smiling even a little, she would've guessed right away whatever on the page isn't bad news. Well, only partly. "'Quinn Media Empire's stocks peaked at an all time high last night,'" Annette reads the headline out loud, her smile turning impossibly more radiant. "This is the best news I've received today and it isn't even nine."

"Read the entire page, mom."

Annette frowns while Fergal takes a sip of his coffee, his calmness betraying nothing. Setting her napkin on the table, Annette clutches the newspaper in both hands and begins to read thoroughly, intently. Her smile begins to fade. She looks up at her son, chagrined. "We were a tie."

Fergal gives the barest of nods, already digging a fork into his plate of fruits while the other hand still grips the cup of coffee to draw what little warmth the hot liquid can offer to his cold fingers. "That newspaper is quite new and inexperienced. The headline at the front page should've been; 'Quinn Media Empire looks to be selling and their competition might be the reason.' I would've done a better job but as it stands our name is the only thing which can draw readers to their newspaper hence the poor and misleading headline."

Annette's attention looks to be too distant to acknowledge Fergal's mocking tone. "This can't be. They are barely three year old. Unless. . . ."

"Mr. Robinson resigned last night. It isn't a coincidence their stocks peaked right about the same week he did. He has bought some of their stocks. He has betrayed us."

Annette curses, "That traitor." Despite her palpable fury, she sets the newspaper rather calmly on the table, fingers toying with the end of her tablespoon, idly swirling the black liquid in her cup. "I should've fired him a long time ago. He has worked by my side for far too long, seen too much. He knows how I work, how we operate. He is going to reveal our secrets to our rival. Damn him."

"I've said this a million times already but you refuse to consider my proposal," Fergal accuses, munching on a small piece of watermelon. "I'm well aware you hate to appear weak mom, but it's either we sell or merge. Our stocks peaked at an impressive number last night. This will be the perfect time for us to sell to an interested buyer or we could very well merge with one of the communication companies in China. One of them contacted me last month. He was highly interested in the company and was willing to negotiate with our terms in mind. We can't get a better offer than that."

"We have investors to consider and stakeholders to please. It's not that easy, Fergal." Annette lifts a hand to stop a maid from filling her empty glass with mango juice, opting for water instead. "We've to please them so they don't invest or buy stocks anywhere else like Mr. Robinson has done. We have to keep them at our side no matter what. Besides, it's as you first stated. Selling the company will appear as an act of resignation and defeat to our rival, at least that's how I see it. A blemish I don't want on our family name."