The Price of Shadows

Chapter 13: The Price Paid in Full

The next day, Liam sat in his corner office, sunlight spilling through the wide windows, casting long shadows across the polished floor. He looked out at the city below, feeling a strange mix of satisfaction and dread gnawing at him. He'd made his decision, and now, he was here to pay the price.

He opened his laptop, the day's agenda already lined up with meetings, strategy sessions, and one-on-one conversations with his team. Each line felt heavier than it should, each task carrying the weight of something darker. Today, he would begin doing exactly what the shop had demanded.

The first item on his agenda was a meeting with a client, a small business looking for support in expanding its operations. The client had been with the company for years, a loyal account. But today, Liam's approach was different.

As the client eagerly outlined their plans for expansion, Liam nodded, listening carefully. When it was his turn, he recommended a series of contract modifications and cost adjustments—subtle enough that they wouldn't immediately set off alarms, but sharp enough to squeeze more profit from the deal.

The client hesitated, their brows knitting in concern. "This... feels a little steep," they murmured, a hint of worry in their voice. "We weren't expecting these kinds of changes."

Liam shrugged, his smile polite but detached. "It's industry standard. Trust me, it's for your benefit." The words felt hollow, each one slipping out as though they belonged to someone else. But he pushed forward, thinking of the shopkeeper's instructions, convincing himself that it wasn't that bad, that it was only a matter of business.

The client left with a forced smile, their uncertainty palpable. Liam watched them go, a cold emptiness settling in his chest. But he brushed it aside, telling himself it was just another deal, just another price he had to pay.

Next came his employees. Liam spent the afternoon in back-to-back performance reviews, each one following a similar pattern. His instructions from the shop were clear: to instill discomfort, to foster dependency and fear.

One by one, his employees filed into his office, hopeful yet nervous. He picked apart their work with a sharpness he'd never used before, pointing out minor flaws, finding fault in things he once might have praised. Their faces fell, smiles fading, replaced by worry and confusion.

"It's just... not up to par," he said to one team member, avoiding her gaze as he circled minor mistakes with a red pen. "If you don't improve soon, we'll have to reevaluate your position here." The words left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he forced himself to keep going, his voice steady even as he felt something inside him recoil.

He dismissed her, watching as she left the office, shoulders slumped, her once bright smile gone. He told himself it didn't matter—that this was just business. But he could feel the weight pressing down on him, a cold emptiness that grew heavier with each passing hour.

Toward the end of the day, Liam received an email from a rival executive within the company. It was a friendly note, a casual question about a potential partnership opportunity. Normally, Liam would have seen it as a chance to collaborate, to strengthen the company. But today, his instructions were different.

He replied with a smile, offering misleading advice, planting seeds of doubt, ensuring that his rival's proposal would be sabotaged from the start. Each sentence he typed felt like a betrayal, a calculated move designed to weaken his competition, to ensure he held the advantage.

His finger hovered over the "send" button for a moment, doubt flickering in his mind. But he pushed it aside, forcing himself to click it, sealing his rival's fate. He sat back, staring at the screen, the hollow satisfaction gnawing at him.