Blinded Fate

22. One at a time♡

The dim light from the overhead chandelier barely illuminated the vast expanse of my office, casting long shadows that seemed to mimic the storm brewing inside me. I leaned back in my chair, fingers tapping against the cold surface of the desk, each sharp click echoing in the oppressive silence. The air was thick with tension, the kind that choked and suffocated anyone who dared to breathe too deeply in my presence.

Rajesh, my personal assistant, stood before me, shifting nervously from one foot to the other. His trembling hands betrayed him, gripping a tablet he had no intention of using. I could feel his fear-the way his pulse quickened, the faint sheen of sweat on his forehead, the way he avoided meeting my eyes as if my gaze alone could reduce him to ashes.

I was used to this reaction. People didn't simply fear me; they dreaded me. I wasn't just a boss; I was the devil in a suit-a self-made one. My name alone was enough to silence a room, to make powerful men falter, to turn whispers into deafening silence. But today, that fear was doing nothing to temper my rising fury.

"I gave you one task, Rajesh," I said, my voice low, deliberate, laced with venom.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I held up a single finger, silencing him instantly. The smallest gesture from me was enough to command the room. I could hear the excuses forming in his mind before he uttered a word, and I had no patience for them.

"You had one job," I continued, my tone sharper now. "Find the bastard who leaked the details of my project. It's been three weeks. And yet, here you are, standing in front of me, empty-handed."

Rajesh swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he struggled to find his voice. "Sir, we've been trying-"

"Trying?" I snapped, my voice cutting through his words like a blade. I rose from my chair slowly, the movement deliberate, calculated. My six-foot frame towered over him, casting a long shadow that swallowed him whole. "You don't 'try' in my world, Rajesh. You succeed. Or you cease to exist."

His eyes widened, and he took an involuntary step back.

"Do you know what failure means to me?" I asked, stepping around the desk, each step deliberate, predatory. He shook his head, his voice lost to the fear gripping him.

"It means weakness," I hissed, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "And I don't tolerate weakness in my empire. Not from my enemies, and certainly not from the people I pay to protect it."

Rajesh stammered, desperate to explain himself. "Sir, we've narrowed it down to a few suspects. It's just that they've been...difficult to track. We need more time-"

"Time?" I barked, my voice reverberating through the room. "You think time is a luxury I have? Do you have any idea what this leak has cost me? The vultures circling, the competitors salivating, the trust I've built crumbling because someone in this company-someone under my nose-dared to betray me?"