The Starling Saviour

Chapter 79

A week, my first week at Merlyn Global, had already flown by, and I was still enjoying my time there. I couldn't pretend that the work was all that exciting; paperwork and calls were only interesting to a small extent, and just after a week, it started to grow slightly repetitive. But, the job was stable, secure and had a fairly large salary, so I wanted to stick with it. My life wasn't as adrenaline-fuelled or heroic after retiring from my blue suit, but none of that mattered now. I wasn't that girl who wanted to save people anymore, but a woman who wanted to save a company from losing too much money.

As I read through some profiles on the businesses Malcolm, Samuel and co. had proposed to let go in my first ever meeting, I tried to make sense of the reasoning behind it all. Did Merlyn Global want to merely save money, or was there more to it? Perhaps Tommy knew something.

'Hey, Tommy,' I said slowly, trying to sound as inconspicuous as possible. 'Why is your dad trying to get rid of people?'

'Well, for starters, it isn't my dad's idea,' Tommy answered boldly. 'It's Samuel Rosenburg's idea. But, I think my dad and his friends realised that their company needs budget cuts, quickly, and they decided to drop some of their clients.'

'That sounds logical enough,' I nodded lightly. 'But, why drop clients? Couldn't they just cut costs somewhere else, like, your dad's extremely expensive-looking penthouse?'

'My father would never give that up,' Tommy chuckled at my suggestion. 'And I don't think Rosenburg would give up his vision for the company. He always tries to gain more and more power, and nobody sees it except me. I don't trust him, not at all.'

'Why on earth does Samuel want power?' I queried further. 'He's at the top of the company, he's best buds with your dad, and he must have a massive salary. He has everything!'

'He's got some sort of God Complex,' Tommy explained casually. 'Always has, that's why my father and him get along so well; they're, like, the same person, but Rosenburg is the much more evil version.'

'And how exactly is he gaining this power by cutting businesses?' I pressed further, slightly confused.

'He's in control,' Tommy stated simply. 'And every day he gains more and more control of my father's company, but because he's an old friend, my dad's oblivious.'

But Malcolm Merlyn was never oblivious. He was smart, always on the ball. How was he turning a blind eye to his friend's actions?

Taking a sip from the mug beside me, I made a face of discontent as the coffee met my lips, it tasting absolutely vile.

'Oh, God, Tommy, to say this is a multi-billion dollar company, it has the worst coffee ever,' I said with a sour face.

'Go,' Tommy read my mind at once. 'To SC Jitters. I know you want a sugary latte which contains hardly any coffee but just the same amount of caffeine.'

'You know me so well,' I grinned. 'Want anything while I'm there?'

'I'm fine with the office espresso,' Tommy declined my offer. 'And I thought you said you weren't my secretary.'

'I'm not, I was just being nice!' I exclaimed back. 'I think I'm just going to leave before I start going off on one.'

And so to SC Jitters I went, ordering my 'sugary latte' as Tommy had called it, to then bump into none other than Laurel Lance.

'Please, can you speak to Oliver?' Laurel asked me, almost pleading.

'I can't do that Laurel,' I shook my head sadly. 'Oliver let me down, and I won't let him use me again.'