chapter 6

Mike was mesmerized by the sight of the company's grandeur, resembling a presidential villa. He had never seen anything like it. As he took his seat, the chief security officer, Reginald, entered with a stack of documents. "Sir, these contain the names of key figures, shareholders, and the current situation of the company."

Mike dove into the documents, requesting transaction records from the past 10 years. He believed that understanding the roots of the company's issues would help him turn things around. He spent the entire day studying, even staying overnight in the office.

The next morning, Mike was still engrossed in the books when the secretary knocked and entered. "Sir, the director of one of our small branches is here to pay his respects."

Mike stood up, gazing out the window, unaware that the director, Mark, had crawled into the room. Mark began praising Axel, thinking Mike was him. "Oh, great sir, your wisdom and leadership are truly inspiring. I'm honored to work under your guidance."

Mike turned around, surprised to see Mark, the man who had cheated with his girlfriend and treated him poorly. Mark's eyes widened in shock. "Mike?! What are you doing here?!"

Mike smiled calmly. "I'm your boss, Mark. I'm the main branch director."

Mark's face contorted in disbelief. "How can that be?! You're just a lowly... How can you be the heir of Rykard?!"

Mike confirmed, "I am the one, Mark."

Mark's eyes rolled back, and he fell to the floor, exclaiming, "I'm doomed!"

Mark's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Mike, his mind struggling to reconcile the man in front of him with the heir to the Rykard empire. But Mike didn't give him time to process. Without a word, he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a stack of documents, which he pushed across the table to Mark.

"Explain this," Mike said, his voice firm and commanding.

Mark's eyes scanned the pages, his face growing paler with each passing moment. The documents appeared to be financial records, detailing transactions and accounts associated with the Rykard empire.

As Mark delved deeper into the documents, his expression changed from confusion to shock. He saw that large sums of money had been transferred out of the company's accounts, seemingly without authorization.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mark demanded, his voice shaking with anger.

"It appears that funds have been misappropriated," Mike replied, his eyes narrowing. "I want to know where this money has gone, and who is responsible."

Mark's eyes darted back and forth, as if searching for an escape route. "I...I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered.

But Mike was relentless. "Don't play dumb, Mark. I have proof. These documents show a clear trail of embezzlement, and it leads straight to you."

Mark's face turned red with rage, but Mike continued, his voice cold and detached. "I want a full accounting of these transactions.

Mike's eyes bore into Mark's, his gaze unwavering. "I'm giving you one week to account for these discrepancies," he said, his voice firm and authoritative. "I want a full report on my desk, detailing every transaction, every withdrawal, and every person involved."

Mark's face paled, his eyes darting back and forth as if searching for an escape route. "I...I don't know if I can do that," he stammered.

Mike's expression turned icy. "You'd better," he said, his voice dripping with menace. "Failure to comply will lead to...unavoidable consequences."

Mark's eyes widened, his mind racing with the implications. He knew that Mike was not a man to be trifled with, that he would stop at nothing to protect the Rykard empire.

"I understand," Mark said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

Mike nodded, his expression unyielding. "Good. I expect that report on my desk within seven days. If it's not there, I'll take it as a sign that you're involved in this embezzlement scheme, and I'll take action accordingly."

Mark's face went white, his eyes fixed on Mike's with a mixture of fear and desperation. He knew that he was walking a tightrope, that one misstep could lead to disaster.

"I'll do it," Mark said finally, his voice firm. "I'll get to the bottom of this and report back to you."

Mike nodded, his expression unchanging. "See that you do," he said, his voice cold and detached. "The fate of the Rykard empire depends on it."

Mike nodded curtly, his expression still unyielding. "You may leave," he said, his voice firm.

Mark rose from his seat, his eyes fixed on Mike's face as if searching for any sign of weakness. But Mike's expression remained impassive, his eyes cold and detached.

Just as Mark was about to turn and leave, Mike spoke up suddenly. "Mark," he said, his voice low and even.

Mark turned back, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Yes?"

Mike's gaze flicked to Mark's jaw, where a faint scar still lingered from the punch Mike had landed several ago. "How's the jaw?" Mike asked, his tone neutral.

Mark's eyes flashed with anger, but he controlled himself, bowing slightly. "I'm okay," he said, his voice tight.

Mike nodded, his expression unchanging. "Good," he said, his voice cold.

Mark turned and left, closing the door behind him with a soft click. Mike watched him go, his eyes never leaving the door.

The meeting didn't come as a surprise to Mike. He had known Mark since their university days, and he knew that Mark had been working in the Rykard Empire's mini branch.

With a slight readjustment of his tie, Mike turned back to the documents on his desk, his mind already racing with the next move. The game was far from over, and Mike was ready to play.

Mark stepped out of the office building, his mind still reeling from the encounter with Mike. He couldn't believe that the same Mike he had known in university, the poorest guy he had ever met, was now the heir to the Rykard Empire.

As he walked towards his car, Mark pulled out his phone and dialed his father's number. His father answered on the first ring.

"Father, have you ever met the company director?" Mark asked, his voice laced with concern.

"No, I haven't," his father replied. "I've tried to meet him several times, but he's always avoiding me. His name is Axel, and I've heard he has a very bad attitude."

Mark's grip on the phone tightened. "There's trouble, Father. He's asked for a report, and I'm afraid I've been caught."

His father's voice turned serious. "What have you done, Mark?"

Mark hesitated, knowing he had to confess. "I...I've been embezzling company funds. I've been using the money to fund my own projects, and I've been covering my tracks by falsifying the accounts."

His father's sigh was audible over the phone. "How much have you taken?"

Mark swallowed hard. "Over a million dollars."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "We'll need to come up with a plan to cover this up. I'll talk to some people and see what we can do."

Mark felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Thank you, Father."

But as he hung up the phone and got into his car, Mark couldn't shake off the feeling that he was in grave danger. Mike was not a man to be trifled with, and Mark knew he would stop at nothing to protect the Rykard Empire.