Chapter 4: Plans

Kerrigan looked up from her notes, her brow furrowed. “What do you have in mind? I already told you, I don’t want to hurt the staff. If he falls, it needs to be without collateral damage were ever possible.”

Conor smiled, appreciating her concern for her people. It was one of the many things he admired about her—her ability to balance ruthless efficiency with genuine care for those under her leadership.

“What if we let Kelan take on a task that’s beyond his abilities?” Conor suggested, his voice measured. “Something that would require real leadership skills and deep knowledge of the company’s operations—skills he clearly lacks.”

“Possible, but what exactly are you suggesting?”

Leaning forward, Conor began,  “We suggest to the board that Dragon Corporation needs a fresh perspective. Given Kelan’s self-proclaimed ‘innovative’ approach, he could be the perfect candidate to lead a major restructuring. Something complex and high-stakes, where his incompetence will be exposed for everyone to see.”

Kerrigan’s eyes sparkled with understanding. “A corporate restructuring plan. It’s the perfect trap. He’ll be forced to analyze departments, recommend layoffs, and oversee the implementation of the new structure. If we push for an aggressive timeline, there’s no way he can handle it without making a mess.”

“Anyone he downsizes, Vokrizin can pick up. Nr. Nuri would skin us both if we tried to buy out dragon corporation but poaching staff is a drop in the bucket. And between the two of us and the staff I am sure are loyal to you, I am sure we can get a good deal out of it. This would likely mean you have a lot of meetings ahead of you to prepare people, but it might just work.” Conor said.

Kerrigan considered, her face creased in worry but nodded along, “And while he’s floundering, I can ensure that the company and its employees are protected. I’ll keep an eye on the departments he targets, and if he makes any rash decisions, we can step in to mitigate the damage. You sure you can cover their salaries for the loyal ones if cut?”

“You have my word.”

Kerrigan sat back in her chair, her mind racing with possibilities. “But what if he tries to merge his family’s business with Dragon Corporation? Its one thing if we can get him to bring assets over to dragon Corp but if he sells things to his father for cheap, we would just be feeding the monster.”

That can be the second part. His task is to free up capital to dig his hands into bayan railroad. His father needs that contract or he is screwed and what does Kelan want more than anything else?”

“To torment women.” Kerrigan answered deadpan.

Conor paused and looked at her, then chuckled, “fine, what is the second most important thing to Kelan?”

She considered him for a minute before realization struck, “To be recognized by his father as worthy. He wants to please the old bastard any way he can.”

“Exactly, For Benedict Sr, this is a win win. If Kelan somehow manages to make Dragon Corporation sell out, the Benedicts win. If Kelan just mucks around and messes you up, he also wins because his biggest rivel falls and all he lost was his son’s ego, which is still a win in Sr’s book.”

Conor’s expression darkened. “That’s where we can hit him the hardest. He’s hopefully still unaware that I’ve recently taken control of Bayan railroad. If he tries to merge, we can subtly disrupt their supply chain, and the board can drag things out for months, making the merger fall apart. It would not only humiliate him to publicly fail even with Benedict Group and Dragon Corporation behind him, but it also give us leverage to acquire parts of his family’s business at a fraction of their worth.”

“How so?” Kerrigan asked, confused.

“Harden Construction.”

Kerrigan waited for him to explain.

“Remember, Ezra harden is trying to escape Benedict. His son came to us. But Benedict is playing 3d chess with Ezra. I doubt he even considered that the youngest would come to us. Benedict controls most of the other banking in the area and his word is enough to scare any others away. He legally had to let Ezra have his company back but now is going to force a new deal or make them go bankrupt.”

“I don’t get what that has to do with Kelan.”

“The main leverage they have on Harden now is supply chain. They got the best deals through bribing the board of Bayan Rail. Now, Kelan will be the one who has to figure out a deal to get Bayan rail back on board if he hopes to also secure Harden’s deal. There are likely others in similar situations, we just need to find.” Conor explained.

Kerrigan smiled, her earlier frustration replaced by a growing sense of confidence. “We can make it look like his own arrogance and incompetence led to the failure, while we come out stronger than before.”

“And the best part is, he’ll think it was all his idea,” Conor added with a smirk. “We’ll plant the seed during the next board meeting. You can suggest that the company needs a new direction, and that Kelan’s fresh perspective might be just what’s needed to shake things up.”

Kerrigan tapped her fingers on the table thoughtfully. “I’ll need to be careful not to make it too obvious. If the board suspects I’m setting him up, it could backfire.”

Conor reached across the table and placed his hand over hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You’re more than capable of pulling this off, Kerrigan. You’ve already proven yourself as a leader. The staff love you even if the board doesn’t. This is just the next step in reclaiming what’s rightfully yours.”

Kerrigan felt a warmth spread through her chest at his touch, her heart skipping a beat. She met his gaze, finding comfort and strength in his steady blue eyes. “Thank you, Conor. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’ll never have to find out,” Conor replied softly, his thumb gently brushing the back of her hand before he released it. “We’re in this together.”

They sat in companionable silence for a moment, the weight of their shared mission settling between them.

“Alright,” Kerrigan said finally, her voice firm. “Let’s go over the details of how we’ll present this to the board. I want to make sure everything is in place before the meeting.”

Conor nodded and pulled out his tablet, ready to outline the strategy. “First, we’ll need to frame the restructuring as a necessary evolution for Dragon Corporation.”

“We’ll need to control the narrative,” Conor said. “If Kelan starts making drastic changes, we’ll need to make sure the media and the public see it as reckless and harmful, not bold and innovative.”

Kerrigan nodded in agreement. “I can reach out to a few key contacts in the media. If we frame this as Kelan overreaching, trying to fix what isn’t broken, we can turn public opinion against him before the damage is even done.”

“Good,” Conor said, leaning forward. “And we will start working on the board. I doubt Kelan managed to convince all of them so completely. If we can turn even a few back to you, we can destabilize Kelan and Zadok’s control. The key is to stay ahead of them at every turn.”

They spent the next few hours fine-tuning the plan, going over every possible scenario, every potential pitfall. Kerrigan’s mind was sharp, picking apart the details and anticipating Kelan’s every move. Conor provided the support and perspective she needed, helping to refine the strategy until it was airtight.

Conor leaned back in his chair, watching as Kerrigan’s mind spun with possibilities. She was a force to be reckoned with, and he knew that together, they were unstoppable. He couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride—and something deeper, something he wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge yet.

As Kerrigan outlined the finer points of her part in the plan, Conor’s thoughts drifted to Kelan. The man was dangerous, not just because of his arrogance, but because of his ambition. He wanted power, control, and the respect of his father and the board. But he had no idea what he was walking into. Conor almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

As they discussed the specifics, Reilynn and Evelynn exchanged amused glances from their seats at the nearby table. They had been listening quietly, respecting Kerrigan’s privacy while keeping a watchful eye on the room.

“Look at them,” Evelynn whispered, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “They’re so focused on business, they don’t even realize how much they care about each other.”

Reilynn chuckled softly. “Give them time. They’ll figure it out eventually. For now, let’s just make sure they stay safe. We’re in for a long ride.”

Evelynn nodded in agreement. She admired Kerrigan’s determination and knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together. The woman had a tenacity that was so rare these days.