Chapter 2 First Day First Fire

I arrived at Voss Systems earlier than I needed to, the elevator ride feeling impossibly long. My mind was running through the files I had skimmed yesterday, financial irregularities, internal communications, drafts of statements, and that damn video that had made the world believe the company was collapsing. I had seen crises before, plenty of them, but nothing this public, this fast, this... messy.

The executive floor was quieter than I expected. Fewer people milling about, more screens flickering silently, documents stacked neatly, but with the tension of hands that had shaken just before leaving them there. I had learned early that the air of a building could tell you as much as the files. This floor screamed control, and fear was hiding underneath it.

Elias was already there, standing near the conference room table, scrolling through his tablet like it was the only thing keeping him tethered to reality. He didn't glance up when I walked in. That's fine. I didn't need his approval. I needed his attention, and his attention came easily once I opened my laptop.

"Good morning," I said. Neutral. Professional. Everything else was a distraction I couldn't afford.

He finally looked up, sharp gray eyes fixing me in place. "Good morning. I hope you slept at least a little."

I gave a small shrug. "Enough. Not here for me anyway."

He made a noise that was almost a smirk, or maybe it was annoyance. I couldn't tell. That was the thing with Elias Voss: he never gave anything away easily. And I liked that. It made my job more interesting.

I set my laptop on the table and opened the first batch of documents again, scrolling quickly. My eyes were trained to catch inconsistencies, contradictions, and anything that could derail a plan. The problem wasn't just the leak itself. It was that someone, maybe more than one person, had chosen precisely what to release. The narrative had been manipulated to make it look like he was personally responsible, the villain in a story that hadn't even finished being written.

I glanced at him. "You knew this would get worse before you called me in?"

"I didn't know how bad it would be." His voice was quiet, but there was no lying in it. Elias never lied. Not outright. Not when it mattered.

I nodded, accepting that. "We need to draft the first public statement. Clear, concise, no admission beyond what's safe. Control the narrative before it controls you."

He leaned back in his chair. "You mean lie."

I met his eyes and didn't flinch. "I mean, protect the company, and by extension, you. Words are weapons. Timing is everything. The public only sees what we let them see. That's all."

He considered that, running a hand through his hair. "You're very... precise."

"Trained," I said.

We started going through the files in detail. Every memo, every internal email, every financial report. I asked questions. He answered. Some answers were hesitant, some clipped. He was aware of the stakes, painfully so. He knew that one misstep could cost him everything: the company, his reputation, even his freedom.

By mid-morning, the board called in. Julian Cross was there first. I had read about him, veteran financier, the man who had guided Elias to power, the one who controlled the company behind the scenes. Up close, Julian was even more intimidating. Everything about him screamed strategy. Nothing about him invited trust.

"Mara Kade," Julian said, his voice smooth, polished, like he had rehearsed it a hundred times. "I trust you understand the delicate nature of this work. I assume you have no intentions of causing further disruption?"

I held his gaze evenly. "My goal is containment and clarity. Nothing more."

He nodded, faintly approving, or pretending to. I wasn't sure. I never trusted smiles in boardrooms.

The rest of the morning was a flurry of meetings, huddled sessions, and constant pressure. The board wanted to shape the story in their favor. Elias wanted honesty as much as he could manage without wrecking the company. And I wanted clarity. It was exhausting trying to satisfy everyone, but I knew the stakes. One slip, one wrong word, one delayed response, and this company could implode.

By lunch, I was starting to feel it, the weight of responsibility pressing down like a stone in my chest. My job was never easy, but this was different. This was high-profile, public, and personal. Elias was part of it. That made it messy in a way I wasn't used to. Usually, my clients were distant enough that I could remain detached. Not here.

I caught him watching me as I scribbled notes and highlighted inconsistencies. I ignored it, pretending it didn't register, but I felt it. The first sparks of mutual respect, or maybe wariness. I didn't care which. He could feel however he wanted, as long as he stayed out of my way.

Then came the first real challenge. A minor leak hit the media mid-afternoon, just enough to make the story trend again. My first instinct was to act immediately. I opened my laptop, drafted a statement, and presented it to him.

"This is your first move," I said. "Clear, concise, neutral. No admissions. We control what's released, not the other way around."

He read it, silent for a few moments. Then he nodded. "Good. Quick. I like it quick."

I didn't smile. Quick was necessary, but it wasn't enough. The work had only begun.

By four, I had a better understanding of the story. The leak wasn't random. It was calculated. Someone had gone through the company records, chosen what to release, and timed it perfectly to cause maximum damage. That made my job easier in some ways; I could predict the next move, but it also made it more dangerous. I wasn't just writing statements. I was playing a chess game where the pieces could destroy lives if I made a wrong move.

Elias sat quietly across from me as I worked. He asked questions, sometimes sharp, sometimes cautious. I answered each with precision, careful not to reveal more than necessary. And as I worked, I realized something I hadn't expected: I was beginning to understand him. Not just his public persona, but the man under it. The one who had built an empire from nothing, the one who was terrified of losing it, the one who carried the weight of everyone depending on him like it was a personal burden.

It was late afternoon when I finally leaned back, exhausted but focused. I had a plan. Draft statements, timing, press strategy. Containment. Control. But I also knew the truth: this was just the start. The storm hadn't even hit its peak yet.

"You're thorough," he said quietly, almost like a statement rather than a compliment. "Most people see the headlines and panic. You see the pattern."

I didn't respond. I didn't need to. One acknowledgment was enough.

Then, almost to himself, he added, "I hope you understand. This isn't just a job for me. This... whatever happens next... It's my life."

I met his eyes steadily. "I understand."

And I did. For the first time in years, I realized this job wasn't just about controlling words. It was about stepping into someone else's life, navigating their chaos, and keeping it from consuming them. That was heavier than anything I had handled before.

But I was ready.

The scandal was just beginning. And I had no intention of letting it win.