Chapter 5 First Blow

I was reviewing the timeline I'd prepared when my phone buzzed. Another email from Lydia. I frowned before opening it. Usually, she sent updates, clarifications, and things we could anticipate. This one... didn't feel routine.

The subject line read: "Breaking: Media Leak Voss Systems."

I froze, fingers hovering over the keyboard. My stomach tightened, the kind of knot I had only ever felt when a crisis escaped control. I opened the link.

It was worse than I expected. The leak had gone public faster than we could react. Social media had picked it up, and the story had gone viral in less than an hour. Screenshots, posts, commentary, speculation, it was everywhere. And the narrative was brutal: "Billionaire Under Fire: Voss Systems Accused of Financial Mismanagement."

I inhaled slowly, trying to steady myself. This was exactly why timing was everything. We had planned a controlled statement, rehearsed responses, and a containment strategy, and yet, someone had beaten us to it. Someone had triggered the story in the public sphere before we could act.

I grabbed my laptop, scanning through the posts, comments, and shares. The reach was massive. Traditional news outlets had picked up the story, and dozens of smaller sites were quoting the same accusations. The carefully curated leak, combined with social media amplification, was shaping a story that painted Elias as negligent, possibly complicit.

My mind raced. We had seconds to control the narrative. Seconds. Not minutes. Not hours.

I closed my laptop and looked up at Elias. He was standing near the table, arms crossed, face calm but eyes sharp. I could see the tension in his jaw, the faint twitch in his hand. He wasn't panicking. That was... unnerving.

"They've gone live," I said quietly. "We need to respond immediately. Controlled, factual, minimal admission."

He nodded, moving closer. "Do it. I trust your judgment."

His trust... it was heavy. Rarely given, rarely earned. And now it was on me to make it count.

I opened a new document and began drafting a statement. I focused on clarity: acknowledging the leak, confirming we were reviewing internal records, assuring the public that everything necessary was being done, and emphasizing transparency without admitting fault. Every word had to be precise. A single misstep, a poorly chosen phrase, and the story would spiral out of control.

Julian Cross entered the room then, brisk, polished, the kind of man who could make a stone feel guilty. "I see the leak is live," he said, voice smooth. "We need to strike hard, now. Aggressively. The public needs to see action."

I swallowed. "Aggression is dangerous. We can't respond emotionally. The public interprets every reaction. Timing and precision matter more than volume."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Volume gets attention. Volume gets coverage. We can't sit silently while our reputation crumbles."

I met his gaze evenly. "Volume without strategy guarantees disaster. I'm not here to feed panic. I'm here to contain it. Carefully. Strategically. That's how we survive."

Elias stepped forward then, gray eyes fixed on Julian. "She's right. We control the narrative. Not them."

Julian hesitated, clearly weighing his options. Then he smiled, thin, calculating. "Very well. For now."

I returned to drafting, my mind moving faster than my fingers. Statements, talking points, timelines, contingency responses. Every possibility, every question a journalist could ask, every angle a competitor could exploit, I ran through it, cataloging and prioritizing.

By mid-morning, we were ready to issue the first controlled response. I had chosen our channels carefully: select media contacts, our official social media, and an internal memo to employees. Transparency without overexposure. Honesty without admission. Control without panic.

I took a deep breath and shared the draft with Elias. He read it silently, gray eyes scanning every word. I waited. His judgment was precise, often unforgiving.

"This works," he said finally. "Precise. Clear. No unnecessary words. Good."

I allowed myself a brief exhale. Not relief, never relief, but acknowledgment that the first step was ready.

We issued the statement simultaneously across channels. The response was immediate. Social media reacted, but now the narrative shifted slightly. We acknowledged the leak and emphasized investigation and transparency. We didn't deflect blame. We didn't over-explain. We controlled the story.

It wasn't perfect, but it was survival.

Then the board started questioning everything. "How did this leak happen?" one member demanded. "Why weren't we prepared?"

I kept my tone calm. "The leak is part of a coordinated effort. We are responding as quickly and precisely as possible. Public perception is now controlled, and the board's next steps should focus on supporting that containment."

Some members nodded. Some looked skeptical. That was to be expected. Boards rarely appreciated the truth when it didn't align with their ego.

The afternoon became a blur of press calls, emails, and strategy. I was constantly scanning online chatter, updating statements, and coordinating with internal teams. Every message, every update, every interaction had to be precise. The margin for error was nonexistent.

Elias remained at the table, observing, occasionally interjecting, often just watching. There was a tension between us, not personal, not yet, but a shared understanding. This was high stakes. And we were in it together, whether we liked it or not.

By late afternoon, I finally allowed myself a brief pause. The first wave had been contained. Damage was limited. Narrative is partially controlled. But the hidden truth, the hidden manipulations we had discovered, was still out there. And whoever had orchestrated the leak wasn't finished.

I rubbed my eyes, aware of the tension building in my shoulders. This wasn't just a job anymore. It was a battle. And the board, the media, and the hidden enemy inside the company were all players in a game that could destroy everything if I made a single misstep.

Elias approached, silent. He leaned against the table, hands in pockets, eyes scanning the room. "You handled that well," he said. "Better than I expected."

I shrugged. "I do what I do. Contain the damage. Control the narrative. Keep the company alive. That's all."

He nodded slowly. "And yet... It's more than that, isn't it?"

I met his gaze but didn't answer. Not yet. That was a conversation for another time. Right now, focus mattered more than anything else.

The first blow had hit us hard. But we had survived. Barely. And I knew, deep down, that this was only the beginning. The hidden manipulations, the unknown players, the relentless media, they were only going to escalate. And when the next wave hit, I had to be ready.

I closed my laptop and stretched, muscles tense from hours of constant alertness. The room felt heavier now, charged with anticipation. We had survived this round. But survival was temporary. The storm was building.