Chapter 1: A rare failure

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Montuigo Mansion, bathing the polished marble floors in a warm golden glow. Every morning, the estate stirred to life long before its owners awoke.

Maids carefully dusted priceless antiques, gardeners trimmed the perfectly sculpted hedges with practiced precision, while chefs and kitchen assistants hurried between steaming pots in the grand kitchen, preparing breakfast for the household.

Despite the usual bustle, an unusual heaviness lingered over the mansion.

In the lower hall, two maids paused as they fluffed the velvet cushions.

"Has the chairman returned?" one asked quietly, glancing around to make sure the head maid wasn't nearby.

The other shook her head.

"He spent the night at headquarters."

"...Still because of Young Master Alex?"

A sigh escaped the older maid.

"So the rumours are true?"

"I don't know."

"I only heard they lost the Helios contract."

The younger maid frowned.

"Young Master... lost?"

"I've worked here for fifteen years, long before young master Alex became the Director" the older woman murmured. "I've never heard of him losing a negotiation."

The younger maid lowered her voice even further.

"They say every department has been talking about it since yesterday."

Another maid, who had been arranging fresh flowers nearby, suddenly turned toward them.

"And where exactly did you hear that?"

The younger maid jumped.

"That's none of your business."

She sniffed and returned to dusting the shelves, pretending she hadn't said anything.

The others exchangede knowing glances.

Within minutes, the whispers travelled through the mansion faster than the morning sunlight itself.

Montuigo Mansion was unusually quiet...

...Montuigo Group Headquarters was silent.

Not the peaceful silence of an ordinary workday, but the suffocating stillness that followed bad news.

Employees who normally exchanged cheerful greetings now walked with their heads lowered, their voices reduced to whispers. The clacking of polished leather shoes against the marble floors echoed through the vast lobby, yet no one dared linger for idle conversation.

Every now and then, curious eyes drifted toward the executive elevators.

No one needed to ask where the chairman was.

Everyone already knew.

The boardroom.

"Do you think Young Master Alex will be dismissed?"

A junior employee whispered as he sorted through a stack of documents.

His colleague nearly choked on her coffee.

"Dismissed? He's the chairman's son."

"The chairman has never mixed family with business and this very contract is supposed to be used to prove to the board that he is capable and worthy of his position as the executive director"

"That's true..."

She lowered her voice.

"But Young Master Alex has never made a mistake either."

"But this is the most important one"

The two fell silent as the elevator doors slid open.

A group of senior executives stepped out, each carrying thick folders against their chests.

Not one of them looked relaxed.

Without exchanging a single word, they walked straight toward the boardroom.

The atmosphere throughout the headquarters grew even heavier.

Everyone understood one thing.

Whatever happened inside that room...

...would determine the future of the Montuigo Group.

*Executive Boardroom*

The conference room had never been so quiet.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the sprawling city skyline, yet no one spared the breathtaking view a glance. Every executive sat perfectly still, their attention fixed on the long mahogany table dominating the room.

At its head sat Frank Montuigo.

Chairman of the Montuigo Group.

His expression revealed nothing.

Neither anger.

Nor disappointment.

Only silence.

And somehow...

That was far more terrifying.

Before him lay a single black folder.

The contract.

Eight months of negotiations.

Dozens of overseas meetings.

Hundreds of hours spent refining proposals.

Gone.

Standing several feet away was Alexander Montuigo.

The company's youngest executive director.

The chairman's eldest son.

The man everyone believed would one day inherit the Montuigo empire.

His posture remained straight, his hands neatly clasped behind his back.

Though calm on the outside...

His sleepless eyes betrayed him.

Frank slowly opened the folder.

The faint rustle of paper sounded deafening in the silent room.

He turned one page.

Then another.

Finally...

He closed it.

The soft click echoed through the boardroom.

His sharp gaze lifted.

"...Explain."

Alex drew a slow breath.

"Yesterday was scheduled to be the final signing ceremony with Helios International."

No one interrupted.

"Everything had been finalized. Their legal team had already approved the agreement."

He paused briefly.

"Ten minutes before the signing..."

"I discovered confidential figures from our proposal in Helios' possession."

A ripple of shock spread across the room.

Several directors exchanged uneasy glances.

Alex continued.

"Those figures were only accessible to six people."

Silence.

"I immediately suspended the signing."

One elderly director frowned.

"You cancelled an eight-month negotiation because of suspicion?"

Alex met the man's gaze, his voice stone cold.

"I cancelled it because someone inside this company sold our secrets."

The room fell deathly still.

No one spoke.

No one even shifted in their seat.

Frank's fingers tightened slightly around the folder.

For the first time...

A faint crack appeared in his otherwise unreadable expression.

Not because they had lost the contract.

But because someone had dared to betray the Montuigo Group from within.

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