Chapter 8

**James POV**

James' thoughts came to a screeching halt when his secretary knocked on his office door and came in. He was not much on ceremonies with his secretaries where they stayed outside until he invited them. Unless, he was dealing with something sensitive or needed privacy, of course, he gives them free rein. He didn't acknowledge his secretary as he resumed looking at the glorious city, Atlanta.

'Mr. McKenzie, it's almost time for your board meeting. We must leave now. The traffic may raise an issue otherwise', said his secretary, Brittany, in a neutral voice.

Brittany is forty-odd years old and one of his secretaries. He has two. When you have an empire to run, two is still a small number, but he limits himself to two, as he works most of his day away. Brittany was with him, through his 'initiation' into the company and is considered his right hand. Any affairs that concern him, must go through her first. She is a no-nonsense woman who takes bullshit from no one. Not even him, sometimes.

Other than Brittany, there was Melinda, his other secretary who is currently 7 months pregnant and ready to take a leave. If Brittany is the right hand, Melinda is also not far behind. Though she has less experience than Brittany working for him, she proved her worth with her dedication and both had accomplished the feat of gaining his trust.

Trust-such a simple word, but means a lot. Now, if the executive had a good dose of that, he didn't have to do what he must in the following episode. Alas, he must set an example. No one, not even a mere executive, can threaten his hard-worked foundation on this company.

James and Brittany took his Rolls-Royce phantom to maneuver in the traffic. It's one of the many collections he has of the cars. This is assigned to work, because of its privacy and sound-proof partition. But when he needs to play, he brings out his Bugatti. And the limousine is strictly for showy purposes, which is used only on the occasion of events or making a statement. As the traffic is against him, and the meeting is in an hour, he decided against it.

The car came to a halt in front of his headquarters. As he stepped out, his gaze scanned the premises of his headquarters, taking in the enormity and elegance of it, which in turn makes him proud of what he achieved in such a short amount of time. Pride was one of his virtues.

His headquarters consists of four separate buildings connected through a mini garden or lawn area to walk, with a cafeteria on the side. Each building has its purpose and is four stories high in nature, its staff similarly designated, resembling that of a wagon train. His office resides in the last building.

Brittany and James marched towards his building, barely nodding at the people on the way, who acknowledged his presence. Though he visits his headquarters on occasion, people scatter to do his bid as he projects a cool and calm, indifferent person, with an air of authority that can be wielded given an occasion.

You get very fed up with people being sycophantic, toadying to you, as a symptom of success- this he learned at a very young age. This, his air of indifference, which was barely penetrated by a few people close to him.

Brittany, as efficient as always, asked him, 'shall I call a meeting with the lawyer after this Mr. McKenzie?'

'Yes Brittany, you read my mind. As always. And please inform the Human Resources manager to ready the papers. I want this to be dealt with as soon as possible', he told her checking his Rolex.

'Already on it, Mr. McKenzie. Anything else sir?'

'I believe there is no need to take down MOM for this meeting. So, you may take a break, until I finish this business if you want'

'If you don't mind sir, I would like to accompany you'

'You are as bloodthirsty as me Brittany. People are fooled by your maternal look. If I were them, I would tread carefully with you too', he said while throwing a smirk.

'All in a day's work. It's what you pay me for Mr. McKenzie', Brittany shot back with an equal dose of sarcasm.

No further discussion was needed as they approached the conference room resided in his side of the building. Although four buildings have their own conference rooms, this one is strictly for the employees who work at the top of the chain in his company.

He entered with swift, sharp footing, garnering the attention of the members seated in their respective seats, who raised as he ate up the distance to his seat. Once seated, he motioned with his fingers to the people left standing to be seated. It took no genius to sense the tension laced in the room. A silence so thick, even the breathing can be heard, ensued. People looked at him expectantly, wanting to know the purpose of this meeting.

But no one dared to question 'The Wolf' first, albeit for the fear of becoming his chew toy. 'What could be so important that 'The Wolf' decided to summon them in such an urgent manner?'- was milling in all of their minds. 'Does it have to do anything with me?', was their common concern. Each tried to evaluate their past doings in their office, that may garner the notice of 'The Wolf'.

James, in the meanwhile, leaned back in his chair with a file in his hands. He started reading the file that is given to him by his secretary. It was an interesting study. Very thorough research was done by the organization that specializes in such cases. James wouldn't have doubted any of his executives if not for the depth of the fraud and the level of authority needed to cover it up. He became aware of this situation when a customer made a complaint in his blog.

Of course, anyone may tag his company and sprout some nonsense, but he allowed a customer services team for specifically such cases. Imagine what he uncovered from their interactions. A doubt niggled in his mind. And James, not a man to ignore his gut feeling, consulted an organization that helps to uncover such frauds. And now, The Wolf's hunt landed here.