Chapter 101: A Wave Of Bad News

"Sir, I think you should see this." Nathaniel’s secretary barged into his office, an action he didn’t appreciate, especially after seeing the new about Sentinel’s launch and their partnership with Google, but the panick on her face showed that it was something urgent.So he excused her for now as he asked, "what is it?"

Without giving a reply, she took the remote on his desk and turned the TV on.

It switched on, displaying the news and a shocking report on it.

"—in what many are calling a shocking revelation, new investigative documents have surfaced for the National Security Advisor Victor Langley. Reports allege that he has been involved in multiple classified dealings outside of U.S. jurisdiction, including suspected arms trading and illegal surveillance programs. The Department of Justice has announced that a federal investigation will be opened immediately."

A photo of his father appeared on screen, stern-faced, alongside clips of government officials avoiding reporters’ questions.

Nathaniel’s eyes hardened, his knuckles tightening against the armrest of his chair.

The anchor continued, "While these claims are still under review, leaked files released anonymously online point to a coordinated effort to expose Victor Langely’s foreign operations. Cybersecurity experts have confirmed the leak originated from an external breach. At this time, the identity of the group or individual responsible remains unknown."

Nathaniel’s secretary shifted uncomfortably. "Sir... I thought you’d want to—"

"Leave."

The word wasn’t said out of anger or even loudly at all, but the secretary felt her skin crawl and she hurriedly scrambled out the door.

The moment the door closed behind her, Nathaniel calmly picked up his phone, scrolled through his contacts and stopped on a number before dialing.

It rang for a couple of minutes before the call connected and a calm, mature voice came through, "speak."

"I just saw the news," Nathaniel said, "what the hell is going on old man."

"Nothing, I can’t handle." The person on the other end, Victor Langley, said.

Victor’s tone carried the same steely confidence Nathaniel had grown up with. "This is nothing more than a smear campaign. Political vultures snapping at my heels, as they always do. They’ll drag my name through the mud for a week, and then it’ll be forgotten."

Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. "You sound too calm. The report wasn’t some baseless article, Father. They had files....detailed files. Enough that the DOJ couldn’t just ignore it."

"Fabricated," Victor said without an ounce hesitation. "Or, at best, stolen documents taken out of context. My opponents have tried this game before, and they’ve always failed. You think a few journalists and some leakers can touch a power that has existed for decades? Hah."

Nathaniel’s fingers drummed against his desk, he really hated that laugh, It was the same dismissive arrogance that he remembered for his father had all these years, but something about this felt different. The timing and precision of the leak made him feel so.

"You’re sure it’s just politics?" Nathaniel pressed.

Victor chuckled low. "Of course it is. Half the country would love to see me burn, but they lack the teeth to do more than bark. I’ve survived worse."

He took a pause, as his voice grew colder. "If you’re that concerned, then use your resources. Find out who’s responsible. And when you do... make sure they regret ever lifting a finger against the Langleys."

The line went dead before Nathaniel could respond.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the blank TV screen. His father might dismiss this as just politics, but Nathaniel’s instincts screamed otherwise. This wasn’t a random leak, it was a planned one and Nathaniel was going to ensure that he found whoever was behind it.

Nathaniel’s gaze moved to his other contacts before dialing someone else.

It rang once before an accented voice answered, "Da?"

"Dmitri." Nathaniel’s tone was cold and clipped. "You’ve seen the news?"

A low chuckle. "Of course. Your father is on every channel. It is... messy."

"I need you to find out who did it," Nathaniel snapped. "Someone was smart enough to breached our systems strong enough to hold classified files. I need you to find them. Track the breach, trace the fingerprints, I don’t care how deep you have to dig, I want their names before tomorrow ends."

Dmitri was silent for a moment, as if thinking about it before her said, "that’ll be expensive."

"I don’t care," Nathaniel growled, "as long as you can find whoever did it, I’ll pay whatever."

"I’ll get to it right away."

Receiving a satisfactory reply, Nathaniel put the phone down and leaned back on the chair... This was really annoying.

________

Meanwhile, Dmitri calmly pull the phone away from his ears before grudgingly looking at his tablet.

The image of a Chibi avatar smiling in satisfaction as it looked directly at Dmitri, was displayed.

"Well done," The avatar said with a smile on its face, "now just one more job for you and you’ll never hear from me again."

"And what’s that?" Dmitri asked with a frown on his face.

It hadn’t been that long since he tortured John for double crossing Ethan, yet, he was the one about to double Crossing him right now... The irony.

"Oh, it’s not much," The avatar answered, "all you have to do is...."

-----------

Back to Nathaniel, he pressed his palms against his temples, trying to stave off the dull ache building behind his eyes. His father’s mess was one thing.

But if Victor was being targeted... Nathaniel knew it was only a matter of time before whoever was behind this turned their attention toward him.

As if jinxing himself, his phone suddenly buzzed on the desk. It was a news alert.

He unlocked it, and the headline froze him in place.

"Unsealed Documents Reveal Nathaniel Langley’s Private Holdings and Questionable Contracts"

The article was only minutes old, but already exploding across every major outlet.

Screenshots of contracts, shell corporations tied to defense subcontracting, and private accounts in the Caymans filled the page, even undeniable proofs that showed he really was supporting John’s loan shark company were floating around the web.

Some of the reports claimed Nathaniel had funneled millions from federal projects into "consulting fronts" that conveniently vanished offshore.

Words like embezzlement, conflict of interest, and federal oversight breach were already trending.

Nathaniel’s blood ran cold as he scrolled. Every file, every contract, every account—laid bare as if someone had gone through his life with a scalpel and carved it open for the world to see.

He slammed his fist onto the desk, rattling the glass of water beside him. "Impossible..." he muttered.


These were all evidences erased, there was no way for, whoever did this, to find it out.

He had made sure of that...and yet, the undeniable evidence was right before him.

What the hell was going on? And who the hell was targeting him?

But in the back of his mind, in a small corner he refused to acknowledge, he already knew who it was.

OmniTech.

He had been the only person ballsy enough to turn John against him. Nathaniel didn’t know why but the that name couldn’t be taken off his mind.

"Ballsy doesn’t even begin to describe it..." he muttered, his voice low, venomous.

He pushed away from the desk and stood, pacing the length of his office like a predator in a cage. OmniTech—faceless, enigmatic, a company with no visible CEO or board, yet suddenly capable of standing toe-to-toe with titans like Google.

And now, somehow, coincidentally, his father and he were under coordinated digital assault?

No. This wasn’t coincidence.

Nathaniel snatched his phone again and dialed Dmitri’s number, impatience clawing at his throat. The Russian answered on the second ring.

"You’re calling too soon," Dmitri said dryly.

"Forget timelines," Nathaniel snapped. "Divert all your efforts. I don’t just want the leakers—I want OmniTech. Every one that works in his company, every IP, every shadow of their operations. Tear apart their infrastructure until we know who’s pulling the strings."

There was a long stretch of silence on the other end but Nathaniel didn’t seem to notice as he continued on.

"Find out everything about him," he said again, softer this time. "And don’t come back with half-assed answers. I want his name, real identity, what he eats, where he sleeps and everything, relevant or not."

"It will be dealt with," Dmitri interrupted, voice flat and steady. "Give me twenty-four hours. I will find whatever you ask for."

"Good." Nathaniel let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. "And Dmitri—be discreet. If anyone smells us moving, this could get worse."

"Discretion is my business," Dmitri said. "You worry about your father and I will worry about the information "

He ended the call and Nathaniel stared at the dead screen for a long moment, then called a flurry of aides and legal counsel, barking orders to shore up PR, tighten internal audits, and vet every recent touchpoint.

He felt the noose tighten and answered each call like a mad man, completely unaware of that this was only the start.