Chapter 103: Ticking Time Bomb

Nathaniel had always prided himself in his ability to gain control in any situation. From childhood to where he was today, every single thing around him had been under his control.He grew up giving commands that’ll be completed no matter the cost, in ways to only satisfy him.

Nothing ever went past him and certainly, nothing felt like a threat to him... Until recently, with the sudden emergence of OmniTech and OmniTech Corp out of seemingly nowhere.

At first, they were a company, way in over their head. Sure they had a great idea and software, but this world never allowed people like them to keep whatever they made.

The world favored people like him, Nathaniel and therefore, he saw it as his right to own this innovative software known as Sentinel.

But time and time again, OmniTech had denied him of this right but they were still nothing but cute little kids trying to seem big in front of companies like Google.

Well... until they suddenly proved themselves capable of being a threat by causing one of his own, John, to turn against him.

But all that advantage was because of a single reason... OmniTech hid himself like a scared rat.

Anonymity was a shield, and Ethan Carter had wielded it like a weapon. As long as no one could put a face to the company, OmniTech could strike from the shadows, outmaneuvering even the most powerful families.

Nathaniel’s lips curled into a thin smile as he leaned back, savoring the thought.

Ethan Carter, barely older than a boy. A "wasted genius" as he had previously labeled him.

He barely even knew how the world worked properly, yet he was trying to be a pest, choosing no other target but the Langely’s.

"Ethan Carter," he repeated the name as he looked at the kid’s image, "you’re pretty ballsy for a recent college graduate....Now, how should I deal with you?"

Before that question could be answered, his phone suddenly buzzed as a call from his company came in.

That’s right, he needed to deal with this mess first before thinking about how he’d deal with this nuance later.

"Speak," he calmly said.

On his words, the strained voice of his finance director immediately came, "Sir, Langley Corp stock is in freefall. We’re down twenty percent and still dropping."

"Investors are panicking—several institutional partners have already begun selling."

"And the government contracts?" Nathaniel’s voice remained calm, already knowing the answer he’ll receive.

"Defense Procurement has frozen negotiations pending an ethics review. Treasury has—" The man hesitated. "Treasury has ordered an immediate compliance audit."


Of course they had. Washington was cutting ties before the blood splatter could touch them.

"Hold the line," Nathaniel said coldly before hanging up. He pressed another button, which connected him to CRISIS again.

"Draft number three," he ordered. "We deny the authenticity of the documents, call them fabricated, the result of a targeted smear campaign by foreign intelligence."

"Yes, sir," the voice on the other end confirmed.

Nathaniel swiveled his chair toward the panoramic glass window, his reflection faint in the view of the setting sun.

To anyone else, the collapse of a corporation of this scale would look like the end of an empire. To him, it was just another storm to be weathered.

The difference between predators and prey was simple: predators will always remain at the top of the chain regardless of circumstance.

And in this situation, he was the predator that’ll remain at the top of the chain, and the prey?

Ethan and OmniTech Corp was the prey.

His desk phone buzzed again. This time, it was the general counsel.

"Sir, I’ve reviewed the leak. If we outright deny, we’ll need expert testimony to back us up. We’ll need digital forensics to prove fabrication. Otherwise, it’ll look like smoke without fire."

Nathaniel’s lips twitched in annoyance before he ordered. "Then buy me an expert, Thomas. There are plenty of mercenaries in your field who’ll swear to anything with the right paycheck."

The lawyer hesitated, then said, "Understood."

Nathaniel ended the call and reached for his glass of whiskey again, though this time he didn’t drink.

He needed a clear head to handle all this.

Again, his phone rung causing him to take a glance at it, noticing that it was a call from Dmitri.

"Yes?" He answered a dark frown on his face.

He hadn’t expected this call until the next day.

"I’ve got something," Dmitri said, "and I’m sending them to you right now."

A second later, a notification popped up on Nathaniel’s PC as Dmitri shared a file with him, which he promptly opened.

On it was something that confirmed his suspicions, proof that Ethan Carter was OmniTech.

They were files of the from Britain Virgin Islands where Ethan had registered OmniTech Corp.

They contained his signatures, his information and a couple other proofs causing Nathaniel to smile.

"This IS good," Nathaniel said, "but I need something to use against OmniTech Corp."

"Understood," Dmitri said.

"Oh and one more thing Dmitri," Nathaniel said, "come to my office before night falls, I need something else from you."

There was a pause on the other end almost as if he wanted to say or ask something, but chose not to and simply replied, "I’ll be there."

"Good." Nathaniel said with a smile before ending the call and leaning back.

Everything would soon fall into place and Ethan Carter will regret every starting a company in the first place.

But what Nathaniel didn’t see—what he couldn’t see—was that every file, every stamp, every "proof" Dmitri had fed him was a masterpiece of forgery one crafted so perfectly that there was no flaw to be seen.

Yet hidden underneath was a ticking time bomb wrapped in a gift package and delivered to him with a smile.

By the time he’ll notice that anything was off, it would’ve been too late and the bomb would’ve gone off leaving only one survivor between the two,

Ethan Carter.