by Abby Angel
Ms. Kane had no comment and has yet to respond to calls and requests for interviews. She did release a statement through a Union Airlines spokesperson that simply read, "While these allegations are a gross invasion of my private life, I am not going to confirm nor deny, or do anything to give any consideration to this matter. For this to be discussed in the public sphere is absolutely abominable, and I ask for privacy in terms of my personal life."
Ms. Kane's pleas however seemed to fall on deaf ears as speculation and rumor began to swirl through Wall Street that the nations most powerful chief executive would soon have to step down due to the salaciousness of the stories. These stories, posted on online message boards by anonymous sources whom claim to have access to high level Union Airlines meetings illustrate a woman who sought to fulfill her voracious sexual appetite in every manner possible—engaging in sexual relations with not just Lucas Blake, but Ares Strong as well. While Ms. Kane has been linked romantically to both men, the allegations went on to specify that in a moment of passion, Ms. Kane required that both men service her sexually, and then reciprocated herself.
"If these charges are true, then while there may be nothing criminal that was done, there was somehow a very disturbing lack of good judgment," a senior Vice President within Union Airlines said to this reporter under conditions of anonymity due to his presence on the Board of Directors. "We need a full investigation to determine whether this company is being run by a nymphomaniac."
While an investigation is not yet on the horizon, the latest round of news does not bode well for either Daphne Kane or Union Airlines, both of which have been sitting on a $1.1 trillion buyout offer from the United States Federal Government to nationalize the ailing airline. It remains to be seen whether the allegations will hurt or help the airline, but one thing is clear at this point.
Anything can happen.
Lucas
My eyes have been glued to the television for the past half hour. I have no idea how they found out about what happened between me, Daphne, and Ares … but I guess that doesn’t matter, does it? It’s all out there now, twisted into a nice scandal for everyone to latch onto.
This is bad—really, really bad. With a scandal like this, it’ll be hell for Daphne to hold on to her position as CEO, and both Ares and I are in deep water as well. How are we supposed to convince the Union Airlines board of anything after something like this? They’re already itching to sell to the fucking government, and this gives them a perfect excuse on a silver platter.
I’ve cleared my schedule for the morning, and I’ve been barricaded in my office ever since the news broke, trying to think of something … anything. But I don’t see what I can do. This is everywhere; every major channel in the U.S. is covering this, and most of the international cable networks are following suit. And don’t even get me started on what’s going on throughout the Internet; it’s absolute chaos.
People are questioning our moral integrity, and making up all kinds of shit about us. You’d think we just committed genocide, judging by what some of the talking heads are spouting. And it keeps on getting worse with each passing hour.
Rubbing my temples with my thumbs, I lean back against my chair and sigh heavily. This is a proper cluster fuck, no doubt about it.
There’s a knock on my door then, the soft rapping of knuckles against wood telling me that it’s my secretary.
"Yeah?"
"I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Blake," Karen apologizes as she enters my office, looking as apologetic as ever. "I know you asked not to be disturbed, but there’s a Mr. Lee waiting in the lobby, and he’s… pretty insistent. He says it’s about the Union Airlines deal."
Seymour Lee? What the hell is a sleaze ball like him doing in my office, and right after a scandal like this? Somehow, I have a feeling that the government is behind all this. I mean, who else would benefit from this mess? If Daphne is toppled from her position, and Ares and I are taken out… Well, that leaves a clear path for the government to buy Union Airlines without much of a fuss.
Besides, how hard would it be for someone to have bugged Daphne’s office? I might be able to hire a team of ex-CIA, but the government has the actual CIA at its beck and call. Not to mention the NSA.
"Send him in then. Let’s see what he has to say," I tell her, closing my laptop and shutting down the flat TV mounted on the wall. I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing I’ve been following the news like a crack addict, even though that’s what I’ve been doing.
"Yes, sir," she says with a quick nod, and then leaves my office and closes the door behind her. Not even two minutes later there’s another knock on the door, but this time the door swings open before I tell whoever’s there to come in.
Seymour steps through the doorway with a pale smile on his lips, his awkward steps taking him across my office and toward my desk.
"Mr. Blake, what a pleasure!" he cries out, his high-pitched voice like fingernails being dragged across a chalkboard. He offers me his hand and I shake it, feeling as if I’m squeezing a dead fish in my fingers.
"Seymour Lee," I intone, sitting back in my chair while never taking my eyes off of him. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" I ask him, the tone in my voice letting him know that the last thing I feel right now, with him in my office, is pleasure.
"Mr. Blake, as you’re well aware I, ah, represent the interests of our much beloved government."
"I’m aware of that."
"I’ve been following your involvement in these Union Airlines matters with great interest, Mr. Blake. Yes, great interest indeed. And I understand you to be a rational man. Am I wrong in this?" he asks me but, in the same breath, continues to speak. "Yes, yes, a rational man indeed."
"Out with it. What are you doing here in my office? What does the U.S. government want to do with me, Mr. Lee?"
"It’s simple," he replies, lowering his voice as a vicious grin slowly creeps onto his face. His beady eyes seem to glean with malice, and I feel a kind of hot rage flooding me. "Just back away from a Union Airlines purchase and I, ah, will make sure that this whole mess goes away. Just like it never happened!"
There you have it. If there was any doubt that this bastard was behind all this, this pretty much clears the issue: Seymour Lee is the one pulling the strings behind the curtain.
"I suggest you leave now," I growl at him, my hands balled into fists. Swear to God, I’m a moment away from ramming my fist into his face. No one comes into my office and threatens me like this.
"Ah, be wise, Mr. Blake. Think about it. More than hurt whatever deal you might have had with Union Airlines, a scandal like this will surely have some consequences for your company … and it’d be a shame to see such a lovely company crumble, wouldn’t it?" He smacks his lips together, narrowing his eyes and looking at me as if he were the spawn of the devil himself, which wouldn’t really surprise me.
"Mr. Lee," I say, going up to his face and staring him down, "allow me to make a counter-proposal: I’ll give you five seconds to get the fuck out of my office, or else I’ll throw you out the window."
His eyes narrow even more, and he glances quickly at the floor-to-ceiling windows behind me.
"It’s a long drop. And the clock is ticking," I whisper, almost ready to really do it. There’s nothing I’d love more right now than to grab him by his jacket and fling him out of the window. Lucky for him, murder is not something I’m too keen on.
"This is far from over," he hisses, backing away from my desk and turning to leave. Looking back at me over his shoulder, he throws me one look of contempt and finally leaves, leaving the door open behind him.
There’s no other way to put it; this isn’t business anymore.
This is war.
Ares
Have you ever wondered how the dinosaurs felt when they realized they were about to go extinct? Yeah, me neither. But now I think I know how they’ve felt. And it isn’t a good fucking feeling; if you ask me, they went down kicking and screaming, fighting ho
wever they could. Which doesn’t really amount to much if you’re about to be wiped off the face of the earth by a fucking monstrous asteroid, but anyway.
News channels all over the world have latched on to this scandal, and they’re spinning the story in such a way that Strong Capital itself is at stake. My lawyers have gone into a frenzy with rumors that the government is about to cast its all-seeing-eye over both Carter Jeffries and Strong Capital. Can you believe this fucking bullshit? The government wants to investigate my company because of ‘ethical and moral’ reasons. What the fuck does that even mean?
You know, everyone likes to talk about how politically correct we are in the U.S., how open-minded and virtuous. But when something happens that doesn’t conform to random moral standards, whatever they are at the time, everyone grabs their torches and pitchforks. Fucking lovely, so much for tolerance.
"Hey, are you with us?" Samantha, my head publicist asks me, her worried eyes finding mine from across the table. Fifteen minutes after the news broke I called for an emergency meeting, and what I like to call the war room is now packed with lawyers, accountants, publicists, and I guess there’s even a cleaning lady in here. It’s all hands on deck, folks, we’re being torpedoed.
"Yeah, I’m here," I nod, rubbing my forehead and looking across the table. I might be worried about the whole thing, but my whole team looks as if they’re about to be beheaded by the fucking President of United States himself. Well, they’re right to be worried, but I’m the fucking CEO and I have to keep my head over my shoulders. Panic is fucking useless.
"Maybe … maybe we should talk with the government representative, Seymour Lee," Samantha starts hesitantly, peering at me over her horn-rimmed glasses, her disheveled hair just a reflex of the fucking state of chaos Strong Capital is in. She looks at me apprehensively, but that’s no wonder; she already knows what my answer is going to be.
"Fuck, no. If we bend our knees to the government, they’ll never let go of us. These assholes will play us, and we’ll dance to their tune forever. "
"Well, the thing is … the whole company is in danger. And this scandal keeps on growing into epic proportions. If we remain still … if we don’t do a thing, I have no idea what might happen. Talking to Mr. Lee won’t hurt."
Fuck, what do I say to that? Even my fucking lawyers are nodding, and she’s only the head of my PR department. I guess that she’s right; Strong Capital is in danger, and it’s my fucking fault. If that government bastard can help, I guess it won’t hurt to give it a try. Yeah, I’m always wary of dealing with the government, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I know, that’s a fucking cliché, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
So, yeah, I have no choice but to meet that guy.
"Get me Seymour then."
*
Guys like Seymour Lee are the reason I can’t trust the government. Those shark eyes look like they were designed to hunt, and his huge briefcase seems more apt to carry torture instruments than legal briefings. He’s a weird looking guy, and he talks even weirder than he looks. Seriously, sitting across from a guy like him is fucking torture.
"Are you following me, Mr. Strong?" he asks, drumming his fingers on my desk and grinning. He’s been droning about the government demands for five minutes now, but all his fancy words really boil down to one fucking thing. Unsurprisingly.
"Yeah, I’m following. You want me to give up on Union Airlines… and, somehow, all this bullshit will blow over. Tell me, Mr. Lee, why am I under the impression that you have something to do with all this?"
"Ah, Mr. Strong, I’m a busy man. My fingers are on many pies at the same time. Do we have an arrangement then?" Great, now aside from being a fucking weird asshole, he decided to become a quizzical bastard. Beautiful, just what I need right now, fucking riddles.
"No. I won’t let the government strong arm Strong Capital into giving up on this deal. I’m sorry I’ve made you come all the way here, but if that’s your only suggestion … well, I’m not interested."
"What if I, ah, tell you something that you don’t know?" His shark eyes seem to gleam, and his grin seems to be overflowing with a kind of exultant malice. "Maybe I can sway you, Mr. Strong."
"Amuse me."
"Oh, I will," he whispers, leaning over my desk. He remains in silence, though, looking straight into my eyes, almost as if he’s trying to read my fucking soul. He’s trying to build the suspense, but what the fuck can he know that I don’t?
"Ms. Kane has already cut a deal with Mr. Blake," he says, his high-pitched tone replaced by a devilish tone. Now that I wasn’t fucking expecting. "You’ve been played, Mr. Strong."
I open my mouth to speak, but my jaw just hangs open while the words remain trapped in my throat. No, it can’t be. After what happened between the three of us, and after what happened between Lucas and I … no, I don’t fucking believe it.
"I don’t buy it. Why would they do that?" I start, my heart stabbed by doubt over and over again, long thorns tightening up around my mind and enclosing my thoughts in a cage of fear.
"Ah, Mr. Strong, you’re a very honest man. Straightforward, wouldn’t you say? You like to take things at their face value. And so you’ve trusted Ms. Kane and Mr. Blake … well, let me assure you, they enjoy your straightforwardness—makes you easier to predict and control. While you were having your little meeting, my sources have informed me that Lucas and Daphne were already meeting with an all-star team of lawyers, trying to bulletproof a deal before either you or the government has the chance to make a move."
"No… it can’t --"
"Oh, it can, Mr. Strong. It can and it is. And now the ball is on your side of the court." With a satisfied grin, fully aware that his words were like a punch in my stomach, Seymour lowers his voice and continues, going straight for the kill. "I’ve heard you were a winner, but right now you’re on the losing side. What are you going to do?"
This can’t be fucking happening.
MarketWatch Journal
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I’ll Show You The Money
In a stunning development to an already sensational story in the history of Wall Street, CEO and Founder of Strong Capital, Ares Strong, has announced that he will testify as a state witness in front of the Federal Reserve Investigation Committee that is looking into any improprieties that may have occurred in the negotiations for the buyout of Union Airlines.
Union Airlines, as of now, remains unsold, with a combined $1.123 trillion offer put up by Carter Jeffries, and Strong Capital having recently collapsed once allegations of sexual impropriety came to the forefront.
The United States Government had also offered up to $1.1 trillion. However this offer has been retracted as well in light of the sex scandal that is rocking Wall Street. Experts believe that the Government believes that it will soon be able to purchase Strong Capital for substantially less than it was prepared to pay.
Union Airlines, which has been at the heart of the drama that has gripped Wall Street and Main Street alike, has been a privately held old aviation company for almost a century. A sale to the government would make it the largest company ever to be taken over by the government, and would most certainly herald a new era of government takeover of large corporations. It's a fate that many agree is not seen as ideal by the CEO of Union Airlines – Daphne Kane. Indeed, it's a fate that would've been incomprehensible just a few short years ago, as Union Airlines posted record profits. Many point to the forced ejection of a passenger from an airplane and the ensuing media firestorm and PR nightmare that turned the company’s fortunes and prompted a revolt from passengers, which eventually contributed to emptier planes and lower earnings. It was this death spiral that prompted the board of Union Airlines to invite Daphne Kane, a celebrated Chief Executive, into the role.
After a year of failed attempts to restore the former glory of the airline, the only option left to Ms. Kane was to put the company up for sale.
&nbs
p; At the time, the move was derided as a failure on her part and the end of the airline. Those objections stopped once two of Wall Street’s largest investment firms – Carter Jeffries and Strong Capital – began locking horns and driving their bids for the airline higher and higher.
"Apparently, somewhere along the line of all that bidding, there was a whole lot of sex involved," a source commented under condition of anonymity due to the face that they were still close to the negotiations. "And now, Ares Strong is going to testify and let the truth out."
The date for Ares Strong’s testimony has not yet been set, but it will most likely severely complicate things for both Ms. Kane and the third part of the trio – Lucas Blake.
Observers are curious what will be revealed about the relationship between Mr. Blake and Mr. Strong – two men who have very rarely seen eye to eye unless it was at the end of a fist, until recently.
It's inevitable now with the decision by Ares Strong to protect himself and ask for immunity in exchange for testimony that the Federal Reserve will begin its own investigations, and that both Ms. Kane and Mr. Blake will be called on to testify. Should either fail to cooperate, they could lose their broker's license, and their companies could be subjected to massive penalties, up to and including losing the right to do business and raise capital in the United States.
It's a fate that raises the stakes for both individuals, and guarantees that they'll do anything to prevent it.
