21 CHAPTER 21
Immediately Bartholomew Ainsley raised a hand, silencing the room.
Dismissed it as irrelevant drama.
At that moment there was a short pause on the other end.
None of the men in the room dared to move.
Jeremy’s voice kept going, quiet but firm. “I don’t know who this person is. But the
tremors the person caused… were heavy enough to make the Victors act like pawns.
That’s what scares me the most. If the Victors are acting like this out of fear or loyalty, not
pride then you all have crossed a line that’s far beyond money or influence.”
He paused, and Bartholomew Ainsley-still holding the phone to his ear-closed his eyes
slowly as if bracing himself.
Then came the words that shattered every illusion in the room.
His voice was already beginning to tremble.
Jeremy continued, his tone now heavy. “From what I’ve heard in the last few minutes… it’s
not just about business. The family is furious. The exact words being thrown around
were… ‘They dared to ignore us. They were told, yet they acted blind.””
Jeremy went on, “And… from the look of things, this isn’t just about one moment. It’s not just what happened recently. There’s a deeper grudge here. Something… someone among you might have done something a while back, and now the consequence is finally here.”
“My partners… we’ve all been blacklisted. The statements went out not just from Victor Enterprises but from Global Investments too. All at once. No explanation. Is this a mistake
or… or did we offend someone?”
Silence filled the room once again.
Everyone in the room had heard the conversation. Jeremy’s voice was loud enough to pierce through the luxurious silence of the VIP suite. Now, all five men began to stir restlessly, their faces twisted in confusion, tension, and dread.
At that moment Bartholomew Ainsley’s fingers clenched tightly around the phone.
They all began to murmur and debate softly, talking over one another like desperate gamblers trying to make sense of a losing hand.
“This can’t be happening,” one of them muttered, eyes darting around the room.
At that moment, the call ended, and the heavy silence that followed was like a dark cloud
settling in the room.
James stared at him, eyes burning with confusion and anger.
At that moment silence followed it was heavy, sharp, unforgiving.
At that moment, Jeremy’s voice on the other end of the call grew heavier, firmer, and more deliberate.
It wasn’t panic yet-but it was fear. Unsettling fear.
Jeremy continued, “There’s a feeling… that this order, this blacklisting it didn’t originate solely from the Victor family. No. From everything I’ve gathered, from everything I’ve overheard… the Victors might be doing this to impress someone. Someone even more powerful. Someone none of us have seen coming.”
Bartholomew Ainsley’s mouth went dry.
Then Bartholomew Ainsley slowly lowered the phone from his ear.
“What did we do?” one of them said. “Who did we offend that would make the Victors blacklist us overnight-and get Global Investments involved too?”
Hearing what Jeremy just said Bartholomew Ainsley’s brows furrowed deeply. “Told what? Ignore what?”
None of them could even breathe properly.
“The Victors feel that you all turned a deaf ear. That despite the announcement, you mocked it. Disregarded it. The blacklisting… was a punishment. A reminder.”
“But I need to go,” Jeremy said. “This call is already risky. If I’m caught relaying this, I could lose everything. And from the look of things, you all need to be extremely careful from now on. This isn’t a business war. This is personal. It feels targeted. Calculated, And if
you’re not cautious… this might only be the beginning.”
“Listen,” Jeremy added, voice slightly rushed now. “You all need to think. Among yourselves. Go back, rewind everything that’s happened over the last few weeks maybe even months. Think of who you may have offended. Who you overlooked. What message was ignored. Something was done, and someone felt it.”
Then a deep sigh.
“It’s not a mistake,” Jeremy continued. “I shouldn’t be saying this, but considering your
long-standing ties, I’ll speak freely. The order came from the top. The Victors gave the directive personally.”
Bartholomew Ainsley lowered his phone slowly, his hand trembling ever so slightly. He
looked frozen in his seat, unsure whether to speak or even breathe. For a man who had
seen decades of political and business storms, this moment was different. It rattled
something deep inside him.
And then Bartholomew Ainsley spoke, low and broken, “He said… the Victors are trying to impress someone. Someone far above them. And if that’s true, then whoever we’ve
offended… is not someone we can just walk up to and apologize.”
“Sir,” Jeremy said carefully-it was William Victor’s personal secretary, the man who served the eldest son of the Victor family. His voice was cautious, but there was a weight
behind his words.
Jeremy is the Secretary to William Victor.
Jeremy hesitated before adding, “Apparently, there was an internal warning issued by the Victor family minutes before the public announcement. Something about respecting their family decision… about a shift in leadership or something tied to a private matter.”
That line made James turn instantly toward Ashcombe. “What’s he saying?” James whispered. (1
They had all heard the announcement, they all laughed at it.
Immediately James’s jaw tightened. Everyone else in the room-men who had moments ago walked in like kings now sat slouched, pale, helpless.
21 CHAPTER 21
He scanned the faces in the room men, and said, “We need to think. Fast. Because whatever we did… is about to burn everything we’ve built.”
And with that, the call ended.
“No! I even praised them just last week!” came a reply.
“Did anyone insult someone from their bloodline or dismiss a message?” someone else
asked, his voice shaking.
“I didn’t say anything bad about the Victors,” another whispered under his breath.
And now… they were paying for it.
The color in his face was almost gone.
“That’s why I’m sure,” he said slowly, “that’s exactly why the Victor family took this action. From the tone in the room, from the movements I’ve seen, this didn’t come from just anger… This came from a calculated decision. And more than that-there’s a whisper
running through the halls over here…”
