Chapter 10 - Three Billion Reasons
Alex kept thinking about what Elliot had said. Over and over again.
It wasn't just the usual Elliot stuff, loud, reckless, half-baked theories that ended in a shrug or a fight. No, this time, the words felt different. Heavier. Like they carried something else... like there was a code in them.
"They're always watching."
"You're disturbing their system."
"You're a possible prey."
What the hell did he mean by that?
The way Elliot said "theirs" still echoed in his head. It wasn't fear that followed, it was confusion, curiosity, and something deeper that he couldn't name.
"..."
And as the week started, Alex found himself walking into Raymond's building again, only this time, something was off.
He noticed the stares first.
Not the polite, indifferent glances he was used to... but stares. People whispering. Shuffling papers they weren't really reading. A few paused amid their conversations as he passed, eyeing him like some puzzle they were trying to solve.
He walked past the glass wall of the marketing team's office and heard one of them say, loud enough to catch his ear
"He's definitely someone important... maybe the chairman's son or something."
Another equally confident voice responded,
"No way. Mr Carter doesn't have a son. Not that I know of though. But that guy is all business. If anyone's taking over this company, it'll definitely be Mr. Adams. Everyone knows that."
Alex walked faster.
It didn't feel flattering. It felt weird. Like he'd been placed in a box he didn't ask for. One that didn't quite fit.
Then, he stepped into Raymond's office and met him sitting by the window with the sunlight outlining his figure like some wise sage caught in a painting. He looked up the moment Alex walked in.
"You're late," Raymond said, with a half smile. "I was starting to think your curiosity had an expiry date."
Alex tried to return the smile but couldn't.
Raymond noticed. "What's wrong?"
Alex didn't sit immediately. He stood for a second, watching Raymond like he was seeing him for the first time.
"Is there more to this... this whole thing?" he finally asked.
Raymond raised an eyebrow.
"Define 'this whole thing.'"
"The system. Money. Exchange. You..."
Raymond didn't respond right away. He leaned back in his chair in a thoughtful manner.
"Something happened."
Alex nodded, slowly.
"A friend of mine, Elliot, showed up. Unexpected. Said some things."
"What kind of things?"
Alex walked to the other side of the office and sat across from Raymond.
"He said I was disturbing their system... that I'm being watched. That if I care about the people around me, I should stop meeting with you. That you, this place, are putting me on some kind of radar I don't even understand."
Raymond's expression didn't change. He just listened.
Alex continued.
"He talked about markets. Said that's how prey is always tracked. It didn't make sense at first, but now I don't know..."
The room felt more quiet.
"He said them," Alex added. "Like there's a 'they' involved in all this. That I've stepped into something bigger than I think."
A pause.
"Is that true?"
Raymond leaned forward, clasping his hands together. For a moment, he said nothing. Then, finally:
"This friend of yours... Elliot. What's his story?"
Alex exhaled and leaned back slightly. "Elliot was one of the brightest people I knew growing up. Poor background, like really poor. His parents could barely feed themselves. But he was sharp. Especially with computers. Like... freakishly good."
He paused, his memory pulling him back to afternoons in Elliot's cluttered room when they were teenagers, watching him code games from scratch, tear apart broken radios, and rebuild them into something stunning.
"He could have been anything, you know? He had real talent. But somewhere along the way, life just... happened. We all lost touch. He vanished. No calls. No socials. Nothing."
Raymond said nothing. Just watched him.
"Then, years later, he reappeared," Alex went on, "but different. Flashy. Always dressed like money. Always somewhere with a connection or two. But it wasn't just that, his eyes changed. Like something behind them died and came back... angry."
He hesitated, then added:
"A lot of financial crimes in the city, his name has floated around. But nothing's confirmed though. It's like someone is always cleaning up after him."
Raymond raised a brow at that.
"You mentioned me to him?" he asked quietly.
Alex nodded.
"Yeah. I thought maybe he could help me figure things out. I told him about the market runs, the journals, your name. And that was when his mood shifted. Like I'd hit some nerve."
Raymond's face didn't change, but something in his eyes did, a shadow passed, one that was subtle and brief.
He turned away from Alex and walked toward the window, staring out at the city for a beat too long. He knew that they'd be coming for him in no distant time. When he finally spoke, his voice was careful.
"Forget Elliot."
Alex blinked.
"What?"
"Forget what he said. Forget the paranoia. Forget the drama. If you listen too hard to ghosts, you'll miss the living world right in front of you."
"But..."
"Alex," Raymond cut in gently, "you're in the middle of something rare. You're learning the truth. Not the naive version they feed the public. The real thing. It will all make sense, just... one step at a time."
Alex looked at the journal again. The ink. The symbols. The weight of it all.
"You'll understand soon enough," Raymond added, walking back toward his desk. "But if you chase shadows now, you'll get lost in them."
Before Alex could respond, there was a knock at the door.
Raymond glanced at the clock, then said,
"Come in."
The door opened, and a young man dressed in a navy blue suit walked in. His footsteps were calm and precise, his hair well trimmed, and a face that didn't smile easily. He moved like someone who knew exactly who he was and why he was in any room.
"Mr Carter," the man greeted calmly.
"Philip," Raymond replied with warmth, standing to meet him halfway. "Perfect timing. I was just talking to Alex here."
He turned and gestured to Alex.
"Alex, meet Philip Adams. Our youngest director and, frankly, the smartest strategist we have in this company."
Philip extended a hand, his expression was definitely unreadable but not unfriendly.
"I've heard a few things about you," he said as Alex stood to take his hand. "From the boss a couple of times... but mostly from the staff."
He smirked slightly.
"The rumors are wild."
"Nice to finally meet you," Philip said, voice calm and clear. "Let's see if you live up to the stories."
There was something about Philip that made Alex slightly tense, not in fear, but in recognition. Like Philip had seen more than he'd ever admit. Like he knew what he and Raymond were up to.
Raymond nodded approvingly.
"Philip will be heading the new project we're embarking on. Alex, you can shadow parts of it if you'd like, just to learn a thing or two.
Philip frowned at Raymond. "Are you sure about this Mr Carter? I mean, even the directors don't know about the projects till the presentation"
"He'll just be watching and learning, nothing much". Raymond, with a smile.
Alex looked at Raymond.
"What kind of project?"
Raymond and Philip exchanged a glance. The kind that said not here, not yet.
Philip simply replied,
"One that measures how far people will go to turn numbers into survival when the margins tighten, and the clock doesn't stop.."
Alex looked at him, eyebrows furrowed.
"What exactly are we doing, sir? I'm lost."
Raymond didn't smile this time. He simply turned, with a low but sharp voice.
"It means we have six months to pay three billion dollars to the bank."
Alex blinked with a shocked face.
"And if we don't?"
"They'll start picking pieces of our company," Raymond said. "Any piece they think is worth three billion, or close enough to make us bleed."
"..."
Then Raymond added, this time turning his gaze to Philip,
"So whatever we're buying, selling, or building... we better figure it out. Fast."
Alex's spine tingled.
Whatever door he'd stepped through... it was now locked behind him.
"..."