CHAPTER 112: COMPANY POACHERS
By the time James arrived at the office, he was in a great mood. The atmosphere throughout Stone Group felt light and sunny, the tension that had permeated the office seemed to have lifted, and even the most anxious employees were smiling. They all noticed the difference.
Meetings ran smoothly, and for once, James showed no signs of paranoia. However, no one could truly relax—they remained on edge, uncertain when their boss might flip out again, while simultaneously wondering what could have put him in such high spirits today.
After a series of productive meetings, James retreated to his office in the afternoon, a sense of accomplishment washing over him. He reached for his phone, a smile spreading across his face. He dialed Diana's number, and she answered on the second ring.
"Hello?" Diana said from the other end.
James smiled at the sound of her voice and could hear the shuffling of papers in the background. Before he could say anything, she interrupted.
"Who is this?" she asked, her tone brisk.
Surprised, James pulled the phone away from his ear to check if he had indeed called his wife. After confirming, he put the phone back to his ear, but Diana, growing impatient, abruptly ended the call before he could respond.
Stunned, he blinked and frowned. Was she that busy? Just as he was debating whether to call her back, his brother Jared and Angelo strolled into his office.
"Chairman," Angelo greeted, bowing respectfully.
"Bro!" Jared added with a cheeky grin as he flopped down on the sofa. "Everyone's amazed by how sunny you look today. Let me guess, it's the magic touch of my dear sister-in-law, right?" he teased dryly.
James rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his lips. "Maybe she's got something to do with it."
He turned his attention to Angelo. "Angelo, what is it?"
"There's talk of a new competitor in town. It's related to the issue we discussed yesterday."
"Go on."
"They're also attempting to buy our shares right from under us," Angelo continued, his expression serious.
James turned to Jared. "Have you seen this?"
"Yes, bro. They're quite gutsy," Jared replied, his playful demeanor replaced by focus.
"Here's everything I've gathered on them, sir," Angelo said, handing over a stack of files.
"How much of a threat do they pose currently?" James asked, flipping through the documents.
"For now, not much. As of yesterday, it's a minimal 3% threat to our company."
"Hmph, 3% is not little Angelo, you should know better than that" James murmured, his eyes narrowing. "No wonder they're so bold and gutsy".
"They're pretty aggressive. And I heard they're trying to poach some of our board members. They want a stake in Stone Group by any means necessary". Jared said, nodding grimly.
"So they're trying to infiltrate into our personal space and eat away at us from the inside" James leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Who are they?" James asked already piecing together a strategy.
James opened the file, his eyes scanning the contents. A familiar name caught his attention: *Timothy Hutchkins*. He'd heard that name before, but where?
A wave of unease washed over him as he delved deeper into the man's information. nodding thoughtfully before closing the file. He glanced at the two men standing before him and spoke.
"This is a man with nothing to lose and a very seasoned operative. At 35, no wife, no family, and a wealth of experience. A complete loner, which in turn makes him a dangerous adversary".
"This won't be a fair fight and neither is it going to be easy" James said, his voice low and grim. "
People like him fight tooth and nail to get what they want, so he must not be underestimated".
Jared nodded, his expression mirroring James' concern. "We need to be prepared," he said.