At first Madeline actually felt relieved about the rescued girl. She still didn't know the real story behind the crash. For a brief moment, the whole situation seemed like it might blow over without too much trouble. A survivor story could even be spun into something positive for Vought if they played it right.
Public sympathy, a few carefully worded statements, maybe a photo op or two. That kind of thing usually worked.
Then her phone buzzed with a text from Homelander. The second she read it, ice shot down her spine. Homelander had fucking done it. He'd ditched all one hundred and twenty-three passengers and left them to die.
The message was short and brutal: he wanted Vought to take care of the girl. Kill her. Bury the truth forever. If the media ever got hold of what really happened, Vought would be finished. The public would burn the whole company to the ground. People already distrusted supes enough as it was. Something like this would light the fuse on years of built-up resentment.
The black box. That was the only hard evidence left. Madeline snatched up her phone in a panic, ready to call The Deep and get him to drag it out of the ocean before anyone else could. Her fingers moved fast across the screen as her mind raced through the logistics. Timing mattered. Every second counted now.
"You planning to call The Deep?" Ivan asked casually. "No need. I already had him pull it up."
Madeline froze. She spun on him, fury twisting her face. "Who the fuck do you think you are ordering The Deep around? You're still just a deputy director. I can fire your ass anytime I want. Anytime!"
She couldn't believe the balls on this prick, talking like he ran the place. The arrogance in his calm voice made her blood boil. Here she was, head of the department, and this guy acted like he could just step in and handle critical shit without clearing it through her first.
It felt like a direct challenge to her authority, and she hated that feeling more than almost anything.
Ivan stayed calm as hell. He just glanced at the watch on his wrist.
"I believe I do have the authority," a cold voice said from the doorway.
Vought CEO Stan Edgar pushed the office door open and stepped inside, face like stone. He wore a perfectly tailored suit that probably cost more than most people's houses. Tall, lean, with sharp hawk eyes that made everyone in the room feel like prey.
The second he walked in, the whole place felt smaller. Pure apex predator energy. The air seemed to shift around him, growing heavier with the weight of his presence. Even the faint hum of the air conditioning sounded quieter now.
Ivan stood up from the couch with a small, satisfied smile and greeted the CEO. His plan had finally clicked into place. Perfect.
Truth was, he'd never planned to use the black box as a weapon against Homelander. He knew the psycho too well. Push that cunt too far and he wouldn't give a shit about public opinion. He'd just start lasering everyone until the problem went away.
Homelander loved his god complex and the endless praise that came with it, sure. But that didn't mean he'd roll over if threatened.
The black box was only good for keeping him on a leash. And that was exactly what Stan Edgar needed right now.
Homelander had started acting like he was above Vought entirely. Dangerous fucking territory. Both Madeline and Edgar wanted that shit fixed.
"Chairman, of course you have the authority," Madeline said, lowering her head fast.
Edgar's hawk eyes swept across everyone in the room. Ashley went pale, lips trembling.
[Congratulations, player. You have slightly altered the original plotline and earned 350 fantasy points.]
A moment later Edgar spoke. "Greevs reported this to me two hours ago. At first I didn't take it seriously. Just a theory. But after Homelander couldn't save that plane, I figured the odds were high. So I greenlit him sending The Deep after the black box."
He paused. "He even said if it turned out to be nothing, we could still spin the recovery for good PR. So I approved it. Looks like he was right on the money."
Madeline's face burned with shame when Edgar added, "You were actually planning to kill the girl to cover it up?" "You've disappointed me, Madeline. Pardon my language, but right now you're doing a piss-poor job."
Edgar shook his head coldly, then turned to Ivan. "What do you think we should do about the girl?"
Ivan answered Edgar's test without missing a beat. "First, we don't touch the girl. If we want to keep Homelander in check, her story is the perfect tool. Killing her makes Vought the obvious suspect. That's bad for business.
Second, a little girl's word won't carry much weight on its own. Especially with the black box in our hands. There'll be some damage, sure, but I'm confident I can keep it contained.
Third, we publicly donate a big chunk of money for her future care. Whether it looks suspicious or not, we have to do it. It'll win back a lot of public goodwill."
"Oh, and we need to wipe every location record of The Deep heading out to the Atlantic. Can't let Homelander find out."
Edgar's lips slowly curled into a smile. He raised his hands and started clapping. "Excellent. That's exactly what I wanted to hear."
He glanced at Madeline. "You should learn from your subordinate. He's sharp. I like him."
Then Edgar turned and walked out.
The second the door closed, the tension in the room dropped like a rock. The heavy atmosphere lifted just enough for everyone to breathe again, though the lingering unease still clung to the walls.
"I'll have Ashley handle the girl situation," Madeline said coldly. "You just focus on The Deep. I'll take care of the rest."
Her tone had cooled hard. Ivan had expected it. Office politics. You pick your side. Simple as that.
Besides, things between him and Madeline weren't broken yet. He still needed time. Like Ashley said, his resume was still too thin to jump straight to the top.
"Ms. Madeline," Ivan said on his way out, "I really hope your military bill passes."
Madeline stared at his back as he left, turning that last sentence over and over in her head. What the hell was he really saying? Was he trying to cozy up to her?
Did he want to align himself with her, and was he planning to abandon Edgar, the soon-to-retire president? For a moment, she genuinely couldn't tell what game Ivan was playing.
___
Sry for the late update!
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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69