Suddenly, I Am Rich

Gray sat in his office with his eyes fixed on the second monitor. The soft whir of the AC filled the silence in his office.

Outside his door, the sound of employees moving through their day carried on like any normal Wednesday. But for him, things weren’t normal.

Gray leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly.

Marcus had sent the hearing notice to Will. That means it was official now.

Everything was in place and they just needed for the day to arrive.

And yet... why was it that he couldn’t relax?

There was this nagging tightness in his chest, like something wasn’t sitting right. As if something was about to happen, but he doesn’t know what it was.

He rubbed his face and muttered under his breath.

”What now...”

[Ding!]

A familiar sound echoed in his ears. But it didn’t come from the speakers. It came from inside his head.

It was from the System.

[System Alert!]

[Warning: The host is advised to stay alert.]

Gray straightened in his seat immediately.

”...A warning?” he whispered. ”Warning for what?”

But the system didn’t answer.

[Mission Reminder!]

[Mission: Put Your Business Back in Order.]

Objective:

- Find more evidence of the management’s misconduct.

- Fire all the people involved.

[Remaining Time: 5 days.]

Gray stared at the screen, his brow furrowed.

”Five days... but that’s still enough.”

But before he could even think about it...

[New Urgent Mission!]

Gray blinked hard.

[Urgent Mission!]

[Mission: Protect the Victim!]

[Reward: +2 Influence | +2 Power | New Skill: Eye of the Beholder (Active Skill): Allows the host to determine whether a person has good or bad intentions. Must be activated consciously. Using this skill drains the host’s stamina. The longer it is used, the more exhausted the host becomes.]

Gray sat forward, his elbows resting on the desk. His heart was suddenly pounding.

He read the mission again then the reward.

’+2 Influence, +2 Power, New Skill: Eye of the Beholder...’

”Eye of the Beholder...?” he muttered, narrowing his eyes lightly.

He skimmed the skill’s description quickly.

The ability to see someone’s intentions.

That sounded... strong. Incredibly useful, even. Especially in a place like this, where he was constantly surrounded by people putting on masks.

But then his eyes caught the rest.

Active Skill.

Drains stamina. The longer it’s used, the more exhausted the host becomes.

Gray let out a small breath.

’So there was a catch?’

Of course there was.

Still, a new skill, and on top of that, more power and influence were not light rewards. That meant the mission was serious.

Really serious.

Gray’s fingers hovered near the table. Then, slowly curled into a loose fist.

”...Then why this mission?” he muttered, lowering his eyes back to the screen.

[Mission: Protect the Victim!]

Gray froze.

”Protect?” he said aloud. ”Protect who—”

That’s when it hit him. His eyes narrowed, the realization hitting like a punch to the gut.

”The boy,” Gray whispered. ”Rome.”

The system wouldn’t have sent this unless something was going to happen. Something bad.

”Shit...”

Gray sat back again, one hand lifting to press against his forehead.

It wasn’t over yet. The hearing might be set, the investigation might be closed, but someone out there was still moving.

’Does that mean that someone was trying to silence the victim?’

Gray frowned. He knew that if those people succeeded, everything they’d worked for would fall apart.

’But doesn’t that seem excessive?’

Still, he doesn’t know how people in power do things. He doesn’t know how they deal with enemies.

Gray abruptly stood from his seat without thinking, pacing slightly in the small room. The windows behind him gave a clear view of the city skyline, but it was blurred out in his mind. His thoughts were racing now.

The system wasn’t always this specific. Not unless it was serious.

Gray turned back to his desk and picked up his phone, his fingers tightening around it.

”I can’t let that happen.”

This wasn’t just about Will anymore.

It was something bigger.

Gray knew what was on the line now. The victim’s statement was critical.

Because if Rome retracted it...

Then things would get complicated.

He knew that in internal investigations like these, a company can still proceed even if a victim retracts their statement, as long as there are other forms of evidence to support the case.

However, he also knew that the absence of the victim’s testimony may weaken the moral weight of the case in HR’s eyes, especially in companies that are trying to avoid a public mess.

He might be the CEO of the company now, but there are still other board members who will be involved in this case. He knew he couldn’t just decide alone.

’Damn, I should have just fired him from the start shouldn’t I?’

Gray knew how these things would play out if they succeeded. They can make it seem like a misunderstanding. Make Will look guilty, but also ”not worth firing.”

If Rome withdrew, some in HR might argue to just issue a final warning and not termination.

Gray’s jaw tightened at the thought.

”No. I won’t let that happen.”

Gray didn’t waste another second.

He snatched his phone from the desk and tapped Marcus’s contact without hesitation. The phone barely rang twice before the line connected.

”Sir?” Marcus’s voice came through, even and composed as always.

”I need Rome’s address,” Gray said quickly.

There was a second of silence on the other end.

”...Rome?” Marcus asked, clearly confused. ”The customer from last weekend?”

”Yes,” Gray said, already grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair. ”Do we, have it?”

”I believe the store has his contact details in the incident log, but—” Marcus’s voice slowed, as if trying to catch up, ”—may I ask why?”

”I’ll explain later,” Gray said, his other hand already opening the office door. ”For now, I just need that address. And Marcus—”

”Yes, Sir?”

”Come back to the company. Now.”

Another pause. Then the sound of paper shifting.

”Understood. I’m on my way.”

Gray didn’t wait to end the call. He was already striding down the hallway, his mind moving faster than his feet.

If something really was going to happen to Rome...

He had no time to lose.