"I cannot afford to screw up a government-sanctioned deal!"
"Besides, Vertex International is backing this. You've got a death wish if you think you can scam them!"
Randall was profusely apologizing on the other end of the line, making excuses about how brutal the market had been lately.
He tried to argue that Vertex International was based all the way out in Cabinda, not locally.
"Patton, you know how it is. I'm just trying to scrape together whatever cash I can for my kid's future."
"I didn't swap out everything. It's only half the shipment."
"It'll still hold up fine."
"The plumbing pipes I sent meet the minimum code. I guarantee they won't burst for at least three to five years!"
The more Randall talked, the more convinced he became of his own innocence.
The man yelling into the phone was Patton.
He had sub-contracted part of the job to Randall strictly because he and his wife were Rose's godparents.
That connection had bound their two families closely together over the years.
Over the years, Patton had pulled countless strings for Randall's business.
In the beginning, he and his wife truly adored Rose.
They only had sons, and his wife had always wanted a girl. When Rose was little, she was incredibly bright and painfully sweet.
She had easily wrapped the older couple around her little finger.
They treated her like their own flesh and blood and consistently funneled money into Randall's pocket.
But the man's
had spiraled out of control lately.
If Rose hadn't shown up at his doorstep sobbing for help, Patton never would have handed over such a lucrative piece of the Westside contract.
And now look at the mess he was in! If the structural integrity failed, Vertex International wouldn't go after Randall-they would come directly for his head!
Patton was so stressed he felt physically ill.
"Randall, this is completely out of line. If you don't swap those materials out for the premium batch, I'm pulling your contract and giving it to someone else."
Panic flared in Randall's voice. "Patton, you can't do that to me!"
"We're practically family. Look, I'll cut you a massive bonus out of my end once the project wraps, alright?"
"Even if you don't care about me, think about Rose. She's your goddaughter." "Could you really stand to watch her suffer?"
"She bombed her college entrance exams and has been completely depressed ever since."
"Her mother and I are trying to build a nest egg to send her abroad for school, that's the only reason I..."
Claire was genuinely surprised to hear Rose's name get dragged into the middle of this mess.
She couldn't clearly make out Randall's voice through the receiver, but Patton practically yelled the girl's name back.
"You have the nerve to use Rose as an excuse? If you get caught pulling this garbage, you'll be sued for every penny you own! You'll be dragging Rose right down into the gutter with you!"
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"No one is going to find out. As long as you keep your mouth shut, we're golden. It's
not like this is my first time..."
Randall abruptly clamped his mouth shut.
He had slipped up.
"Not your first time? You've pulled this exact scam on my projects before?!"
Patton's face flushed a violent shade of crimson.
Oh, God!
How many massive contracts had he fed to Randall over the years?
If the man had been cutting corners and supplying garbage this entire time, Patton's
professional reputation was built on a foundation of lies!
No wonder so many of his long-term clients had mysteriously stopped doing
business with him over the last few years.
It had been this parasitic family friend sabotaging his company from the inside out
all along!
Patton's expression darkened into sheer, unadulterated fury.
Realizing he had completely backed himself into a corner, Randall scrambled to do damage control. "Patton, just calm down. Let's sit down and figure out a solution together.
"The corporate suits are miles away. I swear on my life, no layman is going to spot
the difference in those materials."
"Let me treat you to dinner tomorrow. We'll meet at The Summit View and hash it
out!"
The Summit View was another
highly prominent restaurant in the
city. Compared to the
hyper-exclusive atmosphere of
Hearth & Kettle, it catered to a much
broader demographic.
For someone trying to save a buck while still putting on a lavish display of wealth, it
was the ultimate go-to spot.