Tony stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of his penthouse, the city sprawling beneath him like a glittering chessboard. The early morning sun cast long shadows, but he wasn't here to admire the view. Today was the day he stepped back into the lion's den, the office.
His phone buzzed softly on the marble counter. Aaron was already in the next room, and Tony heard the faint sound of polished shoes tapping across the hardwood.
Aaron appeared in the doorway, impeccably dressed in his tailored butler uniform—a crisp black tailcoat, perfectly pressed white shirt, and a polished silver tie clip catching the light. Despite the formalwear, there was an air of quiet luxury about him; subtle cufflinks, a gold watch peeking beneath his sleeve, and an effortless grace that made him look more like a discreet aristocrat than a servant.
Tony smirked. "Suit up, dude. You're coming with me."
Aaron's lips twitched. "Sir, you're sending me to war in a butler's outfit?"
(I'm not that stupid.)
Tony gestured toward the closet. "Not for long."
Moments later, Aaron emerged again, this time in a tailored navy suit that hugged his lean frame. The subtle pinstripes caught the light, and his black oxford shoes gleamed. He looked every bit the corporate player ready to walk the halls of power—and then some.
(You look good.)
Tony nodded approvingly. "That's better. Let's not give them any reason to underestimate us."
As they headed for the elevator, Aaron glanced at Tony. "You sure this is the right move? Walking in there like a pair of wolves?" Isn't this off?
Tony pressed the elevator button. "They already smell blood. It's either we bite first or get bitten."
(And i'm sure we don't want to get bitten.)
Aaron folded his hands behind his back. "What exactly are we walking into?"
"Dent's been hiding things. The reimbursements don't match up. Maybe that's why he wanted to switch from toyko to belin. There are budget cuts in all the wrong places. I need to see what the hell he's up to."
Aaron gave a slow nod. "And what if it turns out he's clean?"
Tony chuckled without humor. "Then I'll have wasted a day in a very expensive suit. Thinking about it, it's kinda not bad actually."
The elevator doors opened with a soft ding. Outside, a sleek black car waited.
(A king's car.)
At the office entrance. They saw who they were looking for, Alina, she was already there, arms crossed, her expression sharp and calculating as always. Her sharp bob haircut framed a face that didn't suffer fools lightly.
"Morning, Mr. Tony," she said without preamble. "Oh you brought aaron with you. Aaron looks... different today. Suit's a good look."
Aaron gave a slight bow. "Thank you very much, Miss Alina."
Tony smiled, feeling the usual ease with her. "Yeah....Alina, we need to talk."
She raised an eyebrow. "This early?"
"It's urgent. Really urgent."
She sighed. "Let's make it quick shall we?!."
In the quiet conference room, Tony laid out the situation, the questionable budget cuts, Dent's luxurious reimbursements, and the audit he was about to launch.
Alina listened intently, arms folded, one brow arched.
When he was done, she leaned back. "No."
Tony blinked. "Excuse me?"
"No," she repeated. "It's too risky. If Dent gets wind of this, we won't find anything. He'll lock down the accounts, erase logs, threaten the accountants. The moment we start poking, he'll know. I'm sure of it."
Tony leaned forward. "That's why we do it quietly. Just you, me, and a small team. You said yourself you've seen weird logs."
She hesitated. "That was surveillance. Background noise. I never had enough to act on."
"Then let's act now," Tony urged. "If we wait, he'll tighten the leash even more. I need someone I can trust."
Aaron added, "And if Tony's right, this won't just be numbers. This could be embezzlement. Blackmail. Even Worse."
Alina glanced at Aaron, then back to Tony. "Who do you think Dent's working for?"
Tony didn't answer immediately. He met her gaze. "I think Dent's playing a game we don't understand yet. And if he is, we're all just pawns."
Alina chewed her lip, weighing her options. "I'll need full access. No one breathing down my neck."
"Done."
"And I want a code name for the operation. Just to be safe."
Aaron piped up, deadpan. "Call it Operation Bad Boss."
Tony snorted. "Make it something less obvious. Maybe... Deep Vault."
Alina nodded slowly. "Fine. But if I get burned for this....."
"You won't," Tony cut in. "We'll protect you."
She stood, adjusting her blazer. "Then let's get to work."
There was a pause, just before they left the conference room. Alina lingered a moment.
"I'm doing this because I've seen how Dent operates. But last time I got involved in something like this..." Her voice dropped, eyes distant. "A close friend was scapegoated. Fired. Blacklisted. No one ever found out why."
Tony held her gaze. "That won't happen again. Not on my watch."
"I trust you. She said
Back in the hallway, Aaron leaned closer to Tony as they walked.
"You trust her?"
"She's cautious, not disloyal."
Aaron gave a thoughtful hum. "Still, I'd keep one eye on her."
Tony glanced sideways. "And the other?"
Aaron smirked. "On Dent. Always on Dent."
They stepped into the main office space. The air smelled of overpriced coffee and tension. Dent hadn't arrived yet.
Tony paused near the glass wall, looking out at the workers below. Everyone was moving, talking, typing. But something felt... off. Like the storm was brewing beneath the polished surface.
In the far corner of the floor, a junior analyst paused mid-keystroke, eyes flicking toward Tony and Aaron before quickly looking away.
Tony narrowed his eyes. "Did you see that?"
Aaron nodded subtly. "Someone's already watching."
Tony's jaw tensed. "Then we move fast. We keep things compartmentalized. No emails. No phone calls."
Aaron adjusted his cufflinks. "Just whispers and shadows."
Tony looked ahead. "Let's shake this place up."
Aaron smiled. "Lead the way, boss."