Chapter 90: Injected
Chapter 90: Injected
"Following the groundbreaking ceremony of The Wright Wonder World Theme Park, a collaboration between the Wrights and the Songs of Asia, stock prices at the Wright Diamond Corporation have risen by ten percent in the last two weeks." A reporter announced while standing behind the trade center of Braeton City.
"Clearly, there is no stopping the same corporation from increasing its value in the coming years," added the reporter before the TV screen paused.
Everyone in the main conference room of Ethan's company was watching the replayed news on a wide screen with their CEO, standing next to the monitor.
Following the end of the news coverage, Ethan switched off the flat-screen TV that was plastered on the wall. He turned to the board members and shareholders from inside the room and said, "People, which business is the best place to be on board right now?"
"The Wright Diamond Corporation," Daniel Wright confidently answered, sitting to the right where his son stood.
The rest of the board members echoed and only then did Ethan announce, "That's right! Your money is in the right place!"
"As shareholders of this company, I expect that you value your investment in this company and not just sell shares at a peak of a desirable offer," Ethan revealed. He sighed and told, "As you can see, we have two shareholders that are no longer with us today. They sold their valuable investment to a high bidder, and we know nothing about the new business partner."
Raising his hand, Ethan told, "I am not saying that you are not allowed to sell your shares, but considering how this company has increased your profits over the years, you at least owe it to us to
consider selling us your shares and not to others, telling us of your plans to sell and letting us know of our new business partner."
"We need to protect our investments and we can't simply let anyone join in the company without knowing their intentions," warned Ethan.
"This meeting is to alert everyone of their upcoming actions. Again, why sell your shares when you have invested in the right company?" Ethan looked into everyone's eyes before telling, "Should you have any plans of letting go of this opportunity - to be part of our growth, please... please let us know. At least... give us that respect."
Murmurs and echoes suddenly sprung out of the room. Some expressed how they were approached to sell their shares but rejected the offer, while others said to have warned off others from doing so.
"We don't know who this interested individual is, buying company shares, but we will definitely not sell, Mr. Wright. We are happy where our money is," said one board member.
Some of Ethan's relatives expressed, "We are not planning on selling, Ethan, and strangely, we have not been approached."
It was clear to Ethan that whoever was buying shares of the company knew who to appeal. So far, none of the Wrights have sold any of their shares. It would seem to Ethan and Daniel that only those outside their family were being approached to sell their shares.
After getting an assessment of the situation, Ethan took a deep breath and stated, "Thank you for your commitment. I hope that you continue to put your trust in me and I swear under my name, I will make each and every one of you richer than you already are."
After Ethan's emergency meeting with the board members and all shareholders, there was no additional report of another sale.
Those who attended the gathering were true to their word, trusting in Ethan's goals for the company and their investments.
All Ethan and Daniel were waiting for, was for the new shareholder to join the next meeting and introduce himself or herself.
It was only a matter of time.
***
Two months passed.
Samantha was rushing outside the hotel lobby on a Friday night. It was already nine in the evening and she was in a hurry to get home.
She had her phone up to her ear, calling their family driver, "Edgar, I'm going to wait outside the lobby - "
"Mrs. Wright, I am still ten minutes away. Please stay inside the lobby and let the security call your attention when I arrive," told Edgar on the other line.
Fifteen minutes passed and Samantha still did not hear from Edgar. She wound up getting impatient while settling at the lounges.
It was because Samantha was so eager to get home that she came out to the hotel driveway.
"Chef Sam, I heard there is an accident a block away. Edgar may be stuck in traffic. Please go inside. We will call you when he arrives," warned one security who stood outside the entrance.
All in all, there were six guards keeping the front entrance. Four from outside and two, guarding from inside the lobby.
"Is that so?" Samantha asked. She sighed and answered, "Okay. I got it. Call me when Edgar is here."
Before she could enter back, however, Samantha looked at the busy intersection yards away. While the road was free near the hotel, she could see how cars were still stuck in the distant area.
While she was frowning, however, she noticed how a van turned from one alley and was speeding in the direction of the property.
"What the - " One security guard nearly cursed, seeing the vehicle carelessly going in zigzags, two hundred feet away. He turned to Samantha and urged, "Chef Sam, please go inside!"
While everyone's eyes were fixed in the opposite direction and just as Samantha was about to turn back to the hotel, two men from behind her, wearing bonnets, reached for her arms.
No one saw them coming!
"Ahhh!" A scream left Samantha's lips as the two men dragged her away from the security personnel of the hotel.
One man easily wrapped her arm around Samantha's neck and waist, carrying her slender frame.
"Stay away! Stay away!" One man warned off the guards, pointing a handgun at them while moving backward.
What they did not expect, however, was that Samantha knew how to defend herself.
Seeing the van, still speeding in the direction of the hotel, Samantha perceived it was their escaped vehicle. She focused on all her strength, knowing she had to act fast.
Thrusting her arm upward, she stabbed the man holding her tight with her elbow before biting against his hand.
As soon as her neck was free, she reached for two fingers from the man's hand on her waist and broke it with all her might! Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
"Ahhh! Fuck! Fucking bitch!" The man that held her wound up letting her go, groaning in pain and curling against his stomach.
While Samantha tried to flee, however, the other man who was holding the gun directed his attention at her. The man ordered her, "Stay put! I'll shoot you, I swear!"
"Put down the gun! Put it down!" Two security guards from the First Diamond Hotel also held their weapons at the abductors.
"Be careful, chef Sam might get hit!" Warned the other security.
Simultaneously, while all this was happening, two other security, noticing the speeding van, blocked the driveway and pointed the gun at the vehicle. They both warned, "Do not enter! Stay where you are!"
Samantha had her hands raised, taking deep breaths. She studied the man who was pointing a gun at her. Then she heard him yell to his colleague behind her, "Give it to her! Give it!"
Without warning, more gunshots could be heard, coming from the van that earlier tried to enter the property driveway.
It created confusion and panic, especially from the security.
While the gunshots were in no specific direction, the security gauds divided their strengths. Three of them defended the driveway while the other three had their attention to the Samantha and adductors.
The instruction, coming from his colleague to grant the other man, the same who held Samantha earlier, to slowly reach inside his pocket, and took out a syringe.
This same man was standing behind Samantha, still being watchful of the security guards that were pointing a gun at them. He suddenly announced, "I give up!"
He raised his hand, acting to surrender, but the next thing he did was to throw his body, reaching for Samantha.
Despite a bullet going through his chest, the same man managed to stab Samantha in the back with the needle!
Samantha wound up, falling face down on the pavement with her kidnapper, bleeding against her back.
Everything happened so fast, the security did not even notice how the man managed to inject Samantha.
While Samantha screamed in horror, the other man tried to flee.
With Samantha out of the way, shots were fired freely, in an attempt to stop the culprit. Like his accomplice, the other kidnapper also fell down, wounded.
Meanwhile, the van sped away, leaving their two fallen companions behind.
"Oh, my god!" Samantha tried to reach for her back, feeling nervous altogether. As she crawled out of the man's body, she looked around on the ground and saw the syringe.
Her lips trembled as she asked, "What did he inject me with?"
She turned to the bleeding man and punched his chest several times and asked, "What did you inject me?!"