The Billionaire's Tragedy

The dimly lit room was cozy as moans escaped from the mouth of a man damped in sweat, struggling in his sleep. His face distorted as he fought the unseen things in his dream.

His phone suddenly rang, shattering his dream, and his eyes sprung wide open, a mix of confusion and relief seen over him as he awakened from the nightmare. The phone lit up the black room, showing an uncertain light on the walls while it kept ringing. Quinn took a deep breath to compose himself before reaching out to answer the call.

"Good morning, sir. You have a meeting by 8 a.m.," a female voice informed from the other end of the line.

Then he checked his phone and saw that the time was 7:30 a.m. A wave of irritation washed over him.

"And is this the time you're supposed to call when I have a meeting by 8 a.m.? What kind of secretary are you? If not for your competence, I would have fired you." His tone was cold and rude.

"I'm..." The lady tried to apologize, but he interrupted the phone call before she could complete her statement.

He arose from his bed and hurriedly prepared for work. Shortly after he emerged from the washroom with water dripping from his body, he dressed in his clothing, buttoning his shirt and pants.

After he was done, he exited the room. As he descended the stairs, maids lined up, ready to greet him, but he ignored their greetings as he stepped out of the mansion.

When he arrived at his food company, he went straight and ignored the polite greetings from his employees. As he came in, his secretary, Liana, approached him with an apology.

"Sir, I'd like to apologize for the timing of my call this morning." "I did not mean to..." She began speaking, her voice wavering slightly.

"That's enough," he interrupted, raising his hand to hush her. "We have more serious issues to discuss. "Let's get started with the meeting with the new chefs," he stated coldly.

Quinn moved quickly away from her and dashed into the board room, where he was set to meet with the chefs. His demeanor was uncommonly icy, indicating that he was not in the mood for distractions. He entered the meeting room, waiting for the new chefs to arrive.

Soon later, the hired chefs met in the meeting room. Quinn greeted them coldly. He took his seat and focused his sight on the frightened faces in front of him, spending no time with pleasantries.

"Welcome to the team. I trust you all have reviewed the new restaurant's standards and expectations, as we have no time for mistakes here. Your skills will be put to the test, and I expect nothing less than excellence from each and every one of you." He spoke in a severe tone.

Quinn began the meeting's agenda right away, his voice steely and demanding. The chefs sat up straighter in their chairs, their attention heightened by the thought that Quinn would accept nothing short of perfection.

His stern tone left no room for disagreement as he set out the restaurant's goals for the upcoming season. Their questions were to be kept to a minimum, and any remarks made must be educational and meaningful. The chefs, under Quinn's scrutiny, were hesitant to speak up.

As the meeting was coming to an end, Quinn's eye was drawn to a lady dressed untidily. He wanted his new chefs to dress appropriately.

"You're fired." Don't bother coming here again." He spoke rudely.

The woman looked down at herself, confusion and embarrassment on her face. She slowly rose from her chair, trying to process the unexpected change of events.

"But sir, why was..." She began trying to defend herself but was interrupted by Quinn's icy voice.

"Your appearance is a shame for this place." How can you possibly expect to represent us in front of our clients if you can't even maintain basic cleanliness standards?" He stated it harshly and aggressively.

The woman hung her head in shame, knowing that any further protest would be ineffective, she turned and departed the meeting room, her footsteps echoing in the uneasy silence that had come in the meeting.

Quinn watched her leave with a hard stare, he would accept nothing less than complete dedication and professionalism from those who worked for him.

As the woman's footsteps faded into the distance, Quinn turned his attention back to the remaining employees. His words had struck a chord, causing the meeting to become tense. Each chef was now aware of the demands placed on them as well as the consequences of failing to satisfy them.

"Now that we've covered the topic of professionalism, let's move on to the next item on the agenda.There will be a competition among all of you tomorrow. Out of the ten chefs present now, I aim to retain only three to continue working in this restaurant," he stated.

The chefs exchanged worried glances. Quinn's remarks stayed in the air, a sharp reminder of the difficulty they faced.

The tension in the room was evident, as each chef considered their prospects of making the cut. Hours later the meeting adjourned and Quinn headed straight to his office, Liana followed him behind.

"Ensure that all essential preparations for tomorrow's competition are completed, and notify the chefs that they should be ready to begin at 8 a.m. sharp. There will be no exemptions or excuses, they must be prepared for the competition and prove themselves worthy of a position in my restaurant," he stated.

His cold and harsh tone left no room for doubt or misunderstanding. It was clear that he had little patience for anything less than perfection, and those who did not reach his high expectations would face swift consequences.

Liana swallowed nervously, aware of the strain on her shoulders. With a stern nod,she hurried off to carry out his instructions, fully aware that the outcome of the competition could very well determine their employment.

Quinn's phone rang just moments after Liana left, breaking the silence. The screen indicated an unfamiliar number, so he hesitated before responding.

"Hello," he murmured, his tone deep and cautious.

"Do you want to know what really killed them?" a mystery voice said from the other end.

Quinn tightened his grasp on the phone.

"What killed them?" he shouted, but the caller hung up, leaving him with an unsettling silence.

He immediately attempted to contact the number again, but received a constant busy signal. Frustration and unease washed over him as he tightly gripped his phone. Overwhelmed by the phone call, he decided to leave his office to clear his mind, the thought of the ominous call weighing heavily on him.

To be continued...