The Jupiter Fund (New Rewrite)

Entrapment

Margery strode toward Alan’s office with determined purpose. Her mind raced as her heart pounded from a pace it could barely accommodate. The usual hush of the executive floor was broken by the sound of her movement, heads lifting from cubicles as people sensed something was wrong.

Outside Alan’s office sat his personal assistant, Tanya. The curtains were drawn across the glass-panelled walls and door, a large DO NOT DISTURB sign prominently displayed. Margery stopped at Tanya’s desk. The younger woman looked up, her youthful thirty-five-year-old face pale with anguish.“He’s expecting you,” Tanya whispered. “Lock the door after you go in.”


Margery’s shoulders tightened, tension creeping up the back of her neck. She didn’t know what to expect. She rapped gently on the glass door, then slowly opened it.

The office was cloaked in darkness. She shut the door behind her and locked it. The hardwood-panelled walls and heavy furniture absorbed the dim light from the desk lamp illuminating Alan’s workspace.

"Alan" she gasped, "Oh Alan"

She stopped short, horrified. His once strong facial structure and confident posture now looked weak, broken, and sad. For the first time, he appeared older than his sixty-two years. His light blue Brooks Brothers shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, his Tom Ford black tie with pink polka dots hanging loose, as if he had stumbled back from a night of excess.


Margery raised her plump right hand to her mouth and gingerly sat in the swivel chair opposite him. She placed her left hand over his. “Alan… what is it?”

He stared blankly at her for ten seconds and looked down at a brown A4 envelope resting on the desk "I knew you wouldn't be involved in this!" his tone deflated, his demeanour defeated.

Margery's stomach knotted, her gut's reaction indicating trouble ahead.

He pointed at the envelope "That bastard Myles Morgan" he rolls his right hand into a fist and smacks it into his left palm.

Margery jumped in terror, her heart race intensified at the shock. Myles Morgan was the fifty seven year old Chief Financial Officer; who seen as the next in line to succeed Alan for when he decided to retire.

"What did Myles do" asked Margery her tone calm and comforting.

He pushed the envelope towards her, "the bastard!", his voice trembled with emotion. "When we were over in Bangkok on business six months ago, meeting banks for future relationships, one bank took us out for food and drinks, Please don't judge me Margery".

"of course not Alan!" She replied, as her body tensed more in anticipation of what was to follow.

Alan takes a moment to gather his thoughts "I got very drunk, someone organised prostitutes for us, I can't remember, I stupidly brought one back to my room". He stops for a moment lowers his head and rests his forehead in the palm of his hands "It was a ladyboy and that bastard, got it all on video, all on camera, I was set up!".

Margery took a few deep shallow breaths, as she digested the revelation. Alan was her friend "oh Alan, that's awful, I always thought he was sleaze bag, this is blackmail what does he want?".

Alan doesn't change his sitting position "I have to resign, I have until tomorrow morning, if I don't these photos and videos will be leaked, I will lose my family, my friends, everything."

Margery bit her lower lip, her mind already forming a counteroffensive. “We can speak to the board. Involve the police. We can stop this,” she said, catching her breath between sentences. “It could be fabricated — AI, deepfakes. We can shut this down.”

Alan let out a snort "he has being paying this prostitute and put him on a video call, as for the board all bar you surrounded me in here, like a pack of wolves!"

Margery’s jaw tightened, anger building as her breathing grew heavier.


Alan looks up "what will Anne think, all through her illness, I worked and worked and now that she got the all clear, I have to resign"

Margery swallowed hard. “We must protect Anne,” she said firmly, pausing, to gather her thoughts. “Tell her you’ve been considering this for some time. That the company is moving in a direction you don’t agree with. That this is your choice.”


She shook her head, disbelief sharpening her tone. “This bank wouldn’t be the success it is today without you. I’m going to resign. I won’t stand for this.”

Alan nodded his head in disagreement "No Margery, don't give the bastards what they want. they want you gone, stay, you know how it ends for the like of us normally, we're fired, we're given a golden handshake, don't give them what they want!, get your golden handshake you have earned it"

Margery began to feel nauseous on the realisation that without Alan she is highly vulnerable and no doubt a target no placed on her back.

"look Alan, I was planning next year, resign and set up my own consultancy business, you know a lighter load and do some independent directorate roles, perhaps we could go into business together?"

Again Alan shook his head in disagreement "Stick to your plans Margery, if you walk out they will twist the truth, they spread malicious lies and rumours about you, they will spin it that we had an affair, don't give them any opportunity. I don't want you going down because of me. PLEASE!".


Gingerly Margery rises from her chair. I'm going to go into Myles and give him a piece of my mind!!" she fumed.

She moved around to behind Alan's chair "turn around Alan" she ordered as she pressed a switch on his desk turning on the lights.

He turned around "They are not seeing you like this!" She buttoned up his shirt and tightened up his tie until it sat correctly in the collar. "I will give you the keys to my house, go there get rest, get your thoughts together, I'll head for home a bit earlier about seven, we can discuss further and how to approach this and how to protect with Anne, she will not be able for this". Alan gives a slight smile "thanks Margery!".

Margery turned to leave but stopped and turned around "Alan!" Margery's tone emotional "Your an amazing mentor, friend and businessman, I will never forget all that you done for me and will always be loyal to you!".

Margery left the office, shutting the door behind her, her blood boiling, her body felt like a Furness trapped inside the designer suit. She began a determined stride towards Myles Morgan's office until she catches a glimpse of the boardroom and there he was, standing with all the other board members having an impromptu meeting. Her attention drawn firmly to the meeting room, her heart beat intensified with every step. She reached the boardroom door and stormed in.