So if there was one thing I would want people to know about me, it would be that I make mistakes too. See, when you say one thing and do another as a normal person, it is a mistake that you can leave behind you. When you are a billionaire CEO you if it gets out it will haunt you until you die. I preface with this because I am waking up to the kind of thing I swore up and down I would never do.

On my right side was Kate, who pulled the blankets tighter around herself to prevent cold air from getting in. Yes, I do remember swearing to myself I would never sleep with the member of the press- I never said I had perfect self control!

Now that said, if it was just that maybe I’d be fine. That ‘if’ turned out to be a big one for me, because on my left side was my secretary, Rebecca.

Well, if I was lucky this wouldn’t come back to bi- and that is my phone buzzing with a message from a number that I did not want to see right now. Now, I know it is human nature and a logical fallacy to equate correlation and causation, but the lady on the other side of that message was the kind of person that made you feel like every single event that happened had been planned out by her years ago.

And checking it, yep, that is blackmail. I can’t help but sigh even as a pair of soft things press against my back and arms circle around me.

“Problem Mr. Sterling?” Kate said sleepily but perhaps a bit too cheerily.

I sigh again, “Really? The others were that worried about me? I am not really the type to go wild, you know.”

“After last night we both know that is a lie, and you know it isn’t enough to drag you down, just enough to have some insurance.”

So the reporter worked for Mrs. Wang, well that is my luck. That woman has been a step ahead of me for the past ten years, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, she was the empress of a media empire- I should have done more research into who was doing that interview.

“Anyway, it isn’t like I was forced into this you know.” Kate whispered into my ear, “Honestly, I thought you were kinda sexy to begin with and thought it might be fun to mix business and pleasure for once.”

Well I already screwed up- might as well enjoy it I suppose, I think I will stay in this morning…

*A few hours later*

“So how was your night?” The translation software even managed to capture her smug tone, who the fuck programmed that in?

“As if you don’t have details, was this really necessary?” I ask, quite annoyed by this turn of events- even if it is my fault for being an idiot last night. Why the hell did I do that again? Oh, right. Nice legs and alcohol, good to know I am such a responsible and mature individual as the man responsible for hundreds of thousands of jobs around the world…

“You tend to be a bit of a wildcard Mr. Sterling, it was not so much necessary as a precaution.” The older lady raised a single eyebrow, “it isn’t my fault you are a bit of an idiot.”

True, but still…

“Your influence in North and South America is a bit much,” she continued. “Can you really blame us for taking precautions?”

I sigh, I have been doing that a lot today. “No, not really, that doesn’t make me feel any better though. Well that is life I guess, so what is it that the rest of you want to do that you think I will object to enough that you need to blackmail me?”

“Technical support for a few groups…”

“Oh for fucks sake, not this again.” Yeah, with a bit of support certain ‘radical’ elements in multiple countries could be a strong destabilizing influence and allow our group to insert our people… But so many people would die as a result. “You know why I object to this, and you cannot say my logic is faulty.”

“Your logic is fine, but you spin it for your own agenda.” Wang waved her hand dismissively, “your report that the American government has tried similar things to little or no result was true, but the whole point of this endeavor is that we are better than them, no? As for your discussion about the value of a human life, also true, but unless the current situation changes we can’t make use of that.”

True and true, I was not exactly blameless myself considering my actions in Columbia- but I had plans for those refugees and I had kept civilian deaths to a minimum by my actions. This would be chaos and anarchy… And I have no choice, do I? Sure, the fact I slept with Kate and Rebecca was a scandal to be sure, but not enough of one to drag me down by myself. However, if all the other groups stuck their knives into that chink in my armor- yeah, I would be put down and my business split up between them. I stopped counting my sighs a bit ago, but there is another one for the tally.

“I’ll arrange it, but I am going to do what I can to reduce casualties, and I will take it up with the rest of the group that I have concerns about our chances of success regardless.” If this went the way I figured it would, I would probably be able to turn the tables on her- but I don’t like the fact that it would likely come at the cost of thousands of civilians.

“Wonderful,” Mrs. Wang smiled. “A pleasure working with you, Mr. Sterling.”

“Likewise.”

And the link is closed. I feel a headache coming on, this is not what I needed on my plate right now. On the other hand…

“You don’t mind me staying for a bit, do you?” Kate asked with a mischievous smile, and lets be honest- I am too much of an idiot to say no. Besides, I am of the opinion that a woman looks better wearing my shirt, and I really can’t say no to that combination with those legs.