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“So, all this time you’ve been grooming me, all the time and effort I’ve put into being the leader, it’s all been for nothing? I married her, for Christ’s sake!”
Isotta was offended even though she knew it was the truth. Love was not involved in their union. It was all an arrangement. Massimo knew he should have been kinder with his words, especially because Isotta was right there, but he couldn’t. He said what was on his heart and on his mind.
“And you will give birth to a son,” Giordano reiterated. “Or you won’t.”
Chapter Six
“Excuse me, Mr. Ricci,” the secretary interrupted.
“Yes?” Giordano replied. Massimo also looked up from the boardroom table.
The secretary entered the boardroom and crossed the carpeted floor. She handed a document to the older Ricci and waited to be dismissed, which he did with a dismissive gesture as his eyes scanned the paper the secretary had just handed him.
“What's going on, Dad?” Massimo asked.
Anything related to business was of utmost interest to Massimo. He was the heir apparent, and what adversely impacted his father's business impacted Massimo. Despite the threat of hierarchy that his parents advised him of, Massimo was confident that he would meet the additional requirement. He had to in order to be CEO. Massimo would not be denied. Giordano handed the document to his son and then bounded up from the chair. He walked to the large picture window across from the table while Massimo read the document. Out of his periphery, Giordano noticed Massimo looking up, concern etched on his face.
“We've got a problem.”
Giordano and Massimo both jumped into action. Massimo pulled up his computer, and Giordano pulled out his cell phone.
There'd been a security breach, one that significantly had the potential to impact their business on an international scale.
Giuseppe was also in the room. He was the brains of the operation, skilled in computer navigation. He pulled up his computer as well. Instead of looking in the front of the system like Massimo did, Giuseppe looked behind it at the code. Giuseppe clicked a few more screens and leaned in.
“There it is,” Giuseppe uttered. Massimo was first in line, but the fact that Giuseppe had the skill set and computer savvy to run circles around him was a thorn in Massimo's side.
“Let me see,” he instructed his younger brother. Giordano made it over to where his two sons sat. Giordano and Massimo stared at the screen, but it was all zeros and dashes. They couldn't make sense of it. Giuseppe waited for his family to see what he saw, but looking at Massimo’s face, Giuseppe could tell his brother wasn't getting it. And then, when his father spoke, he knew they didn't understand.
“What are we looking at?” his father finally said. Giordano was from the old guard. He liked to do deals in person, communicate by telephone, and maintain a pen-and-paper Ledger. Giuseppe flipped the screen to a visual he hoped was easier for them to understand. When they were still quiet, Giuseppe explained.
“We have a breach,” he started.
“A breach?” Giordano question. “What do you mean a breach?”
“Somebody has infiltrated our security system. Well, not somebody, something.”
“Explain,” Massimo said.
Giuseppe pushed his seat back so he could bring his father into view.
“It's like our system is snitching on us,” he explained in layman's terms. “Whoever it is, they have the inside scoop on all of our system, our formulas, the whole thing. They have managed to insert a device into our system that relays, in real-time, all of our security protocols.”
“How did they gain access to our system?" Giordano stammered. He was growing increasingly frustrated.
“Who would have access like that?” Massimo inquired. He understood why his father was getting upset. This could ruin everything and delay Massimo from taking his rightful place. That couldn’t happen.
“That I don't know.”
“We need to disengage it as quickly as possible. Take it offline,” Giordano demanded, his voice elevating.
“Then our system will be offline, too, and I don't know how long it's going to take to separate the intruder’s system from our system.” Giuseppe knew that wasn’t what his father or brother wanted to hear, but it was the truth.
“So, they have access to everything?”
Giuseppe pulled back up to the table and struck a few keys. Massimo and Giordano focused on the screen even though they weren't sure what they were looking at.
“Okay. It looks like they can only see. They can't manipulate. The finances are still walled off. I can add another layer of security to the finances, but I think we let them think they haven't been discovered while I work on a repetitive system to give the same info but not anything new."
