Rain hammered against the towering glass panels of the executive floor at Cohen Holdings & Investment Bank, turning the distant skyline into smudged streaks of steel and shadow. The storm outside seemed to echo the tension gathered inside the president's office. The office looked like the aftermath of a quiet battlefield. Documents covered the desk in uneven piles. Financial forecasts lay open across the surface, filled with red markings and rushed recalculations. Two empty coffee cups sat beside a third that had long since gone cold. A chair near the window had been pulled aside and never returned to its place and at the center of all this chaos sat Alice Cohen.
This woman looked nothing like the composed young banking president investors were used to seeing. Her hair, usually tied into a precise professional bun had been loosened, with strands falling around her face. Her sleeves were rolled unevenly to her elbows. Dark circles beneath her eyes revealed a lot of sleepless nights. Even the way she sat had changed, her shoulders leaned forward slightly, as if the burden of the entire bank rested on her back.
Standing across from her desk, her assistant tried her best to remain calm, though the strain was visible in her expression too.
"What should we do now, Ms. Cohen? With the Barrymore Group move, our creditors are all jumping ship, at this rate we can only last for at a month before we have to declare bankruptcy," the assistant asked anxiously.
Alice didn't answer right away, normally, this situation wouldn't have shaken her. Cohen Holdings had always relied on trust-based relationships. Their strategy had been unconventional but highly effective: offering interest-free loans to carefully selected clients in exchange for exclusive banking loyalty. It had been a calculated risk that paid off brilliantly, rapidly expanding their customer base and positioning the bank for nationwide growth. This should have been their breakthrough but instead it was their Achilles heel. The Barrymore Group president had noticed this and attacked precisely where Cohen Bank was most exposed.
They pressured liquidity partners, restricted debt channels and transformed temporary uncertainty into lasting instability. This suffocated Cohen Holdings extensively:
"What about the creditors we had here in California?" Alice quickly regained her composure and asked the assistant.
"Ms. Cohen, I asked them too, but they're trying to take advantage of the situation! Their asking for way more terms which are completely unreasonable and they are threatening to jump ship too," the assistant replied, frustration clearly visible on her face.
Alice closed her eyes briefly, of course they were. Everyone in California knew the bank's condition and like predators they smelled opportunity, it was after all just business in a way. Hearing this, a cold light flashed in Alice's eyes.
"Agree to their terms, after this is over, we'll settle accounts with them properly!" Her voice was calm again, she sighed and continued, "Find us new creditors, I'll handle the rest, I have only one request: we cannot stop the work!"
"Yes!" Her assistant hesitated slightly before turning to leave.
Despite Alice's youth, the pressure she was currently carrying would have crushed most executives twice her age. Watching her stand alone against collapsing financial walls stirred something close to sympathy in the assistants heart. Turning to leave, then the assistant suddenly stopped.
"By the way, Ms. Cohen, there's another company with plenty of money we could try and get a loan from or something," the assistant suddenly remembered and quickly informed Alice.
Alice opened her eyes, "Hm?"
Her assistant leaned forward slightly, "Ghost Holdings i think, even though Barrymore Group used their connections to pressure us, Ghost Holdings, isn't in their reach i guess, its a relatively new company that used to trade out using our investment division and they made a couple of billion i think. They might be small but if we can convince them, our problem might just get solved. Barrymore Group can't possibly know everyone in Cali right. They don't have the influence or the financial power!"
Alice sat upright immediately, "You're right!" The realization struck her instantly. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of them sooner, stress had narrowed her perspective and fear had limited her options but now there was still a door to open.
"Do we have their contact information?" she asked immediately.
"Yes," the assistant replied quickly, "I have it here."
Alice grabbed the number and dialled without hesitation. Her assistant remained beside the desk. They were both waiting, praying and hoping for someone to just pick up the phone. Two seconds later, the call connected.
"Hello!" The voice on the other end carried a smooth but bold Italian accent.
"Hello, I'm Alice from Cohen Bank . I'd like to speak with the chairman of Ghost Holdings please," Alice said directly, wasting no time.
"Do you know the person your asking for?" the voice on the other end asked.
"No, I don't," Alice replied.
There was a pause after Alice replied, enough to make the situation uncomfortable. Then the voice returned,
"I'm sorry, Miss Cohen, but I'm afraid I can't help you with that."
Alice tightened her grip on the phone, "Could you at least pass on a message for me? Please?"
Another pause followed, then Italian man on the other end spoke,
"I'm sorry, Miss Cohen, but there's nothing I can do," the voice said before the line went dead with a busy tone.
Silence filled the office, Alice slowly lowered the phone embarrassment spread across her face. She hadn't expected rejection so quickly.
"Ms. Alice, maybe they thought you were a scammer," her assistant suggested gently. Alice forced a small smile.
"I'm fine! Even if they knew who I was, what difference would it make? They're a probably a national company and we're just Cohen Bank . We're probably not even on their radar." Her voice sounded calm, but the bitterness and defeat beneath it was impossible to hide. Still, she straightened her posture again and declared, "No, this is our only option! Tomorrow, I'll try again!"
The following morning brought something unexpected.
"Ms. Cohen," her assistant said quietly from the doorway, "someone from Ghost Holdings is here to see you."
Alice froze, stood immediately, "Bring him in," she said.
Seconds later, Vince stepped into the office. He carried himself like someone completely at ease inside corporate environments, yet uninterested in impressing anyone within them. After brief greetings, he took a seat across from Alice's desk and it all began.
"Miss Cohen, yester you sounded like you were in trouble, What's going on? My employer wants to know if it Is something he can't manage?" Vince asked.
Alice exhaled slowly, "Mr Vince, it's a long story. It's not that we're powerless; it all started with the Barrymore Group..."
She started explaining everything from the beginning, the liquidity pressure, creditor withdrawals, coordinated strategy, the shrinking timeline and the now impossible position she found herself in. Vince listened without interrupting.
"So that's how it is!" Vince exclaimed, finally understanding the reason behind the call he had received yesterday morning, which was probably related to this. Alice watched him carefully, her hope returned even though just lightly.
"I'm really sorry, Ms. Cohen but would you mind if a made a call to my boss and see what he thinks of this situation!" Vince said.
"Of course," she replied immediately.
In a completely different place, Alfred Lancaster sat quietly in his room when Vince's call arrived, he answered immediately,
"Vince, what do you have for me," Alfred asked.
Vince explained everything quickly and clearly while Alfred listened in silence, one could see a faint smile on his face, the one you see when a predator has locked on its prey. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had predicted. Vince and Alfred had heard whispers and noticed Barrymore Group's movements weeks earlier. They had tracked their pressure campaign carefully and had already made a decision. Cohen Holdings & Investment Bank would be a great choice for their financial sector and Alfred had to buy it. Not through force or rescue but through timing, perfect timing.
Back inside the office, Alice observed Vince carefully and judging from his expression their chances seemed slim. But even the smallest possibility mattered now because without help Cohen Bank would collapse. That truth settled heavily in her chest but she refused to give up. Not now, no while there was still a path forward.
Vince placed the phone gently on Alice's desk, activated speaker mode and spoke,
"Alright, Miss Cohen, Ghost wants to have a word with you."
Almost instantly, a young calm but controlled voice filled the room. It was impossible to read.
"Miss Cohen," Alfred began, "I do not think I can help you in this situation. However, I do have another plan, would you be interested in hearing about it?"