…
"Shocking revelation! The mastermind behind the attempted murder of the Stark brothers turns out to be their own uncle—Obadiah Stane, one of the founding figures of Stark Industries! Is this a collapse of morality—or the darkest depths of human greed?"
"Yesterday, Obadiah Stane leapt to his death from the rooftop of a five-star hotel. Evidence of his crimes quickly surfaced, including but not limited to—"
"Hiring assassins. Conspiracy to commit murder. Illegal arms trafficking. Collusion with foreign terrorist organizations…"
"This concludes today's report. We will continue to follow developments."
…
Stark Tower.
Formerly Obadiah's office.
Now Leon's.
Leaning back in the executive chair, legs crossed, Leon closed the news window with a sigh.
"If you'd behaved yourself, Obie… I wouldn't be sitting here."
With Obadiah gone, a power vacuum had formed inside Stark Industries.
And Pepper—efficient as ever—had forcibly installed Leon as Executive Director.
A position originally meant for her in the canonical timeline.
Leon glanced at the plunging stock graph on his screen.
"Dump it. Go ahead. Sell."
"Let's see who regrets it later."
Obadiah's scandal had sent Stark Industries' shares into free fall. Investors were scrambling to offload stock like it was radioactive.
What they didn't understand—
This was merely growing pain.
When Tony publicly revealed himself as Iron Man, the company would skyrocket again.
Leon was already buying.
Aggressively.
Every share he could get his hands on.
At first, he'd considered advising retail investors to hold. Believe in Stark. Believe in Tony.
But the insults online were… excessive.
Calling Tony reckless was one thing.
Calling Leon "washed up" and "impotent"?
Unforgivable.
Fine.
Let them sell.
When the rebound came, he'd flip the shares and harvest profits with ruthless efficiency.
Petty?
Absolutely.
Satisfying?
Even more so.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
Leon immediately sat upright, fingers steepled in faux authority.
The moment he saw Pepper enter—
He deflated like a punctured balloon.
Pepper, dressed in her signature black stockings and tailored office attire, approached with a stack of files.
"So," she smiled lightly, "how does the Executive Director's chair feel?"
"Like a death sentence," Leon groaned. "If flirting were a major, I'd graduate summa cum laude. Corporate governance? Not my field."
"Leon," Pepper said evenly, "at this rate, the company might collapse before you get the chance to ruin it."
She placed the stack of resumes on his desk.
"Your job isn't to perform miracles. It's to be visible. To show that Leon Stark isn't partying—he's working."
"Even if the only thing that changes… is the location."
Leon's eyes drifted to the photos attached to the resumes.
High-achieving. Well-educated. Attractive.
"You know me too well, Pepper."
He reached for the stack—
And her hand pressed down on top of it.
"Careful," she warned. "These are applicants for your executive secretary position. Not a personal harem."
"Understood."
He slid the stack free anyway.
Pepper continued, professional now.
"These candidates are all top-tier. Economics and management doctorates. Capable of supporting you operationally."
Leon raised an eyebrow.
"So who would you pick?"
"They're all very… qualified," he added quickly.
Pepper shot him a look and extracted the final resume from the bottom.
"Sharon Carter."
Leon blinked.
Graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Fluent in Russian, French, Mandarin, and Italian. Dual doctorates in Finance and Management, plus Marketing and Real Estate.
"And," Pepper added, "she's technically my junior. Same university."
Leon smirked. "Ah. Alumni loyalty."
"Don't trivialize it," Pepper replied. "She's the most well-rounded candidate here. Business. Diplomacy. Intelligence."
Leon studied the attached photograph.
Blonde.
Sharp-eyed.
Polished.
"Exchange program at Tsinghua University," he murmured. "Interesting."
"I thought you two might have common ground," Pepper said.
"Fine. Let's meet her."
Pepper nodded and sent a message confirming the interview.
Then she paused.
"Leon. She's a good girl. Don't cross lines."
"She even has a law license."
Leon raised both hands.
"I promise."
Outwardly.
Internally?
He knew exactly who Sharon Carter was.
S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Strategic placement.
Which meant—
This was no coincidence.
If Fury couldn't send Natasha yet, Sharon would do.
Leon wasn't offended.
He was amused.
Better in his office than spying elsewhere.
And frankly—
He could use someone competent.
Very competent.
A few minutes later, there was another knock.
Pepper straightened slightly.
"Come in."
The door opened.
A woman stepped inside wearing a fitted purple dress beneath a tailored blazer.
Poised.
Composed.
Professional.
"Sharon Carter," she introduced herself calmly. "Reporting for the Executive Secretary interview."
Leon leaned back slowly.
Purple.
Yes.
Purple suited her remarkably well.
"Miss Carter," he said smoothly.
"Welcome to Stark Industries."
Behind the charm in his smile—
His mind was already calculating.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted a game—
He'd happily play.
But on his terms.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789