Chemical Poison . Howard Stark

Chapter 6

Sitting down at her kitchen bench, Anneliese sipped at her morning black tea as she read over the paper work Alex had dropped at her place last night. Howard wanted Anneliese to read further into the legal documents for the upcoming court case against Mr Anderson, and to have Stark Industrials be transparent to the public about his wrongdoings. Anneliese couldn't help but be curious to wonder why she was dealing with Mr Anderson, whilst Alex had taken all the press work for the past few days. 

Honestly, it scared her slightly.

The chaos that ensued when the topic of Mr Anderson's replacement was reached, Howard cruelly decided he would personally be in charge of it. The press liked that, a CEO taking responsibility until a suitable individual is chosen. They liked him even more when he started doing deals with the press, selling 'secrets' to the press. When Anneliese was working in her own department, she was doing double time. The press absolutely obsessed with him. 

"Will you be home tonight, daughter?" Her father asked, his eyes staying on his newspaper. "You haven't been home for a meal for weeks," He turned the newspaper over as his voice drawled. "Or even visit the community homes on Sunday."

Nodding, Anneliese agreed. She wanted to have some her father's cooking and she definitely wanted to visit the community home. She missed the group of adults that became almost like family when she immigrated to America. Yet, she was stuck working longer hours, all because Mr Anderson decided to be a massive fool. 

She needed more staff, begged for more. And she always refused, every time. Claiming if he was to provide her more staff, all the other departments would want more. Until profits increased by another 62%, he would not be hiring any more staff. 

Sometimes she hated Howard the business man, he was easy to sway when he was just Howard the inventor.

Setting her teacup onto the bench, she cleared her throat. "There has been a few... legal issues at work," She responded, "I'm sure you've seen what Mr Anderson has been saying in the newspapers?"

Her father nodded his head, slowly folding up his newspaper. "Doesn't seem to like Germans does he?", his eyes raised up to meet her's. "Or women."

A smile crept onto her face, "Mr Stark says by the end of the week, the press won't be talking about Mr Anderson, but I can't seem to agree, as it's been going on for weeks..."

Before her father could respond, the phone begun to ring. Quickly, Anneliese picked herself up from the bench, and walked towards the front door where the telephone hung.

"Hello, Lorenz residence?"

The line was silent, until she heard the all too familiar cackling from Alexander.

"What do you need?", Anneliese asked annoyed, "Can this not wait until I start? It's only five in the morning!" Anneliese cried out. 

She could feel her father's eyes on her back, once Howard begun speaking. "Don't worry about the Anderson court case-"

"Why?" Anneliese responded, interrupting him.

Her fingers clenched around the telephone. "What have you done Howard?"

She could hear an engine pulling into the front of her house... the same noise coming from the phone. The dots connected far too quickly, and Anneliese realised exactly what was going on. A groan slipped past her lips and a rumble of laughter came from the phone again.

Howard Stark and Alexander Grey was just outside of her house.

The phone cut out with a low beep-beep-beep and she turned to face her father, mouth gaping as her hands still held onto the phone. She hadn't need to say a word as he raised his eyebrows when a fist knocked against the door... followed by Alexander's loud laughter.