CH129 | DI

Kissinger was the key to my strategy.

My goal was to bring him into my camp and, beyond that, to make him publicly denounce Holmes.

Of course, making him choose me, someone he had just met, over the ‘granddaughter’ he had bonded with for years was no easy task.

Simply put, this was a delicate operation to make him switch from a ‘granddaughter’ to a ‘grandson.’

Therefore, I first needed to tarnish the reputation of his precious granddaughter.

Bringing up the Hitler analogy was part of that effort.

No matter how much he loved his granddaughter, if she were Hitler, wouldn’t even family turn their backs on her?

However, Kissinger’s reaction was different from what I expected.

“That comparison is excessive.”

He spoke with a displeased expression.

“Young people these days invoke Hitler or Stalin at the slightest displeasure. They must do so easily because they don’t truly understand that horrific history.”

His words carried a nuance as if he were defending Holmes.

‘Is their bond that deep?’

No, that was impossible.

The Kissinger I knew would never defend a dictator at this point.

Perhaps the Hitler analogy was too extreme.

After all, Holmes hadn’t actually carried out a genocide against Jewish people.

In that case…

What if I used a more realistic and directly impactful example?

“Then, would Pinochet be a more appropriate comparison?”

“….”

“In fact, that analogy seems more accurate. Among the employees at Theranos, there’s even a saying—‘Holmes has made someone disappear again.’”

“……”

This time, Kissinger’s expression hardened.

A fleeting moment of agitation passed across his face.

This struck a deeper blow.

‘Of course it did.’

Pinochet.

A man whom the U.S. once supported to prevent the spread of communism in Chile, only for him to later reveal himself as a brutal dictator.

Under Pinochet’s iron-fisted rule, opposition figures and journalists were secretly abducted, brutally tortured, and mercilessly executed.

Countless people vanished without a trace, to the point where the passive phrase ‘to disappear’ evolved into the active verb ‘to make disappear.’

And why was this comparison more effective against Kissinger?

‘Because he was one of the people who had supported Pinochet.’

Because of this, Kissinger had found himself at the center of criticism.

A shadow of condemnation had always followed him—accusing him of turning a blind eye to human rights violations and mass murders in foreign countries for the sake of U.S. national interests.

Yet, Kissinger had never regretted his decisions.

He was a master of realpolitik, a man who firmly believed that morality and ideology must be handled flexibly in pursuit of pragmatism.

He had long argued that opposing dictators could lead to even greater wars and massacres, and, uncomfortable as it was, he defended his stance as the best available choice.

But ultimately, his support for dictators remained an indelible stain on his otherwise brilliant legacy.

So, what if the Pinochet analogy resurfaced now?

What if Holmes, whom Kissinger had cherished like a granddaughter, turned out to be a tyrant in the making?

“What exactly is your intent in bringing this up?”

Kissinger’s voice carried an edge.

I spoke as sincerely as possible, continuing my words slowly.

“If Theranos employees file a class-action lawsuit and the media starts investigating this case, Holmes will inevitably be embroiled in scandal. But if you, Mr. Kissinger, are on Theranos’ board…?”

The consequences were obvious.

‘Does Kissinger still defend dictators, even after retirement?’

The mockery would be relentless.

The old stain on his past, blurred by time, would resurface with clarity.

I gave a wry smile and carefully continued.

“I don’t want that to happen. Despite all your great achievements, I don’t want your past ghosts to be resurrected over something like this. As my father always emphasized, our family owes you a great debt of gratitude.”

After taking a brief breath, I went on.

“So rather than letting you be caught off guard by this issue, I wanted to make sure you were aware of it in advance so you could prepare.”

I put emphasis on the words ‘make sure.’

Kissinger’s eyes widened.

“Don’t tell me… your reason for participating in the auction from the beginning was…?”

That’s right.

I was the thoughtful young man who had spent a full ten million dollars just to warn this old man of the danger.

Compared to a troublesome granddaughter, wouldn’t it be a hundred times better to have a grandson like me?

But for now, I answered humbly.

“That’s a separate matter. I’ve simply wanted to meet you for a long time.”

“I see.”

Kissinger’s expression softened in an instant.

He gave a gentle smile and spoke.

“Thank you for this valuable information.”

I could sense his goodwill toward me.

But whether he was ready to give up on his granddaughter remained uncertain.

“Do you believe someone like her can still be reformed?”

“That… only time will tell.”

A vague answer.

But perhaps, that was just like Kissinger.

A stance that seemed to keep all possibilities open.

“I’ll look into the things you’ve told me myself.”

His voice carried a sense of caution.

He wouldn’t judge solely based on my claims—he would confirm the truth with his own eyes.

I didn’t press any further and simply nodded quietly.

“Yes, thank you.”

The important thing was that the veil clouding his vision had begun to lift.

That alone was enough of a success.

At that moment—

Knock, knock.

Right on cue, a waiter appeared, as if waiting for our conversation to end.

“For the first course, we have smoked salmon tartare.”

As the waiter carefully placed the dish before us, Kissinger smiled and spoke.

“This is one of my favorites. Go on, try it.”

As he said, the dish was exquisite.

Crispy potato latkes topped with smoked salmon, capers, and crème fraîche—an absolute delight.

“You mentioned you originally studied medicine, right? Why did you suddenly switch to finance?”

Throughout the meal, Kissinger asked about my personal life.

He no longer mentioned Theranos or Holmes.

And as we neared the end of our meal, he suddenly spoke.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t received your business card yet.”

When I handed him my card, he immediately dialed my number.

His number popped up on my phone.

“Save it.”

This was significant.

Someone of Kissinger’s stature rarely shared their personal number.

They had secretaries who handled all their communications, ensuring that outsiders always went through them first.

And yet, I had received his direct line.

“If you ever have concerns, call me.”

That meant I could contact him anytime.

In essence, I had passed the ‘grandson’ audition.

Now, the only thing left… was the granddaughter’s downfall.

But, this wouldn’t be too difficult either.

Once Kissinger took off the blindfold clouding his judgment and started investigating, her true nature would soon be revealed.

***

Two days later, in the Theranos CEO’s office.

Holmes was sunk deep into a luxurious leather chair, anxiously biting her nails.

In stark contrast to the bright and sunny weather outside, a raging storm brewed inside her.

That was because Kissinger’s side had suddenly requested a board meeting.

The problem was… she had no idea what the agenda for that meeting was.

After agonizing over it, Holmes finally called Kissinger.

[What is it?]

“I just wanted to check if you were on your way. I was going to send a car for you…”

Kissinger declined.

That, too, bothered her.

The sudden rejection of an offer he had always accepted felt like he was drawing a subtle line between them.

Was she just being overly sensitive?

[It’s fine. If nothing happens, I’ll be there within an hour.]

His voice was devoid of any emotion.

After exchanging some polite greetings, Holmes cautiously asked.

“Is there anything I should prepare in advance?”

[Prepare for what? Just act as you normally would.]

“But if it’s serious enough to call a board meeting…”

[It’s nothing major. That is, if there are no problems. See you soon.]

With that, Kissinger ended the call.

Holmes bit her nails again.

‘He’s changed…’

In the past, before any important meeting, he would have told her everything in detail.

Now, she could sense a subtle shift in his attitude, and it unnerved her.

And all of this change had begun right after his dinner with Ha Si-heon.

‘Just what did he say to him…?’

As she continued biting her nails, Holmes’s mind raced through every possible scenario.

It was clear that Ha Si-heon had revealed something to Kissinger.

But she had built up so many lies over the years that she couldn’t even guess which one had been exposed.

‘Why now, of all times…?’

The timing of it all was the biggest issue.

If it weren’t for Ha Si-heon… her plans would have been proceeding smoothly.

Just a month ago, Holmes had graced the cover of ‘Fortune’ magazine.

The magazine had valued Theranos at $4.5 billion and hailed Holmes as “the richest young female billionaire in the world.”

That had set off a chain reaction.

Soon after, ‘Forbes’ featured her, and every major news outlet across the country was clamoring to cover her story.

She had skyrocketed to become an icon of the era overnight.

But it was all nothing more than a castle built on sand.

The diagnostic devices being implemented in the field had long surpassed an acceptable margin of error.

At most, she had six months to a year.

Within that time frame, someone was bound to point out the technological flaws of Theranos.

She had to fix the problem before that happened.

If she could leverage this newfound fame to secure additional investments…

Surely, with enough funding, the issues could be resolved quickly.

But now, at such a critical juncture, Kissinger’s sudden change in attitude and the unexpected board meeting…

A sense of foreboding crept over her, but she forced herself to stay calm.

‘It’s fine. Everything will be fine.’

The board members cherished her like their own granddaughter.

Even if Ha Si-heon had managed to shake them momentarily with his words, the trust she had built wouldn’t crumble so easily.

Just as she was steadying herself, her personal secretary cautiously peeked into the office.

“He’s arrived.”

Hearing that the board members had arrived, Holmes took a deep breath and rose from her seat.

As she was about to step out of the office, two bodyguards waiting outside immediately moved to accompany her.

Due to her skyrocketing fame, she had recently increased her personal security team to twenty guards, ensuring she was always protected no matter where she went.

But this time, Holmes shook her head.

“Stay here. I’ll be fine on my own.”

She had decided that today, she needed to appear humble.

Walking alone toward the lobby, she soon spotted Kissinger.

“It’s been a while! The weather’s hot today—was your trip here comfortable?”

“……”

She greeted him with her usual bright tone, but the only response she got was silence.

Gone was the affectionate smile he usually wore.

Instead, his eyes gleamed with cold calculation.

It wasn’t hostility.

Just the unfeeling, pragmatic gaze of a realist.

She had seen him look at others like that countless times before.

But it was the first time she had ever been on the receiving end of it.

Her sense of unease was quickly becoming reality.

Holmes suppressed her emotions as best as she could and proceeded to the meeting room.

Soon, the rest of the board members arrived, and as soon as everyone was seated, Kissinger got straight to the point.

“The reason I called this meeting today is because of this.”

His secretary handed out copies of a document.

It was an article.

[The Dark Side of Innovation: The Dictatorial Culture of a Silicon Valley Startup]

Holmes’s eyes widened.

She had never seen this article before.

She always monitored every mention of her name and Theranos in the media.

Yet, somehow, she had missed this anonymous exposé.

As she read through it, her mind went blank.

“Is this truly the reality of Theranos?”

Kissinger’s sharp question snapped her back to her senses.

“Absolutely not. This portrayal is completely inaccurate. There’s no way our company operates like this.”

“The author of this article… If I recall correctly, it’s Kurtz, the ‘Wall Street Times’ journalist who has been a thorn in your side.”

Holmes inwardly clicked her tongue.

She suddenly remembered mentioning Kurtz to Kissinger just a few weeks ago.

She had asked him—just in case Kurtz ever published a damaging article—to step in and block it.

She regretted that now.

But for the moment, she had to focus on damage control.

“Did Ha Si-heon tell you about this article?”

She countered with a question of her own.

“So my suspicions were correct. He’s working with that journalist to slander me. Clearly, he wants to oust me as CEO and take over Theranos for himself.”

She tried to steer the conversation in a way that benefited her.

But Kissinger’s gaze remained just as cold.

“I heard that you made him sign an NDA, even barring him from sharing information with the board. Is that true?”

For a split second, Holmes forgot to breathe.

But her mind quickly formulated an explanation.

“He was spreading all kinds of false information. I only took that measure to prevent him from filling the board with unnecessary worries.”

“Do you think we lack the ability to determine for ourselves what’s false and what isn’t?”

“…”

Holmes realized just how dire her situation was.

Kissinger, who had always interpreted things in her favor, wasn’t doing so this time.

“I’ll set aside the NDA issue for now. What I want to know is—are you saying the contents of this article are false?”

“Yes. Our employees are never treated this way. This must be about another startup.”

She answered as sincerely as she could.

Then, Kissinger made an unexpected proposal.

“Then bring them here.”

“What?”

Holmes was so taken aback that she reflexively asked again.

Kissinger remained unfazed as he continued.

“If there’s any doubt, we can simply ask the employees directly, can’t we?”