"What? You failed and got caught? Fuck, fuck, fuck! Didn't you say you were professionals?!"
"Sorry, something unexpected happened. We didn't anticipate two security patrol officers passing by at that exact moment."
"Bullshit! I don't care what happened. You have to finish the job. Do you understand? It has to be done."
Harvey was roaring.
There was silence on the other end of the line, and then a voice responded:
"Apologies. We will no longer be accepting this contract. We'll refund your previous payment as soon as possible."
"No! Fuck that—I don't want the money, I want that damn bitch dead!"
"Sorry."
With that cold apology, the caller hung up.
Just as Harvey was about to smash the phone in a fury, it rang again.
Startled, he hesitated, then pressed the answer button. "Damn it, I told you I want—"
"Mr. Harvey, this is the office of Congresswoman Hillary."
Harvey's rage immediately vanished. His voice softened and became composed. "Ah, hello, this is Harvey. What can I do for Ms. Hillary?"
To reinforce her image as an independent woman, Hillary has always disliked being referred to as "Mrs. Clinton." Most people close to her simply call her "Ms. Hillary."
"A warning, Mr. Harvey. Reporter Judy is a member of the Liberty Association. Ms. Hillary serves as an advisor to the Association. That means Judy is under her protection. Ms. Hillary does not want to see anything happen to her—anything, you understand?"
Click. The call ended.
Bang.
Harvey finally hurled the phone to the floor.
Still not satisfied, he stood up and swept everything off his desk in a fit of rage.
"Goddamn bitch!" he screamed. "I gave you so many political donations and now, when I need help, you don't just leave me hanging—you kick me while I'm down! Fucking bitch…"
In the U.S., when capital reaches a certain size, it inevitably seeks political patrons.
Smaller capital players don't usually have the clout to support major politicians, but many still try to play the political game, buying themselves one or two protective umbrellas.
Harvey was a textbook case of "small capital" with big ambitions. Maybe because he knew the skeletons in his closet, he never hesitated to pour money into political speculation.
In New York City alone, Harvey had "supported" at least thirteen politicians, including state senator Kirsten Gillibrand and a district attorney.
In Congress, a man named Skross—now elevated to the Senate—had also been one of Harvey's long-standing backers.
Harvey had also heavily invested in Hillary, contributing over $8 million.
He had planned to approach Barrack Obama next, but before he could make a move, this whole mess erupted.
Barrack Obama got away clean. In the original timeline, he had a close relationship with Harvey. His eldest son had even interned at Harvey's company, and his wife once publicly praised Harvey as a "perfect man."
(GodOfReader: His daughter had a relationship with Harvey too, I mean Intership. [Welp, its the same thing anyway.])
But after Harvey's scandal broke, the Barrack family fell awkwardly silent.
When the first reports emerged, Harvey turned desperately to his political contacts.
At first, they helped him—suppressing the media, intimidating reporters—but their support evaporated soon after. Harvey found himself ghosted.
Even Senator Skross stopped taking his calls.
Harvey was convinced Hillary was behind it all.
In his eyes, she had thrown him under the bus to gain favor with feminist organizations.
Oddly, he never suspected Martin.
But in truth, Martin only influenced New York State politics.
The one who really moved the needle on Skross's side was Harvey's brother—Bob.
For Senator Skross, Harvey had become a liability. Bob, on the other hand, was more measured—and just as capable of getting things done.
While Harvey had spent years indulging in hedonism, it was Bob who had done most of the actual work at Weinstein Films.
…
"Don't worry, Senator Skross. The donations to your foundation will continue as usual. The laundered funds will be routed through formal channels. Harvey's situation won't affect anything," Bob said respectfully to the older man seated across from him.
Skross nodded. "Honestly, I didn't expect this from you. I thought you and Harvey were tight."
Bob let out a sigh and shook his head.
"To be frank, Harvey and I haven't seen eye to eye in years. I couldn't stand the filth he was involved in. I tried to talk sense into him, but he wouldn't listen. He was too arrogant, with no sense of restraint. It was only a matter of time before everything blew up.
"Miramax was taken by Disney because of him. We're getting old, Senator. Weinstein Pictures might be our last shot. I won't let anyone ruin it."
"When the scandal first broke, I considered helping Harvey cover it up. But I quickly realized it was futile. With Hillary on the other side, every political ally we'd invested in had already bailed. Honestly, only you still have the power to push back against her. But why would you bother?"
Skross's eyes flickered.
In truth, Hillary wasn't the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. Even if she had inherited some of her husband's political capital, she didn't have that kind of reach.
No, the force at play here… even he feared it.
Skross glanced at Bob, deciding not to tell him. Let the man draw his own conclusions.
Bob continued:
"Rather than wasting your influence trying to shield Harvey, who's clearly unstable, why not let me represent our interests in future dealings?"
"I promise I'll be more competent—and a lot cleaner—than Harvey ever was."
Skross chuckled. "You're not wrong. Honestly, I'd prefer working with you over Harvey. You're sharp. You don't make the kind of stupid mistakes he does."
But inwardly, he thought: Bob might not make stupid mistakes, but his bottom line is even lower than Harvey's. Some dirty work just won't fly anymore. Still, what's done is done. Harvey's finished.
Feeling the meeting had reached its end, Skross stood and extended his hand.
"Well, Bob. Here's to a fruitful partnership."
Bob stood quickly and clasped his hand. "Thank you for your trust. Looking forward to working together."