The Moral Hazard (Part 1 of 2)

By Arjun Vivekananda

Wealth. Beauty. Youth. Power. Persephone and Eris Benson have it all ever since their father, Victor, unexpectedly handed them the keys to his billion dollar company. Being in the city of New Lyonesse, a city filled with honest criminals, crooked politicians, and vicious corporate executives, the sisters find that being at the top makes them objects of desire... and tempting targets. And when an unexpected and dangerous enemy comes gunning for them, Persephone and Eris must confront their past to make sure they have a future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arjun Vivekananda
• Release date: Jun 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370400362

Arjun Vivekananda

Arjun Vivekananda is a software programmer by trade as well as a student of human psychology and a political thinker by education. He’s been dreaming of worlds and characters ever since he could remember. He is an American of Indian descent and lives in New England with his wife and their pet polar bear cub. He is a frequent visitor to Providence, Rhode Island, the “real” New Lyonesse, and loves hearing from anyone who has read his work.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Authors Note

Eris - Part One

Eris - Part Two

Persephone - Part One

Eris - Part Three

Persephone - Part Two

Eris - Part Four

Persephone - Part Three

Eris - Part Five

Persephone - Part Four

Persephone - Part Five

Eris - Part Six

About The Author

The Moral Hazard

Part I

By Arjun Vivekananda

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2017 by Arjun Vivekananda

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Author’s note

This story takes place in the fictional city of New Lyonesse in the fictional state of Narragansett. New Lyonesse replaces the city of Providence, Rhode Island while Narragansett state encompasses both Rhode Island and Connecticut. Locations mentioned have real world analogues in order to give the fictional world a more vibrant and realistic feel.

However, this is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Eris Lisbeth Benson watched her older sister Persephone tap her pen on her desk. As long as Eris could remember, Persephone had that habit when she was bored. Listening to the Taggart Group’s Chief Operating Officer Lai Zhen's quarterly report was boring for her to bring it back.

Really fascinating stuff, Persephone said, yawning a little bit. Are we done with the bean counting? Can we get to real business? Persephone picked up her hundred dollar booze glass and shook it in Eris’ direction, the rattling of the melting ice reverberating in the cavernous corner office. Eris, you’re twenty one now right? Get me a vodka rocks. Make it a double.

Sitting in her black satin cocktail dress and wide studded leather cuffs, with a fur-lined coat draped over the arm of her chair, Eris could only scowl at the request. Oh, sorry sis, I’m not nearly as deep in the sauce as you are. So I think I’ll make something you’ll hate so much you’ll just toss it across the room.

Persephone didn’t flinch. I’m willing to take that risk.

Maybe you should get Yolanda in here to wait on you hand and foot. She’s not bright enough to understand anything that we’re saying anyway. Eris’ scowl morphed into a smirk. What? Not all us blondes are as dumb as she is.

There were a lot of things Eris had always been good at: math, technology, strategy, subterfuge, but she had never developed a skill sharper than her ability to make her oldest sister pissed as all hell. Of course, Persephone was so tense these days that it was almost too easy. Just any mention of her private life and--

Lai stood up and took the glass out of Persephone’s hand. I’ll get you the drink. And I’ll make it a single. We’re still having a meeting here. Persephone didn’t give the COO a death glare. More of a terrible maiming glare. Lai didn’t seem to mind. At least not anymore than she seemed to mind that she was forty nine and was answering to a woman half her age. The same woman who was the daughter of her former lover/boss.

Not for the first time, Eris marveled at how the two billion dollar conglomerate was just as screwed up as the Benson family that owned it.

Whatever, Persephone said, surrendering the glass. The awkward silence was just starting to settle before she broke it. Numbers are nice but I want to know what’s going on with all those idiots Dad hired.

Lai came back to the desk and handed Persephone the glass before pushing away her stylishly cut black hair from her eyes. If you’re referring to all the executives we have with all those valuable connections then I don’t think you have much to worry about. The whole point is that they’re just there to smooth feathers, open accounts, give us access to people, that kind of thing. What does having you as CEO do to change that?

Persephone drank half her drink. Because they don’t respect me like they did Dad. Because they think they’re more important than they are. Because--

Lai held up a hand to stop Persephone from talking. Listen, when Victor and I started this company we had our fair share of disrespectful subordinates and they bucked too. Once you wow them with your--

Persephone brought the glass down on the desk so loudly it made Eris jump a bit. The memo! she said. 'The Disney Princess Memo.' You’re not going to sit there and tell me that you haven’t heard about it!

I’ve heard about it, Eris said. ‘What To Do When You Work For Cinderella and Snow White.’ I guess you're Snow White with those brunette locks of yours while I'm Cinderella. She took the opportunity to flip her back length blonde hair. "They got the hair color right but can you think