A black, sleek car glided to a graceful halt in front of the huge ANCLAIR corporation, and the bustling reporters that were hanging around all day for the entrance immediately swarmed around, their cameras flashing brightly in anticipation to capture the sight of the lady they were waiting for. She was nervous about facing such a spotlight which she had never had the chance to ever be in her life. It felt so overwhelming to know that she, who was always someone of no significance to other people, was being sorted by many. Gary had told her that there had been so many emails being sent to the CEO's seat to those that had private email for the CEO's table, ever since her being named the heiress. The chauffeur that had gone to pick her up that morning in a different car, stepped out of the car, and walked up to the right side of the car where Zoe was sitting. He opened the door to prepare her for what was next. "Ready, ma'am?" He asked her, blocking the bright flashes of the camera fro
"Should we just release the news about how she was treated here? Tell the truth that she's been hired by Francis Sinclair and that her family lives in the poor countryside," Ivy blurted out suddenly, the moment she thought of what they could do to have Zoe wrapped around their fingers. They were eating breakfast at their private dining, and it was just the same old lame food they had to manage after hiring numerous chefs in just two weeks. The taste of the food had never been the same, and the service could never be the same either, if they wanted to have breakfast at their usual early hours. Most times, Audrey had to agree to eat the same food as Ivy, while Irina and Isla ate the same meal. Aaron had no choice but to eat whatever he was served too, and had to wear his clothes regardless of how the maids had ironed them. He didn't like the new way of things, and he missed Zoe's way of doing his things so much, even if he could never speak of it. "We would just say she was a maid, no
Zoe was standing on the balcony of her new-storey apartment leaning against the intricately carved railing, as she stared at the beautiful surroundings of her new home. The gentle morning breeze swirled through her flowing gown and her silky hair, as she tilted a cup of sizzling coffee to her lips and drank from it. A mischievous smirk suddenly tugged at the corners of her lips in satisfaction, as she recalled what happened at the party the previous night, and her mind replayed the events like a well-choreographed play while she revelled in the sweet taste of victory."Do I know you?" She asked Sasha, when she demanded what she was doing at the party, to recognize her as the daughter-in-law in the home of Meyers. Realizing that things might go wrong with her lips, she decided to deny her to the extent that she would question her sanity. "What…. What?" Sasha stuttered confusedly at the lady standing before her, wondering if she had too much champagne to drink and had seen the lady sta
The mood at the Meyers seemed more vibrant than usual, as they arrived to sit around the dining table to have breakfast at their usual hours. However, rather than the normal full table with different varieties of dishes, the food was served with minimalism according to the breakfast theme which was planned by their newest chef. They seemed to be in a good mood regardless of whatever preference they had in mind, because they had also seen the news that aired early that morning, and how it attacked Zoe as the heiress to ANCLAIR corporation. There was anticipation in the air as they all tried to settle down first, before taking time to tear her into pieces with their words. "I'm so glad! Seems like we are not the only ones trying to pull her down, and bring the truth about her to light," Audrey finally broke the silence as soon as she served Irina's food, which had been her job to do ever since Zoe left. "It was the most shocking news that popped into my notification this morning. Tha
A palpable tension hung heavy in the air of ANCLAIR corporation with a sense of unease and apprehension. Whispers of the news that was aired about the new CEO permeated every corner, spreading like wildfire through the corridors as every worker talked about it on their way into the elevators and offices. In the break rooms and hallways, employees huddled in small groups with hushed voices, as they exchanged whispers and speculations. They all wondered if Zoe was indeed fake. As the stocks plummeted, the sharp ring of telephones echoed through the room with each call coming from all directions of worried investors to confirm if the news was true. Executives in their spaces contacted one another with their faces etched with worry, as they strategized on damage control and potential solutions, all while blaming Zoe endlessly. "It is all because of that lady that came from nowhere, barely a week, and her news is all over the internet. That incompetent granddaughter of his!" John Mac sp
The emergency board meeting that was set up a few hours after the scandal broke out had just ended, as the heavy wooden doors of the conference room swung open, revealing a palpable air of disappointment that permeated the space. The board of directors came out one by one with their heavy footsteps grazing against the floor, with disappointment and frustration visibly written all over their faces. Whispers of discontent and frustration floated through the air as they moved out in twos and threes, accompanied by the occasional frustrated murmurs that they had failed, once again, in usurping Zoe's position as the CEO of the ANCLAIR corporation. Listening to her give a short speech after the entire ruckus of asking her to explain what her controversy was about, made them more pissed than ever, like she was rubbing their failure in their faces. Throughout the meeting till when she gave her speech and left, her emotions threatened to spill over and make her lash out angrily, but she fou
"It is you, right," the guy smiled and said to her, and she strode past him like she didn't even hear him say anything. 'Geez! Who was he anyway and what was he doing there? It would not do her any good if he recognized her as the heiress from the party,' Zoe wondered furiously, as she tried not to roll her eyes disdainfully. "Hi, it is me. Remember me from the party?" He asked her again with a bubbly and bright smile, as he turned and followed after her instantly so as to get her attention. "I don't know you," she murmured under her breath and gritted her teeth, while thinking of possible ways to get him off her neck as she continued to walk away. Even the sweet scent of his cologne made it hard to get angry effectively because it smelled so soothing. "Hunhhh. Your face tells me that you remember me," he smiled at her again and walked beside her so elegantly, looking like they were perfectly matched to one another. Her mind remembered the same thing she had seen rich people do, w
The past days over the weekend were hectic for Zoe, as her late nights and early mornings blurred together in an unwavering dedication to studying everything that was acquainted with the nuances of her role. Considering her level of experience and knowledge, she didn't find it quite easy because of how complex the ANCLAIR corporation was. It was known as the top conglomerate in the city which could never falter from its position. Though it was intended by Francis to lay her off indirectly if she was not able to land them the company buyout project, she had done better than he had expected her to ever be able to do, and was willing to do more regardless. She didn't care whatever his initial intentions were, concerning the skepticism of entrusting his company into her hands, because she had many plans in mind to execute. And to carry them out, she needed power. By Monday of the next week, the stocks of ANCLAIR conglomerate corporation had risen even more than they had done in the past
“You don't call me anymore,” The voice of the lady on the phone filled with a silent and low resentment, questioned with a very low tone, as if what she was talking about was not brewing fierce anger within her heart. “You know I told you I have been busy,” the voice came from the other side of the phone.“Fuck you and your silly busyness,” Isla scoffed, the softness in her voice suddenly dissolving, “You pick up my call after days only to tell me bullshit? You think you are too important now? Too good to pick up the damn phone?!” A bitter laughter rolled out of her lips again, as if trying to understand the absurdity of the situation. “You are my plaything, remember?” her lips curved into a derisive smirk, as her voice went low while dripping with a menacing reminder, “I own you, and every damn thing you own! Every damn thing! And you are going to be doing every fucking thing I ask you to do every time I call. I shouldn't be the one chasing you,” she spat. A deep suffocating silen
Andre sat rigid in his leather chair at the office, as his fingers tapped with a furious beat against the desk before him, with his eyes burning with frustration as his face contorted into an embodiment of rage. Reports, flight logs, surveillance photos, and some other files were all scattered across his desk, some torn or crinkled at the edges from where his furious hands had gripped them too tightly. A half-smoked cigarette remnant rested in the ashtray, and beside it was a half-drunk glass of whiskey. Gritting his teeth so hard and unable to hold himself from the worries that had been storming through his head and mind, he grabbed his phone which had been lying idle on the table for hours, and dialed the number of his investigator as fast as he could. “Sir,” the investigator spoke up. “Tell me you have something positive already,” he demanded, his voice dangerously quiet and low. The investigator’s heart plunged into fear, as his voice stiffened a bit after hesitating for a
Barely processing what she had just heard, the beautiful young girl with stunning and distinctive shining, glassy blue eyes looked up at the person her mother was talking to, and was about to ask the question. “Who is she?” However, the child's eyes widened with recognition, her eyebrows furrowing in surprise, as she pointed directly at Zoe and blurted out with innocent certainty, “I know you!” It made Zoe’s eyes squint in confusion as they wondered what the child meant because she didn't remember any scenario of meeting a child, and it made her wonder if the child had seen her on TV or in a magazine before. Jasmine was equally taken aback too. “Raine. You probably had the wrong person,” she quickly cautioned her daughter, her heart thumping a little fast how Zoe and her daughter had met before. The girl, however, was already bouncing on her feet, as she freed her hands from her mother's own instantly, and moved to home Zoe's hand, who instinctively flinched, not expecting such
The day had drained her. From the moment she stepped into her office that morning, it had been one endless cycle of rescheduled meetings, unanswered emails, and entire reviews of files and documents. By midday, fatigue had crept deep into her bones and lodged fully there, and by late afternoon, she barely had the resilience to push on working further. And for the first time in weeks, Zoe decided to clock out of work early. Not work per se, but she decided to clock out of the office, because the next place she had in mind instead of home was to go sightseeing around her mall. She wanted to buy something for herself as a shopper and not the CEO. It had been a while since she enjoyed the amusement solely for herself and not strictly business. Taking the general elevator, she pressed the button for the second floor where big top restaurants had their flagship stores stationed, and the first wave of air that whooshed past her nose was the scent of fresh pastries, coffee, and delicacies
“Do you not think we have to remove Malcolm now? He seems so incompetent now, and it does not seem like he is ready to do anything concerning the situation on the ground. We are the ones that would take the fall for it!” a voice rose angrily in the room where some women and men were seated around a polished oak table with hushed voices and nervous glances. It was a man with silver-threaded hair in his fifties, who was a renowned top-investor in big companies. His eyes narrowed into a sharp, and angry gaze as he continued speaking, with his fingers tapping hard against the table, “We need to remove him. The stock is falling, the company is in turmoil, and he has done nothing to clear his name from those slush fund accusations. That silence. It is dangerous. I cannot hold on any longer,” he made his thoughts known to the others in the room. Some of the people in the room leaned forward with conviction, while others shifted uneasily in their seats, wondering if their discussion which h
Malcolm sat behind his imposing office desk with his mind a little lost in the thoughts of Zoe, as he equally worried about her, while wondering if she was doing well. He had not seen her at all the previous day, and arrived home later than he usually did because of some things he had to set out at work. He knew she would be probably home by the time he arrived, but he didn't have the guts to go and knock on her door. He just sat on the balcony of the room where he could see the roof of her house until he saw the lights to her house go off. He had been thinking hard and pondering on the excuse that he could use to go and see her again, and he also wondered how she felt concerning the few things he had done. He was curious and wanted to know her reaction to it. If she had angrily trashed everything- The food, tea, china, flask, lamp, and purifier, or she just ignored the fact that it was there and didn't even care, or perhaps, didn't mind that he did and had no strong feelings towar
The day Zoe had met with Jasmine and had embraced her with all her might, and drowned in the sweet scent of the body as well as her warm embrace, she left with a few strands of her hair. She felt so terrible doing that with her consent, but she wanted to be sure. She didn't want her life to be a lie again even if everything and traits about Jasmine pointed out that she was no doubt her mother. She just wanted the hope that truly she wasn't just misguided by a few coincidences. But instead of calling her and having nothing to say to her when she was probably bitter towards her thinking she was Emily's daughter, Zoe let herself sink into the memory of the woman she longed to call as the loneliness around her pressed in, and filled every inch of the luxurious, soulless space around her. While she continued to wallow in her deep concern, she scooped a spoonful of cereal that had sodden miserably in her bowl into her mouth, and forced herself to keep chewing, even if she wasn't sure sh
At the earliest hours of the morning, 5:45 AM, Zoe's eyes suddenly parted open as if some sort of realization hit her from her sleep. Her body felt heavier than usual, like she was sinking into the expensive mattress that had never quite felt like hers as she stared at the white ceilings above her face, which blinked against the pale lights that kicked from the floor-to-ceiling windows of her room. For some reason, as she lay on her bed, trying to grasp an unfamiliar feeling that somehow coursed through her body, she tried to comprehend why she felt a strange sense of relief even if she woke up to the sound of nothing. It was the first time in a long time that she had slept that long. She didn't even realize when she dozed off the previous night after she left the bathroom still lost in thoughts. But for the first time in weeks, she had slept. Straight hours without the endless turning, nightmares and incessant sleep breaks. She sat up slowly, pushing away her silk sheets that
Driving with an aggression and crazy speed, Isla floored on the accelerator of her car just moments as soon as the doors to the Meyers mansion swung open, and swerved in like a maniac under hot pursuit. Stepping out her car and grabbing her bag violently with her face scrunched up into a deep frown, she dropped her car keys on the floor as one of the butlers scrambled unsuccessfully below her to catch it fast. Not minding that her heels grinded on the poor man's hand, she stormed past and made her way into the mansion, the doors automatically opening at the sensing of her presence. With her heels clicking loudly against the polished shining floors as she walked past the huge first living room which had been desolate for quite a while because things were not quite the same with the people living in the mansion anymore, she began to climb the stairs that led to the hallway which was the way to her room. Turning swiftly to the right, Isla's eyes caught sight of her mother who was sta