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 look nervous, Ivy. Do you want to ruin this recital?" Isla muttered irritatedly as she strode into the dressing room, where Ivy was sitting with her head hung down. She was dressed in a beautiful, moonlit white silk dress, which was adorned with intricate laces, embroidery and shiny pearls, which shimmered under the bright light in the room. She looked like a broken celestial being in her seated position, as she raised her eyes, which mirrored deep sadness. "Why wouldn't I be, Isla? You know that I shouldn't be sitting here. I shouldn't! I am not ready for this!" Ivy clamoured angrily to her sister, even when she knew that there was nothing that she could do about it. "Since when have you not been ready?! Since you spent more than one year lazing around while your mates were climbing at the peak of their music careers?!" Ivy glared contemptuously at her with no words to say to her, because she would not have come there in the first place if their mother had not asked her to c
Things had gone crazy just one day after Ivy had been exposed, and was arrested after her recital for fraudulent charges involved in her career. Though she was released in less than two hours after her arrest because of her family's favor, her image had taken the worst turn on the internet as people tore her to pieces with their words. To make everything worse and unbearable, Malcolm and his assistant, who usually took care of messes like that effortlessly, were on a business trip. It made things even worse than they were supposed to be. The incident also caused a lot of losses for them because they had to refund everyone that paid the expensive ticket prices, the hall that was rented for hundreds, and the fine that was paid to bail her out and settle everything. Still, her image had taken a tank on social media, as she became a face for frustrated people to lash at. Especially those that didn't know her before, but heard she was part of a multi-billionaire conglomerate family. "
A stunning young lady alighted from the luxurious white car which pulled in front of the tall, majestic, imposing six-star hotel, with her every move exuding grace and authority. Dressed in a tailored designer suit that accentuated her figure and elegance, Zoe made her way into the building casually, with Gary close to her. No one in the hotel was informed of her presence as wished, and she made her way inside without drawing too much attention to her arrival. As she walked through the hotel's grand lobby, she could not help but draw attention to herself, regardlessly, even if many didn't realize who she was. Zoe took her time to examine and observe everything that was going on in the hotel, as she and Gary took the elevator together, while he explained everything that she needed to know about the hotel as one of their newest subsidiary companies. He showed her everything from the presidential suites, to the fine dining restaurants, spa, gym, private beach and golf course club cent
Zoe tiredly made her way home after a long and hectic day she spent at the hotel, observing every account statement of Pheng Hotel for the past months. It turned out that there was some mismatch of transaction numbers when she singlehandedly did the calculations herself, and the director, Mr. Mark was given an ultimatum of three days to fix everything that had gone wrong in the records. Failure to do that would land him in jail.With all the strength in her, she entered her room and kicked off her heels with a heavy sigh, while rubbing her temples with a circular and gentle motion. It was to seek relief from the persistent ache that throbbed in her eyes and head. Barely stepping out of her dress, she slumped onto the softness of her bed as it made a light dip from her weightless body, and craved the solace of rest beckoning to her weary body. Her mind moved in a daze, which was dulled by the persistent fatigue that clung to her relentlessly, and her mind wandered back to the thoughts
Meanwhile, Isla, who was the last to catch sight of what was going on as she was too engrossed in her explanation, froze momentarily the moment her eyes came in contact with Zoe. Instantly, the bright smile on her lips died and her eyes widened in bewilderment. She never in her entire life would have expected to see Zoe attend her art exhibition, since the last time they met was the day she took over her company through Mason's help. The memories of their past encounters, rivalries, and deep-stemming hatred flared in her mind as her heart skipped so hard. ‘What was this bitch doing here?! Why was she here?!’ Isla almost lost it on the spot as her entire body began to shake uncontrollably, while her fists clenched hard in anger the more she stared at Zoe from where she stood. As their eyes locked for a few seconds, Zoe paused, just long enough for Isla to savor the effect of her presence, with amusement dancing in her gaze, before she tore her gaze away and channeled her attention t
It was RINASHONE’s first art exhibition of the year, and the halls of the grand hall of the huge art gallery which was shining with the beautiful lights that radiated from the crystal chandeliers off the polished marble floors, were abuzz, and filled with A-list socialites that had been invited for the grand event. All perfect preparations had been made in the space of a few weeks after Isla became the new director, and all that was left for the art exhibition was to be a wonderful and satisfying one where both the host's and guests' needs would be met. The walls of the huge art hall were lined with bold splashes of abstract colors, still life paintings, and realistic portraits of serene landscapes by renowned popular artists, which garnered attention from the guests. They were amazed by the beauty of each wonderful painting, while muttering a few words to one another and exchanging pleasantries, only to be interrupted by the host of the exhibition, who had a big smile on her face.
Unable to sleep the entire night, Zoe ran through her whole schedule for the day and the ones for the next few days, as she worked tirelessly with a virtual assistant she also hired remotely. The next morning, Dylan was already waiting outside the house for her together with the chauffeur this time, and they barely said anything to each other except exchange pleasantries. “Thank you, Dylan,” Zoe finally remembered as she sat back in the car, while going through her schedule for the day which Zara had forwarded already. It was almost like she hadn't gone through a mental breakdown the previous day. “For yesterday,” she added after pausing for a few seconds, as if trying to process the remainder of the information she wanted to pass across to him even if she knew what she wanted to say. “It is my pleasure, ma'am,” Dylan answered, unsure if he should be appreciated for that. It wasn't an obligation. He just wanted to do it. “It is Zoe. Just Zoe,” she corrected for the nth time, even
Nothing made sense even more after the curiosity that took Zoe back to her home led her to hear new information, and she had to confirm using whatever unnoticeable means she could to get information about the two legendary friends. Her mother, Emily, and her friend, Jasmine. ‘Was Jasmine really pregnant as rumored then?’ She wondered, ‘But the other aged people she asked said Jasmine returned to the countryside after the rumor and lived there for about three more years, but they saw no child with her? What then happened?’ She was restless in her thoughts. Dylan drove the car while she sat at the back, silent and still, her heart aching with even more confusion. She sat back against the car seat and stared blankly outside the car, unable to even think properly if she wanted to. More than anything, she felt so lonely. She felt like she had no family or anyone to turn to. As much as she thrived and was happy at her magnanimous success in the eyes of others, her heart felt no warmth to
The lonely roads that Dylan drove the car through, which were bordered by the scene of the beautiful sea around now seemed much more familiar now that Zoe was returning there again, than the first time she came there without her memories months ago.The town was covered with gentle hues of late autumn as they arrived at their destination, and the earthly scent of fallen peonies lingered in the air, giving her a nostalgic thrill of the childhood she spent there, living with her grandmother. The one she now remembered. As she stepped out of the car, her eyes caught the first sight of the huge oak tree she had sat beneath the day she came, and the same cobblestone streets she had walked on with confusion in her eyes. They were the moments she felt like a fool and was confused with no one to give her direction or a sense of belonging. The heartbreaking moments when everyone she had once known when she was young, denied remembering her grandmother or her when she asked them.The reason f
The air in Malcolm's office was filled with so much tension the moment he let his sister, who had come to momentarily disrupt his schedule, in. It had been days since they saw each other, ever since the unfortunate incident that almost cost her life. He had been expecting that she would come to see him after the information he had gotten about what she had been up to for the past few days, and unlike before, he didn't even give her the chance to speak first, before he lashed at her. “Do not come and shout in my office like you have been going around doing!” He warned gravely as soon as she stormed into his office, with all of her entirety quivering uncontrollably. “You know well that I should not keep calm at all!” She glared at him, “You of all people, know that I deserve to rant. At least if you treated me like trash, I should have one thing for myself!” “Why, in the name of everything sane, do you keep running back to fight with them?!” he demanded, his words seething with ange
Malcolm Meyer sat on the plush leather armchair in the living room of his new home in a faraway estate from the city that whispered wealth in every detail, from the vaulted ceilings which held huge modern diamond five-tier chandelier whose lights art reflected on the ebony floors of the huge mansion, to the floor-to-ceiling windows and perfect walls that were lined with first editions arts and rare artifacts.For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he allowed himself to sink into the quiet of his living room right after he returned from work and took a warm bath, instead of retiring to his room as usual. As he swirled the colorless wine in the wine glass he was holding and took a slow sip at each unconsciously calculated rhythm, his thoughts could not help but drift to the one person he had seen by chance earlier that day at a conference meeting. And even though they didn't get the chance to talk, and he just got to watch her from afar, he was relieved that she had risen f
Dressed in a white silk robe that blinked and waved smoothly in the direction of the wind, Irina Meyer lounged on the chaise longue in her private suite at Le AVARSON wellness resort, as she basked in the lights of the sun's rays that seeped in through the wide, floor-to-ceiling windows. On her right was a crystal glass filled with freshly pressed grapefruit juice on the side table, and right before her face was a fashion magazine which she buried her eyes in, as her right hand occasionally flipped to the next page. However, her mind was barely on what she was reading. It was deep in the thoughts of the confrontation with Andre earlier in her room that morning, and the words she hadn't expected that she would say to him. Though she felt a little guilty that she had smacked him hard with the bitter truth, her face scrunched up with the unwillingness to go and appease him as she continued to enjoy the peaceful repose of her environment. Irina was just beginning to let the peace of t
The door to the room slammed open with a crack like thunder, and Andre emerged from his room, his face a storm of furrowed brows and clenched jaws. The sound of his shoes clacked so hard as he strode down the hallway that led to Irina''s room, his breath coming out in uneven huffs, and his hands balling into fists at his sides. There was a wild urgency in his eyes amid a simmering frustration that seemed to radiate off him like heat, as he burst into his mother’s room without knocking. Irina, who was in her dressing room while getting ready to step out for an anniversary event, was visibly startled by the noise of the abrupt entrance in her room, as she rushed out instantly to see what the ruckus was all about. “Mother!” He called sharply, “Who else had been to that room?!” He demanded heavily, his voice heavy with anger and anxiety. “What do you mean?” Irina scrunched her eyebrows up in confusion, as she stared at him with questioning eyes, almost stumbling against the large s