Chapter 3~ Managing Director

"Father, I don't want to destroy this shopping mall, it was left to me by my mother, wasn't it? And this shopping center is very profitable. Also, Henry is an extraordinary man. He is so rich and so outstanding, I'm afraid he will not see me as a good partner if I have nothing to my name.

What if he annuls the marriage? After I marry Henry, I believe that he will help me run this shopping center. This is a great opportunity for the Smith family,” Roxanne reasoned with Kenneth and tried to persuade him.

She was not going to give up without a fight!

The area fell into silence as Roxanne waited with bated breath. Her future lay in what her father’s decision would be that day and he did not disappoint.

When Kenneth sighed again, Miriam’s heart skipped a beat. She forced a smile and asked him, “Honey, you’re not thinking of putting her in charge of the mall, are you?”

“I am… she’s right. The Fords won’t accept a wife with no proper qualities. Roxanne, you will be the managing director from now on-”

“What? She’s not qualified!” Miriam squeaked, dropping her façade.

Managing director? Roxanne didn't deserve such a high position. Only her daughter did!

When Kenneth glanced at Miriam with a questioning gaze, she quickly changed her demeanour and spoke gently, “I mean… don’t make such a rash decision, honey. This is a shopping complex we are talking about. We might lose clients and revenue if not managed well-”

“Don’t worry. Henry is a great businessman. I’m sure he will be able to help Roxanne run the shopping mall. He might even pump in more money and help us expand,” Kenneth said in a tone that hinted that the discussion was over.

Hatred flashed through Miriam’s eyes. She was pissed but she couldn’t do anything. There was a limit to what extent she could control Kenneth. Besides, she didn’t want him to suspect her if she continued to persist.

She would just look for a way to oust Roxanne in the future.

At the same time, Roxanne released a sigh of relief. Finally, she got the mall that was rightfully hers. Now she just had to make sure she took full control so that it didn’t end up in her stepmother’s hands.

…

A few days later…

Roxanne had settled into her new job as the shopping mall’s managing director.

One section of the mall had an RG department store which was divided into several stores selling products such as clothing, electronics, furnishings, footwear, toys, cosmetics and groceries.

The other section was for partnerships. Some stores were put on rent for the purpose of selling goods, others were for fancy restaurants. Others rented the stores for office space. This meant they would get revenue from the rentals and from the department store too.

Roxanne was patrolling the mall, inspecting it to make sure everything was running smoothly. She also wanted to see what she could work on and how she would increase the profits of the mall. After all, she wasn’t here to play.

Making large profits would make the board members favour her in the future.

She frowned as she looked around the place, “How come no one thought of adding a kid’s section in this mall? If we have restaurants or cafes with a kid’s area, we would attract a lot of families. Families spend a lot of money… what do you think, Sarah?”

“That’s a good idea, Miss Smith,” Sarah Stevens replied, pushing her glasses up her nose.

She was Roxanne’s assistant and so far, they were getting to know each other.

As they were patrolling the department clothing store, Roxanne happened to see Maya and Victor walk into the clothing store.

She cussed and muttered under her breath, “Great. Just the two people I wanted to see while at work.”

Roxanne didn’t have anything against the couple but she would rather not bump into them at all. 

She was about to walk out and avoid them but Maya’s words stopped her.

“Hey, you!” Maya pointed at a sales lady and ordered, “Pack this for me. And this… and this lingerie…”

She picked about twenty branded clothes and wanted to get them for free.

Roxanne furrowed her eyebrows when she witnessed this. She thought Maya had no shame at all. Didn’t she know such actions were bad for business?

Approaching the couple, she folded her arms across her chest. She glanced at them and said, “You have to pay for those clothes. We don’t offer freebies in my mall.”

Maya frowned when she was embarrassed in front of so many people. She glowered at Roxanne and screamed, “What right do you have to stop me? I’ve always gotten free things from this mall!”

“That was then, dear sis. Under my management, no one gets anything for free. Do you want the mall to go bankrupt?” Roxanne glanced at Victor and sneered, “Brother-in-law, if you want anything in my mall, you gotta pay for it. However, since you’re about to become family, I’ll give you a discount.”

After being addressed by his “useless” ex-fiancée, Victor’s eyes narrowed. ‘I never thought she could be this fierce. How dare she embarrass me like this?’

 He looked around and saw that many people were staring at them. If news got out that he failed to pay for clothes, his reputation would be ruined. In the world of business, reputation is very important. 

Victor Morgan was the CEO of the Morgan transport and logistics Company. He was arranged to marry Roxanne but after learning how she wasn’t favored at home, he decided to choose the woman who would bring value to him and that was her sister, Maya Smith.

He glared at Roxanne and scoffed,  "When did you take over the mall? How can you be so rude to your sister? Or are you jealous of her? Stop dreaming, I would still not marry you even without Maya's presence."

Roxanne tried not to roll her eyes. What a couple they were. She ignored his words and stretched out her hand, “Pay up, please. Or do you want me to call the police?"