Follow the plan!

 Episode 13

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*Landon's house

        Landon kept staring the porridge slowly but his mind wasn't on it. He still couldn't get the look of Emily's face earlier out of his mind. He kept sighing and spacing out.

    "Ouch!" a drop of porridge splashed on his hand. He quickly put off the stove and put his hand in the sink letting the water cool it down.

        

        " It's just like that day..." He whispered to himself.

        

    <<<Flash back>>>

  Six years. Night 🌠

 "Hmmm, perfect. " Landon grinned as he looked at the building once more before locking it. He was about to mount his bike when his phone rang.

        

   "Uh?...em, I wonder why she's calling this late" he said smiling to himself, he cleared his throat and answered.

        

" Hi em, what's up I was just about to go home and..." He was still talking excitedly until Emily cut him off

        

 "Lan..." She called, her voice shaking, his eyes widened immediately.

        

 "Hello, Em, what's wrong?..." he tightened his hold on the phone already scared.

        

 " Lan...I...I need you Landon...am so scared right now" she whispered her voice barley audible.

" Emily!... what's wrong where are you?... I'll come get you just tell me where you're" he quickly mounted his bike bringing the engine back to life.

        

  " Okay just stay there I'll come get you" he said and hanged up. With an amazing speed he zoomed off.

        

*

*

 * Emily kept shaking as she bent down her head between her knees, 

" Em...am here..." Landon came breathing heavily, she managed to look up. Landon stared at her with shock on his face, she was looking so hazard and her clothes if called one was badly torn

        " Lan...what to do...what am I going to do now Landon..." She cried loudly bringing him out of his shock, he quickly removed his jacket, covered her and hugged her tightly while she cried heavily against his chest.

        

 " Shhh...just let it out...am here...am here for you em, just cry it all out" he comforted her patting her back gently.

        

        <<<Flash back ends>>>

*

*

* "Here have some porridge before you take your drugs" Landon said blowing breeze on the bowl of hot porridge.

        

" Thanks " Emily smiled weakly and ate it slowly, after that she took the drugs and Landon gave her the ginger tea.

        

 "Are you feeling better now" he asked and she nodded

        

 " Am okay now thank you" she said and he nodded.

       

 "Sleep some more okay, you need to recover your lost energy gosh...you face is so pale... right now you look like a ghost." He said touching her forehead and she smiled lightly

        

  " Okay then... I'll leave you to rest" he stood up his back turned on her.

        

" Why won't you ask?" She asked and he paused

 ************   

*

*

* Thompson industries 🏢

"So, you're saying out of everything...the only plan you and the planning department could think of...is me doing some charity work...does that even make sense!" Ryan yelled standing up angrily

        "People will think I'm just trying to buy a good reputation."

         "Please hear us out, boss" Tlyer said almost pleading, he knew boss wouldn't like the idea but right now that's the best solution.

Ryan scoffed

    "Save it, Tyler. I know how this works. I do some photo ops, donate some money, and suddenly I'm a saint? Please. People will see right through it."

The planning team exchanged concerned glances. 

"Boss, we understand your concerns but, please think about the bigger picture. You can make a real difference in people's lives. And who cares if some people think it's hypocritical? The ones who matter will see your sincerity." Mrs Sonia the planning department team leader spoke.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think I'm sincere? I'm only doing this because I have to, not because I want to."

  "That may be true boss. But sometimes, doing the right thing, even for the wrong reasons, can lead to genuine change, aren't I right?" Tlyer asked with a smile but Ryan glared at him making him choke on nothing 

Ryan scoffed,

        "Anyways I won't do it" he said folding his hands on his chest. Tlyer Shaked his head and the rest sighed

         "But, Boss, we've already lined up some great opportunities. You could visit the...." Mrs Sonia tried talking but he cut her off

 "No, no, no. I won't do any of that. It's all so...obvious. Think of something else." He said with a frown

The team exchanged nervous glances. They knew Ryan was a tough sell.

Then, Sofia another team member, spoke up, "Actually, Boss, I have an idea. Why don't you visit a kindergarten class?"

Ryan raised an eyebrow, "A kindergarten class? What's that supposed to do for my reputation?"

Sofia smiled, "It's genuine, Boss. You'll be interacting with kids who don't care about your reputation. They'll just see you as a visitor, and it could be really endearing."

Tyler nodded.

       "That's a great idea, SoFi! We have partnerships with several schools, and we could arrange for boss Ryan to visit a Kindergarten class."

Ryan looked at Tyler weirdly, 

Tyler continued, "It's a win-win, Boss. We have a stake in these schools, and it's a great opportunity for us to give back. Plus, anything with children is a trend nowadays."

Sarah, another team member, chimed in, "And children are a great barometer for genuineness. If Ryan can connect with them, it'll show the public that he's sincere."

Ryan scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Yeah, right. So, how do we promote our products while playing with kids?"

Tyler thought for a moment, "Well, we could donate some of our educational resources to the school like some educational tablets Or some child-friendly laptops with safety features? And we could also bring some digital cameras for the kids to take photos and learn about photography. It's a great way to encourage creativity and self-expression."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, "A product line for kids? That's not a bad idea. But I'm not going to dress up in some ridiculous costume or sing a cheesy song."

The team burst out laughing when Ryan said that 

  Tyler chuckled 

         "Don't worry, Boss, we won't subject you to that. Just be yourself and be sincere. That's all anyone can ask for."

Ryan nodded, slightly more at ease. "Fine, let's give it a try. But if I end up looking like a fool, I'm blaming all of you."

Tyler grinned. "Deal Boss! Now, let's get moving. It's almost time for your press conference."

Ryan sighed and stood up, smoothing out his suit. "Let's get this over with. "

Tyler handed him a folder with some notes. "Just stick to the script, and remember, sincerity is key. We'll handle the rest."

Ryan took a deep breath, nodded, and followed Tyler out of the room. 

        

*

*

The hall was packed with reporters and camera crews, all buzzing with anticipation. Ryan's press conference was highly publicized, and everyone was eager to see how he would address the recent controversies.

As Ryan entered the hall, a flurry of camera clicks and shouted questions greeted him. He made his way to the podium and adjusted the microphone, then cleared his throat.

       "Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for coming."

The room fell silent, with all eyes fixed on Ryan. He took a deep breath and began to speak, his voice confident and sincere.

"I know I've made mistakes in the past, and for that, I'm truly sorry. But I want to assure you that I'm committed to making things right. I'm committed to regaining your trust."He said sincerely

Reporter 1: "Mr Ryan, what about the allegations of bad business practices?"

Ryan: "I made mistakes. I let my ambition get in the way. I'm truly sorry and I'll make it right."

Reporter 2: "Are you only apologizing because you got caught?"

Ryan: "No, my apology is real. I've thought about what I did and I know I hurt people. I want to fix it and earn back trust."

Reporter 3: "What will you do to prevent this from happening again?"

Ryan: "We're creating new rules to be more transparent and honest. I'll also listen to feedback from our stakeholders."

Reporter 4: "Will you quit as CEO if the board asks you to?"

Reporter 4: "Will you resign as CEO?"

Ryan: "No, I won't. I'm committed to fixing my mistakes and leading the company forward."

Last Reporter: "Will you apologize to Mr. Trevor

The room fell silent. Ryan's eyes narrowed and he stared blankly ahead.

      Tyler's eyes widened and he checked the script, whispering, "What's going on? This wasn't part of the plan!"

The same reporter pressed on, "If you're truly sorry for your actions, apologize to Mr. Trevor right now, publicly."

Ryan's eyes turned cold as he stared at the reporter, he clenched his fits.

"I..."

        Tbc...

  Gosh will Ryan really apologize 😦.