A Contract Called Love

CHAPTER 2:THE MORGANS TAKEOVER

Mia stepped into the office at 8:40 that morning, she immediately knew that something had changed.

She just hadn't expected it to be this much.

The reception area looked very different. A lot of chairs had been moved, the waiting area had been rearranged, and the cream-colored walls were repainted in shades of gray and deep blue.

The familiar Crest Corp logo was gone.

In its place stood a large silver sign, still covered with a dark cloth.

She slowed down, staring at it.

“What happened here?”

A few employees nearby turned towards her.

They were standing in small groups, talking among themselves. Some held coffee cups, while others carried folders and laptops as they tried to figure out where they were supposed to sit.

One of them let out a laugh.

“You haven't heard?”

“Heard what?”

“They're restructuring everything.”

She looked around again.

“Already?”

“It started yesterday, immediately after the meeting.”

She frowned. “So sudden.”

“Apparently, that's all Adrian Morgan needed.”

Another employee joined the conversation.

“They're changing the departments, moving teams around, bringing in new equipment. I heard they're even changing the entire reporting system.”

Mia stared at them.

“They've done all this overnight?”

“Pretty much.”

Mia tightened her grip on her bag.

She had expected changes immediately after the acquisition, of course. She just hadn't expected the company to look completely different before most of them even had the chance to process what had happened.

“Do we even know what's going on?” Mia asked.

“Not really. HR said there will be a meeting by ten.”

“By ten?”

She nodded. “With the new CEO.”

Mia glanced around the office once more before heading toward my desk.

Even my workspace had been shifted slightly.

She put her bag down and looked at the unfamiliar surroundings.

Crest Corp had been her workplace for a year and a half, now it felt like she had walked into a completely different company.

At ten o'clock, all employees were called into Conference Room B for a meeting.

By then, almost everyone had gathered.

The room was filled up and the staff were discussing among themselves until the doors opened.

Adrian Morgan walked in.

The room fell silent.

His expression was calm, almost relaxed, despite the fact that he had walked into a room filled with employees waiting to hear what would happen to their jobs.

He reached the front of the room and looked around.

“Good morning.”

Few people returned the greeting.

“I know many of you have questions,” he said. “And you deserve answers.”

He paused.

“So let's start there.”

He explained the acquisition first.

Crest Corp would now operate under a new name; Meridian Group.

The company wasn't being downsized.

It was expanding.

“We're going after larger clients,” Adrian explained. “That means our structure needs to change. We're going to create specialized departments, improve our internal systems, build teams capable of handling larger accounts and employ more staff.”

He clicked the remote.

A presentation appeared on the screen.

The first slide showed the new company structure.

“Marketing will be divided into three primary divisions: Brand, Digital, and Accounts.”

A few employees began taking notes.

“There will also be changes within each department,” Adrian continued. “New team leaders, new reporting structures, and clearer responsibilities.”

Someone raised a hand.

“What does this mean for our current positions?”

Adrian looked toward the employee.

“Your positions remain. We're restructuring the company, not eliminating employees.”

The room relaxed slightly.

“There will be opportunities for advancement,” he added.

“And where the workload increases, compensation and performance bonuses will reflect that.”

That earned a few smiles.

He continued explaining the changes, including new client expectations, revised workflows, and the company's plans for expansion.

Adrian smiled slightly.

“I promise, we're not trying to make anyone miserable.”

That earned a small laugh from the room.

For the first time since he'd entered, the atmosphere felt lighter.

At the end of the meeting, he looked around the room.

“I know change can be uncomfortable. But I'm not interested in simply putting my name on this company. I want to build something bigger with the people already here.”

His gaze moved across the room.

“If you have ideas, bring them forward. If you have concerns, speak to your team leaders or HR.”

The meeting ended shortly afterward.

As everyone filed out, the room slowly filled with conversations again. People still had questions, but at least they knew what was coming.

Mia walked back to her desk with Clara beside her.

“So,” she said, “what do you think?”

“About what?” Mia asked.

Clara gave her a look.

“Adrian Morgan.”

She glanced toward the hallway where he'd disappeared.

“I don't know yet.” Mia replied, looking very confused.

She smiled.

“You're avoiding the question.”

“I really don't know.”

Clara laughed.

“Fine. I'll let you pretend.”

She rolled her eyes.

The rest of the day passed quietly. There were no more meetings, no dramatic announcements, and thankfully, no more surprises. Mia spent most of the afternoon trying to understand how the new structure would affect my department. By the time she was ready to leave, she had almost forgotten about the man who had caused all the changes.

Almost.

She was packing her things when a voice came from beside her desk

“How are you settling in?”

“It’s been a lot of change,” Mia admitted.

“You seem to be handling it well.”

“I'll manage.”

Adrian studied her for a moment. There was something about her calmness that caught his attention.

“I believe you will.”

He gave a small nod and walked away.

Mia watched him disappear down the hallway, wondering why such a simple conversation had left her strangely unsettled.

He didn't behave like someone who had simply purchased a company but behaved like someone who had a plan for it. Somehow, she suspected they hadn't seen even half of it yet.

The next day, she arrived earlier than usual.

Employees moved between departments carrying files and laptops, while managers hurried toward the elevators. There was a different energy in the building now. Everyone knew the restructuring was only the beginning.

By noon, the entire company had been called into another meeting. This time, it was for every department.

Conference Room B was packed.

Adrian stood at the front with the new organizational chart displayed behind him.

“Now that you've seen the direction we're taking as a company,” he began, “it's time to explain how we're going to operate internally.”

He introduced the three main divisions: Brand, Digital, and Accounts.

Then came the team leaders.

Names appeared on the screen one after another.

When Mia saw the name beneath Brand, her stomach tightened.

Brand Team Leader: Selena Rowe.

And beneath her name were the members of her team.

She stared at the screen.

Selena.

My new team leader.

Adrian continued explaining the new reporting structure, deadlines, client communication procedures, and expectations.

“Starting this week,” he said, “all clients facing work must go through your team leader first. No exceptions. We need consistency across every department.”

His eyes moved across the room.

For half a second, they landed on Mia.

“Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” everyone answered.

“Good.”

The meeting lasted nearly an hour.

By the time Mia returned to my desk, she already felt exhausted.

A few minutes later, a woman stopped beside my desk.

“Team meeting,” she said.

Mia looked up.

Selena Rowe.

“My desk. Ten minutes.”

Then she walked away.

Mia gathered her things and followed her.

For the first time since the takeover, she had the feeling that things were about to become a little more complicated. Somehow, she suspected Adrian Morgan was only the beginning.

“No mistakes. No excuses.”

Selena smiled.

“Good. I'm sure you'll deliver something amazing. Adrian really believes in giving new people a chance to prove themselves.”

Something about the way she said it made the words feel less encouraging than they were supposed to.

And that was how my second day under Adrian Morgan began.

Mia was disappointed that Clara wasn't on her team. She would miss having her nearby throughout the day, and now the only time we could meet was during lunch. Still, she forced herself to focus, after all, she had survived worse things than a new team. She just hoped she would be able to work smoothly with her new colleagues.

By the time Mia got home that evening, she had no energy left.

She changed into comfortable clothes, dropped her bag beside the couch, and stared at her phone for a few seconds before calling Clara.

She answered almost immediately.

“Please tell me you have food.”

She laughed.

“Hello to you too.”

“Hello. Now answer the important question.”

“You have a kitchen.”

“I do. Unfortunately, my kitchen and I are currently not on speaking terms.”

“You're impossible.”

“And yet you called me.”

She had a point.

“Come over,” Mia said. “I'll order something.”

“Now you're speaking my language.”

She arrived less than half an hour later, carrying her handbag over one shoulder and wearing the satisfied expression of someone who had already decided she was going to get every detail about my new department and team members.

They settled on the couch with their food between them.

For a while, they talked about everything except work.

Clara spent nearly ten minutes complaining about her older brother.

“My brother is honestly the most irritating person alive,” she said. “I asked him to pick me up yesterday, and he told me he was too busy. Two hours later, I saw him at a restaurant with his friends.”

Mia laughed. “Maybe it was a business meeting.”

“He was eating fries.”

“That could still be business.”

“He was wearing shorts.”

“Very professional.”

“Exactly!”

We both burst out laughing.

Clara shook her head. “And then he came home and asked why I didn't call him when I needed a ride.”

“Didn't you call him?”

“Of course I did. He ignored me.”

“Then why are you surprised?”

“Because he's my annoying elder brother. I'm supposed to complain about him.”

Mia laughed again.

She looked at me for a moment before suddenly snapping her fingers.

“Oh, my bad.”

“What?”

“I almost forgot.”

She turned toward me.

“I need to introduce you to my family properly. I've told them so much about you.”

A smile immediately spread across my face.

“You have?”

“Of course. My mum knows all about you. Even my younger sister keeps asking when you're coming over.”

Mia felt something warm settle in her chest.

“I'd love to meet them.”

“Good. One day you will.”

“Okay.”

She reached for another piece of food.

Then, almost casually, she asked, “Do you ever talk about your family?”

Mia’s smile faded.

I looked down at my hands.

“I miss them.”

Clara's expression changed.

“Your family?”

Mia nodded.

“My mum and my younger brothers.”

The room became quiet.

A few moments earlier, we had been laughing about her brother. Now I could barely look at her.

Clara hesitated before asking softly, “Where are they?”

Mia swallowed.

“They're in another city.”

“And your dad?”

The question was gentle, but it still made something inside me tighten.

“My family is in another city,” Mia repeated.

Clara immediately understood that she didn't want to say more.

She looked down.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked.”

“You don't have to apologize.”

“I didn't mean to make you sad.”

“You didn't.”

But they both knew it wasn't entirely true.

She had simply touched a part of Mia that was already tender.

Clara shifted closer.

“I just hate that I brought sadness into the middle of our laughter.”

Mia gave her a small smile.

“You didn't. I just miss them.”

She nodded quietly.

Then she bumped her shoulder against mine.

“Well, until you can see them again, you have me.”

Mia looked at her.

“And unfortunately,” she added, “you also have my annoying brother.”

Mia laughed.

“There she is,” she said, smiling. “I was beginning to think I'd ruined the whole evening.”

“You almost did.”

“Almost?”

Mia nodded.

“Your brother is still annoying enough to fix it.”

She gasped.

“Finally. Someone understands me.”

They both laughed again.

For the first time since the takeover, the weight of the last two days loosened from her shoulders.

Clara hadn't forced her to explain what she wasn't ready to explain. She had simply stayed beside her and allowed the sadness to pass without making it bigger than it needed to be.

Mia's phone buzzed on the table.

Clara glanced at it.

“Is that work?”

Mia picked it up.

An email from Selena Rowe.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Wait.”

Mia turned the phone over.

“No.”

She stared at me.

“You're a terrible liar.”

“Eat your food.”

Clara laughed before leaning back against the couch.

“So what do you think about the CEO?”

Mia stared at her for a second.

“Adrian Morgan?”

“Yes. Who else?”

Mia looked away.

For a few minutes, Adrian Morgan was nothing more than a topic of conversation between two friends sitting on a couch.

Mia didn't know then that his name would eventually become much more than that. Much more than a CEO, much more than her boss.

And certainly much more than the man who had bought her workplace.

Sooner or later, they would have to face the past.

And when they did, they would all be left with a choice. A choice that could either make or break.