Chapter 3
1423 Words
The boardroom remained silent after Elena's demand.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Elena could feel the weight of the room pressing against her, but she refused to let it show.
She had expected resistance.
She just hadn't expected it this quickly.
Daniel Cross slowly closed the file in front of him.
“Miss Sinclair, the financial records you're requesting contain confidential information.”
“I know.”
“Some of them are restricted to senior executives.”
Elena looked at him calmly.
“And I'm the probationary successor of this company.”
Daniel hesitated.
“That doesn't automatically give you unrestricted access.”
Before Elena could respond, Alexander spoke.
“She has access.”
Daniel turned toward him.
“Mr. Sinclair—”
“You heard me.”
Alexander's voice was quiet.
“But she should understand something.”
Elena looked at him.
“Information isn't power,” he said. “Knowing what to do with it is.”
Elena nodded.
“Then I'll figure out what to do with it.”
Alexander leaned back.
“Good.”
Victor gave a faint smile.
“You seem confident.”
Elena turned toward him.
“Shouldn't I be?”
“You're asking questions about a project you knew nothing about twenty-four hours ago.”
“Exactly.”
Her answer caught him off guard.
“I don't know anything about it yet,” Elena continued. “That's why I'm asking questions.”
Victor's smile disappeared.
Damien remained silent.
Rebecca Hart watched Elena carefully.
Then she spoke.
“You have twelve months.”
Elena turned toward her.
“Exactly twelve months.”
Rebecca nodded.
“At the end of those twelve months, the board will determine whether you are fit to lead the Black Empire.”
“I understand.”
“You won't be judged on effort.”
“I know.”
“You won't be judged on your family name.”
“I know.”
“And if you fail, the board will choose another successor.”
Elena's fingers tightened around the edge of the folder.
“Who?”
Rebecca glanced toward Alexander.
Alexander answered.
“That decision will be made if and when the time comes.”
Elena understood.
There were already people waiting for her to fail.
She didn't need to ask who they were.
She could see it in their eyes.
Alexander stood.
“The meeting is over.”
Chairs moved around the table.
Executives gathered their files.
Elena remained seated for a moment.
She looked at the documents in front of her.
Twelve months.
Three hundred and sixty-five days.
That sounded like a long time.
But after seeing how quickly the room had turned against her, she wasn't sure it was enough.
She stood.
As she reached the door, Alexander called her name.
“Elena.”
She turned.
“Come to my office.”
He walked away without waiting for an answer.
Elena followed.
His office occupied the highest executive floor of the tower.
It was enormous without being extravagant.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked Manhattan.
Alexander stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the city.
“You were uncomfortable in there.”
Elena crossed her arms.
“Of course I was.”
“Good.”
She frowned.
“Good?”
“If you ever become comfortable in that room, you become dangerous.”
Elena studied him.
“Is that supposed to be advice?”
“It is.”
She walked closer.
“Then give me the truth.”
Alexander turned.
“About what?”
“Why me?”
He said nothing.
“You chose me over Damien,” Elena continued. “He's been working for the company for years. He's qualified. He's experienced. He understands the business.”
“He does.”
“Then why?”
Alexander walked toward his desk.
“Because knowing how to run a business isn't the same as knowing how to lead one.”
“That still doesn't answer my question.”
“It will.”
“When?”
“When you're ready to understand the answer.”
Elena sighed.
“You're frustrating.”
“I've been told.”
She almost smiled.
Then Alexander's expression became serious.
“You have twelve months, Elena.”
“I know.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“You don't.”
Elena looked at him.
“You think twelve months is an opportunity.”
He paused.
“It is also a test.”
“A test of what?”
“Everything.”
The word settled heavily between them.
“Your judgment. Your loyalty. Your ability to make difficult decisions. Your ability to recognize people who want something from you.”
Elena's expression changed.
“And if I fail?”
“You've already asked me that.”
“I want to hear your answer again.”
Alexander looked directly into her eyes.
“If you fail, I will not stop the board from replacing you.”
Elena swallowed.
“And you'll just let me lose everything?”
“I'll let you learn what losing feels like.”
She stared at him.
For a moment, she was angry.
Then she understood.
Her grandfather wasn't promising to protect her.
He was promising not to.
That realization frightened her more than the probation itself.
Alexander walked back to his desk and picked up another file.
“There is something else.”
Elena accepted it.
“This contains the official structure of your probation.”
She opened it.
Her eyes moved across the first page.
MONTH ONE: ASSESSMENT AND RESTRUCTURING
MONTH TWO: OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT
MONTH THREE: FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
The requirements continued.
Every month had a different objective.
Every quarter contained a formal board review.
And at the end of the twelve months, the final evaluation would determine her future.
Elena slowly looked up.
“This is much bigger than I thought.”
Alexander nodded.
“You're not being given twelve months to sit behind a desk.”
She looked back at the file.
“What exactly do you expect from me?”
“I expect you to lead.”
“How am I supposed to lead an empire when half the executives don't even believe I belong here?”
Alexander's eyes sharpened.
“That's your problem to solve.”
Elena laughed once.
“Of course it is.”
“You wanted the truth.”
“I did.”
“Then understand this.”
Alexander leaned forward.
“Some people will smile at you while planning your failure.”
Elena's expression hardened.
“Victor?”
“I didn't name anyone.”
“Daniel?”
“I didn't name anyone.”
“Then how am I supposed to know who to trust?”
Alexander gave her a quiet look.
“You aren't.”
She stared at him.
“You don't know who to trust until they give you a reason to.”
Elena closed the file.
“Then I'll find out.”
Alexander nodded.
“That is the Elena I was expecting.”
She turned toward the door.
But before she could leave, Alexander spoke again.
“One more thing.”
She looked back.
“Your first evaluation is tomorrow.”
Elena frowned.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“I thought the first evaluation was at the end of the month.”
“It is.”
“Then why are you saying tomorrow?”
Alexander's expression was almost amused.
“Because tomorrow you will be meeting someone who will have considerable influence over your first assignment.”
Elena waited.
“Who?”
Alexander didn't answer immediately.
Then he said,
“Adrian Vale.”
Her eyebrows lifted.
The name was familiar.
Everyone in New York's corporate world knew Adrian Vale.
Thirty-four.
Billionaire.
CEO of Vale International.
One of the most aggressive businessmen in the country.
And the head of a company that competed directly with the Black Empire.
Elena frowned.
“Why would Adrian Vale have anything to do with my probation?”
Alexander's expression became unreadable.
“You'll find out tomorrow.”
He returned his attention to the documents on his desk.
The conversation was clearly over.
Elena walked out.
As the elevator doors closed behind her, she looked down at the probation file in her hands.
Twelve months.
It suddenly felt less like a period of time and more like a battlefield.
And somewhere on the other side of that battlefield was Adrian Vale.
A man she had never met.
A man her grandfather had deliberately placed in her path.
Elena had no idea why.
But she intended to find out.
End of Chapter 3
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