Her Stolen Memories

3- Meeting Michael

The heavy man did not wait around for the security to come and drag him away. He just turned on his feet and rushed out of the building on his own. Once he was out of Aana's sight, Amelia grabbed her hand and led her to the personal lift that took them straight to the top floor of the building, to the CEO's office.

The elevator had white marble walls, a silver handrail, and no buttons. Amelia pressed her hand against a small glass panel. A sensor read her fingerprints, verified her, and activated the elevator. The doors slid shut and the elevator rose to the eighth floor without stopping. Nobody else ever used it. Nor did it ever stop at any of the other floors in the building.

"Now that you are back, we will have it verified with your prints as well for convenience." Amelia smiled at Aana, "When you had... gotten sick, we had to replace your fingerprints with your dad and mine since it takes only two people verification. Now that you are here, we will kick your dad out the list."

Aana grinned at her mother. Aana had noticed how Amelia always refrained from talking about Aana's accident and had ordered everyone as well to not dare mention it. The deadly accident a year ago, which had left her bedridden with many broken bones, had indeed been a very hard time for her family, as she had been told. Not only financially, since the investors in the company had started to pull back their payments, assuming Aana was as good as dead, which had caused Reed Cements a loss of millions, but also emotionally.

The elevator came to a halt, only to be opened directly into the CEO's private office, a huge room occupying the corner of the building with floor-to-ceiling windows giving views in two directions: Fifth Avenue to the east, Central Park just a few blocks north. The two remaining walls contained a door, a low bookshelf, and a single oil painting - a vase of flowers by Vincent van Gogh.

The black glass surface of Aana's desk was equally uncluttered: a computer, a leather notebook, and a framed photograph of her mom, dad, and grandpa with her before the accident.

"We did not change anything." Amelia beamed while walking towards the chocolate colored, leather couch in the middle of the room, "We wanted you to feel welcomed. Everything is as you had left it. Ready for you to manage however you want it to be."

"That is great, thank you." Aana murmured while roaming her eyes upon every little thing inside the room. 

It was hard for her. She knew that the accident was not her fault but still, not having any memory of her past, not knowing anybody, not realizing what she did and what she was supposed to do, it scared her. The thought of appearing as an i***t in front of thousands of her employees, the humiliation, the nervousness, the shame she would feel was already scaring her.

Nothing seemed like it belonged to her, nothing felt like it was made for her. She had stepped out of her home only to be landed in a complete new corporate world where everybody was her enemy, and every person was a competitor.

A knock on the main doors of the office broke her reverie.

"Come in." Aana said, curious to know who was on the other side since they had just stepped inside themselves.

The black, glass doors opened only to reveal a tall, thin man walking inside the room.

Amelia immediately shot to her feet, walking towards Aana as the tall man approached them. He was in a suit, blonde hair, but a lot lighter than of Aana's dirty blonde color.

"Michael." Amelia greeted him in a cold tone as he came to stand in front of them.

"Mrs. Reed." Michael said respectively while his eyes slid to Aana and a small smile tugged at his lips, "Welcome back, Ms. Reed."

Aana nodded at him respectively while trying to judge the position of the man. He looked about in his mid forties. The glasses resting over his sharp, long nose were of a respected brand. Lower level employees would never be able to afford them, so the man was definitely of a higher position in the company.

"Aana, this is Michael, your personal assistant." Amelia described, "He has been with you since you joined the company and I am sure he will teach you everything again. You do not need to worry as long as he is beside you."

Michael's eyes widened in shock, "Mrs. Reed, I am sure of Ms. Reed's expertise in the feild." his gaze slid to Aana as pride filled his eyes, "She has defeated me in the business world while making decisions numerous times. I am sure she is going to do great."

A tint of pink covered Aana's cheek, not in pride, but in shame actually. The high expectations in the man's eyes for her were something that she was not sure she will be able to reach now. Her confidence level had gone down a pot hole after the accident, and the protective nature of her family where they had forbidden her to go anywhere without having someone beside her had not helped at all. In fact, it had made her more conscious of everything.

"Thank you." She replied gently, deciding to ignore the doubtful feelings.

"Michael," Amelia said while walking to the couch to sit and motioning at the smaller couch in front of her for Michael to take a seat, "We need to discuss something before Aana starts."

Aana came forward to take a seat beside Amelia, realizing what Amelia was about to discuss with Michael. And just as she had assumed, Amelia told Michael about Aana's loss of memories. Michael was in shock, Aana could see it as clear as day. 

"Now, just make sure to let Aana know of our clients, ongoing and previous projects, but yes, the big and important ones only, of course, and about our current financial status." Amelia ordered while standing up and walking out of the main door, "And please meet me out for a second."

Standing up, Michael silently followed Amelia, the look of disbelief still clouding his vision. Once he was out of the door, Amelia took him to the reception area where Michael seated to stay on back and call of Aana.

"Listen to me carefully," Amelia said as she turned around and faced him. Her eyes, the same color as Aana's glared down at him threateningly, "I want you to do your job silently and go home. There is not going to be any personal conversations, no mention of Aana's past, and no mention of her accident, you hear me?"