Chapter five
1072 Words
Chapter 5
Maya's first morning as CEO of Hartwell Industries started at six.
she woke up and could'nt go back to sleep, she lay in the dark for twenty minutes listening to the city outside and then got up, made coffee, sat at her kitchen table with her laptop open and started reading.
Financial reports, staff structure, client contracts, supplier agreements, she had studied most of it already during the three weeks she spent preparing but reading it now felt different, now it was hers to answer for, every number on every page had her name behind it.
She was on her third cup of coffee when her phone rang, David,
"It's six fifteen," she said when she answered,
"I know, I haven't slept, are you sitting down,"
"Yes,"
"Victor Ade called a private dinner for tonight, six of the city's biggest investment players, I have a source inside his office who owed me a favour," David said, "Elena is going to be there and the agenda is you,"
Maya set down her cup, "Already,"
"She's fast, between them these men have influence over half the corporate funding in this city, if Elena convinces them to pull support from companies that do business with Chen International it creates real pressure, it won't show up in a balance sheet but you'll feel it,"
"Who's on the guest list,"
David read the names, Maya listened without interrupting, she knew most of them by reputation, careful men who did not take risks without very good reason,
"Send me everything your source has,"
"Already sent,"
She opened her email, read the attachment while they were still on the phone, names, business interests, current partnerships,
"David," she said,
"Yes,"
"Patrick Osei and James Lim, Chen International helped restructure their companies eighteen months ago when they were close to collapse, my grandfather's team negotiated directly with their boards,"
David was quiet for a second and then laughed, low and slow, "She walked into that dinner not knowing that two of her guests owe their companies to your family,"
"She doesn't know who I really am yet, she knows I'm the ex-wife who took the CEO chair, she doesn't know what Chen International has actually done in this city,"
"So let her run the dinner,"
"Let her run it," Maya said, "let her make her case and then let the truth do what truth does, I'm going to call Osei and Lim this morning, just a courtesy introduction, nothing dramatic,"
"And when Elena sits across from them tonight,"
"They'll remember who helped them when they needed it,"
David was quiet for a moment, "You remind me of my mother sometimes, she never raised her voice, she just waited and the thing she was waiting for always happened,"
"Go get some sleep David,"
"Call me after you speak to Osei,"
"Yes,"
She hung up and sat back and looked at the window, the sun was fully up now and she could hear the city through the glass, steady and indifferent.
She picked up her phone and dialled Patrick Osei,
He answered on the third ring, warm and slightly surprised, "Miss Chen, I was going to call you myself this week to congratulate you,"
"Thank you Mr Osei, I won't take much of your time, I just wanted to say that Chen International intends to honour every existing relationship in this city, if anything we hope to build on what's already there,"
"We are very glad to hear that," he said, and there was genuine feeling in it, "your grandfather's team was extraordinarily generous to us eighteen months ago, my board has not forgotten it,"
"That means a great deal, I hope we can meet properly soon,"
"My door is always open to you,"
She called James Lim next, shorter but the warmth was the same, by the time she hung up something had settled quietly inside her, she had not fought Elena, had not threatened anyone, she had simply reminded two good men of a truth they already knew,
She arrived at the office at eight thirty.
The receptionist looked up and there was a half second of uncertainty, the kind that happens when people are not sure yet what the new order looks like, Maya smiled at her, unhurried,
"Good morning," Maya said,
"Good morning Miss Chen, welcome, can I get you anything,"
"Coffee please, and let the department heads know I'd like a brief meeting at ten, nothing formal, just introductions,"
"Of course,"
She walked to the executive floor, to the office that used to be Richard's, the furniture was heavy and dark and she was going to change it but not today, today was about people.
She sat down and worked,
At nine fifteen her office door opened without a knock.
Lucas stood in the doorway wearing a dark suit, he had shaved, he looked better than the last time she saw him but his eyes gave him away, the kind of tired that sleep does not touch.
"You have an office on the tenth floor," Maya said without looking up,
"I know,"
"This is the fifteenth,"
"I know that too," he said, he didn't move from the doorway, "I just wanted to see if you were real, sitting in that chair, I kept thinking I had imagined the whole thing,"
Maya looked up at him, held his gaze and said nothing,
"I'm not here to cause trouble," Lucas said, "I'm not here to ask you for anything, I just wanted to say that I think you're going to be good at this, better than I ever was, and I think that's exactly what this company needs,"
Maya looked at him for a long moment.
"Close the door on your way out," she said quietly,
He nodded once and pulled the door shut behind him,
Maya sat still after he left, she looked at the city outside the window, the life she was building inside this world that had broken her once and was now hers to run.
Her phone buzzed, David,
How did the calls go
She typed back, exactly as they should have.
His reply was immediate, Elena doesn't know what's coming.
Maya set the phone down and went back to work,
Outside the city moved the way it always did, and inside this office on the fifteenth floor Maya Chen was becomi
ng someone none of them had seen coming.
Least of all herself.
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