Chapter 9 - Meetings
1779 Words
"I can't believe I fell asleep."
Lya buried her face in both hands.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye to anyone."
Beside her, Iskandar kept his eyes on the road.
Today was different.
Their parents had insisted that Lya join them for a full day of board meetings with directors, CEOs, shareholders and several key clients. Whether she liked it or not, it was time for her to understand how the family business worked beyond the walls of home.
Sooner or later...
She would become part of it.
"You did," Iskandar replied, stealing a brief glance at her.
Even dressed in formal office attire, Lya somehow still carried the same cheerful energy she always had. There was an effortless elegance about her that made people naturally look twice.
Lya frowned.
"I did?"
"Mhmm."
Iskandar fought hard to keep a straight face.
"I don't remember."
"You were asleep."
Lya let out a dramatic groan.
"Oh no."
"I embarrassed myself again, didn't I?"
That was enough.
A chuckle escaped him.
"You've done far more embarrassing things."
Lya gasped dramatically.
"Excuse me?"
"You were six."
"You climbed onto the dining table because you wanted everyone to admire your new princess dress."
"I was six."
"You also cried because Aidan refused to let you marry him."
Lya covered her face.
"I was FOUR!"
"Still counts."
She reached over and lightly smacked his arm.
"You're impossible."
"And you remember way too much."
A smile tugged at the corner of Iskandar's lips.
"I remember."
A comfortable silence settled between them.
Outside, the city slowly came to life.
Office workers hurried along the sidewalks while cafés welcomed the first wave of customers with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
Lya rested her head against the seat.
"I seriously can't believe I fell asleep."
"You always sleep early."
"I'm a morning person, Is."
"I know."
"I've been waking up before six since... forever."
"Five-thirty," Iskandar corrected.
Lya blinked.
"You remember that too?"
"You've never been able to sleep in."
She laughed softly.
"I guess some habits never change."
"No."
"They don't."
A few minutes later, Iskandar pulled into the private parking area beneath the headquarters.
The moment the engine stopped, he got out first and walked around to open Lya's door.
She stepped out gracefully, smoothing the front of her blazer before adjusting the strap of her handbag.
"Come on," Iskandar said as they headed towards the private elevator.
"We need to go straight to the boardroom."
Lya let out a long sigh.
"I haven't even had my morning coffee yet, Is."
"I'm going to fall asleep in there."
Iskandar chuckled.
Sometimes Lya could be incredibly dramatic.
"You already had coffee during breakfast, darling."
"That was breakfast."
She wrinkled her nose.
"It was just a light Americano."
"I need something stronger."
"Double shots."
She emphasised the last two words as though they were medically necessary.
"Don't pout."
He pressed the elevator button.
"We'll have a coffee break after the first meeting."
"It'll be a short one."
Lya slowly turned to look at him.
"...Your definition of 'short' is one or two hours."
She folded her arms.
"That's not short, Is."
"That's corporate."
The boardroom was already half full by the time Lya and Iskandar arrived.
Their parents were already seated.
So was Aidan.
Several directors, senior executives, shareholders and department heads were quietly exchanging greetings while waiting for the meeting to begin.
Iskandar pulled out the chair beside Mommy before taking his own seat.
"Thank you," Lya whispered.
The small gesture did not go unnoticed.
Across the table, Mommy exchanged a knowing glance with Mama.
Neither woman said a word.
Neither needed to.
Lya settled between Mommy and Mama, while Iskandar took his usual seat directly opposite her across the long glass boardroom table.
Daddy sat at the head of the table.
As Chairman of the group, he would be chairing today's session.
The agenda was straightforward.
The company's Mid-Year Strategy Review.
A comprehensive evaluation of the first six months of performance, departmental reports, financial projections, expansion plans, ongoing developments and strategic objectives for the remainder of the year.
Lya silently placed her phone on the table and switched it to silent mode before opening her tablet.
Her digital notebook appeared on the screen.
Ready.
Although she had not officially joined the company yet, this was hardly her first executive meeting.
She had attended countless meetings over the years during semester breaks and school holidays.
Most of the people in the room had watched her grow up.
To them, she wasn't simply the Chairman's daughter.
She was someone they believed would one day sit permanently at this very table.
Daddy glanced around the room.
Seeing everyone present, he smiled.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Let's begin."
The room immediately fell silent.
For the next hour, presentations flowed from one department to another.
Sales performance.
Regional growth.
Investment portfolios.
Upcoming property developments.
Digital transformation initiatives.
Lya listened attentively, typing notes whenever something caught her attention.
She barely noticed her phone vibrating beside her.
Once.
Then again.
The screen briefly lit up.
Irfan Calling.
Without hesitation, she turned the screen face down and continued listening.
The meeting continued without pause.
The discussion shifted towards the group's upcoming expansion projects, investment forecasts and operational improvements for the second half of the year.
Lya returned her attention to the presentation screen, fingers moving swiftly across her tablet as she organised her notes.
Although some financial terms still sounded unfamiliar, she found herself enjoying the discussions more than she had expected.
It wasn't just about numbers.
Every decision made around the table affected thousands of employees, business partners and families.
For the first time...
She began to understand why Daddy and Mommy were constantly travelling from one meeting to another.
Her phone vibrated again.
She didn't even need to look.
Irfan.
Silently, she dismissed the call.
"...our Southern mixed-development project has entered the final planning phase," the Development Director continued.
"If everything proceeds according to schedule, construction will begin early next year."
Iskandar leaned forward.
"What about the environmental approval?"
"The assessment has been submitted."
"And the consultants?"
"They're finalising the report."
Iskandar nodded once before making a short note.
Across the table, Lya quietly observed him.
Gone was the teasing Iskandar she knew at home.
This version of him was composed.
Focused.
Every question he asked was precise.
Every decision carried weight.
He spoke only when necessary.
Yet whenever he did...
Everyone listened.
It suddenly made sense why people respected him so much.
Not because he was the CEO.
But because he knew exactly what he was talking about.
Her phone vibrated once more.
This time...
Twice in quick succession.
Without drawing attention to herself, Lya slipped the phone into her handbag.
Out of sight.
Out of mind.
Daddy noticed the small movement but said nothing.
Instead, he continued chairing the meeting.
"Let's move on to the next agenda."
The next presentation focused on digital transformation across the group.
Cloud infrastructure.
Artificial intelligence.
Cybersecurity.
Even Hanna's company appeared briefly on the screen as one of the strategic technology partners.
Lya smiled to herself.
'She's going to love this.'
Two hours later...
Daddy finally closed the folder before him.
"Let's take a fifteen-minute coffee break."
A collective sigh of relief echoed around the boardroom.
Lya was the first to stand.
"I need caffeine."
She said it so seriously that several directors burst into laughter.
"I've never seen anyone look so desperate for coffee," one of them joked.
"You haven't seen her before nine in the morning," Iskandar replied without looking up from his documents.
The room laughed again.
Lya pointed a finger at him.
"I heard that."
"I intended you to."
Still shaking her head, she made a beeline towards the coffee machine outside the boardroom.
Coffee came and went far too quickly.
Before Lya could even finish half of her latte, everyone was already returning to the boardroom.
The rest of the afternoon blurred into presentations, financial reports, project updates and strategic discussions.
By the end of the final meeting, Lya's tablet was filled with pages of notes, while her coffee had long since stopped working its magic.
She leaned back against the chair and quietly rubbed her temples.
"Now I understand why everyone looks exhausted after work," she muttered.
Daddy chuckled as he gathered his documents.
"Welcome to the corporate world."
Several directors laughed knowingly.
"It gets easier," one of them said.
"No," Iskandar replied while closing his laptop.
"You just get used to it."
That somehow sounded even worse.
Lya groaned dramatically.
"I suddenly miss university."
Some of the directors exchanged farewells before gradually leaving the boardroom.
"I still need to discuss a few things with you regarding the Southern Expansion Project," Aidan said, gathering his documents.
"But let's do it over dinner at my place."
He glanced towards Lya.
She looked completely drained after sitting through back-to-back meetings all day.
"Sounds good," Iskandar replied.
"I'll ride with you."
Together, the three of them made their way towards the private parking area.
Their parents would not be joining them.
A business dinner with several investors had been scheduled that evening, and they would most likely spend the night in the hotel suite afterwards.
"You okay, Lya?"
Iskandar opened the rear passenger door for her.
Lya looked up and offered a small smile.
"I'm okay."
"Just a little worn out."
She slipped into the back seat.
Iskandar closed the door gently before taking the front passenger seat beside Aidan.
Deep down...
He knew it wasn't the meetings that had exhausted her.
Lya had always loved learning.
She thrived on new experiences and endless curiosity.
But when it came to matters of the heart...
She wore every emotion openly, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
Today...
He chose not to ask.
The BMW rolled smoothly into the evening traffic.
Soft jazz filled the cabin while Aidan and Iskandar resumed discussing the Southern Expansion Project, occasionally debating budgets, timelines and contractor appointments.
Their conversation faded into background noise for Lya.
She unlocked her phone.
Twenty missed calls.
Dozens of unread messages.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips.
She was about to type a reply when her phone vibrated again.
Irfan.
For a brief moment...
She stared at the screen.
Then she answered.
"Hi..."
"Where have you been?"
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"I..."
Lya swallowed.
"I've been in meetings."
Her voice came out softer than intended.
Almost a whisper.
"I'm sorry."
"It was back-to-back meetings all day."
From the front seat...
Iskandar's eyes briefly met the rear-view mirror.
He didn't mean to listen.
But he couldn't help noticing.
The cheerful smile she had worn all morning...
Was gone.
- Writer
