The Billionaires Forgotten Vows

Scarlets POV: The bank manager had ignored my calls three times that morning The fourth time I decided against calling,I stared at the email he’d sent to me instead stating:Loan extension denied Two words that had the power to destroy eldritch innovations,I headed towards the elevator to go to my office I Stepped out of the elevator expecting another stressful day,but the moment the elevator doors opened,i knew something was wrong the atmosphere at the office seemed so strange Eldritch Innovations wasn’t a noisy office but it was never this quiet either…Keyboards weren’t clickin.Phones weren’t ringing As I slowed down while walking past the accounting department I noticed two employees lower their voices “Good morning,”I said “Good morning ma’am” they both smiled too quickly I stopped walking “Is everything okay?” “Of course” their answer came too quickly I looked at the two of them The rest mumbled good morning back to me some forced smiles that didn’t seem genuine while some couldn’t look up to meet my eyes “Then why does everyone look like someone died” Before I could press further my assistant rushed towards me nearly tripping over her own heels “Ms Eldritch”she said,her voice trembling “The board is waiting for you” I couldn’t make sense of what she had just said because,if memory served me correctly,the meeting with the board wasn’t scheduled for today “The board?” “They moved the meeting’ Without letting me know “To when” She swallowed “9:00 a.m” Then I noticed the time 9:17 Great I was already late for a meeting I wasn’t meant to be having.I walked into the boardroom feeling extremely tense The glass doors were already open.Every boardmember had taken their seats and none of them looked pleased.I greeted as I took a vacant seat but didn’t get a response I knew something was wrong when the entire board room went quiet It wasn’t completely quiet because someone at the end of the table was tapping his pen on a folder Mr Collins had his eyes on the papers in front of him,Mrs Smith was staring outside the window and even Mr Stacks who always had something to say was suddenly engrossed with his phone But no one was speaking to me “You’re late,”one of the directors said,breaking the silence “This meeting wasn’t scheduled until Friday”I replied calmly “We’ve started voting” one of the directors said I didn’t quite understand “Voting for what” “Whether you’re still fit to remain CEO” “You can’t do this” “You leave us no other option Ms Eldritch” “How could you have scheduled this meeting without informing me” “The situation required urgency” “Then you should have had the decency to tell me” Mr Collins sighed “Scarlet this isn’t personal” “It seems pretty personal when I’m being asked to defend my position” “We’re asking whether or not you can save the company” I leaned forward “And I'm telling you that I can” “With what?” I opened my mouth but nothing came out because that was exactly the problem,I didn’t have an answer yet “Look all I’m asking for is time” “Time to prove that I’m capable “Time to prove that I’d rather die than let this company crumble just like that” I looked at the clock 9:45am I had spent the last three nights going through the company’s reports so I knew that things weren’t good I knew we were behind on payments and I also knew that two major investors had pulled out But I also knew that I’d never let Eldritch Innovations go down the drain just like that Mr Collins leaned In saying “There’s something else” Mr Collins slid another document across the table “What’s this?” “A transfer notice” I looked at the first page “31% of Eldritch Innovations” My eyes moved to the name of the buyer There wasn’t one “who bought it?” He looked down “We don’t know” “What do you mean you don’t know who just purchased 31% of my company?” I asked angrily “The purchase was made through an anonymous holding company” “Well 31% doesn’t disappear overnight does it?” “It wasn’t overnight” I looked at him “What?” “The purchase happened gradually” I felt a knot in my stomach “And nobody noticed?” The CFO shook his head “The transactions were structured through different entities” “So someone went to great lengths to hide this” “We need to talk about the bank,” The CFO said. I leaned back “What about the bank” The CFO slid a document across the table “They declined our loan proposal and because of that they can’t extend a loan to us” “I’m aware” I stared at the paper because even though I already knew I had half expected a negotiation and not outright rejection “We can appeal” I said The CFO shook his head “Fine let’s find another bank then” “It’s not that simple” “It’s never with all of you,” I snapped Another director leaned in “They froze the company’s only remaining line of credit” “The bank manager said that someone had personally guaranteed they would never lend to Eldritch Innovations again” “Payroll is due in exactly five days” Another voice followed “Our largest supplier just suspended our deliveries as well” One problem after another.I took a deep breath,refusing to allow any of them see the panic rising in me Mr Stacks finally looked up from his phone this time “Scarlet” “What” “The investors are pulling out too” I was frustrated “How many” I said while rubbing my temple None of them answered I’d had enough at this point…i pushed my chair back “No you guys don’t get to do this okay” “Scarlet” “No” I stood “We’ve survived worse than this” Mrs Smith gave a small tired laugh “Have we” I wanted to be angry at her statement but the exhaustion on her face broke me more than all this did Mr Collins slipped a document across the table “What’s this” “The latest figures” “I already have all the figures” “Not these ones” I slowly picked up the folder The first page made me sick The losses were much worse than I’d thought they were i turned the page Then another By the time I’d reached the last page my hands had gone Cold I tried to keep my voice steady “What happens if we don’t secure funding?” The chairman didn’t answer immediately and that scared me more than if he had “Tell me” I demanded He finally looked at me “We start going bankrupt” “And after that?” “There won’t be anything left of Eldritch Innovations to save” I let the breath I’d been holding out slowly “Obviously there has to be another option,another route we can take right?” “There is” Every head turned towards the chairman waiting for the solution he had “Sell the Company” My palms suddenly felt sweaty “No” “Ms Eldritch” “I said No” “The situation is bigger than your pride now” “It isn’t pride” I replied while keeping my voice steady “This company Carries my family’s legacy” “Eldritch Innovations is drowning and debts and sentiments surely won’t settle the bills” The room fell silent I looked around the table.These were the people my father had trusted and here they were trying to break that trust “I’ll find another solution” The chairman sighed “We only have seven days left,if we don’t secure funding this week then” He didn’t complete the sentence,as a matter of fact he didn’t need to,everyone seated already knew what came next An hour later I was alone in my office Seven days That was all I had,thinking of a possible solution…i opened the first drawer looking for a clue any at all Nothing Second drawer Nothing The third drawer.I found a faded photograph inside instead of a clue I turned the photograph over. Nothing.No date.No names,just a memory I’d spent years trying not to think about A photograph of two men and two kids sitting on the floor of a workshop proudly holding a model of their project i haven’t seen this picture in fifteen years Lucien,My father,His father and me…Four people standing together before everything fell apart before the accusations,before my father became a name people whispered with disgust,before Lucien became someone I was taught to hate *flashback* Ten year old me was laughing because the model keeps falling apart then fourteen year old Lucien knelt behind me saying “You’re doing it wrong” “Then you do it” My father walks over smiling “You both should learn to work together because the best things are never built alone” Lucien and I exchanged grins and got back to building *Flashback ends* I stare at the picture and whisper “We really believed that” I slip the photo into my bag and grab my car keys Outside I meet the press I push through the reporters ignoring the cameras flashing and the questions flying “Ms Eldritch” “Is it true that Eldritch Innovations is currently going through bankruptcy “ “Are you selling the company” I kept walking until one question stopped me I felt my hand freeze around the car door “Did Richard Eldritch really steal from Lucien Delacroix family?” My father’s name shouldn’t have affected me anymore,I’d heard worse but hearing it alongside Lucien’s name had brought back memories I’d long buried Lucien Fifteen years.I hadn’t spoken to Lucien in all that time I got into my car and shut my door i already knew where I was going…And I hated myself for knowing it