Mr. CEO loves me, take it easy

05

Half an hour later.

Emily White finished organizing the report she had just completed and headed to the conference room.

Although EC Group was only a subsidiary of the Grant family, its development in recent years had been very good, with a bright future ahead. Previously, it was managed by the chairman of the board, Mr. Grant, but now that he was getting older, he handed it over to his son, Alexander Grant.

With the new management taking over, none of the department heads dared to be slack. They knew that today's meeting with Alexander Grant would not be simple.

The meeting was scheduled for 2 PM, and when Emily White entered the conference room a few minutes early, it was already full of people.

She looked around and saw that Alexander Grant was already seated in the large chair at the head of the table. He casually placed one hand on the table, tapping his fingers on a folder, creating a subtle noise that gave off a strong sense of pressure.

Alexander Grant was the type of man who exuded a refined and gentle aura when he was calm. However, Emily White knew that men with such composure were often difficult to read.

Just the complexities of the relationships within the Grant family made her uneasy. She had heard from Samantha Lee about her brother, Alexander, and his intimidating presence. This made Emily even more certain that Alexander Grant was a formidable figure.

"Mr. Grant, everyone is here. Shall we begin?" The general manager stood up and respectfully asked Alexander Grant.

He nodded and replied, "Begin."

Each department head reported on their current progress, and they all seemed to have prepared well in advance. Emily White was reminded of her own last-minute preparations and felt a pang of anxiety.

Finally, it was her turn. She stood up and presented the quarterly report she had just organized. The numbers showed that EC Group had been steadily growing, so the performance looked impressive. At least until Alexander Grant spoke, Emily White was confident.

"Repeat that again," Alexander Grant said, still sitting in his chair with his hands supporting his chin.

The entire conference room turned their attention to Emily White. She was taken aback and felt a sense of unease.

She looked over her report again but couldn't find any errors. Still, Alexander Grant had asked her to repeat it, so she did.

As she spoke, Alexander Grant turned his chair to face her directly. "You are the general manager's secretary, correct? You're responsible for presenting the quarterly performance reports during meetings, aren't you?"

Alexander Grant's seemingly casual gaze exuded a strong sense of pressure, causing Emily White to stiffen her back as he stared at her. "Mr. Grant, I am the general manager's secretary, but I usually don't prepare these reports."

The man moved his inquisitive gaze from her face and raised an eyebrow. "That is indeed not your job. However, when you present these performance reports at meetings, have you carefully checked for errors?"

His questions seemed to be so pointed that Emily was left bewildered, unsure if she had made any mistakes. She had clearly checked the reports before presenting them, and the data provided by Mr. Grant was accurate.

But why was Alexander Grant questioning her so intensely?

She took a deep breath and replied, "Mr. Grant, I have checked the data thoroughly before the meeting. I don't understand why there would be any errors."

"Are you certain?" Alexander Grant's eyebrows furrowed.

Emily hesitated, unable to respond. She had worked at the company for many years, and although it was her first time speaking with someone like Alexander Grant, she was almost certain that there was a problem with the data she had presented.

"I apologize, Mr. Grant. I'm not sure where the error is because I prepared the reports based on the data provided by the sales department," she said after a moment of consideration.

"The second data point for spring has a serious error. It's 20% higher than the data for summer. How could you make such a basic mistake? How long have you been with EC?" Alexander Grant's sharp gaze swept over the entire conference room, his tall figure firmly seated in the large executive chair. He placed one hand on the table, his voice stern. "I don't care how things were done before. From now on, everything will be done according to my rules. If anyone makes such basic mistakes again, they will no longer be part of EC."

The entire conference room gasped, and some people shot Emily resentful glances. Everything had been going smoothly until she intervened, and now everyone was scolded.

"Ms. White!" Alexander Grant's piercing gaze settled on Emily, who realized the gravity of her error. She had only compared the data without considering the potential trap laid by Mr. Grant. Now, facing Alexander Grant's intense stare, she lifted her head, her face pale and her heart pounding. Her eyes showed regret and caution as she explained, "Mr. Grant, I apologize for making such a basic mistake. I understand that every employee at EC works hard, and I take full responsibility for my error. Whatever punishment you deem appropriate, I will accept it."

Alexander Grant ignored her apology, narrowing his eyes and speaking with a hint of sarcasm. "I demand work efficiency, not apology efficiency. I hope each of you remembers my words. Don't assume that just because you know someone or have connections in the company, you can act with impunity. I, Alexander Grant, despise such behavior. Do you all understand?"