The Boss's Daughter

The day is warm and sunny when Jean wakes to her 21st birthday. She knows the day ahead is full of frantic preparations for the party that she isn't supposed to know is happening tonight. As she gets ready, she is enthusiastically anticipating the meeting with her father in an hour. He told her that she needed to be in his office by 11 o'clock to meet with "his advisors". She only realized what her father did by accident a year ago.  She recalls the events that lead to her discovery. She was rushing to her class at the community college before she was stopped by Wayne. He told her that there was an emergency and that she needed to go with him right then. On the way, he told her that her father had been shot and was in emergency surgery to remove the bullet. As they arrived at the hospital, there was a very long line of black sedans lining the entire front of the hospital. There were hundreds of men in various shades of black suits with sunglasses hovering near the entrance. She was ushered into the hospital. She was taken to a private wing of the hospital with burly men standing guard. Wayne was her escort and they were admitted without any issue while everyone else was being searched before they were permitted to pass. They came to a private waiting room where her mother was waiting. She could see that her mother was distraught. As she reached the sofa she was sitting on, a man approached in a long white coat. Jean assumed he must be a doctor.  The doctor asked the guard who he needed to report to. The motioned that the young lady was the person for him to speak to.  He starts by telling her, "We were able to stop the bleeding. The bullet is lodged in his spine and we need your permission to attempt to remove it." He looked like he was going to faint. "I have to tell you that there is a chance that he will never walk again if we don't get it out" Jean looks at her mother and is waiting for her to tell him what to do. Carol collapses on the sofa, sobbing. Wayne tells Jean that the decision is hers. At that moment, Jean summoned the strong will she normally always lived by.  "Doctor, save my father, whatever the cost"  After an hour and a half of holding her mother, a nurse comes to collect Jean. "We have someone who asked that you be the first to come to see him" Walking into the room, Jean felt more like a small child than a grown woman. Her hero, the strongest man she ever knew was laying in the hospital bed. He looked so frail at this moment. But he lit up when he saw her.  She sat holding her father's hand for what seemed like hours. All she could think "he has to live." All eyes were on Jean as she walked into the very male environment. She walked with purpose and determination. Every man in her path knew that this was an important lady.  As they came to the double doors that read "Colicci Investments", Wayne held the door for her to enter. The secretary knew her well. Helen had worked for the family for twenty years. As she smiled at Jean, "they are in the conference room, waiting for you!" Jean smiled back at her and went toward the conference room. Once inside, the conference room looked more like a scene out of The Godfather.