The next day, Ellis arrived at Royale headquarters feeling crisp and energized despite the late night of celebrations. This was his first official day fully in the captain's chair, and he had no intentions of easing himself in gradually. His first order of business was calling an all-hands meeting in the company's largest auditorium. When he took the stage before the assembled crowd of hundreds of employees, he outlined his initial core objectives with the poise and confidence of a seasoned veteran:"My initial priorities are accelerating our global expansion, strengthening our commitments to sustainability and corporate citizenship, and creating a culture of grassroots innovation where every single one of you feels empowered to contribute your ideas on the future of the Royale Company" he told them. I want to be a CEO that all of you feel you can approach directly with your thoughts and perspectives. An open line of communication between us is vital to unlocking our fullest potential

It seemed like Ellis’ success was the only thing Mr Cyrus had to be proud of among his sons. His daughter was doing fine, but the males seemed determined to make his hair turn gray faster. HYet they wondered why he didn’t choose them as his heir. George had begun to do well. He was no longer the thorn on his father's flesh like before, and Mr Cyrus was happy for the change. Now, he made wealth from his own work. He started his own small company that handled some aspects that the Royale company had not yet diversified to. He planned to have his company merge with his father’s company, but first he had to make it a success. But it was all a facade that nobody could tell. After seeing how hard it was to make it legitimately, it didn’t take long for him to switch. George began to indulge in shady business that would be his own undoing. However, behind the scenes, cracks were beginning to show in George's carefully cultivated facade. The trappings of wealth, power and status went to his h

Ellis took a deep breath as he looked across the candlelit table at Zoey. Her eyes sparkled in the flickering light and her dark hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders. After so much time together, he knew this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Zoey, we've been through so much together these past several months. You've supported me every step of the way as I took on the challenging role of CEO at Royale Company. You're my partner, my best friend, my everything. I know some people may find it too soon, or some may say that you’re after my money. But I know in my heart that what we have is real. " He paused, his heart pounding in his chest as he got on one knee, and brought out a custom made diamond ring that cost a hundred million dollars. Zoey gasped. "I don't want to imagine my life without you by my side. Zoey, will you marry me?"Zoey's eyes went wide and she brought her hands up to cover her mou

For their honeymoon, Zoey was ecstatic when Ellis took her to the Maldives. She had always wanted to visit there. And not just that, Ellis had also purchased a private island in Zoey’s name, so she could always come there at any time. He planned to have a beach villa built there later so they could use it as a vacation spot, but for the time being, just a log cabin had been erected. The log cabin had modern amenities, like a hot tub, kitchen with up to date appliances, running water, a standby generator, etc. But it also had rustic features like a real fireplace with a chimney, an outdoor grill pit, a cleared out campsite, and a small lake instead of a swimming pool.The place was beautiful. They spent their first night there in bed all day, then they slept till afternoon. After waking, their meal had already been prepared by the local chef Ellis had hired. He didn’t want Zoey stressed out during the honeymoon, she would only cook if she chose to. Hehad so many activities planned for

Emily paced back and forth nervously in her living room. Tomorrow was Ellis and Zoey's first anniversary and she had finally decided it was time to come clean and apologize for the lies and manipulation she had put them through around the time of their dating some time ago. She knew that they may not listen to her, but she had found love with someone, and she was trying to turn a new leaf for him. She wanted him to see that she was serious about changing her spiteful character, and hoped to show her love for him that way. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. This was the right thing to do, regardless of how awkward or uncomfortable it might be. Ellis and Zoey deserved the truth and a sincere apology from her after everything that had happened.Emily thought back to how it had all started over a year earlier. She had been harboring feelings for Ellis, long before he had started dating Zoey. But thinkingback, she knew that she never truly loved Ellis. She had just been aft