Chapter 11: The Rise of the Underdog

Amaya stood motionless, her eyes widening as Clinton's face turned a beet red with rage. By now, everyone in the room was on edge, trying to piece together this strange and unexpected turn of events, and the tension had reached a boiling point. Clinton's voice echoed again, this time with a loud, disbelieving tone. 

"Security! Get him out of here right now!" Clinton barked, pointing his finger at Rowland.

The security officers entered the room right away. They were tall, dark-suited men who moved purposefully. They appeared prepared to drag Rowland out without hesitation. 

"You heard the Vice President; now move it!" The Chief Security guard stated.

By contrast, Rowland maintained his composure and had an unflappable expression. He continued to stare at Clinton, but he felt a stab in his chest. He had not expected such blatant disrespect, especially from someone like Clinton. 

Just as a guard was about to take him by the arm, a sharp voice broke through the confusion.

"Stop there immediately!" Miss Fatima, Mr. Fence's personal secretary, got up from her chair by the side of the room. Everyone was instantly silenced by the firm and commanding tone of her voice. The guards stopped in their tracks and hesitated for a brief instant. The room's atmosphere changed as all eyes turned to her.

There was no denying Fatima's presence. Her tall, composed frame spoke volumes, and the expression on her face was intransigent. Step by step, her heels tapping loudly on the marble floor as she approached Rowland, her footsteps reverberating throughout the quiet room. She confronted the guards directly, standing in front of Rowland.

"If any of you even touch Mr. Rowland, you will be packing your belongings and leaving this company by the end of today. Do you understand?"

The guards looked at each other nervously, not knowing quite what to do. Clinton replied with a stutter, clearly stunned. "What are you talking about, Fatima? Are you aware of who he is? This man is nothing—"

Fatima cut him off with a piercing stare. "Mr. Clinton, with all due respect, I know who he is," she stated coldly. "And perhaps you are the one who does not."

She turned to face the group of investors and employees, raising her voice so that everyone in the room could hear. "Ladies and gentleman, I would like to make one thing abundantly clear. Rowland is not just anybody. He is not the 'live-in son-in-law' you all expected him to be."

As Amaya's heart raced in her chest and Clinton's disbelief grew, they both struggled to comprehend what Fatima had said.

"Rowland," Fatima explained, "is the project manager at Fence Emerald Company. He is in charge of the project we are presenting today." 

"I assumed he was a live-in son-in-law."

"I even heard he worked as a cleaner for the Jones Company."

A collective gasp echoed throughout the room. With a mixture of shock and curiosity, the investors whispered to one another. 

Clinton's expression twisted in disbelief, and Amaya's mind raced trying to make sense of what was going on. 

Rowland? The manager of the project? It did not make any sense. He had been employed by the company as a cleaner when she had last seen him, and he had hardly caught anyone's attention.

Clinton moved in the direction of Fatima, his voice quivering with rage, refusing to acknowledge this new reality. "Who in their right mind would put him in charge? This is a joke! I must know how this occurred!"

Fatima remained firm, her face unwavering. "Mr. Clinton, believe it or not, Mr. Fence personally appointed Rowland as project manager here. And I would advise you to treat him with the respect he deserves, or you may find yourself answering to Mr. Fence.

Clinton's mouth moved like a fish out of water, opening and closing, but nothing came out. The gravity of Fatima's remarks set in, and he started to realize how things really were. 

He looked around the room, noting the investors' shocked expressions. Fatima's words held their attention, as they were enthralled with the drama that was developing.

Amaya stepped forward hesitantly, still in shock. "This... this can not be true," she muttered under her breath, more for herself than anyone else. But as she looked at Rowland, who stood calmly beside Fatima, a nagging doubt crept into her thoughts. Could this actually be happening? How was Rowland, of all people, given such a position?

Rowland, on the other hand, said nothing during Fatima's speech. With a composed expression, he let the information sink in and observed how each person in the room responded. 

Deep down, though, he couldn’t deny the satisfaction he felt at seeing the disbelief on Clinton’s and Amaya’s faces. They had both looked down on him for so long, but now the tables had turned.

Clinton, still visibly shaken, finally found his voice. "This is ridiculous," he muttered, shaking his head. "This must be some sort of mistake. My Father would never—"

"Mr. Fence knows exactly what he’s doing," Fatima interrupted, her voice firm. "Rowland has earned this position, and he is more than qualified to lead this project."

Amaya's mind was whirling. How had things changed so dramatically without her knowledge? She had always considered Rowland to be insignificant, unworthy of her time. But now she was standing there, watching him command the room with authority.

This man in front of them was attracting the attention of the investors, who had come for a presentation about the company's latest jewelry project. 

Rowland had gone from being an unknown figure to the center of attention in a matter of minutes. Some of them leaned forward in their seats, eager to learn more about the unexpected development.

Fatima turned to face Rowland and gave him a slight nod, sensing a change in the atmosphere. "Mr. Rowland, you have the floor."

Rowland moved to the front to take his place at the podium. He turned to face the assembly of investors, Amaya and Clinton, and Fatima, who was standing beside him. He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, the entire room now listening to his every word.