Lady Holmes turned towards the stage, where the CEO was concluding his welcome speech. A hush fell over the entire hall as the old lady made her way to the podium, dressed in a Chanel tweed suit.
"Good afternoon, to one and all present here. I am honored that you took out the time to attend this gala, and I extend my sincere greetings to you.As you all know, we are gathered here to know about the future Managing Director of the Blue Mountains Group.But before that, I have another important announcement to make.I must admit it's heartbreaking to announce the reality, but the truth is, the Blue Mountains Group is in heavy loss.And with a heavy heart, I have to accept that our company's future seems quite dark. Owing to my poor health and the resulting mismanagement this past year, the company profits have declined steadily resulting in only one thing, constant losses!"She sighed before continuing;"Therefore, I have decided that the candidate who will be able to save the company and cover the damages while minimizing the losses, will be the future Managing Director of the company.This is a fitting chance for both of my grandchildren, Andrew and Cassie, to show their capabilities."This was not the announcement that everyone was expecting, and the company staff and board members, as well as the guests were at a loss for words. Mayor Ackerman was the first one to approach the candidates.Shaking hands with Cassie, he said, "I wish you the very best. I hope the deserving candidate shall prove their worth. I will take my leave now, as it is getting quite late."As soon as Andrew saw that the mayor was greeting his sister, he jumped in front of him with his own hand extended forward.Although he was rather disappointed after hearing the announcement, he spoke up as his self- assured smirk returned;"Thank you so much for your support, Mr. Ackerman."Shaking his hand, the mayor said, "Of course, Mr. Holmes, I wish you the best of luck in this future endeavor."Mark resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the lack of manners, and respectfully gestured for the Mayor to move towards the door as he escorted him outside.Once they were alone and the sounds of the party had dulled to some extent, Mr. Ackerman said, placing a hand on Mark's shoulder."Don't you think it is time for you to reveal your secret?"The mayor’s words left Mark thinking deeply for a few seconds. The conflict of selecting the right time and revealing the truth in front of everyone made him a little tense.Which is why neither of them noticed Andrew leaving the party and following them to the top of the stairs until he was within hearing distance.Although he might not have heard the words exchanged between them, the sight of them talking secretively was enough to ignite his suspicion.As soon as the mayor had walked towards his car, he walked up and addressed Mark directly;“How did such a low class man meet the Mayor of Clovelly? How do you know him?”With a dry smile on his face, Mark responded,“Have you forgotten? Of course I went to deliver food there, as usual, and this is how Mr. Ackerman knows me.”Andrew let out a mocking chuckle, before commenting,"Oh, really! When you are saying that you know him, then why didn't you beg him for some funds for our company- after all, our company is in loss!Anyways, you have always been useless to my family, so this was the time you could shine by begging alms and doing a favor to your wife."Tilting his head to the side, Mark spoke out quickly and clearly,“I can't dare to ask him that! After all, I am just a delivery boy, remember! not his friend!And as for your earlier hypothesis, I am afraid that I’ll have to tell you, coming to the party together was nothing more than a coincidence. I came here on my bike, and the mayor in his car, as you can see.”Before Andrew could think of some way to dissect this reasoning, the mayor was back with a tray of gifts in his hands.“These are just some gifts I had brought for the family. Please give my regards to Lady Holmes- goodbye, and good day!"Mark accepted the gracious gifts with a smile and a thank you. After the tail lights of the mayor's car had disappeared from view, Andrew and Mark turned around to go back into the house.While Mark went straight inside, Andrew spotted a waiter near the doorway and picked up a glass of liquor from the tray he was carrying.Mark saw Cassie standing by her grandmother and crossed the room quickly, since most of the guests had already left. Although she looked calm on the surface, her eyes revealed her conflicted feelings.Sensing her dilemma, he held her hand and led her a few feet away from everyone else, to ask her what was wrong.But she herself took the chance to speak and asked him in a low voice, so that nobody apart from the two of them hear;"Why were you late to the party? You knew how important this was, you should have just taken a leave today-"Her question and his pending explanation was interrupted by the storming arrival of Andrew, who walked up to his grandmother, marching like an angry bull.His appearance had also gotten completely disheveled; his navy blue tuxedo jacket was now open at the front, and even the first few buttons of his shirt had come undone, as the loosened tie hung lopsided. His face was red, his eyes were bloodshot, and his previously prim and proper hair had gotten ruffled. It was sticking out from various places, actually looking like he had grown a set of horns on his head.Seeing that the hall was almost empty apart from the staff, he demanded,"Grandma! May I ask you why you didn't declare me as the Managing Director of the Group? After all, I am the eldest son of the Holmes family!"Mariella opened her mouth with an cryptic smile on her face,"That may be one of the factors in a decision like this, but it can't be the only qualifying criterion, dear.I am a firm believer in gender equality, which is why both of you will get an equal chance to prove whether or not you are fit for a leadership role."Before Andrew could protest, Cassie stepped into the conversation;"Brother! You must not disrespect grandma's decision like this.You shouldn't be scared of challenges in life; instead, you should be willing to face them."Her words felt like a slap across Andrew's face, and he retorted;"I don't think you are in any position to advise me, dear sister!Rather, you should look at your own state, do you honestly think you can convince Mr. Clarke to give you some funds for our company?"And then he continued in a condescending tone,"But I'm sure my poor sister can't even get a ten minutes' appointment with the richest and most successful businessman of our country.And just like you, your low- class husband is also good for nothing!"Although he hadn't said a single word so far, Mark's entire body was radiating a dark aura as he took one step towards Andrew and growled out his warning through gritted teeth;"Don't you dare talk to my wife in this manner!"In return, his warning was met with a fit of mocking laughter from Andrew."Oh really! You think you can tell me what to do and what not?If you really think so, then prove it!And if you imagine yourself to be so high and mighty as you like to pretend, then why don't you help out your beloved wife, huh?Just go and try to get the company funds from somewhere, maybe by asking one of your affluent friends?So just do something first and then talk to me, probably then I will listen to you-"With a guffaw, he dropped his own sentence in the middle and started again;"Oh wait, I forgot - you don't have any influential connections!I know as well as you do, that you can't actually do anything- and that's why you should shut up.And Cassie! My dear sister, it would be best if you teach him some manners along with the fact that he should keep his mouth zipped up in our family matters!"Brother! That's enough, don't forget what I had said to you earlier."Saying this, she grabbed Mark's wrist and dragged him to the garden outside.Love often has a tendency to look beautiful and alluring at the starting days of spring in its life, when everything is okay, but once the summer of hardship arrives, it takes away all the beauty and allure with its scorching heat and blistering temperatures.She led him to the white marble gazebo standing in the middle of the manicured garden, amidst the blooming flowers. The fading sunlight was filtering through the pillars, creating a dreamy vibe against the dusky skies- but the atmosphere was tense instead of being romantic. Cassie let go of Mark's hand and took a step back, still facing him. She broke the tense silence;"Mark, please don't make things harder for me right now."Mark wanted nothing more in that moment, than to make her realize how sincerely he wanted to help her, in any way and any capacity she wanted. "Cass-"But she
As soon as the receptionist overheard the words that the ordinary- looking person had spoken on the phone, she panicked.Was this guy serious about buying the company shares! Had she really misjudged somebody who was capable of doing this? Freaking out about what would happen if he was speaking the truth, she immediately picked up the receiver and pressed the speed dial for Mr Clarke's desk phone. "Sir! Sorry to disturb you, sir, but there is a critical situation. Someone has been here for a few minutes now, and he insists on meeting you. I refused him repeatedly, but just now, he said to someone on the phone that our company shares will be bought within five minutes.Please let me know how I should proceed now. Sir, should I send him in to meet you?"The CEO, who was busy with an important online conference in his cabin, had specifically asked the receptionist to not let anyone in and to only contact him under emergencies.He was naturally annoyed on hearing about this, and respo
After seeing Harrison Clarke apologizing for the words which had been said earlier, Mark realized that he had him right where he wanted. He was ready to do whatever he said, in exchange for forgiveness. And so he finally opened his mouth,"Alright, I forgive you.But that doesn't mean you're off the hook just yet."The faint relief that had appeared on Harrison's face became laced with slight tension on hearing this. He looked towards Mark's face, expectant and scared, waiting for him to speak. "If you want to save your company, then you have to take care of one business for me."Harrison nodded, as if to say that he would be willing to do anything he said at that moment."You must give your funds to the Blue Mountains Group."As soon as he heard this, a crease appeared on Clark's forehead. Although he was scared to the core, he was still a businessman by heart. He had put in so many years of his life and built such an Empire, only by being wise about his investments.Without thinkin
The next morning, Cassie had just gotten out of the shower when her phone screen lit up with an incoming call from an unknown number.She glanced tentatively at the number before picking up the call, and she was greeted by a pleasant female voice. Cassie only hummed in response when the person confirmed her identity and quietly listened in a subtle shock for the remaining duration. Mark was out in the kitchen, preparing breakfast when she walked out of the room after disconnecting the call. He noticed that she seemed to be in a daze, as she was looking forward without her eyes focusing on anything in front of her. Prompting her gently, he spoke while placing their plates on the dining table;“You alright, Cass?”Cassie’s eyes flicked to his face, finally registering his presence, and she nodded before speaking up;“Yeah, I just… I just got a call from someone named Claudia from Clarke Communications.”Mark immediately understood that they must have reached out to her regarding the
The conference room was abuzz with chatter and gossip, as the Blue Mountains Group shareholders’ meeting had been called by Lady Mariella Holmes at an extremely short notice. Major shareholders- both new and old, had flown in from various corners of the country for this meeting, and those who couldn't make it due to the tight schedule had joined in via video conference.It was time for the Holmes family’s matriarch to announce who would be chosen as the new Managing Director after the stipulated trial period was over. The twenty - four hours after her initial announcement had been rife with tensions, and everyone from the board members to the receptionists were talking about what the outcome could be, and even hedging their bets according to their own preferences. Naturally, this was a matter of great interest as after all, the upper management of their company was going to change after today.Andrew Holmes strode through the glass doors, barely two minutes before the meeting was su
In response to her grandmother’s question, Cassie spoke up,“Grandma, I have secured this amount on behalf of our company, from Clarke Communications as our benefactor.This morning, Mr Harrison Clarke himself called me for a meeting and after I presented my plan to him, he decided to invest in Blue Mountains Group.”She had shut all the wagging mouths in the room raising questions on her status, with one simple statement- as if someone had opened the floodgates in the direction of a raging fire. On hearing these words, Andrew looked like he was strangling on his own breaths. He had just said that she wouldn’t even be able to secure an appointment with him, then how had she persuaded Mr Clarke for 500 million dollars!?Had he grossly underestimated her so far? After a few seconds of silence, her grandmother nodded, signaling for Cassie to sit down.She and Mark had just settled into the empty seats near the door when Lady Holmes started her from a new point;“Thank you for your pati
The rest of the day went like a nightmare for Cassie, and last night, she had not even been able to sleep properly.This was one of the reasons Mark had insisted on dropping her off on his bike, and she also agreed to it.Mark was riding his bike to the client’s office at the other side of the city, with Cassie sitting on the back seat, anxiously checking her watch intermittently.She had just breathed a sigh of relief after realizing that they had reached the final intersection before the office, with five minutes to spare; when they encountered a car coming towards them at a high speed.The Mercedes came speeding towards the bike, breaking the stop signal blinking in its direction. Mark veered his moving bike to the left at the last moment, to avoid a collision with the car.The bike was in motion and it came to a halt with a sudden jerk, also tilting towards the left.Due to this, Cassie lost her balance and fell to the ground on her hands and knees as soon as the bike stopped. The
Both Cassie and Mark were outraged by Moria's bitter words and wanted to give her an adequate reply to teach her some etiquette.But before any of them could react, seven black Jaguars came to a screeching halt at the intersection. Some guards, wearing all black- outfits, stepped out of them. Their unexplained presence was intimidating, and they seemed to be talking amongst themselves via the bluetooth earpieces they all were wearing.One of them reached to open the door of the fourth jaguar, parked in the middle of the envoy. He opened the black umbrella in his hand, and placed it in front of the door. A middle- aged man stepped out of the car and into the shade of the umbrella, his eyes fixed towards the three of them. Another bodyguard rushed towards Mark with an umbrella in hand, but stopped in his place after one gesture from him. Before the tall man could take more than one step forward, eight more well- built men, wearing black safari suits, jumped out of the cars, and forme