Tanya only looked at Alia as she greeted all of the members of the board like she already knew them for a long time. Even though she acts like her sister, Tanya can still see Alia's presence in her. The way she speaks might have changed, the way she walks and the way she looks, but her aura still shouts, Alia and not Alexa.
A small smile was playing in Tanya's lips as she continued watching her little one.
'She's grown so much.' Tanya thought.
"Let's start the meeting. Tanya, the agenda." Alia spoke with confidence, looking straight ahead with an emotionless expression. She's now really like Alexa. The coldness in her voice sent shivers down the other board members' spines.
The meeting went on and on until it has finally come to an end.
As Alia was about to adjourn the meeting, one of the board members spoke.
"Ms. Rutherford. Are you still not going to accept half the board's proposal?" Alia's face held confusion from what she heard.
She looked at Tanya's direction sort of asking her what it was that the board members are talking about.
Tanya's eyes widened at the mention of the board's proposal. Alia will definitely not like it one bit. Tanya gestured Alia to come up with an excuse for her answer to one of the board members question and thankfully, Alia understood her message.
"I'll think about it. Meeting adjourned." Alia then stood up from her chair placed at one end of the conference table indicating her position as the highest shareholder of the company.
All the other board members then, stood up after her and bowed their heads as she walked out of the room. Upon closing the door's room, Alia let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
She looked at Tanya about to ask her what the Board members were talking about but Tanya only shook her head and told her to go to her office first.
Alia sighed.
'Something is up.' she thought.
Upon reaching her sister's office, she roamed he eyes around the room, examining every inch of it. It really shouts that this is her sister's. From the color of the room up to every single furniture in it. It shouts her sister's taste. The total opposite of hers.
The room is painted sky blue and every furniture is covered in white sheets. Paintings are hanged everywhere, but what caught her attention was the painting at the back of the office desk.
It was her and Alexa, on their 21st birthday that hey both celebrated without their parents' consent. It was at Paris, behind them was the Eiffel tower making the whole frame look magical. Alia smiled sadly. She misses her sister so much as time passes especially whenever she sees something related to her sister, and that would be, every minute of her life that started two weeks ago, when she was handed her sister's identity.
Alia smiled and went to the desk and started doing her work, trying to get the thoughts of her sister out of her head.
"Alia..." Tanya spoke in a low voice approaching her desk.
"What was the board talking about, Tanya? I have a bad feeling about it." Alia asked looking straight into her Assistant's eyes.
"You see, since the company is starting to fall, the board came to a suggestion of replacing Alexa as the largest shareholder. They're asking her before to sell her shares to them, to keep the company standing." Tanya explained. "But you know how your sister thinks. Of course she said no. And up until now, the board still pushes their idea of selling Alexa's shares to them." Tanya sighed.
Alia closed her eyes out of frustration. Why was her parents looking so unbothered by this?
'My sister was carrying all the burden caused by mother and father's selfish deeds?' Alia thought to herself as she felt her anger building up.
One thing Alia hates is having her sister being treated unfairly. She became a lawyer because of her sister. It was her goal to become a very successful and well known lawyer because she planned before that when the time comes, she'll be the one who will defend her sister from any harm and unfair treatment. She'll take her sister away from her parents and make sure her sister gets to live the life she had always wanted.
But now her dream is shattered, all because of herself. She shattered her own dream without her even realizing it. So now, the only way for her to continue, is to achieve her sister's goal. She might not have one for her own now, but her sister's dream is enough for her to keep on living.
"I will not let them have Alexa's shares. Is there any alternative answer to the company's problems?" Alia gave her full attention to Tanya hoping she'd be able to think of at least one.
She can't let all of her sister's hard work and sacrifices go to waste. It would be the death of her.
"There is." Alia's face lightened up upon hearing Tanya's answer.
Tanya on the other hand, wasn't very happy as to what the alternative answer is. It was too much for Alexa to handle, she doesn't know if Alia can handle it either.
"What is it? Please Tanya, answer me." Alia said looking at Tanya with her begging eyes.
Tanya sighed.
'You're smart, Alia. Please come up with another way.' Tanya thought as she looked straight into Alia's eyes.
"Merging." Tanya said as simple and short as possible.
"W-what?" Alia said, stuttering and looking shocked as to what she heard.
"Merging, Alia. Merging through marriage." Tanya closed her eyes seeing her little one's shocked expression. She can almost see Alexa's face when she said this to he before. They are indeed twins.
"I-is there any other way?" Alia said nervousness laced in her voice.
Tanya smiled sadly at her and shook her head, saying no.
"Oh God." The girl cupped her face with both her hands as her voice etched with worry and frustration.
"There must be another way. Tanya, is it possible to save the company without me losing the position as the major shareholder if we'd look for a new investor?" Alia asked in a pleading voice, hoping that her thoughts were possible to happen.
Tanya's eyes held confusion for a moment until little by little, her eyes grew wide as she came to understand what Alia meant.
"Y-yes! That's most likely possible, Alia. A-and I suddenly remembered, you have a dinner meeting with the successor of the Salvador Empire later for their possible investment in the company." Tanya said enthusiastically.
Tanya was smiling from ear to ear looking at Alia. She knew she wasn't wrong upon trusting Alia with this matter at hand. She's one of the most competent lawyers out there, after all.
"Really? Thank God. I wouldn't know what I'd do if I were to marry someone for business." Alia said heaving out a sigh of relief.
It would be a total nightmare for Alia to marry for business that she doesn't even want to associate herself in the first place. Heck, she wouldn't even be doing this if it wasn't her her sister. Her parents are really conniving people. They are monsters. They don't even care about using her sister for their own benefits.
"I'll arrange your schedule right away, Alia. I'll be outside if you nee me." Tanya smiled at her and went her way out of her office.
Alia continued working. Sorting papers, reviewing proposals and signing papers. She sighed.
"It's only my first day and yet I'm already drained. Being a business woman is far more tiring than being an international lawyer. Seriously." Alia said talking to her self while scanning her desk full of papers and contracts.
Well, might as well get used to this. This is going to be her life, from now on.