"We have arrived, Acting Chairman." They bowed politely.
"Good. I have work for you all." Dana sat at her desk and started sorting out the documents. Her team, knowing the drill, went ahead and did their usual work.
"Marie, I need you to investigate someone for me. Jacques Pierre, Chief Financial Officer. Bring me all the details about him." Dana handed a folder to Marie.
"Madame, may I ask why you're investigating him?" Marie accepted the file, nodding to Dana.
"There is something suspicious about him. I feel skeptical about him. He keeps on contradicting my notions." Dana expressed her views.
"Keep an eye on him. Marie, be wary of him. Don't get caught." Dana reminded Marie.
"Understood Madame." Marie bowed and then left to do her task.
"Hanna, could you investigate the ones involved with the dealing with Nexus. There is something odd with the negotiation." Hanna nodded and went to do her work.
"And Selena, please arrange a virtual meeting with Father later. And contact the planning director to meet me in a while."
"Yes, Madame. Would you like me to bring him here, or in the conference room?" Selena asked.
"Here, please." Dana replied. Selena nodded and left.
After finishing the urgent matters, Dana breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at the view from her French window, enjoying the bustling city down below. Remembering that there was a café just across from the company, Dana decided to take lunch outside. She contacted her team to dismiss them for lunch and proceeded to go to the square.
"Madame, where are you going? Do you need anything?" As soon as Dana exited the office, she was greeted by the assistant assigned to her by her father.
"It's okay. I'll be going out for lunch. You should take your lunch too." Dana gave the assistant a smile and a pat on the shoulder.
"I see. Should I call for your security?" the assistant asked again.
"No need. I'll be fine." After assuring the assistant, Dana walks to the elevator and went down. Some of the employees greeted her, and she nodded in return. As she stepped outside the building, she looked at the busy streets and smiled in satisfaction. After having a quick glance at the shops, Dana settled in a French café. She then proceeded to queue up, ordered her food, and went to a table. Just as she sat down, she caught sight of a person sitting in diagonal to her position, while looking at her with a bewildered look on his face.
'What the bloody hell?!'
The man smiled sarcastically when he saw that Dana was as shock as he was. He even wink to tease Dana more.
'That Bastard! what is he doing here in France?' after raking her brains, Dana remembered about the issue of Rosenthal Corporation in their jewel industry.
Seeing the smirk still plastered in the man's face, Dana rolled her eyes and ignored him. After a while, the food arrives. Dana, being hungry and pissed, started eating without a care in the world. After finishing the last crumbs of the Mille-Feuille, Dana ordered a Café Viennois, and a set of Éclair for take outs. After enjoying her lunch, Dana slowly walks to the door to go back to the company. But before she left, she looked at Alexei and mouthed a number that made the man's face turned black in an instant.
'20%'
After successfully executing her revenge, Dana left the café happily, even humming some tunes. She joyfully walked back to her office, fixed her schedule for the remainder of the day, and continued her work. She met up with the director, inquiring the recent state of business and to investigate the current incident. After working for an eventful afternoon, when the clocked turned six o'clock in the evening, one of her secretaries reminded her about dinner.
"Madame, you must be exhausted. Please, eat dinner first. What would you like to have? We can order from our hotel and restaurant." Marie asked in a worrying manner.
"Oh? Is it evening already? Why don't you all take dinner first. I'm not that hungry yet. I ate some Eclairs during afternoon tea." Dana raised her head to look at in her wall clock hanging in her office wall.
"No. Madame, you must eat. Your mother specifically instructed us to make you eat on time. Even if you are not that hungry, you must still some. It's not good for your health if you keep missing dinner." Marie persuaded Dana, even attempting to take the documents, getting to eat her dinner.
"Okay! Okay, if you insist. Then just order mi some foie grass and some champagne." Dana nodded in return. She stands up and walked towards the sofa in front of her table and sat down on a single sofa seat.
Marie, realising that her employer is tired, decided to also order some soup, and tea instead of wine to help her relax more. After a while, Marie cleaned up the coffee table, and served the foods one by one. Dana, who has been sleeping lightly while waiting for the dinner, opened her eyes to the smell of the food. She looked at the variety place on the table and thanked Marie.
"You all should go and eat dinner too. It's getting late. After this, I'll review some more documents and head to the hotel early. So, no need to wait for me."
"Are you sure you're alright being alone?" Marie asked in hesitance.
"Yes. Besides, if I really do need help, the assistant is just outside the office." Dana assured Marie.
"Okay, if you say so. Please, take some rest. We'll be leaving now." Marie considerately closed the door.
Dana, who was left alone, started to eat silently. She looked at the view in her window as she ate. She felt peaceful and content while looking at the lights below. She recalled the days where she envisioned herself to be a simple girl living alone, yet happy and blissful to her life. Dana sighed and smiled bitterly. She finished her dinner swiftly and went back to work.
After a while, the time to talk with her father arrived. Dana fixed herself to the mirror once more before she connected the call.
"Father, good evening."
"En." Her father nodded in acknowledgement. Assistant Miller went forward and handed something to Albert. It was the documents pertaining to the issue of contract in France.
"Father, what is your impression of Monsieur Jacques Pierre?" Dana inquired.
"Hmm? Why do you ask?" her father raised a brow at her query.
"Earlier at the meeting, he keeps on countering my ideas. He was unimpressed with my solutions. He irks me." Dana complained.
"Learn to keep your emotions at check. As for Jacques, he is like that because he thinks he still own the biggest shares of the company. Hmp! Be wary of him." Albert also gave his sense of dissatisfaction towards Jacques. In the end, he warned Dana about him.
"He was once the CEO of Crimson Pharmaceutical, not until your grandfather bought the shares and transfer the company to become a subsidiary to the conglomerate and change the name to Crowns Pharmaceutical."
"I see. I understand the situation now. Thanks, father. I would like to report some issue regarding the upcoming acquisition of Nexus Pharmaceutical…" Dana started her report, and Albert listen seriously. The discussion went on for a long time. It was only when assistant Miller reminded Albert that it was already 9 pm.
"Let us end it here for today. You should rest. You have a long day tomorrow." Albert said in a soft manner.
"Yes father." Dana nodded in acknowledgement and waited for Albert to speak again.
"Goodbye!" the call ended. Dana was neither surprised nor shock. She sighed and sorted out the documents. She put the important ones in her attaché case. After making sure there was nothing left behind to check, she turns off all lights and close the door.
Seeing that she is the only one left in the execute floor, Dana head straight to the elevator. Her secretary already messages her of her hotel floor and number, also gave her the key card earlier. Want to relax, and seeing the bustling night life of Paris, Dana dismissed her driver and drive the car herself.
The city flicked as she drove along the highway. Dana pulled down the roof of the car and the windows to enjoy the air and atmosphere. The car went through the tunnel and beautiful parks around the city before arriving at the hotel. Dana gave the car keys to the voiturier and a tip before heading inside. She went to the elevator and pressed the 30th floor where the presidential suite is located.
Just as the door were about to close, a hand grabbed the door to stop it from closing and entered hurriedly. He sighs in relief as he tried to press the button. Seeing that the button was already lit up, he raised his face to look at me, making me shriek