" I am deeply sorry for what happened out there,"; she started with a bright smile.
" it's my fault. I accept full responsibility and I am sorry." The lady said smiling back.
My decision is for you to proceed on your sick leave with all benefits attached. However, I will not buy the aspect of replacement. You see, it is not a sack." Adah said looking fully at the lady who she thinks will be in her middle or late forties.
" Thank you so much for this gesture..." she stammered looking elated.
" For your replacement, I think I will speak to the Human resource department about him. I think he should take over your responsibility since you are in charge of this floor. I will want him to work directly under me and should be answerable to me but how many of you work down here?" Adah asked and for the first time looked at the young man seated next to the lady. He is quite tall, fair in complexion, and finely built. Adah removed her eyes from him sharply and focused on the lady, her disgust disappearing at that instant as she suddenly felt ashamed for feeling that way initially.
"We are about six of which I perform the role of the supervisor. I am solely responsible for the office of the chief." She explained. Adah smiled as the lady finished and unconsciously turned to stare at the young man again but this time, it was a deep stare.
" He is my son madam and I believe he will be of good service to you..." Adah heard the voice of the lady and looked up.
" That will be all for now," she said feeling guilty within her.
" Thank you, madam and God will bless you. I do not know how to thank you and express my joy at this opportunity. I will not disappoint, I promise." Adah heard his voice and smiled at him as they stood up. The lady once again thanked and congratulated Adah as well as the young man before she saw them off to the door. She came back and sank into the chair, she wondered about that stare and almost cursed herself for lack of tactfulness. How can she be carried away? She stood up and with her bottled water in hand, she decided to tour her mother's office to the fullest.
As she came back from her tour, she decided to give Lily a video call. Lily picked up the call and as they connected, Adah could still see that her friend is still at the office.
"You need not explain baby, I saw it all! She almost screamed out with joy written all over her face.
" Thanks so much, Lily and as usual, this calls for a big celebration!" She said removing her glasses.
" Yes I know baby but you know it's just four days. I am still to know a whole lot of places," she answered truthfully with a big smile.
" Just do some masturdating...it will not kill you!" Lily said warmly and Adah could notice that her friend is happy for her.
" I need help, Lily..." She started relaxing fully on the chair.
" How may I be of help sweetheart?" Her friend asked with all seriousness in her voice and expression.
" Nothing really but I am thinking that now that this is on my laps, I need those I can trust around me." Adah confided with a serious look as she searched the face of her best friend for a possible answer.
"Look Lily I may be asking for too much but just think about this before replying. There is this fear I sense and I want to go soft at first, but I trust your instincts more." Adah said while Lily shook her hair strands and still said nothing. From Adah's observation, she feels Lily seems to be speechless or surprised.
" We will talk later about this but for now just enjoy the ride. Sorry I have things to do we will talk later". Lily said and hung up while Adah heaved and stood up relying on the fact that she has confided in someone.
She brought out her bag and took out the disc given to her by her father and played it again. The information is worth more than anything in the world. It defined her functions and put into detail everything she ought to know about every founding member of the Denson empire. She finished listening and brought out her notepad and started typing down every one of her desires and intentions. With what she has seen, observed, witnessed, and heard, there is much that is expected from her. She closed her notepad and immediately her mind went back to the young man and his mother. The young man looks more than what is projected. For him to accept his mother's proposal of replacement seem impossible to understand. Anyway, one can do anything for a sick loved one to help in the aspect of quick recovery. He sure loved the woman and this is what Adah seems to have appreciated a lot. She looked at the intercom and dialed the Human resource department. She requested for the head of the department to see her immediately and dropped the button. She felt like doing more than the woman had requested. Without delay, the head of the department walked in. Adah offered her a seat, told her what she wants from her, and told her to report back with a fulfilled and positive report in the next two days. She promised to do her best and left. As the head was going out Mr. Denson entered with a big smile on his face. Her daughter on seeing him ran and hugged him. They refrained and he took her to the sofa.
" You seem scared my bambino..." he remarked after a close look at Adah.
" Yes, daddy but a little." She confessed.
"Why?" he asked looking at her intently
" Just feel that not everyone will like me here, especially your old staff daddy," she said
" But you have your powers. Hope you have fully listened to and digested the information given to you?" He asked looking concerned.
" Yes daddy but there is this push of doing it my way. I want to have my style and to achieve that I want to go with those I can trust and depend upon." Adah said
" My suggestion is that you should believe and trust your instincts. Your instincts will never lie to you." Her father said with a knowing smile.
" Daddy, from the reports I discovered that there are avenues we have not fully explored. and I am interested in delving into those areas if permitted." Adah said looking at her father who relaxed into the softness of the seat quite interested in the turnout of the discussion.
" Daddy, we are into manufacturing, oil, banking, and finance. We are into exports, imports, shipping, air transportation, and funding. The empire can boast of more than fifty household items that it produces and that are international leading products on the world stage that have beaten all competitors. However, we can still do and achieve more" Adah said looking at the smiling face of her father.
" I agree with you my daughter but what are your ideas?" he asked trying to decipher her daughter's mind.
"Daddy, it will be my pet project. I want to see if we will delve into estate and properties, Agriculture, telecommunications, information, and the hospitality sector." Adah said trying to read her father's mind and thoughts.
"Daddy my reason is that the empire is doing well in all its endeavors so far. we remain the ones to beat and pursue. I think since we are enjoying this ride, I think we can also diversify into these areas but with one step at a time." She said. Her father looked at her and smiled as he looked at his watch.
"You are now in charge. Work on these projects and their various proposals and leave the rest to me, especially the funding. I will personally take care of the funding so that in case of any liability it will be within the both of us. So draft your team of professionals and begin the essentials, I am fully behind you on this one." Her father said softly as he stood up from his seat.
"Oh, thank you, Daddy! you are and will remain my hero. I promise I will not disappoint you on this." She said as she hugged her father with joy in her heart.
"it's like starting a new phase and I am happy to be part of this idea of yours. I will ensure that it is independent and a secret. However, I will like this idea to be administrated from here, I want to monitor it closely after all I am not fully retired." he said with a big smile which reassured his daughter to the fullest. Her father left almost immediately while she shook with a great amount of joy.
Tomorrow will be quite busy as she intends to visit the various departments and have a brief talk with them all. She knew it will be hectic but she wants to get first-hand reports from the sections and departments. After her internal tour of the sections and departments, she will hold intensive meetings with all the international branches. Visiting these international branches will be off the books for now. The meetings will solely be for the sake of getting acquainted. As she wrote these things down on her to-do list, She heard her phone ring. Knowing that it was her mother, she smiled as the usual familiar voice filled her ears.
" I am not expecting you to sleep in that office." She started in a quite commanding tone.
"Just fine. I am doing some writing." She replied with her usual sweet voice.
" This is what I am not going to tolerate... I know you did not have your lunch. I know that it's almost closing and you are not even bothered. Just finished talking to your father and he is due to come back in thirty minutes, I will want you to beat that record!" She said all in one breath.
" Okay mummy but the drive is an hour and a half back home," she reminded without hesitation.
" See you then," her mother said and hung the phone. Adah dropped the phone and it indeed hit her that the day is almost over. She was about to leave the table when she heard the office doorbell. She rushed to open the door and was surprised to see the Head of the department for personnel standing in front of her. She allowed her in and offered her to seat down.
"We have scheduled the interview for tomorrow. Do we go ahead or do you want to do it yourself based on your special instructions?" She asked politely. Adah looked at her and smiled which made the lady more relaxed.
" I think you should go ahead and do the necessary before bringing him to me." She said.
" We have done that already through video call and we have his complete documents. She replied efficiently.
"Splendid... then what do you think?" Adah asked.
"With the resume, I think he is more qualified than just for replacement. However, since he is to work directly under you, I feel it's still acceptable." She replied
"What's his discipline? Adah asked looking interested.
" Building Technology, upper class..." She answered smartly not knowing where her boss is driving towards.
" I will see him tomorrow and before that time inform him that he is hired. I will take it up from there tomorrow. prepare an office for him within my office space." Adah instructed. and dismissed the lady after thanking her for her promptness. As the lady left, Adah's mind wandered back to the young man and feared for herself. Hope this is not a mistake on her part? As she thought, she felt her heartbeat increase. His picture is still fresh in her memory, the way he looked and dressed, the fairness and softness of his voice. She sighed and dragged her wandering thoughts back to the present and wondered what has come over her.
As the driver made his way towards Bourdilon, Adah relaxed her nerves as the thought of the young man keep coming and going at the same time in her head. She closed her eyes and tried listening to the radio from the car. After about two minutes, the song was interrupted by the news. Adah listened trying to bring her head and thoughts back to reality. She listened to the news and was rapt in attention when the handover news of the Denson's empire came up. They were spot on and the news was reported without any exaggeration.
"Is this how anything concerning the Denson's goes viral?" She asked almost exasperated.
" This is not even as huge as when Denson acquired the Skyblock airlines." The driver said not even disturbed. Adah was shocked to see press men hovering around the entrance of Bourdilon. What on earth are they still looking for? She knew they may be waiting for her daddy but also acknowledged that it is a known fact that the press is nosy and they can be annoying most times. She as a result of this fact about them avoids them with every fiber of her being though not that she has any iota of hatred towards them. They entered the gate and within minutes, the car came to a halt in front of the mansion allowing her to easily walk into the house. She entered and waved goodbye to the driver. The driver smiled and turned the car towards the garage.