Vic closed his laptop with a sigh, leaning back into his chair and closing his eyes. He was finally done with all the paperwork that needed his attention.
His thoughts wandered to Anya Delacroix.
After Gavin Smith had left, he invited Anya over to his office to sign some documents. He gave her a quick rundown of her responsibilities while she shared her insights. With the exception of the arrogance she showed him on their first meeting, he appreciated her professionalism. The woman wasted no time and immediately immersed herself into her work. But there was something about her that bothered him, something that he couldn't quite pinpoint.
After signing the documents, Anya got up to leave while he walked to his desk. It was when he had taken his seat that he noticed she hadn't left. Instead, she stood frozen in place, her attention transfixed on the wall. It took a few moments before he realized she was looking at the framed photos of Caitlin and Claire Reinhart, which were hanging on the wall. A hand went to touch Caitlin's photo.
"Is there anything else?" he asked, standing up from behind his desk. He noticed the slight jolt of her shoulders and the hand that was quickly retracted as he walked over.
She shook her head, then gave him a quick bow and left.
Vic couldn't be sure—she quickly turned away from him when he came near—but he thought he saw a sorrowful expression on her face as she looked at Caitlin's photo.
From behind his desk, Vic looked at the photos on the wall. The previous CEO had them taken down and placed in the archive room but Vic insisted on giving them a place of honor in his office. He wasn't about to let their memory be forgotten too quickly.
He tapped a finger on his desk and his eyes rested on the folder Matt had handed him that afternoon. Earlier, he asked his assistant to find out everything he could about Anya Delacroix and he came back a few hours later with the report.
He flipped through its contents, skimming over the numerous achievements listed under her name. Then, something caught his eye.
His eyes darted over to the wall clock on the far side of his office. It was 30 minutes past seven in the evening. He stood up, grabbed his coat, and quickly walked out of his office.
—-------------------------
Meanwhile, Anya looked over the files of every talent and trainee working under the agency and was surprised to find that in the course of two years, a lot of old talents have either been let go or given less attention by the agency.
She tried asking Human Resources why a lot of talents left, but the only answer they could give her was that it was decided by the CEO.
She bit her thumbnail. None of them were to debut. At least, not now. Where on earth did they get these people? She felt frustrated at the increasingly steep climb she had ahead of her.
Vittorio Marquez. She wondered why the youngest son of billionaire Vincent Marquez, the Chairman of Marquis Group, was working as the CEO for another group. Why was he working for Queen of Hearts? With such a drastic move, is he trying to engineer the downfall of Queen of Hearts? And more importantly, why did President Reinhart allow him to become CEO?
A sharp knock interrupted her thoughts. She turned to find the man standing by her doorway as if summoned by her thoughts.
"Come in," she said, turning her attention back to the photos she was sorting out.
Vic quietly entered the room and stood in front of her desk. She let him stand there, ignoring him as she continued with her work, but highly aware of his presence.
"Are these headshots of all our talents?" he finally asked, picking one up.
"Yes. Yes, they are," she replied, taking a deep breath. "How may I help you, Mr. Marquez?"
"I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner."
She paused, finally looking up at him, an eyebrow raised. What did he want now?
"Since we're going to be working together, we should get to know each other."
She turned her attention back to the sketches on the table, writing notes on some of them. "Is this a business dinner?"
"It's a dinner invitation from one colleague to another."
"Then I'll have to take a rain check. As you can see, I'm still busy."
"It's your first day at work, you should take it easy."
Anya tilted her head up and took a long, deep breath. "How do you expect me to take it easy when we only have six months to debut a group and I still don't have a shortlist?"
Vic's expression quickly became confused. "Didn't the managers already handle it?"
Anya rolled her eyes. It turns out the new CEO isn't as capable as she expected. Relying on other people without checking, it's no wonder the agency was in shambles.
"Tell me, Mr. Marquez, why did you change an entire team of perfectly capable trainees and bring in a bunch of inexperienced newbies?" she asked heatedly as she handed him the shortlist the managers submitted to her office. "I can't even imagine how you were able to find such a group of idiots with such low qualifications!" She plopped down a chair, resting her elbows on the table and cradling her head in her hands.
Vic was dumbfounded as his eyes scanned through the list.
"I understand that the company had to sacrifice some things to keep it afloat," Anya continued in a softer tone, reining in her frustration as she pulled her head back and looked at him. "But you, as the CEO, should know well enough that the backbone of this agency is its talents."
Vic could see the frustration in her face. But her expression was mixed with something else that he didn't expect—sorrow.
"The changes weren't my call," he replied in a low voice. "I was only appointed CEO less than two months ago."
"Then who? Was there a CEO before you?" Anya's brows furrowed. As far as she knew, QH's CEO position had been vacant for the past two years.
"Evelyn Reinhart."