Emma came out of the bathroom to find Abby lying on the bed waiting for her. And immediately Abby saw Emma entered, she stood from the bed and moved towards the wardrobe with her game face on.
She started talking while rummaging through Emma's neatly arranged clothes...
"Your clothing style can speak volumes about you even before you open your mouth to introduce yourself..."
Picking and discarding clothes, she continually talked... "No this is too loud... Yes, this will flatter your skin tone... Go with this underwear cos we don't want visible panty lines on your backsides..."
When Abby was done with the cloth selection, she placed her makeup box on the vanity table.
"Come sit..." Abby said while she selected the right color to use. "Soft and natural is the right look for a job interview... Now let's match your makeup to your skin tone. You want to make a good impression without overdoing it..."
Emma arrived at the Salvadorian Empire looking polished, cool, and professional in a slim-cut navy blue pantsuit with a white shirt, heels, and a structured black handbag.
She stood in front of the huge all-glass building of the Salvadorian Empire and practically felt her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She stood still for some seconds to calm her nerves, saying to herself...
"Calm down Emma, you can do it." before walking with confidence into the huge and impressive reception hall.
"Good morning... I'm here for the internship interview" Emma said to the receptionist
"Miss Emmanuella Da-Silva?" The receptionist asked with a bright smile after briefly looking through her computer.
"Yes, Emma replied with a smile of her own and a questioning look on her face wondering how she got her name right.
The lady understood the look on Emma's face and said...
"Oh, your the last person to arrive, and the last name I've not checked yet is Emmanuella Da-silva."
Hearing that she was the person that came last, Emma's heart nearly jumped out from her mouth
"Oh my God, I'm not late... Or am I" Emma said while her eyes quickly darted through her wristwatch to confirm the time.
"It's quarter to eight, please tell me I'm not late" She pleaded towards the receptionist who just nodded her with assurance.
No, you're not late... Yet! The lady looked towards the big wall clock hanging on the wall opposite her before adding 'yet' to her sentence.
"Now let's not delay you any further... Your id please?" The receptionist asked and Emma immediately handed over her national and school id card which the receptionist cross-checked with the one she has on the computer before finally handing Emma a visitor's pass and gave her direction to the executive floor.
***
Leo went straight to his office after he left the night owl the previous night. The thought of working all night on a file that needed his urgent attention was more appealing than going back home to meet his crazy sister and her friend Fola.
The annoying scene of Emma and Dave kissing in the parking lot was still in his head and he didn't think he would have the patience to deal with their nonsense right when his anger was at its boiling point. He didn't want to result to doing or saying what he would regret for the rest of his life if they tune his dial the wrong way.
While Emma was walking towards the conference room on the executive floor where the interview would be held, Leo whose office was also on the executive floor was still going through the files from the previous night that his personal assistant, who was once his grandfather's trusted personal assistance left for him.
What he's read so far made him angry. The investigation of the project supervisor who claimed he was framed and unjustly dismissed that he asked his PA to looked into was bigger than he thought.
It made him remember what his grandfather once said that there are so many unknown enemies who want to take down all the Salvador males before taking over the Empire.
His PA found out that immediately after his grandfather's stroke, over the last three months, ten staff in total who were his grandfather's trusted people, mostly managers and project supervisors from different departments were sacked for gross misconduct of funds.
All the dismissed staff indeed looked guilty on paper as they all couldn't explain their way out of the stolen funds. When he asked his PA to investigate the staff that complained to him of being framed, the PA discovered that the rest were all framed as well and they didn't complain because they didn't want to risk any lawsuit brought against them since they had no evidence to prove their innocence.
Somebody was gradually replacing his grandfather's trusted men with people of lesser qualifications. Leo wondered how the human resources department could employ people that were not up to the Empire's standard unless they are in cohorts with the perpetrators.
Leo was pained and angry with himself.
"Dammit!..." He swore loudly and swept all the files that was on his desk to the floor in anger.
It's only been three months that his grandfather left him in charge of the Empire and in the space of that three months they've managed to replace almost all his grandfather's trusted men right under his nose.
This was what made him change his mind about the interns. From now on, he would personally monitor the employment and dismissal of any staff of the Salvadorian Empire.
His intercom buzz then and he picked it
[Yes!?...] He answered tersely
[Your uncle is here to see you, sir...] His secretary's voice said through the phone
[I thought I told you I don't want to be disturbed...]
[Yes sir, but...]
[No buts! I don't want to hear excuses about your incompetence. Tell him to wait if he could or schedule an appointment with him if he couldn't...]
[I'm so sorry sir]
[Where's Paul]
[He's addressing the interns that would be working directly with you sir]
[Alright tell him to come to my office at once]
[Alright sir!]
After the call with his secretary ended, Leo got up from behind his desk and started putting back the files he swept to the floor in anger. A few seconds after, his intercom buzzed again.
[Yes] he answered, his voice was calmer this time.
[Your PA is already here sir]
[Okay] he simply replied as he picked the last file from the floor and placed it back on his desk.
"Sir, you called for me?" His PA, Paul said as he walked towards Leo
"Yes! Please sit Paul" Leo indicated towards a chair and leaned back in his own executive leather chair.
"I was wondering about the staffs that were framed and punished unjustly... Is it possible for us to let them have their jobs back?"
"I'm afraid no sir!..." PA Paul replied while shaking his head with regret. "These people were dismissed with strong evidence brought against them and the evidence we were able to find is not strong enough to prove their innocence"
"But I am the CEO! I know what is right for my Empire..."
"All due respect sir. You're still an interim CEO. Bringing people who were already dismissed for gross misconduct of funds back into the organization, during this critical period is not advisable.
A charge might be leveled against you for going against the shareholders' interest at the next board meeting which might lead them to vote against you as the next Chief Executive Officer of Salvadorian Empire.
Since we're yet to find out who is behind this. Whatever decision we want to take, will have to wait till after the board meeting. Investigation is still ongoing, who knows what we would uncover by then."
"Ok great! Please reach out to these people and send them my apologies. Tell them all remunerations would be fully paid after a proper investigation that proves their innocence... And send them some little something in the meantime to keep body and soul together."
"Alright sir"
"So what about the interns?... How's their interview going?"
"They've all been assigned to their various departments, except for two that would be working directly here with us.
"Tell me about them... What do they major in?"
"Mr. Yusuf Jakande. 25 years old. Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management. Top of his class, from the University of Ife. I picked him for us because we need somebody inside the HR department..."
"That's good... Go on..."
"The second person is Miss Emmanuella Da-Silva..."