"Lana, It's best if you don't see me as your father now. I'm coming as the Chairman of Double-Lake and my attendance here today is strictly best for the business." Mr. Steve replies authoritatively.
"Emergency - Conference Room Call" The bot announcer sounded over the speakers signalling a meeting was being called.
"What's this about, Dad? Lana quizzes.
"Let's get to the Conference Room first" Mr. Steve said and wheels past Lana.
*****************************************
At the Conference Room, all board members and executives took their seats except for the Manager's seat which was obviously vacant.
Mr. Steve sits at the head of the Conference Table. Lana sat just beside him by the right with a puzzled look. Mr. Jones sat next to Lana while the Secretary, Sarah sat a Desk before Mr. Steve by his left. The remaining staffs, a little below 100 sat facing the Excos. Aaron had found a seat for himself among the other staffs. Everybody was so serious and curious to what the Chairman had to say. "Is he retiring?" "No, he's coming back" "Both of you just shut up" Some staffs argued behind Aaron before the Chairman's voice brought them back.
"Let's get down to business". Mr. Steve begins. "In the past few years, we have thrived together as a team, as a family to get to where we are now. We have beaten competitions from the West, earned contracts worth billions of dollars and we are part of the Big 3 in the South." Mr. Steve pauses and continues while everybody pays keen attention. "It is rather sad that we are at this point where we need to act out of desperation".
"Well, Dad...Uh...Sir..." Lana struggles to speak, a bit taken aback by her father's desperation remark. She's done everything right in her power to make sure they progress, so hearing her father say something like that feels downgrading. "Whatever brought you here despite your health must be very serious and official. But you can trust us to find the best solution." Lana tries to keep it professional.
"I have the best solution, Lana." Mr. Steve said frankly. "And it's Aaron".
With this, Mr. Steve spots and calls Mr. Aaron from the middle row where he sat. There's total silence in the room as Aaron walks up before Mr. Steve's big announcement. "Aaron will be the new manager".
The room erupts with cheers, applause and excitement.
Emotions wash down as Lana feels betrayed and embarrassed by her father, but they are nothing compared to the hate she has and feels for Aaron. He's like her second most-hated person after the devil. She has a stare down with Aaron as he walks past her to shake hands with Mr. Steve. If looks could kill, Aaron would definitely be headed to the morgue.
"And I need all of your help to cooperate and work closely with him. And he will bring us the required results." Mr. Steve continues. We have all the papers ready and he is signed on them and it is official, Double-Lake is no longer without a manager. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, Staff and Executives, I present to you, Mr. Aaron Copeland - Double-Lake's General Manger. Mr. Steve claps and the rest of the room follows suit except Lana whose ill-fated feelings towards Aaron grows each passing second she thinks of him.
"Thank you." Aaron manages to say. Lana hearing Aaron's voice suddenly felt the urge to leave but she had to fight it because the Chairman was present. "I promise I won't let you down. I'll repay every single faith you have in me. Every decision will be made strictly for the interest of the company and not an individual...". Lana suddenly feels an outburst of anger as Aaron rounds up his first address as the manager. Not only did Aaron aimed that sly diss at her, he was also intentional. "Who the hell does he think he is?" She asks within herself feeling challenged for the first time in her life.
"Thank you, Mr. Aaron. I wish you to be the best manager we've ever had." Mr. Steve concludes after Aaron got an ovation for his address.
"Away from that..." The Chairman's continues, reminding everyone, they had other business to take care of.
"I received a call from Barclays Group last night and was told we were being shortlisted as potential partners ahead of its 23rd season release in two months time. We need to be at our best. If we miss this opportunity, all the money we paid will be lost and we will be in huge debt and eventually going bankrupt." Mr. Steve says looking disappointed. The jubilant and bright faces in the conference room is suddenly replaced with doubtful and fearful faces. "So, let's do the best we can while we are still allowed to, so we can accept whatever fate holds for us without regrets. Thank you for honouring my call. You can all go back to whatever you were doing." Chairman Steve dismisses the meeting. The workers murmurs within themselves as they dismiss and make their way out of the Conference Room. They didn't expect the meeting to end in such a low tone. Every hype and excitement about Aaron's appointment has died down and replaced with doubts and question marks about the Company's long term future
Lana suddenly understands her father's reactions. She was the one that bidded $10million to Barclays Group to be their primary partner.
"Ms. Lana, don't you think $10million is a bit risky? Mr. Jones asked shocked by the astronomical fee Lana had proposed to Barclays Group.
"It's a win-win situation, Mr. Jones. We lose $10million now and gain $120million within the next year. That sure sounds like a risk worth taking."
She quickly remembers when Mr. Jones tried to talk her out of it but she was so sure that they were going to pass; she didn't think Barclays would still want to get them screened and make them go through the same route as other bidders who bidded way lower than she did.
She regrets her actions and makes up her mind to make sure, they were chosen by Barclays, no matter what it takes...as long as it didn't involve Aaron.