The next day, a Maserati MC20 came to a halt. Unlike yesterday, it was alone, with the sun just rising and a gentle breeze blowing, carrying a sweet and warm mingling of the surroundings. As she gazed at the skyscraper, its lights were off, but the company name "Galaxy World" was still bright enough to read. More than a year ago, when she had come here with her brother, she never imagined things would turn out like this.
Taking over the company had always seemed inevitable, but she had hoped her brother would be by her side. Instead, he had handed her this burden and now seemed relieved. When she asked him yesterday if he cared about the company at all, his response was unexpected. "No worries, I have enough for you to waste," he had said.
A smile graced her lips despite her annoyance. She had always wanted to relieve him of this burden. For years, her brother had shouldered her responsibilities. She sometimes felt guilty for his suffering. If not for her and Jack, wouldn't he be free?
Why did their parents have to leave them at such a crucial point when they needed them the most? A single tear escaped her eye, clouding her thoughts. But then a sound shook her out of her reverie. She took out her phone to see a message from her brother.
"Little one, I'm returning today. I'll be visiting you at the company. Wait for me."
Her eyes shone, and all those depressing thoughts scattered in an instant. She didn't want to enter through the main gate, so she took the private elevator instead. As she reached her office, she saw various files stacked on her table and sighed heavily. She glanced at her wristwatch; it was only 6 a.m. There were still three hours before the start of the workday. She could try to sort out as much as possible.
Engrossed in her work, she sensed someone's presence. Raising her eyes slightly, she saw James enter the room. When James saw his boss working, he was unfazed. He had been with her for a long time and knew how she was. He placed a glass of honey and cinnamon drink on her desk. She furrowed her brows but paid no heed; it was a demand from her brother, and James always followed his instructions.
"Are you my brother's assistant or mine?" she asked with a pitiful look.
Even though they had an employer-employee relationship, they were good friends who had grown close since childhood. Her tantrums didn't affect him.
"Why are you asking if you already know the answer?" he responded casually, given it wasn't office hours.
"But I don't like it," she complained.
"Didn't you ask for it? Who neglected her health in the first place to suffer like this?" His tone held a hidden scolding but also an urge for her to take care of herself.
"Don't lecture me! I'm a doctor, and I know best!" she huffed.
"Yeah, a doctor who can't even take care of herself!" he retorted.
She narrowed her eyes at him and then slowly laughed. When he saw her laughing, he felt genuinely happy. Ever since her brother had told her he couldn't handle Galaxy World anymore due to the pressure, she had blamed herself for not seeing his stress and struggle. From that time on, she immersed herself in learning everything about the corporate business, working tirelessly.
She had been trained to be the heir of Galaxy World since the age of eleven. It was in her genes to be in business, especially with a brother like Gavin Arnold, who had single-handedly managed the family business and his own empire for nearly a decade.
"Why are you in a daze?" she snapped her fingers in front of him, breaking his trance.
He averted his eyes and saw employees arriving, then closed the blinds of the office. "It's nothing. The drink is good for your stomach." He didn't want her to dwell on those intense periods and feel stressed, so he changed the topic.
"Did you finish reading all the files?" His eyes moved to the large desk, where several files were scattered.
She noticed his evasiveness but answered his question. "I'm almost done, but the files for the second quarter of 2020 are missing."
"Is there any problem?" he asked, glancing at her face but seeing no signs of distress.
"No, the issues only escalated in the last two years. I have read all the investment plans and financial data; even the balance sheet matches. The problem arose when my brother got busy, and the company was handled remotely under the vice president." She put her hand on his shoulder and stroked her chin thoughtfully.
Standing beside her was never comfortable for most men, given her height of 180 cm. At 184 cm, he was lucky today that she wasn't wearing heels, or he would look like her little brother, even if they were the same age. But he had grown used to it from an early age. Until their teenage years, she had been taller than him, but she had never made fun of him. She was quite considerate. It was only in college that he grew slightly taller, easing his distressed heart.
"Company culture is the backbone of any successful organization. If you get the culture right, most other stuff will just take care of itself," James said, echoing lessons from Arnold.
"If people in higher positions engage in unethical practices, employees will suffer. When new talent can't emerge due to power suppression from the top, the company will inevitably take a loss. Employee engagement arises from culture, not the other way around," she added, agreeing with his perspective. They were educated by the same master, sharing a harmonious yet distinct thought process that made them work efficiently together.