Maya Richardson walked into Richardson Cooperation like she owned the place. Well, technically she would, once she took over as CEO, and she is more than ready for this position just waiting for the right time to inherit it from her grandfather. Sure it seems to the world that she has been fed with silver spoon since birth, this lifestyle and generational wealth has been given to her in a platter but only few people knew that she has refined herself in every way possible, outdone herself in school, got into ivy college, doing internships since she was sixteen constantly carving herself to be the epitome of perfection, the list of few people wasn't long it just contains two of her bestfriends and one of them is Emma. At the staggering height of five feet Maya is walking towards her grandfather's office Her heels clicked against the marble floors, each step sending a message: I'm untouchable.
Her aura screamed wealth. She has long black hairs with porcelain skin which was as pale as ghost complementing her status as a ice queen with perfectly polish nails, wearing A white blouse paired with a sleek blazer, Birkin in hand, and those iconic red-soled Louboutins, of course. Mia wasn't one to blend in; she was the kind of woman who wore her success like a crown. And her being from mixed race makes her more exotic, Maya is the focal point of attraction at every gathering and she make sure that she always be for Maya she is the sun and the people of earth revolves around her, sound so fascinating isn't it? But in worlds eyes she was far then being warm as a sun they named her ice queen a force to be reckon with, her no bullshit mindset has pissed of many some admires her and some despises but the one thing for sure she was always in peoples mind one way or other.
As Maya dominantly walked in her best friend, Emma, followed her with her clumsy footsteps, struggled to keep up. In her floral dress and casual sandals, Emma was the complete opposite of Maya—a girl-next-door who is as warm as sun and as calm as sloths, she is someone who says sorry to the other person even they smacked her in the face. She was never the one who wants to stand out Still, Emma and Maya formed the unusually strong friendship since childhood, Emma was the only person Maya trusted, her calm in the storm.
"Emma, hurry up," Maya called over her shoulder, checking her watch. "You know I hate being late."
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Emma panted, finally catching up. "Sorry, not everyone's legs are made for sprinting in six-inch heels."
Maya rolled her eyes. "Maybe you should try it sometime. Builds character."
Emma chuckled. "Or maybe I'll stick to flats and not die."
They entered the boardroom where Maya's grandfather, Thomas Richardson, sat, smiling a little too warmly. Maya narrowed her eyes—something was up. Her grandfather never smiled like that unless he was plotting. Maya knows this smiley face as she makes the same while plotting something, this is the face that says to the other person lets just wait and watch what's going to happen to you.
"Ah, Maya. Emma. Good to see you both." Thomas leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed. Too relaxed.
Maya crossed her arms, tilting her head. "Cut to the chase, Daji. What's going on?"
Thomas stood up and walked around the table, hands in his pockets. "Maya, darling, you've done wonders as COO, and soon, the company will need a strong leader."
Maya's eyes brightened. "I know, that's why I'm—"
"But," Thomas interrupted, holding up a hand, "there's one condition before you take over."
Mia raised an eyebrow. "What condition?"
"You need to get married."
Emma, sipping from her water bottle, choked mid-gulp. "What?!"
Maya blinked, frozen in disbelief. Then she laughed—a sharp, cold sound. "You're joking, right? This is some weird prank? This isn't 70s okay stop your patriarchal thinking your words are deeply buried in misogyny"
Thomas smiled. "I assure you, it's not a joke. Marriage, Maya. It's the one thing you need before you can become CEO. And don't mind me if I sound backwords but you're my only granddaughter so I want you to carry my bloodline further and before you can say that you can just have kids with IVF and all I'm telling you I want my great grand kids to have remarkable lineage not just some unknown guy "
"Marriage?" Mia spat the word like it was poison. "Are you really serious about this? I'm a grown independent woman who can handle herself and the business without needing any ones help and I'm not into marriage and dating you know that so why are you pulling this cruel prank!"
"Maya, I know that that's why I'm doing this and I thing that's the only way to get you settled or to make you fall in love with someone. Do you get it? Just find a nice guy and marry."
Maya stared at him, seething. "Guy huuhh? You are forcing me to get married without knowing my preference have you ever even considered the fact that I could be lesbian?"
Thomas's smile deepened. "Then just marry a woman you like, okay?" Thomas looked at Emma "that's why you too are always together?"
Emma shrugged with confused expression on her face "No we are not, and even if I'm, I wont even consider dating Maya even in my death bed"
Maya blinked and angrily screamed "Why not me hnnnn!!!!!!!!!!! What problem do I've?? And you daaji I just said consider my preference I didn't directly said I'm lesbian"
Thomas looked at Maya with a pleasant smile "Even if you were a lesbian we don't have any problem with you, and if you're not just find a good guy and get married" as the pitch of his voice start increasing.
Maya looked dead in the eyes of her grandfather with a smirk "I'm asexual"
Thomas with confused look in his face "asex sex which sual??? What is this?"
Emma correcting him enthusiastically "Asexual"
Maya "Asexual is someone who does not have a urge to have sex with anyone"
Thomas looked in disbelief "It's not a thing"
Maya "You can just google it"
Emma showing the definition of Asexual in her mobile to Thomas.
Thomas still in disbelief "This is for real?? Now I need to be more careful and informative with my words otherwise people of your generation will start cancelling the old man like me"
Maya "From where do you learn the term cancelling daaji??? With weird face.
Thomas proudly telling Maya ana Emma "My assistant told me, he also made me a tik tok account so I can see, what's truly going on this world and make products much better, do you know some people now a days want to live like animal, they say they identify as animal?? Isn't the world such a fascinating, maybe they stopped in between evolution"
Both Maya and Emma have no words left to say, it was hard for them to process this information that eighty one year of daaji is on tik tok and what type of content he is consuming.
Thomas "So even if you're asexual form a emotional connection with someone, love is about the connection of soul its not all about this physical thing that occu….."
Maya cut him off in mid "Just stop for god's sake, and you're going back on your words you told me you want great grandkids of pure bloodline and all not this, enough with your excuses"
Thomas "Enough with your excuses too I just want you to find love before I die, and if you don't, I'll find some outsider and make him the CEO of our company then you'll spiral like a madwoman as things won't stay in your control, and we all know how much you love being in control of everything"
Before Maya could react, Thomas "I've a perfect match for you" beaming with a smile "And I've already fixed a blind date with that guy for you"
Emma and Maya both asked in high pitched voiced "who??"
Maya's voice was filled with anger while Emma's was filled with excitement.
Thomas "Suzuki Haru".