Deal on Trial

Chapter 1: Compelled Change

So much change, she repeated to herself in her mind. These two weeks after she took up the post of Chief Executive Officer had been hell for her. Hell not because of the work which seemed to have tripled but hell because of the change!

She parked her car at her reserved parking, remembering how on the first day, the guard had rushed to her just because she has stopped her car in another parking, had asked her to change her place, had opened her door and had made a fuss about her not having a driver.

She knew how to drive. She didn't need one. She also knew how to open the door and yet, that stubborn guard again came to show his face to her again, "Good morning, miss. How do you do?"

The same routine, she silently told herself. "Fine, Max. Thank you."

He followed her closely to the entrance of the building and dropped her there. Ah, she didn't know the way. Thanks for the lift to the door, she was tempted to tell him but decided to keep the words to herself.

As she made her way towards the elevator, she was well aware of her heels which was the only sound which could be heard. Hell again! Why should all of them stay quiet whenever she would enter the building? She was annoyed and struggled to keep her head straight and her body relax. "Good morning, Ms Sanders." She gave a brief nod at them. These people never had any other dialogues than that.

And definitely, she would ride that elevator... alone again... like every day. Cruel people. As if she would eat them! Was it that necessary to maintain such a professional contact with her?

Finally after that long ride in the elevator, she walked out and reached her secretary's office. She opened the door to discover that she was not yet here. What a girl! It's been the third time this week in a row! She wonder what excuses she'd give her today.

She reached her own office, placed the laptop bag on the table, pulled the curtains and opened the windows. She would never be bored of this view. The magnificent New York City and its skyscrapers, covering the horizon line and reaching the sky. The rays of sunlight were flashing on each edifices and the shadows of these gigantic buildings formed on the other side, plunging several parts of this small world in darkness.

Far away, she could see the laboratory where she was working as a jewel designer. How she missed that place! After the duchess's bracelet, she had not created anything else and this was frustrating. Her career was put on hold!

She only had one miserable condition when she spoke to the lawyer about becoming the CEO by interim, "I will do the job but I will also do my job!" And he agreed too but there she was, only in the skin of someone else's work; her father's. There was time only for one thing.

Her hands ached to touch some metals, some gems, some tools...but all she was touching was papers and papers and a lot more of papers.

She now stared at another building. A magnificent building. Almost similar to Gemstones itself. The CEO of this rival company was a business magnate, Chase Decker. He had not left any stones unturned to make the difficult seem impossible but he had to know that nothing was impossible for her.

Being a CEO was not a hard work, it was simply demanding. This man and she. Huh! It seemed they were in an invisible tight match against each other and for this, she hated him for doubling her work load!

It was clear that they have all underestimated her... he has underestimated her. Darn him. She wanted to face him and throw the words at him, "You've messed with the wrong person, Chase Decker! Know that I'm a Sanders." Oh she knew everything in business. Her father was a CEO and she wouldn't know how he worked? She wanted to laugh. No one could surpass her, not when she devoted her time and energy into it.