***
"What the hell?" Lisa wheeled around when she heard her name falling from the lips of the one woman she'd never wanted to ever see again. "What part of 'I don't want to talk to you' did you not get?" She growled.
"Lisa, please." Miyeon smiled softly, hoping to take the anger down a notch, but Lisa narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her.
"What do you want?" She hissed through her clenched jaw.
"A drink at the bar?" She suggested still smiling.
"Well, have one then." Lisa pushed past her, finally entering the building and headed towards the elevators.
"You look like you could use one too?" Miyeon stepped into her path.
Lisa only huffed at the proposition and sidestepped the woman.
"Just one. I'll pay." Miyeon probed again with a genuine smile.
Lisa stopped and turned back towards her, clearly contemplating and finally nodding once. "One drink. You pay. Don't talk to me."
Miyeon sighed, but agreed to Lisa's condition. She didn't need her talking. She just had to spend time with her. "Fine by me." She said happily and gestured to the hotel's bar.
....
Roseanne had looked everywhere for the brunette, but had come back empty handed. Jisoo had put her arm around her shoulder for a gentle hug. "She'll be ok. Don't worry." She tried to reassure her. She looked at the taller woman carefully, considering her. "You know, she wanted to experience the company with her own eyes."
Roseanne looked up from her phone, watching her with interest. "Makes sense." She agreed.
Jisoo nodded and took a sip from her champagne.
"When her parents died, she wasn't ready to shoulder the responsibility and lose her privacy at the same time. She had been through some crazy shit when she was younger and she had simply been afraid to step up."
"I understand that, I really do and you know what, Jisoo?" Roseanne paused to take a sip as well. "I think she gave me the rare gift of getting to know her without the burden of her name. I met a kind, caring, interesting, beautiful woman, whom I might not have gotten to know in that way if she had told me from the beginning who she was. I mean let's be honest; it would have never been the same if I had known she's my boss." She shrugged at her words. "I feel a little stupid looking back, but I'm glad I've got to get to know her. She's magnificent." She sighed.
"Do you mind that she's the boss?" Jisoo probed. Roseanne stopped with her glass against her lips.
After a heartbeat she shook her head negatively. "It's
weird, I can't really see her as such, but I guess she can't see herself as the number one either. She seemed so content being a pilot. It suited her. I would never have questioned it."
"It was always her dream to fly. Ever since her parents had started building their company and she had grown up at airports she had wanted to become a pilot."
"I can see it makes her happy. I wish she could be what makes her happy. She's an incredible woman. I'm so glad I've had the chance to see the real her."
"She never wanted to take over, but she also couldn't let her parents' legacy rot away."
"She's selfless, caring so much about something from two people who hadn't appreciated her as much as they should have." Roseanne almost whispered, words only intended for Jisoo to hear.
"You've met them." The smaller woman stated. Roseanne nodded, unable to grasp the difference between the warm and engaged former owners of the airline and Lisa's parents.
"It's unbelievable those were the same people though."
"I know." Jisoo acknowledged and after another sip she talked a little louder for the rest to hear.
"You're really special Rosie. Anyone else would have skyrocketed at being kept in the dark…" She side glanced at Jennie who grimaced at the remark. "… but you only see the beauty behind." Jisoo shook her head, relieved.
"I personally don't think she did anything wrong." Roseanne pointedly added to Jisoo's statement and Jennie started nodding. "She never played with my feelings. I always knew what I could expect from her."
"Ok, guys. I get you. I'm sorry for my outburst, but you've gotta see this from our perspective." She pointed to Irene. "We were blindsided and what if we're in real trouble now?"
"How so?" Roseanne asked and Jisoo huffed.
"Well we did speak badly of the new owner in front of the new owner." Irene pointed out.
"She didn't think it was badmouthing, rather honesty." Jisoo explained.
"Oh my god… the whole New York hotel thing?" Jennie blanched. "Did she do that because I complained so much?"
Roseanne smiled when she remembered having asked Lisa exactly the same question. "I'm sure she was ok with offering it." She said quietly, trying to remember the exact words. "She said she didn't mind."
"Listen guys." Jisoo interrupted, seeing the distress on Jennie's face. "It's needless worrying about anything. Lisa has gone in undercover to get the real deal. She was prepared for some backlash and uncomfortable revelations." She took her girlfriend in her arms and kissed her cheek. "I know she wouldn't want you tiptoeing around her, just because she's paying your salary."
"If I still have a salary?" Jennie mumbled, but relaxed into the embrace.
"Of course you do." Jisoo assured.
"Roseanne?"
The blonde turned to her colleague with questioning eyes. When no further explanation was offered she asked. "Yes Bobby?"
"I'm sorry for pushing you to kiss her. That must have been really awkward." He finally blurted out.
"Um…" Roseanne blushed deeply. Awkward was not the word she would've choosen to describe it.
"It's ok." She stammered.
"Nothing to worry about Bobby. No one will hold that against you." Irene joked and pushed the man towards the buffet, when she sensed Roseanne's discomfort. It was a whole different situation now.
Roseanne wasn't falling for a colleague, but the CEO. Some people might mind. "Now, let's get something to eat. It's a waste to not indulge."
Jennie kept looking between Roseanne and Jisoo, unsure of what to do.
"It's ok babe." Jisoo finally cooed. "I know for sure Lisa has nothing against you. She likes you. You're Rosie's friends."
"Rosie, I'm sorry."
"It's alright. I'm not the one you should apologise to." She half mumbled checking her phone once more.
Her message sat still unanswered in their conversation thread.
Roseanne (21:10): Lisa, we need to talk.
Maybe the brunette thought Roseanne was angry at her and that's why she didn't react.
Roseanne (21:32): I'm not mad. I just want to talk to you.
The blonde joined her friends and colleagues at the buffet, but couldn't eat. Her stomach was in knots and she felt slightly ill at the possibility of not being able to talk to Lisa. From all the scenarios that could have happened, this hadn't been on her list. She had never been interested in any of her superiors before. She wasn't even sure if this was at all appropriate. She shook her head to get rid of the disturbing thought. She didn't want to be with Lalisa the CEO, she wanted Lisa the pilot. She tried to calm her nerves.
Roseanne (21:40): Please Lisa. I need to talk to you.
She waited another ten minutes without a reply, before she turned to Jisoo.
"Where does Lisa live?"
"Um, she stays in a hotel. She hasn't decided yet whether she wants to be in Boston or LA." Roseanne swallowed hard at the information.
'What if Lisa decided to stay in Boston?'
"Which hotel?" She managed despite the lump in her throat.
Jisoo gave her the address and nodded once when Roseanne gestured she would leave.
"Tell her to stop sulking." Jisoo smiled; hopeful the two could finally start over now that the cat was out of the bag.
"I will do if she lets me."
"Roseanne?" Irene called after the blonde who quickly walked to the exit.
"Where is she going?" Jennie asked her girlfriend when she was in earshot.
"I'll give you three guesses." Jisoo shrugged and started to steal bites off of the plate in Jennie's hand.
"Should we go with her?"
"No. Leave it to the two idiots to sort it out."
Roseanne picked up her coat and dashed out onto the road to hail a cab.
Roseanne (21:55): Whether you like to or not, but I'm coming over now.
.....
Miyeon had ordered two drinks and they sat together at the bar not looking at each other.
"So? How are you these days?" She tried.
"I told you not to talk to me." Lisa growled lowly.
"I know, but this is a little weird, don't you think?"
"No one asked you to sit next to me." Lisa was tired of this, but she really needed that drink. She hadn't been able to see Roseanne since Christmas and now that the blonde knew for sure who Lisa was, she had been dragged off and driven away. Jackson had decided she needed to leave.
"Ms… Lisa. Please come with me."
"Jackson, no. I need to talk to the people. They seem upset."
"You can address this later. Let the anger simmer down. We need to get you out of here."
"Jackson you're being overdramatic. This isn't needed."
"Well chastise me later for it, but I do think it's not safe right now."
Lisa had stared at him for a heartbeat, before she had slowly nodded and allowed herself to be pushed from the room.
Lisa hadn't seen the danger, her eyes had been scanning the room, but she couldn't see anything beyond the first rows. She had no idea how Roseanne had received the news. In her hasty departure she hadn't been able to collect her belongings. Her purse was still at the venue.
"That's true, but there's not much space anyway." Miyeon replied.
Lisa quickly looked up from her glass and scanned the area. The few tables were indeed occupied by men in suits. "Whatever." She mumbled and turned back to sip her drink.
"So?" Miyeon leaned closer. "What's the deal with you and the blonde? Hook-up in New York?"
"What?" Lisa glared at her. "How dare you?"
"Oh easy. I didn't mean to offend you or her." She grinned hauntingly. "So, it's serious then?"
"I'm not talking to you about this." Lisa answered in a clipped tone.
"Ah, Lis relax. I'm happy for you. It's about time you get over me."
"I am…" Lisa pinched her nose in frustration. "Don't give yourself too much credit in ruining my life."
"Ah. Now we get to the part where you blow up and accuse me of destroying your faith in women?"
"Miyeon." It was low growl with a clear warning.
"Fine. I'll back off this topic." She nursed her drink for a moment. "How's the business? I haven't seen you making a statement in any big newspaper."
Lisa ignored her. She had no intention of further indulging the woman in conversation.
"Is it true, that people still don't know your true identity?"
Lisa clenched her jaw, but remained silent.
"Does blondie know about you?"
"I said keep her out of this." Lisa finally reacted and hissed at her.
"Mm." Miyeon grinned again. "Maybe I should find her and warn her. She should know what she's getting herself into."
"And what is that?" Lisa looked at her with a fake grin. "A life you clearly dug for four years. A life you clearly miss considering your lame attempts to get back into my circle."
"A life of being alone for the most part and having to attend a lot of dinner parties…" Miyeon summed up with a bored voice.
"Which I recall you loved…" Lisa drawled, shaking her head in disbelief.
"I played the expected role."
"Don't pretend. I know you stayed with me for the prestige, the money and the influence." Lisa huffed, glaring at her.
"I agree there was that, but…" She shifted closer. "I also loved you."
Lisa laughed out angrily. "Funny way to show me your love by blackmailing me for a million dollars…"
"I know that was not a nice thing -"
"Not a nice thing?" Lisa repeated completely shocked. "Do you actually hear yourself talking? Do you hear me talking? Are you aware that you've stolen a significant amount of money from me?"
"I'm sure you didn't even miss it. Your parents had plenty." Miyeon defended herself.
Lisa ignored her and went on. "I should sue you. You've got nothing you could use against me anymore."
Miyeon looked at her in surprise. She did not come here to end up in prison anyway. "No really. It's been too long. Why hold a grudge?" She stammered.
"I'm done with you." Lisa got up from her stool and finished her drink. "The only reason why I haven't involved the authorities yet, is I didn't want the negative publicity. Not now or ever, but if I ever see you again, I will report you." She leaned closer to her; fiery eyes trained at her ex. "Understand?"
Miyeon nodded. "Perfectly."
They shared one last look; hate collided with fear, before Lisa turned around and walked to the elevators. The doors opened and a man left when she entered. He nodded at her politely and walked past the bar. When the lift doors closed Miyeon turned back to her drink and finished it in one big gulp.
"You did well. Thank you." A voice murmured nearby. She turned around quickly, but she only saw the retreating form of a woman steering towards the same direction the man had a minute ago.
She paid up and left the hotel hastily, not doubting Lisa's threat one bit.
.....
Roseanne was nervously biting her nails and silently cursing her impulsiveness. She should have given Lisa time to process the night's events, instead of running after her like hormonal teenager.
She looked at her phone once more, and the eerie silence from the brunette had her worried. She rationalized, she would only check in on her, make sure she was ok and leave; giving them both time to process what had happened.
When she reached the hotel, she told the driver to wait and swiftly climbed out of the car. She walked into the lobby, and headed towards the reception, when she saw Lisa sitting with another woman at the hotel bar. She looked tired, but her body language told Roseanne she knew the woman.
'That's why she didn't answer me.'
Roseanne subconsciously hid behind a giant plant and observed them for a minute. They were definitely not strangers and something was weirdly familiar about the other woman. "No." Roseanne whispered, when she realised who Lisa was talking to.
'What was her ex doing here? Are they back together? Has that been the reason why Lisa had been so hesitant?'
Roseanne ducked out behind the plant and slowly made her way back to the taxi, head full of questions. She managed to press her address through her clenched jaw and slumped back into the seat.
....
Lisa woke up with banging headache. She groaned loudly and winced at the bright light penetrating her aching brain through her eyelids. She searched for her mobile on the nightstand, but came up empty handed.
"Fuck." She whimpered when she remembered last night's events. She slowly opened one eye and tried to read the time off the alarm clock and nearly jumped out of bed when she realised how late it was.
"Fuck." She yelled out and dashed into the bathroom. She didn't need to be late the day after she'd revealed her identity as the CEO of her company. Everyone would be looking for her as the rumour mill had been working overtime lately. Now that the economic world had a face and a name, she would be asked for lots of statements.
Lisa requested a car the minute she was out of the bathroom and was only an hour late by her personal standard. She strolled into headquarters with a smile and greeted people on her way to her office. She closed the door and proceeded to her coffee maker, when her chair turned around.
"Finally."
"Veron?" Lisa smiled and walked over to greet her godmother. "When did you arrive? I'm sorry I haven't been able to mingle yesterday night."
"Lisa? Where were you last night?" Veronica asked without greeting.
"Um, at my hotel?" Lisa answered, hands on her hips.
Veronica nodded gravely and pointed to the coffee. "Make it two, I need one as well."
"What's wrong?"
A knock on the door interrupted Lisa's interrogation.
"Ms. Manoban? The meeting will start in 5 minutes."
"What meeting?" Lisa looked confused from the woman to Veron and back. "What the hell is going on this morning? I have no meeting scheduled."
"Have you not received the notification?"
"I've lost my phone at the venue."
"Oh!" The young woman said, shuffling out of sight and returning a moment later with Lisa's purse. "Someone dropped this off for you."
Lisa took the handbag and quickly checked the contents in search of her phone. She saw numerous missed calls from Veronica, one from Jackson, and a few text messages from Jisoo. Lisa's worry spiked on seeing that Roseanne had tried to reach out to her.
'Oh my god, is she angry with me?' Lisa thought and dropped her bag on her visitor chair to read the texts, but was stopped before she could open the app.
"The meeting is in room one."
"What meeting?" Lisa asked once more, lowering her arm holding her phone and glaring at everyone. The anxiety of what Roseanne might have messaged had erased her short term memory.
"They called a board meeting. Some unexpected problems have emerged overnight." Veronica answered and gently pushed Lisa out of her office towards the meeting room.
"What problems?"
Veronica just shook her head. They had run out of time as they were stood in the room now, which was already occupied by the few board members who had attended last night's annual meeting and the rest from Boston via Internet. The meeting would have happened with or without Lisa present.
"Lisa." Jackson greeted her politely. "Please." He gestured to the chair at the head of the table and Lisa slowly sat down, eyeing everyone with a frown.
"Would anyone care to tell me what this meeting is about?" She requested once everyone had been seated.
"Very well." A voice boomed out from one of the speakers connected to the monitors. "I received an interesting email last night."
Lisa scrunched up her nose thinking hard what he could mean, when another member raised her voice.
"So did I and the rest of the board."
"Ok." Lisa breathed out in puzzlement, her intestines coiling painfully in her belly.
"How on earth did you think that was suitable content to be sent from your private email account?"
The man on the screen asked. Lisa opened her mouth but was interrupted.
"Can you imagine the damage this information could have done if it had ended up in the wrong hands?"
"What?" She finally managed.
"We established the encrypted electronic mail for a reason. Sending those files from your private address has been the greatest risk in the history of the company."
"What are you talking about?" Lisa finally got up, angry at the unclear accusations towards her. "What are you supposedly saying I've done?"
"Lisa…" Veronica turned to her. "Yesterday evening an email was sent to the board containing all the financial records from the previous year."
"I didn't send it. I know how to securely send such data." Lisa defended herself.
"It was sent from your private email address."
"I didn't send it." Lisa repeated.
"What kind of electronic devices do you own?" Veronica asked calmly.
"A laptop and my mobile." Lisa huffed out.
"Where were they yesterday evening?"
"The laptop in my hotel room and the phone in my purse, somewhere I don't know. It was given back to me this morning. Veron you witnessed that."
"I did."
"The phone is irrelevant. The information concerned could not have been on your phone." Jackson spoke up for the first time.
"I haven't sent any email. Check my laptop; it's in my bag in the office."
Someone was sent to retrieve Lisa's computer and after another moment the brunette was presented with it.
Lisa blanched and shook her head. "I didn't do it." She repeated over and over whilst the voices in the room got louder.
"This is clearly a breach of security."
"Outrageous."
"We can't afford such a risk."
The man on the screen asked for silence before he addressed Lisa. "Your parents demanded our unwavering support in case you had to take over, but this is a serious problem. If this had gotten out, no one would trust LM Airline with their personal information ever again. If we can leak our own financial information what would stop us misplacing or even selling passenger data?"
Lisa nodded. She understood the seriousness of the problem, but she kept repeating. "I didn't do it."
"Who else had access to your room, your laptop and your private email account?" Jackson turned back to Lisa who stared at him with wide eyes.
"I… I don't know." She stammered anxiously, unable to maintain a clear mind.
'Had she endangered her parents' company?'
"No you don't understand." Michelle spoke up for the first time. "Ever since Lalisa Manoban has taken over, the company has been unhinged. The staff have been unsatisfied and guests have started to complain. This is just the cherry on top."
"That's not true." Lisa stated, angered.
"Well, take last night as an example." Lee proceeded, turning to the board members who had been absent the previous night. "She came in unprepared, her presentation was nowhere to be found, she talked over the heads of people and at the end we had to make her leave the room to avoid any more upset."
"That's not how it happened! I had been prepared." Lisa growled louder.
"Are you even emotionally capable of leading this company?" Michelle sneered.
"Enough!" Lisa yelled and everyone stopped talking. "What exactly is it that you're trying to achieve here?"
"Lalisa, you're not fit to lead." Michelle said calmly.
"This is my company." She said in a gravelly voice.
"We are stakeholders. We have the best of the company at heart and right now you're not the best." One of the men online explained, his voice raspy through the speakers.
"Are you voting me out?" Lisa looked incredulously at the circle of people.
"We advise you to step down from your executive role and remain the silent owner." The same voice stated coldly. Lisa let herself fall back in her chair, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Let's not jump to conclusions here." Veron tried to calm the atmosphere. "It's not been proven she sent the email. She says she hasn't done it. Anyone with a key card had access to her room and a decent hacker could get into her laptop and email account. We have to be sure, because otherwise the decision is void." She pointed out.
Lisa looked down at her hands and the world around her started to swim as tears pooled in her eyes. "I can't believe this."
"Veronica is right." Jackson spoke up again. "Legally speaking, you have to give Lisa 48 hours to prepare a defence."
"We have enough information to prove her unfit state now." Michelle replied.
"You've got nothing. This doesn't hold up in court if Lisa chooses to sue you." Veron snarled icily at the other woman. Lee held her gaze for a moment, before she huffed and threw up her hands in defeat.
"You're right." The man on one of the screens agreed. "Find out what's going on, come back and inform us and we will vote then."
Everyone mumbled their acknowledgement and after another moment the calls were cut and people left the room. Lisa remained seated, still shaking her head.
"Lisa?" Veron kneeled in front of the lost woman. "I believe you."
"Me too." Jackson stepped closer.
"I didn't do it. They can't take my parents' company away from me."
Jackson and Veronica shared a look of determination with each other. "We won't let them."
....
"Jisoo. This is Veron."
"Veron? Oh um… one minute." Jisoo stumbled out of the bedroom, leaving a sleeping Jennie behind and walked over to the kitchen. "Good morning." She finally said.
"It's eleven in the morning. Don't tell me you were still sleeping?"
"It's my day off. Of course I was."
Jisoo could hear a chuckle at the other end and smiled. Her interactions with Lisa's godmother had been sparse. A few birthdays and a couple of dinners, but they had liked each other.
"Listen, Lisa needs your help."
Jisoo plopped down on her bar stool and giggled. "I hope it has nothing to do with Roseanne."
"Who's Roseanne?"
"Um, a colleague… She went over to speak to Lisa yesterday night. Haven't heard from either of them."
"Unfortunately it's more serious and I may need the number of this Roseanne."
"Veron?" Jisoo had a sinking feeling in her stomach. "What happened?"
....