New Owner

Amelia walked into the office, her heels clicking against the floor as she whispered to herself, “Today, I’m focusing on work. Just work.”

Her head still throbbed faintly from all that had happened the past few days. She hadn’t slept much, and Kris’s face kept showing up in her mind no matter how hard she tried to push it away.

Stella, her friend appeared from behind her desk, clutching a cup of coffee in her hands.

“Amelia!” she called out, sliding next to her. “Have you heard the news?”

Amelia looked up from her computer screen. “If it’s about the vending machine being ransacked again, I’m not interested.”

Stella shook her head dramatically. “No! It's not that. Word has it that the firm has a new ownership.”

Amelia chuckled softly, flipping through a few files. “That’s not new, Stella. We get new shareholders every other month. It’s probably another corporate merger rumor. Don’t let it get to your head.”

Stella leaned closer. “I’m serious, I doubt these are rumors Amelia.”

Before Amelia could respond, a voice echoed from the reception area through the office speakers.

“Attention, please. The following staff should report to Mrs. P’s office immediately…”

A list of names followed, and Amelia paid no attention—until she heard hers.

She froze mid-sentence, her pen slipping from her hand. Stella’s eyes widened. “You? Why would they call you?”

Amelia shrugged nervously. “I—I don’t know. Maybe it’s about one of my reports? I hope I didn’t make any mistakes.”

“Or maybe you’re getting promoted,” Stella teased.

Amelia gave her a look. “Or I’m not getting fired.”

She straightened her blouse and walked toward the elevator. Her heart raced as she rode up to the top floor. The hallway outside Mrs. P’s office was crowded. Employees were coming out, some smiling, some in tears, while others whispered nervously.

Amelia frowned. What in the world is happening in there?

Finally, her turn came.

She took a deep breath, knocked lightly, and stepped inside, only to freeze again.

The room was quiet, and the person sitting behind the desk wasn’t Mrs. P.

It was Mr. Dowson himself, the owner of the firm.

“Miss Amelia, please, come in,” he said with a warm smile. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”

“Sir?” Amelia blinked, sitting slowly. “Is… everything alright? I hope I’m not in some sort of trouble.”

Mr. Dowson laughed heartily. “No, no. Relax. I just wanted to speak to you directly.”

She sighed in relief. “You had me scared there for a second.”

“I imagine the announcement downstairs has caused quite the stir,” he said. “But don’t worry, it’s not bad news. I simply wanted to inform you, personally, that I sold the firm last night.”

Amelia’s eyes widened. “Huh? You sold the firm?”

He nodded, leaning back. “Yes. I'd admit the offer came in quite unexpectedly. I didn’t plan to sell, but some opportunities are too good to pass up.”

Amelia blinked rapidly, trying to process it. “Was the firm struggling sir? Or… are we overstaffed?”

He chuckled. “Not at all. We’ve been doing quite well, thanks to hardworking people like you. The buyer just gave me an offer I couldn't refuse”

She leaned forward. “Who’s the buyer?”

Mr. Dowson hesitated, adjusting his tie. “Oh i’ve never met him before. But he’s supposed to come by today to finalize the paperwork.”

Before Amelia could ask another question, his phone rang. “Excuse me a moment, Miss Amelia,” he said, stepping out of the room to take the call.

The door clicked shut.

Amelia sat there quietly, staring at the papers on the desk. Who would buy the Daily Gossip? she wondered. And why?

A few minutes later, she heard the door open again.

“Mr. Dowson, that was fast—” she began, but her voice trailed off.

It wasn’t Mr. Dowson.

It was Kris.

Her body tensed. Her eyes narrowed as he stepped closer, dressed sharply in a black suit, his expression unreadable.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, standing up. “Why on earth do you keep insisting on following me?”

“No, it's not what you think…” he said calmly. “Just listen for a minute.”

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say, Kris. You’ve done enough—”

“Please.” His voice softened. “Just one minute. Then I’ll leave you alone, I promise.”

Amelia hesitated, her arms crossed tightly. Against her better judgment, she sat back down. “Fine. One minute.”

Kris took a deep breath. “Amelia… years ago, when I was still trying to build the Fox legacy, everything started to crumble. My father then told me he wanted an alliance with another family, the only way to save our company was through marriage. I'd have to marry a prominent wealthy family”

Amelia frowned. “You mean Jessica?”

He nodded. “Yes. At first, it was purely business. But after we got married, I began to…fall in love with her. I gave her everything there was to offer”

His eyes dimmed. “Then one day, she just… vanished. No letter, no message. Nothing. Weeks passed, and I finally got an email from an unknown sender saying she had gone abroad to study. That was it. No explanation. No goodbyes.”

Amelia’s lips parted slightly. “And you never filed for a divorce?”

“I didn’t think I needed to,” Kris said quietly. “She disappeared from my life, Amelia. It was kinda like the marriage never existed.”

Amelia stood up, shaking her head. “You should’ve told me from the beginning, Kris. You made me look like a fool. And frankly I don’t appreciate being lied to.”

Kris reached out and caught her wrist gently. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I should’ve been honest. I just—”

“Didn’t want me to reject the proposal?” she snapped, pulling her hand back. “Too late for that.”

Before Kris could respond, the door opened again and Mr. Dowson reentered, smiling.

“Ah, I see you’ve already met Mr. Fox!”

Amelia turned sharply toward him. “Mr. Fox?”

Mr. Dowson nodded proudly. “Yes. He’s the buyer I was telling you about.”

The room fell silent.

Kris looked at Amelia with a faint, knowing smile. “Surprise.”

Amelia stared at him, her face pale. “You… bought the firm?”

“Looks like it,” Kris said softly. “I now own the Daily Gossip.”

She took a step back, her pulse racing. “Why would you do that? Are you trying to control every part of my life now?”

Kris’s tone stayed calm. “I’m not trying to control you, Amelia. I just want a chance to fix—.”

“By becoming the owner of the firm I work for?” she scoffed bitterly. “That’s a new low, even for you.”

Mr. Dowson, unaware of the tension, smiled politely. “Miss Amelia, I’ll leave you both to get acquainted. Mr. Fox will be taking over starting today.”

Amelia’s jaw dropped. “Today?”

Kris nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Looks like we’ll be seeing each other a lot more often.”

Amelia clenched her fists. “Don’t get used to it.”

As Mr. Dowson exited, Amelia turned sharply toward Kris. “You may own the building, Kris. But you don’t own me.”

She glared at him one last time before storming out of the room.

Kris watched her leave, whispering to himself, “You can walk away all you want, Amelia. But I’m not letting you go.”