“What? Are you stopping us from checking the account books? The head office has every right to audit the branch.“Why are you nervous? Are you telling me that there’s an issue with finances? Do you think you can fudge the numbers?” Luke said deliberately. He raised his voice to ensure all the employees knew what was going on. Even if the file and rank did not have the power to change things, Luke would do everything he could to get them involved. He was not there to tackle the issues alone. Instead, he would stir the employees up. Luke’s loud voice distracted the busy employees from their work, and they looked up. Though no one said a word, the employees knew who Luke and Darcy were. They were aware that someone from the headquarters would audit the accounts. Since the audit would impact their livelihoods, the employees took the review seriously. Folding her arms, Darcy looked around indifferently. However, she quickly got a good read of the situation. “To the offic
“Ms. Quint certainly is a workaholic. I can’t say she didn’t bring this on herself. Instead of appreciating her husband, she dropped the only person who cared for her. There’s no going back from that,” Luke murmured. Without another word, he went to his room to freshen up and set an alarm before hitting the sack. He had other things to do once he got up, so the rest would not be for long. After some digging, Darcy had a good idea of the operations in the branch office. She was not overly concerned. These people would try to pull something on her. The manager of the branch office was a member of the Quints. At this point, Darcy knew what was up. The chief elder sure dipped his fingers in everything. It did not take the chief elder long to put someone in place. Darcy had to wonder if she was assigned an impossible task as an act of sabotage or a ploy to get her out of Riverbank. This incident left her bitter. Even when she put in the hard work and produced results, he
All decked out, Snow was turning heads wherever she went. All eyes lingered on her with fascination. Aware of her striking good looks, Snow once took pride in her appearance. However, she faced a dilemma because her looks were considered an asset in securing a marriage that served the family’s interest. Later, when she was forced to leave Butterworth, Snow went to Riverbank to become Kaze’s assistant. At the time, she demonstrated that she was more than just a pretty face. Her competence shone through. Her looks and charisma were the qualities that set her apart. Once troubled by her beauty, Snow could stop worrying and tackle issues with ease. There was a time when Snow had many shortcomings. Thanks to Kaze’s guidance, she was able to grow and stand on her own to the point of being entrusted to run the family business and politics. She could not have done it without Kaze. Not only did she owe everything to him, but he had her heart, too. Her gratitude grew each t
“Don’t stress about it. Let’s freshen up at the hotel. If we have time, we can rest for a few hours, but we’re heading to the branch office at dawn,” Darcy remarked while grabbing her luggage. She was going to buy coffee for a boost before sorting out some work for the branch office. However, it was hard for her body to keep up. She did not have time for dinner yesterday, and there was no meal service on the plane. Darcy had to endure the hunger. Now, she was starving and nauseous. With no one there to look after her, Darcy’s health was on a decline. Before, she would often have drinks with clients to make good with them and secure contracts. At the time, Darcy would set her pride aside and keep up with the drinks to appease the clients. With each glass, she earned her place with these people. Her gender was the reason that her family would never favor her or have her back. If Darcy had not been independent enough, the Quints would have married her off a long tim
“I trust we will succeed this time. Just hang in there. I’m sure you will overcome this in no time,” Luke said. Having served Darcy for a while, Luke had mad respect for her abilities. In many hopeless situations, Darcy always came through, exploiting the right angle to close deals. She was unique in her own way. Yet, she remained clear-headed and independent. “It won’t be easy, and I’m not confident I can pull this off. Heck, I have not figured out a strategy.” Darcy felt as if she was lost in a maze. While much of the situation remained unclear, Darcy was certain about one thing, and that was the chief elder’s plan to seize power over Sky Ocean Corporation. The Quints’ only recourse was to get the shareholders to put the squeeze on Darcy. Darcy understood that if she abided by the chief elder’s suggestion today, she would face bigger problems. It was best to take the family’s advice when they were nice, or the consequences could be dire. Even at that point, she h
Armed with the information, the chief elder pushed Darcy to go ahead with the agreement. The consequences were hers alone to bear anyway. She would have to live with it, even when things did not turn out her way. “Didn’t the shareholders plan this?” Darcy asked deliberately, trying to ascertain how deep the chief elder was into the whole thing. “It was their idea. I tried to talk them out of it, but they needed you to prove your worth. “If this is a lot, you should just quit while you’re ahead. Come back to the family. We will take good care of you,” the chief elder said, fishing for a response from her. After much hesitation, Darcy gave a nod. The terms were not in her favor, but she was left without a choice. “Do you wish for me to give up?” Darcy looked at the chief elder earnestly, curious as to what he would say. “I don’t want you to surrender because I have high hopes for you. You’ve always excelled in the family. “I hope that you’ll pull through this, but d