Chapter 10

A Small Beginning

Emilia 

“Congratulations!”

The man’s voice boomed across the small office as his hand grabbed mine and shook it enthusiastically.

“Congratulations, Miss Moretti!” he repeated. “Welcome to our company!”

I forced a bright smile even though his grip was a little too tight.

“Thank you, sir,” I said politely.

The man standing before me was large. Not just tall, but wide. His stomach pressed against the edge of the desk as he leaned forward. His cheeks were round and slightly red, and when he smiled, his eyes nearly disappeared.

His name was Manager Raymond.

He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief before speaking again.

“I’m telling you,” he said excitedly, still holding my hand, “this is the best decision you could have made. Joining us right now means you’re getting in early. Very early!”

He finally released my hand and spread his arms wide like he was presenting something grand.

“Our company is going to grow. I can feel it! And when we do, you’ll grow with us!”

I nodded politely.

“That sounds wonderful.”

Inside, though, I wasn’t nearly as impressed as I looked.

Still, I kept smiling.

After everything I had been through over the past few weeks, I wasn’t about to complain. Not now. Not when I had finally managed to get a job.

I had gotten the job.

The thought repeated itself in my head, and my chest warmed with quiet excitement.

My little plan had worked.

Changing my hair, dyeing it black and using my original family name instead of Aldridge. It had all made a difference.

For the first time since leaving Julian, someone had looked at my qualifications instead of my past.

And the interview had gone smoothly.

Too smoothly.

I remembered how eager I had sounded during the conversation. I had probably shown too much emotion when he said they needed someone urgently.

Now that I thought about it, I felt a little foolish.

That must have been when Manager Raymond realized how desperate I was.

A small sigh escaped me quietly.

Of course he noticed.

Men like him were not fools.

Raymond leaned back in his chair, with his large fingers tapping lightly on the desk.

“So,” he said with a cheerful tone, “as we discussed earlier, you’ll be joining us as our financial consultant.”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Your qualifications are excellent. Honestly, I was surprised someone with your background applied to a company like ours.”

I smiled awkwardly.

“Well… everyone has to start somewhere.”

“That’s true,” he laughed.

Then his tone shifted slightly.

“As for your salary…”

I already knew what he was going to say, but hearing it still made my stomach tighten.

“We are still a startup,” he continued, folding his hands together. “Our resources are limited at the moment. So the salary will be a bit… modest.”

Modest was a generous way to describe it. It was actually below minimum wage. But I kept my smile.

“I understand,” I said calmly.

Raymond watched my face closely, probably expecting me to complain.

When I didn’t, he nodded approvingly.

“However,” he added quickly, “there is also the matter of company shares.”

“Yes.”

“We will be giving you three percent equity in the company.”

Three percent.

At the moment, that amount was almost worthless.

The company barely had investors, and according to my quick research, they were struggling financially.

But shares were still shares.

And if the company ever succeeded, those shares could become something valuable.

I gave a polite nod.

“That sounds fair.”

Raymond looked pleased.

“Excellent! I knew you would understand the long-term value.”

Inside, I almost laughed. Long-term value. Right now, I was simply happy to have a job.

After weeks of rejection, I wasn’t in a position to be picky.

Raymond opened a drawer and pulled out a thick file before sliding it across the desk toward me.

“Here,” he said.

I picked it up and looked at the label.

Financial Reports.

“Our current situation,” he explained, leaning forward slightly, “is… complicated.”

“I expected that,” I replied.

He chuckled.

“Well, at least you’re honest.”

He pointed at the file.

“That contains everything you need to know about our finances, investments, and ongoing projects. Your job is to review everything and figure out how we can stabilize our position.”

I nodded slowly.

“I’ll look into it carefully.”

“Good,” he said. “Because right now we need someone who can clean up the numbers and help us attract serious investors.”

“I understand.”

He stood up again and clapped his hands once.

“Oh! One more thing.”

“Yes?”

“You’ll be starting tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes,” he said quickly. “We don’t have the luxury of waiting around.”

I nodded without hesitation.

“That’s fine with me.”

“Excellent!”

He looked relieved.

“I like your attitude, Miss Moretti. Hardworking people are exactly what this company needs.”

I gathered the file and stood up.

“Thank you for the opportunity, Manager Raymond.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied warmly. “And welcome to the team.”

A few minutes later, I stepped outside the building.

The afternoon sun was bright, and I blinked as the light hit my eyes.

I turned around and looked up at the structure.

It wasn’t a huge office tower. In fact, it was only one floor in a shared building. Other small companies rented the rest of the space.

Compared to the massive corporate headquarters I used to work in, this place looked almost insignificant.

But as I stared at it, something stirred inside my chest.

A bit of ambition and hope. This place might be small. But it was mine. And my chance to start again.

My chance to prove that I could succeed without Julian.

I tightened my grip on the file under my arm.

“This is it,” I whispered to myself.

A slow smile spread across my face. I was going to make this work. No matter what it took.

This small company would become my breakthrough.