CHAPTER 3: THE CEO AFFAIR

The room was filled with a fidgety energy clubbed with the powerful presence of the who's who. It seemed like the whole list of the renowned Forbes 500, stood in flesh in the conference room.

The approval of the multi-million tender by the global conglomerate meant a lot for all business tycoons present in the conference room.

But there was one in the room who particularly waited with bated breath for the winner of the tender to be announced.

He was none other than the young, dashing, ruler of so many hearts- Leonardo Emerson !

The brilliant businessman with GQ model looks had everything going in his stride except for the failing legacy of a once renowned business empire left behind by his fickle-minded father to him.

The C in the company stood only for chaos.

 Everything was at stake. An established firm had already launched a takeover bid on his company.

The young leader was handed over the reins when gambling became the senior Emerson’s priority and the empire started drowning in ill-monitored debts and corruption.

However, Leonardo Emerson was a strong, focused and efficient leader. If workaholic and genius had a child, then it would have been Leonardo Emerson, or rather “Leo” as the only woman in his heart used to lovingly call him.

Rachel.

Rachel- the bubbly, cheerful girl who had given him the best of memories but had suddenly ….

"Don't worry, Sir ! You and the company have invested a lot of time, energy and money in this since we got the tender invitation," Daniel tried to placate Leo.

Daniel, his secretary of a couple of years now could sense the agitation in his boss, Leo's otherwise calm behavior. 

Leo himself had supervised the bid management as he knew that it played a vital role in improving success rates when tendering. Diving headfirst into tendering without a bid management strategy was a sure-fire way to see poor results which their company could not afford at this critical juncture.

“We will surely get it. No one managed to work out the details to the last zero like you did and brought out an unimaginable figure to secure the bid without laying off any employees !” Daniel added.

The secretary was right to the T.

Leo had left no stone unturned.

Even Leo’s high end, sleek laptop had started acting drunk as it hung up so much in the final stages. It breathed its last only after Leo sent the proposal to the tender company and slept for five hours straight for the first time in months.

This was his company’s only chance to redemption after all.

"I know, Daniel," Leo whispered, vulnerability seeping through the strong man’s bones for the first time and shocking his secretary at the same time who had never seen this side of his stern, formidable looking boss. “But who can fight lady luck even when we have ensured that our brand guidelines are comprehensive, clear and consistent ? We need this bid Bradford Global Inc’s support to come back in the game. I don’t even want to think what would happen to thousands of employees and their families if we don’t get it. If only word had not spread about the take over bid of our company,” Leo gritted out, his palms turning into fists under the table.

An insider had spilled company secrets and successfully managed to plummet down their stocks and corner the Emerson Group with multiple competitors vying to take over the famous business empire.

“Jackals. That is what they all are in this industry,” His grandfather and mentor would grumble and teach him all the tricks of the trade. God bless his kind soul in heaven, especially when his rotten son had spilled water all over his hardwork.

"I don’t think anyone has a bid and the numbers as good as ours, Sir,” the efficient secretary honestly said.

Even he had been shell-shocked when Leo had announced their final bid number. He remembered that he had stood at Leo’s desk like a fool for ten minutes straight.

With a gaping mouth, like a fish out of water, he had tried to squeak out a “What ? How in this universe, was that possible ?” but Leo had rendered him speechless and drawn up the details quickly on paper and handed it over to him to run the figures by the CFO.

“We surely have an edge. If we get this tender, it will help us improve our market image that this takeover news has tarnished," Daniel further added.

"Hmm,” Leo hummed before a frown appeared on his face.

He had another reason to get testy about the failure of their proposal.

If the hype and news about the young, mysterious, authoritarian Director of Bradford Global Inc. in the media and business circles was a tinge bit true then it was reason enough to get intimidated with the genius slash financial wizard’s decision to not cooperate with the failing Emerson Group.

The clock needle struck at 10 sharp and the doors swung open to reveal sharp looking men in black suits.