The Ice King's Queen

James brought her to a high rise apartment building at the heart of the city. Apparently it was one of the many buildings that belonged to Goven Industries in the city. She was taken to the Pent house. “This is where you will be staying, pending your return to the Goven household, if you want to change anything please let us know.” James said. “Everything you need has been provided for you, shoes, clothes, toiletries, food…”“Er… Mr. James, I am very grateful for your help. But like I said earlier I do not wish to return to the Goven household. Just give me a few days, as soon as I find a job, I will move out of here and you’ll never hear from me again.” Dukia said.“Please, Miss Goven, we understand your anger and your wish to not return. But kindly reconsider the offer.”“I’m sorry, but my mind is made up. I’m not coming back. Are you even aware that my mother is dead? She died few weeks after we were chased out of the house.”“We are aware. Your grandfather was broken when the PI

The weekend passed in a haze of meetings and paperwork. She had looked through City M’s branch’s financials and just like Arthur had said, they were on the brink of bankruptcy. It would take a miracle to turn this ship around.And that was exactly what she was here to do this Monday morning - work a miracle.Her suit this morning was an armor. A sharp charcoal pin striped pant suit that screamed sophistication and elegance. Paired with a matching pair of dark red shoes and bag, it made her almost believe she could do this. Almost.Dukia had packed her hair into an elegant low bun. And she looked every inch the corporate giant she was about to become.Stepping into the lobby of the building of the branch office, she met no one at the reception. She took the elevator up to the 15th floor, following the office’s floor plan she had studied intently over the weekend.She began to see why the branch was suffering as much as it was. There was no structure nor order. The time was currently 8

Another presentation you say?“Yes, Mr. Donovan. We are so sorry for wasting your time, but if you could just spare us 10 minutes of your time.” Dukia responded.“Alright, You have exactly 10 minutes. The clock is already ticking.” Alex said while taking his seat again.With that Dukia began her presentation. Every eye in the room was fixated on her. If eyes could kill, Mr. Cox’s eyes would have sent her six feet below. Mustering all the confidence within her, she gave the presentation her very best, knowing that if this deal fell through, so would her chances of turning the wheels of this branch.She walked them through market projections, untapped revenue streams and a restructuring plan that would cut costs by 30% while increasing output by 55%. She spoke with a confidence she absolutely did not feel, her voice steady even as Mr. Cox’s face got redder by the second.“...and finally, if we implement this strategy within the next ninety days, we can expect to see a 250% return on i

The following morning, Ceci informed Dukia that a courier from Donovan Enterprise had arrived at the office.Except it was not a courier.It was Alex.Dukia looked up from her desk to see him standing at her door, dressed in a navy suit that seemed like it was tailored just for him; which it probably was, a leather portfolio tucked casually under one arm like he hadn’t just personally delivered a document that any junior associate could have emailed.“Mr. Donovan.” She kept her voice even, though her heart was currently running a sprint race. “I was not expecting you.”“I was just in the area.” Alex said, stepping into her office without waiting to be invited. He closed the door behind himself. “Thought I’d deliver the finalized contract myself.”Dukia knew it was not that simple, the man owned practically half of the city. He did not seem like someone who had the time to just be “in the area.”He placed the portfolio on her desk and remained standing, close enough that she had to til