Chapter 15- Responsibilities

Genevieve returned home later that evening by 7 pm. She was really tired. Who knew becoming a CEO of a company would be this stressful?

The Holloway Mansion stood quietly behind its iron gates as usual; the house shined in a way that felt a little bit different. She didn’t notice it at first—not until the gates opened faster than usual, smoother, and almost soundless. The car moved into the driveway. Her driver opened the door for her while her security protocol surveyed the surroundings for anything unusual.

When Genevieve stepped inside the house, the air felt the same—cool, filled with the faint scent of perfume, polished wood, and lavender—but something was different. It was only when her housekeeper, Mrs. Evans, appeared in the hallway with her usual polite smile that Genevieve finally paused.

“Welcome home, ma’am,” Mrs. Evans said. “The installation was completed earlier today.”

Genevieve frowned slightly. “Installation? What installation?”

“Yes. The security protocol team from Rourke Technologies came today and completed the security protocol installation. The CCTV cameras, the locks, and the motion sensors. Everything was done today.”

“All of it?” she asked.

Mrs. Evans nodded. “Yes, ma’am. The security installations were really discreet.”

That explained why she hadn’t noticed the cameras and why the house felt different. Or perhaps it was because her mind had been too full—board members, Senator Matthew, financial records that didn’t add up, Charles, the club and maybe Dominic.

“Thank you,” Genevieve said quietly.

Mrs. Evans smiled politely and retreated, leaving Genevieve alone in the wide corridor. She exhaled slowly and looked around. Tiny red lights blinked faintly in corners of the house she hadn’t noticed before. The doors—every single one of them—felt heavier, more secure.

Dominic works fast, she thought.

She climbed the stairs, took her bath, and changed into something more comfortable and came down for dinner. The chef had prepared something light—grilled fish, vegetables, soup—but Genevieve barely tasted it. Her mind drifted back to Dominic. After dinner, she stood by the balcony in her room and watched the street lights in the distance. Her phone was in her hand.

She opened it. For a moment, she hesitated. Then she typed.

Thank you for the security installation. I appreciate how quickly everything was handled.

She stared at the message before sending it to Dominic.

She waited. Minutes passed. But there was no response from him.

A faint tightness settled in her chest, but she brushed it aside. Dominic Rourke wasn’t the kind of man who replied to messages, and she scolded herself for expecting a response from him. She stepped back into her room and placed her phone face-down on the bedside table and told herself it didn’t matter.

A soft sound from her phone broke the silence in the room. She thought it was Dominic but it was an email from Helena.

Attached was the draft of her speech for the press conference scheduled for the next morning. Genevieve went through it. It was polished, confident, reassuring. Exactly what the public needed to hear.

Her thoughts drifted back to the meeting with Senator Matthew. Something about it hadn’t sat right with her.

She opened her messages and typed quickly.

Investigate Senator Matthew’s business dealings with Charles. I need everything you can find. He’s hiding something.

She sent it to Helena before she could overthink it.

---

The next morning arrived too quickly.

Genevieve stood before the mirror, dressed in an ivory suit that hugged her frame perfectly. Her hair was pulled back neatly, her makeup minimal. She didn’t want to look like a grieving widow anymore. She wanted to look like a CEO.

The press conference was held in the Holloway Group’s main hall. Cameras flashed the moment she stepped onto the podium. The room buzzed with anticipation, journalists whispering among themselves.

Genevieve took a breath.

“Good morning,” she began, her voice steady. “I want to thank you all for being here.”

She acknowledged her new appointment as CEO of the Holloway Group and spoke of the legacy and vision Charles had for the company. She promised growth, stability, and transparency.

“I intend to take the Holloway Group to one of the highest levels it has ever reached,” she said.

Questions followed immediately after, and she answered each of them perfectly well. The press conference ended.

By the time she stepped away from the podium, her heart was racing, but her expression remained calm. As soon as she was alone with Helena, she turned to her.

“We’re heading to the Eastpoint Shopping Complex in thirty minutes,” Genevieve said. “That location has recorded the most decline amongst all the shopping complexes.”

Helena nodded immediately. “I’ll inform the driver and the security protocol.”

In 30 minutes, Helena and Genevieve headed to the shopping complex. They were halfway there when Genevieve’s phone rang.

It was Olandria.

A smile tugged at her lips before she could stop it.

“Hi Olly,” Genevieve answered.

“I saw you on the news,” Olandria said, her voice bright and accusatory. “You didn’t even tell me you were famous now.”

Genevieve chuckled softly. “I wouldn’t call it famous; I’m just like your daddy.”

“I’m mad at you,” Olandria added. “You didn’t check up on me after our hangout at the park.”

Guilt filled Genevieve’s chest. “I’m sorry. Work has been… overwhelming. I promise I’ll make it up to you this weekend, if your dad agrees, and I’ll bring your favorite chocolates.”

There was a pause.

“I’ll forgive you,” Olandria said finally, “but only after our next hangout.”

“Thank you, Olly. It’s a deal,” Genevieve replied.

They hung up, and Genevieve stared out the window, the smile on her face fading slowly. It was almost as if she were reminded about the club and their expectations for her to use Olandria for the game against Dominic.

When they arrived the shopping complex, it was worse than she expected. The building looked tired. Shops were closed. Although a few stores remained open, activities in the stores were minimal. The emptiness she felt settled in her stomach like a warning.

“This isn’t normal,” she murmured.

She requested for the manager immediately.

He arrived quickly, looking nervous; he was a man in his forties. He immediately invited Genevieve and Helena into his office.

Genevieve didn’t waste time on pleasantries “Why are most of the shops in the complex not open?” she asked.

The manager hesitated. “Four business owners canceled their rent. Their reason was that business wasn’t moving. The other store owners have already notified us that they won’t be renewing next month.”

“Did anything happen before the business owners decided to leave?” Genevieve pressed.

“No, nothing happened,” he admitted.

She nodded, masking her suspicion. Fishy didn’t even describe everything that was happening. Something was wrong; all business owners deciding to leave the shopping complex was not normal. The shopping complex was located in a strategic area in the city; getting people to buy their products or visit their store wasn’t a problem.

On the drive back to the office, Genevieve turned to Helena beside her. “Reach out to the managers of the other shopping complexes. I want reports on those complexes as soon as possible.”

Helena typed quickly. “Yes, ma’am.”

Back at the office, Genevieve buried herself in documents from the manufacturing company.

The financial numbers weren’t aligning; there were a lot of inconsistencies. The inconsistencies had a pattern; it was almost as if someone were manipulating the financial records of the company. Apart from that, product quality had also dropped. Complaints from clients had increased. The reviews were bad, and it was as if nothing was being done to address them.

She rubbed her temples. Someone has been careless with the shopping complexes and the manufacturing company.

The weight of her new responsibilities all settled on her shoulders. Stabilizing this company wasn’t just work. It was almost war. It was probably war. There were so many things to investigate—financial records, business owners, investors.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

Helena stepped in. “Mrs. Holloway, Mr. Dominic Rourke’s secretary called. He said, “Mr. Dominic is requesting a meeting with you.”

Genevieve looked up immediately. “When does he want the meeting?”

“He asked for your earliest availability.”

“Tomorrow,” Genevieve said after a pause. “Fix it tomorrow.”

Helena nodded and headed towards the door.

“And Helena?” Genevieve called out.

She stopped and turned towards Genevieve. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I need a full list of the Holloway Group's investors, both past and present. Fix a meeting with the company’s financial manager as soon as possible. I also need you to fix a meeting with the production manager of the manufacturing company.” Genevieve instructed

“Okay, ma’am.” Helena replied and left the office.

As Helena left, Genevieve leaned back into her chair. Dominic didn’t respond to her message. And now he wanted a meeting with her.

Interesting. She wondered what he was up to and why he wanted to meet her. But if anything, his deciding to meet her gave her an advantage.

If Celeste wanted her to accelerate the game, then perhaps it was time she did.

And this time, she intended to be several steps ahead. If only she knew that other players were several steps ahead of her.