Jenna was lying in the lounge. Her eyes were closed and her hands were on her belly. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes and fell silently on the pillow.
She thought to herself, “Hansen, please be safe. You must hold on. Wait for me. I will find a way to save you.”
The news that Hansen Richards, the president of Richards Group from A City, being taken away was reported in all the major news outlets. With that, rumours started spreading like wildfire and the Richards Group’s stock prices crashed. Richards Group fell into a state of chaos.
All of the sudden, Richards Group was in a dire situation.
Back at Richards Manor, Trevor remained calm and composed. Panic permeated the air as the news of the head of the family being taken away spread. It was an unprecedented crisis for the Richards family. Fear and unease were written plainly on the servants’ faces.
The weather was sunny but it was gloomy in Richards Manor.
Jenna lay down in the lounge, tossing and turning, but couldn’t seem to calm herself down. Her mind was full of the horrible images of Hansen covered in blood from her nightmare the previous night.
She felt as though her heart was being clenched by a sharp claw. The pain was piercing.
She picked up her phone and started calling Hansen, but the reply from the other end of the line always sounded, “I’m sorry. The number you have dialed is unavailable.” The distant tone of the automated message was giving her a headache!
She couldn’t stay still. She checked her cell phone every few minutes, worried that she might miss any updates about Hansen.
However, her cell phone remained silent the entire morning. She fell gradually into despair.
During lunch time, she acted as if nothing had happened and forced herself to finish a bowl of soup and a plate of spaghetti. Her hands were trembling gently the entire time as she ate.
She was the head of the family. So, she could not panic at this time.
Everyone was counting on her to lead and guide the family through this difficult time.
People tried to be nice by saying that Hansen had just been taken away but they knew clearly that Hansen was in fact arrested.
Marissa’s eyes were swollen from crying and she was absent at lunch.
Although Trevor was as calm as ever and had managed to have the overall situation under control, Jenna could clearly see the pain hidden in the depths of his eyes.
She was pregnant. So, she knew Trevor would hate to see if she appeared agitated or anxious.
Hence, she wore a calm smile on her face.
She returned to the guest room after the meal.
She was exhausted mentally and physically since she could not sleep the night before. She was tossing and turning in bed and kept having nightmares. Her entire mind was occupied by images of Hansen.
She could not imagine the chaotic situation in the company. She knew it was about time for her to show up and take control of the situation.
She stood up and walked towards the Green Jade Garden.
Hansen had once given her a set of office keys. They were keys to all the offices of the Richards Group, including the storage of the confidential documents, as well as the official seals of the Richards Group. With the seals and documents, she would be able to give orders in the Richards Group.
As she was no longer the vice president of the Richards Group, she had to bring the keys with her if she wished to return to the company.
She went upstairs with dainty steps and went to take a look at Jerry.
Aunt Ella was aware of the situation and knew about the rumors spreading amongst the servants. She looked at Jenna worriedly when she entered the room.
Jenna smiled gently.
Jerry was taking a quiet afternoon nap when she walked in.
“Madam, don’t worry. Old Master Richards had a similar encounter when he was still around. He even went to jail for half a year. It won’t happen again this time.” Aunt Ella consoled her softly as tears welled up in her eyes.
Aunt Ella was an old servant of the family. So, Jenna wasn’t surprised to hear that she knew about Old Master Richards’ past. Looking into her worried eyes, she smiled and said, “Aunt Ella, don’t worry. Believe me, I won’t let Hansen go to jail. Please take good care of Jerry.”
Aunt Ella wiped her tears. Jenna’s calmness made her slightly more at ease. “Mrs. Richards, don’t worry. I will take care of Jerry well. You can focus on what you need to do. You’re pregnant. So, please don’t tire yourself out.”
Aunt Ella nagged while Jenna smiled and nodded. She returned to her bedroom and found the keys. There was an endless abyss in her eyes as she held the keys tightly in her hands.
“Jenna, I love you. These are the keys to my office. I will hand them to you now. Perhaps you will need them soon. I will give you everything, including myself. Please take good care of them in the future.”
Hansen’s warm voice and his clear message rang in her ears. Tears welled up in her eyes as she recalled the scene. She bit her lips hard and forced to get herself together.
The president of the Richards Group had been taken away!
All the employees were either huddled around the TV screen or stared at their own computer screens to watch the news. No one could concentrate on their work.
The senior executives of the Richards Group were gathered in the conference room. They were at a loss at what to do. The stock prices continued to plummet, leaving them helpless. They didn’t know how to deal with this crisis as they were used to Hansen giving them orders.
Jenna arrived at the 88th floor.
Yuri was sitting listlessly at her desk.
“Ah, Mrs. Richards, you are here!” Yuri stood up abruptly. Her eyes lit up instantly upon the sight of Jenna.
She referred to Jenna as Mrs. Richards since she was no longer the vice president of the company!
“Mmm.” Jenna acknowledged. “Where are all the other senior executives?”
She went straight to the point.
“They are in the conference room,” Yuri replied quickly. She immediately understood the purpose of her visit and her mood was somewhat lifted.
“Alright, take me there,” Jenna said quickly.
Yuri acknowledged in a clear and loud voice and led the way.
“Mrs. Richards, please wait for a moment. I’ll go in and inform them of your arrival,” Yuri said softly at the door of the conference room.
Jenna nodded. She didn’t walk straight in as she was no longer the vice president of the company. Outsiders were not allowed to get involved in the business casually, even if they are a close relative unless there was authorization from the President. This was the rule of Richards Group.
Yuri walked out after a few moments and invited her in politely.
The large conference room reeked of cigarettes smells. An air of dejection permeated the air when Jenna walked in. She frowned at the condition of the conference room.
“Greetings, Mrs. Richards.” The people in the conference room stood up and greeted her politely when they saw her.
The Richards Group was a family business of the Richards family. Even if she did not hold any important position in the company, she was still respected, as she was the wife of the company’s president.
“Hello, everyone. Please take a seat.” Jenna gave a vacant look. Her brows furrowed, indicating them to sit down.
“Mrs. Richards, is Mr. Richards alright?” They were becoming hasty after the commotion in the company and immediately threw a series of questions at her after sitting down.
“Mrs. Richards, the stock prices kept falling. Millions of dollars evaporated just this morning itself. Everyone is in a state of panic and many shareholders want to cash out their shares.”
“Mrs. Richards, the Free Trade Center in A City that Mr. Richards had planned were just starting to come together. The company had invested a large sum of capital. Many shareholders who had initially agreed on forming an alliance with us were having second thoughts now that the news has spread. They were creating a commotion in the reception room downstairs, demanding to withdraw their shares. This is not looking good at all. Once they withdraw their shares, the loss would be insurmountable.” Rory Temple, the company’s director, knew Jenna was capable of making decisions and reported the situation to her hurriedly. She made her appearance in the company when Hansen was in danger, which inadvertently made her the decision maker for the company.
“Mrs. Richards, the employees are feeling unsettled and fearful for the future and outlook of the company. It is nearing the end of the month for wage payments and they are worried that they wouldn’t get paid. The payout of the salary requires the official signature and seal of Mr. Richard to be effective.”
“Yes. It is not just an internal problem. External parties who were dealing with us also rushed over immediately and demanded payment from us when they heard the news. This is really giving us a headache.”
…
Jenna stood quietly with a cold expression while listening to their summaries.
She stood there without a word for a long time.
Gradually, they started to quiet down.
All of them turned their eyes to Jenna eventually, silently begging her to start making decisions.
The silence was terrifying.
“Let me start by asking you a question. Who told you that Hansen was taken away? Have you verified your sources?” Her tone was harsh, and the expression on her face was grim.
The senior executives suddenly realized that they indeed had not received any formal notice. They jumped to conclusions and fell into a state of panic after reading the news. They felt guilty upon hearing Jenna’s stern questions and looked at each other in embarrassment.
“Mrs. Richards, it was on the news. I suppose they wouldn’t broadcast it if it was fake?” Someone brought it up to justify their reactions.
“News? Was that how you worked for the company? Based on news?” Jenna sneered and her voice rose. “Well, even if what the news said was true, what does it matter? Does it mean something bad would happen to Hansen? Would the company collapse because of that? I never knew the management team of the Richards Group would be so foolish and reckless. Instead of thinking calmly, you brought about panic and fear. Did we spend so much money just to train a bunch of morons as executives for the company?”
Jenna’s words were cold and sharp.
Some older executives who had worked in the Richards Group their whole life couldn’t stand her line of questioning and said immediately, “Mrs. Richards, it wasn’t up to us that we panicked. The customers and shareholders didn’t believe that we would be able to get through this. Most of them have come here to cash out their shares.”
“Really?” Jenna raised her eyebrows and sneered. “Look at yourself. What do you think the clients would think when they see the company’s own executives panicking. Even I wouldn’t be convinced that the company would get through it when I saw how you responded to the news. With a management team like this, even if the company was in a good state, I am sure the public wouldn’t feel safe putting their money with us. As senior executives of an established company, you all responded to baseless claims with such rash reactions. How are you expecting to lead the employees with such incompetence?”
The senior executives felt ashamed from Jenna’s harsh scoldings. Upon reflecting their reactions, they acknowledged that they were indeed too flustered. Usually, a meeting of such scale would only be held with Hansen’s orders but they had all gathered in the conference room that day without any instructions, which did not reflect well on their part. They didn’t solve any problems by doing so, and in addition, created a sense of anxiety in the company. The Richards Group was really in a chaotic situation now.
They calmed down and lowered their heads as they reflected on their mistakes.