The next day , I had to lie about the situation and I came up with the reason I suddenly disappeared was that I got sick. I didn’t disclose what really happened. They also didn’t find out about the bomb because it went off in a remote part of the building, and the others were defused by Dario.
I think it’s better that they don’t know. Especially the fact that my husband is a mafia boss.
“They’re going to make an announcement later.”
A few of my co-workers caught my attention. I looked at them to see what they were discussing.
“Yeah, the admin said there’s going to be a new company head, right? It seems like management is going to change. They think it will benefit the company. Sir Enrique is getting older, so maybe he wants to retire.”
Some of them glanced at me. Maybe they expected me to take over the company.
“Ma’am Millie, haven’t you heard anything? Maybe you’re going to be the CEO.”
Dad didn’t say anything to me. Why was this so sudden? I didn’t even get a hint that they were planning to replace the CEO. When did they plan this?
The office rumors seemed true. A meeting was called for that day, and our manager left for the meeting. While I wanted to know if the CEO change was the topic of discussion, we had to wait for their meeting to conclude.
I decided to focus on my work. The meeting must have taken a few hours, and we heard some noises coming from where Ma’am Lana had gone.
“Ma’am, what did they discuss?” one of our junior colleagues asked.
Ma’am Lana glanced briefly at me and answered the question.
“It seems like there’s going to be a management change,” Ma’am Lana said. “You all know what happened to us before, right? The company went bankrupt. Sir Enrique said it’s time to change management because he’s sure the new CEO will help the company.”
“Who is it, Ma’am? Will there be a press conference?” another asked.
I didn’t know, but I felt really nervous. Why did it seem like it wasn’t me? Even Ma’am Lana, by the way she looked at me, seemed to be carefully avoiding hurting my feelings.
“No. The new CEO doesn’t want a press conference. He prefers a simple introduction. You’ll get to meet him soon.”
“Operation Department, you’re being called in,” Ma’am Lana said, taking a deep breath. She pointed to the higher floor where we would probably meet the new CEO of the company.
“Things are happening so quickly, huh?” one person remarked.
“Yeah, they’ve probably been discussing this for a while. They just didn’t inform everyone. That’s why the title is passing so swiftly.”
I remained quiet as we made our way to where the new CEO would likely be introduced. Could it be Sienna? But my younger sister is still in school. The thought made my stomach churn.
If it is her, my sister deserves it, but that feeling of envy is creeping in again.
I let myself be carried away by the crowd, staying in a secluded place. I didn’t want to be in the spotlight when the new CEO was introduced; people would judge why I wasn’t inheriting the position as the eldest child.
“Good day, everyone!” It was my father!
We rarely crossed paths in the office, and if we did, he would usually ignore me as if I were just a passing breeze.
“I am glad to finally introduce to you your new CEO. I know this news caught everyone by surprise. But, I am aging too fast, and I think it’s time for me to rest. I will still be with you. I am still the Chairman of the Board. It’s just that I will let someone whom I truly trust decide and manage the company on my behalf.”
From the way he introduced this, you could tell he was proud.
“I’m happy that he’s a part of my family. Let’s all give a warm round of applause to my son-in-law, Gioseffo Locatelli!”
Everyone clapped, and I felt shaken when I heard the name. I peered over and scanned the area where my father was pointing. I spotted Gio next to him. He was there, exuding his usual authoritative and powerful aura, while everyone was greeting him.
Gio delivered a speech about a few plans and changes that would happen now that he was leading the company. Everyone listened attentively. I seemed to be the only one detached.
Even though I was in the midst of the crowd, I was surprised to find his eyes locking onto me. Our gaze met, and he didn’t divert his eyes away from me. He remained focused on me until he finished his speech.
Everyone was congratulating him. Some were approaching him to offer their personal congratulations, while I just stood there.
“Millie?” Ma’am Lana approached me. That’s when I snapped back to reality. “Aren’t you going to greet your husband? He’s so busy right now. We need to get back to our department soon.”
I smiled at Ma’am Lana and shook my head. “Maybe later. He’s quite busy right now. Let’s return to our department.” I started walking back.
I didn’t know. I was shocked to hear that Gio was going to be the CEO of our company, but beyond that, I didn’t feel much. I wasn’t angry or envious. In fact, I was relieved.
Is it wrong for me to feel a sense of relief that it wasn’t Sienna who was chosen by my father? I shook my head. That’s a pretty ugly attitude, Millie.
I returned to my work. I didn’t have much to do right now, so I started working on tasks that weren’t really my responsibility.
I jumped when my phone suddenly rang. I picked it up and answered quickly.
“Hello, Pearce Rotational Molding! How may I help you-”
“Millie, it’s Ma’am Lana,” a woman on the other line said. I glanced at Ma’am Lana’s office, wondering why she was calling.
“Ma’am, why?”
“The new CEO, your husband, called me. He wants to speak with you. Should I transfer the call to you?”
I answered with a yes, and there was a moment of silence on the other line before I heard Gio’s voice.
“Hello, may I speak to Amelie Locatelli, please?”
I bit my lip. It’s really him! And I wasn’t used to him addressing me as Amelie Locatelli.
“Speaking,” I replied, and that’s when I realized how formal our conversation had become.
“Come to my office. I need to talk to you.”
Huh? Why did he need to talk to me? Couldn’t we just talk on the phone, especially since we were already talking?
“And I don’t want to hear any protest from you. Come here.” He abruptly ended the call.
I furrowed my brow as I stood from my seat and gathered some belongings. I left our office and took the elevator to the higher floor, where the CEO’s office was located. I was still pondering why he wanted to see me. Typically, I never got to speak or meet with the CEO. If there were work-related issues, our manager would handle them.
“Ma’am Millie?” A young woman, probably younger than me, greeted me. “I’m Mr. Locatelli’s secretary. He’s waiting for you.”
She led me towards the large office door of Gio, imitating my steps. She knocked, and I heard Gio’s deep voice giving permission to enter.