Anabel picture in his office
"Mrs. Daniella, with all due respect, the CEO’s office is a secure area. I cannot, and will not, grant access without explicit approval from Mr. Desmond himself."
"There is no difference between me and the CEO. She's my husband. I am giving you a direct order, and I expect it to be followed without question or hesitation." She said, but that didn't change the deputy manager's mind.
"Ma’am, you may be the CEO’s wife, but as of now, Desmond is still in charge. Until I hear otherwise from him directly, I cannot break protocol. My responsibility is to follow the rules, not bend them based on assumptions about the future." The deputy manager said, and Daniella couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
"Assumptions? Do you think this is some kind of joke? Let me tell you, I'm already the owner of the company. Tomorrow is just the day he will complete the signing and hand everything over to me."
"I understand what you are saying, Mrs. Daniella, but until those changes are official, my duty is to the current CEO. My hands are tied. Please, you have to understand me. If I do this, he may fire me. I can't afford to lose my job. Not when I've reached this height. I don't want to make a mistake that will ruin my life." He pleaded.
"You don't want to make a mistake that will ruin your life when you are already making it. You are about to ruin your life by disobeying my order. Desmond doesn't have authority anymore. I do."
"As for today, Desmond is still the boss, ma'am. Don't make things difficult for both of us." The deputy manager said.
"You are playing with your job. Because if you don’t show me the CEO office, I will kick you out the same way I did to Kane."
"You are threatening to fire me, ma’am? For doing my job?" He asked.
"For disobeying the new authority.
"Ma'am, If you are given authority by tomorrow, I will be obedient to you. I don't want to make trouble. If Desmond wanted you to have access to his office today, he would have informed me. But since he hasn’t—"
"Enough!" Daniella interrupted, her voice cutting through his explanation. "I don’t care about your excuses or your so-called policies. I’ve already told you that I am the future CEO, and I expect obedience. You will show me the office, or I will make sure you regret it by sacking you at this spot. And I will accuse you of things you didn't do. I'm sure you don't want that."
The deputy manager stared at her for a long moment, thinking of what to do. He could see that Daniella was not going to back down, and the last thing he wanted was to get fired and flamed. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he let out a resigned sigh.
"What do you want to do?"
"You don't ask your boss what she wants to do in her office."
"I’ll show you his office. But I’m doing this because I don't want trouble." He said, and Daniella smirked triumphantly. Her posture relaxed slightly as she gestured for him to proceed. "Let's go now. Let’s not waste any more time."
"Follow me." He said, and Daniella followed along. When they got to the office, the deputy manager reached into his pocket and pulled out a keycard from his pocket. He swiped it, and the door opened for them.
As they entered, the deputy remained uncomfortable, feeling that this decision would lead to consequences far beyond what anyone in the company could predict. For now, though, all he could do was comply and hope for a better fate.
For Daniella, she was smiling while stepping into an office that would soon be hers. The echo of her heels was muted by the plush carpet beneath her feet. She paused for a moment, taking in the sight of a room that exuded power, success, and authority.
He has a large and polished mahogany desk. A type she has never seen before. It has a few neatly arranged items on top and an engraved nameplate that reads "Desmond, CEO," and other things.
The ambience of the room was commanding yet inviting, the perfect reflection of the man who occupied it.
Daniella’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk as she stepped further inside. She felt a sense of triumph swell within her chest. By tomorrow, this office, and everything in it, would belong to her. She imagined herself sitting at the desk, giving orders, and running the company with an iron fist.
However, as she walked past the desk, something caught her eye. A large portrait hung on the wall to her left. It was a photograph of a happily smiling woman in a red dress. When she walked closer, she was surprised it was Anabel. The recognition sent an unexpected wave of irritation through Daniella.