Chapter 1
Emilia looked at her phone, still confused by the message that popped up in the company group chat. Her eyes stayed glued to the screen as the words sank in, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing.
The letters was written in bold letters by the admin.
"MR HAYES IS DEAD".
For some moment, she thought it was some kind of sick joke. MR HAYES— the owner of
Hayes oil and gas limited, one of the renowned companies in italy—couldn't possibly be dead. He had built an empire in three successful branches in the country. And for the past three years, Emilia has been working as his secretary, working closely beside him.
She kept staring at her phone, unable to tell if what she was reading was real or a mistake. "What" she whispered. "Mr hayes is dead".
This was not the kind of news she was expecting on a Monday morning. She quickly dialed Lyra's number. "Lyra", she said breathlessly when the call connected.
Lyra has been Emilia best friend since college. They had started their career together, and by a twist of fate, both ended up working at the same company. Lyra was tall, with long blonde hair, crystal –blued eyes, and a slender frame that always drew attention wherever she went.
"Did you see the message", Emilia asked.
"Yes. Emilia... it's true. Mr. Hayes died in a plane crash. On his way to Japan", Lyra voice came through from the other line, calm but shaken.
No, not now", Emilia said sorrowfully. "Emilia I'm trying to process this too", Lyra said quietly. The sound of heels clicking in the background. "I mean what's going to happen to the company? what is going to happen to us".
Emilia sighed deeply, pressing a hand against her forehead. "Don't worry, everything is going to be fine", she reassured her, though she didn't believe her own words. She ended the call, tossed her phone onto the bed, as she ran her fingers into her dark hair, frustration clouding her thoughts.
Mr hayes has been more than a boss, he has been a mentor, More like a father to her.
He had never treated her as just his secretary, always including her in meetings, always sharing his vision for the company. She could remember his stories– how he built hayes oil and gas from scratch, how proud he was of its success.
Just last week. She has sat with him in his office. He looked perfectly fine, full of life , talking about his trip to Japan. How could he be gone so soon?.
Her phone pinged again, another message from the company group chat appeared on the screen.
"Everyone should be in the company, by 11 a.m. sharp."
She checked her wall clock, it was 9. "What's going to happen now", she whispered to herself. Her heart pounded fast as she read it.
Without wasting another second, she rushed into the bathroom. The sound of running water filled the silence as she took a quick shower, trying to steady her thoughts. After she came out of the bathroom, she slipped into a pair of high–waisted jeans that hugged her curves perfectly and paired them with a simple blue tank top. Loosening her hair.letting it fall freely over. Then walked up to the mirror table to apply a touch of makeup — just enough to brighten up her look.
She picked up her phone, and typed a quick message to lyra. "I'll meet you at the company". She pressed send, then reached for a pair of blue heels to complete her outfit.
Grabbing her bag and a few important documents, she stepped out of the house.