"Hello everyone, I'm Fidelia Crawford… well, it's going to be Fidelia Richardson soon," Fidelia said, her voice steady as the top staff stood behind her.
"Richardson? Like the Richardson Corporation?" one whispered.
"Wow… so she is the one," another murmured.
"Welcome, CEO Fidelia," everyone said in unison, bowing their heads respectfully.
Fidelia tilted her head toward Mia. "Are you happy now?"
"Yup." Mia's smile widened, satisfied.
Fidelia's expression hardened as she faced the group again. "Now, let's go. I've seen and heard a lot, and I'm not pleased. I expected better from this company. But—" her gaze swept across the staff, sharp and unyielding— "it's not too late to make changes."
She turned back to Mia. "Boardroom. Now. I want every media file on my desk. Things are about to get crazy, and we don't have time to waste."
"Yes, ma'am." Mia was already moving, barking out instructions to the staff as she led Fidelia toward her office. By the time Fidelia finished her preparations, the boardroom would be filled with nervous faces, waiting.
After Mia finished passing out instructions, everyone made their way to the boardroom. She then followed Fidelia into her new office.
It was Fidelia's first time stepping foot inside the company, and as her heels clicked across the polished floor, her eyes swept over every detail. She was already taking notes in her mind—what needed changing, what had to be improved, and how she could expand the company in the long run.
Once inside the office, she dropped her bag onto the desk and turned to Mia, who was already prepared with a report.
"Well, I think we made a huge profit from selling the shares we had bought," Mia began.
"That's good. How much did that account to?" Fidelia asked, sliding into her chair.
"That should be over seventeen million dollars."
"Okay… not bad." Fidelia leaned back, a faint smirk on her lips. "I'll use that to start."
Mia flipped another page in her file. "How about your video? How do we proceed with that?"
"I'll handle that from my end. I just need to find those two and teach them a good lesson," Fidelia replied firmly.
"And my fame is increasing quite well" Fidelia added
Mia frowned. "… fame? They're roasting you online."
Fidelia's smirk deepened. "You see, Mia, when there's an opportunity like this, you turn it in your favor. I'm popular, aren't I? Now, imagine what it will look like when I'm proven innocent."
Mia couldn't help but shake her head. Fidelia always managed to surprise her.
"Oh—that reminds me," Fidelia said suddenly, snapping her fingers. "I have a new secretary. Actually… I stole her from Andrea. She'll be starting tomorrow."
Mia raised her brows. "Nice what about Victoria? Has she decided yet?"
"She will, soon. I'm just letting her take care of her mother first. Once that's done, I'm sure she'll give us her feedback."
"Alright, then," Mia nodded as they reached the tall double doors of the boardroom.
Fidelia grasped the handle, pushed them open, and stepped inside. Immediately, every single member of the board rose to their feet in respect.
Her heels echoed against the marble floor as she walked with measured grace to the head of the table. She lowered herself into the CEO's chair—her chair—while the other members settled into their seats along the sides.
"Welcome, everyone," Fidelia said, her voice calm but commanding. "Let's begin the meeting."
Immediately, Fidelia's voice went silent. The boardroom also became silent. None of the members were familiar with each other—Mia and Fidelia had brought in too many new faces at once.
Then someone finally spoke up. It was Sylvester, a strategist in investments, one of the CEOs Fidelia had recruited.
"I would like to ask a question," he said calmly, his voice steady with experience. "The company previously went down due to debt. You saved it by buying it. But what is the plan? We need to know the direction this company is going to take."
The way Sylvester spoke carried weight. The rest of the board members nodded in agreement, waiting.
Fidelia moved forward, opened her laptop, then looked up at them. "That's why I hired you—to help me with it. If everyone does their job, more money comes in, and everyone gets paid."
She smiled.
Sylvester's eyes widened slightly in shock. There was no plan at all…
"I'm unfamiliar with most of you—no, all of you," Fidelia continued, her tone sharp but calm. "In the meantime, you'll all do your jobs. First of all, I wasn't impressed when I came into this company. Customer service was really bad. That ends today."
"I walked in and sat for two, maybe three minutes, and no one noticed me. Or should I say—no one cared at all."
She let the words hang heavy before glancing toward one of the new members.
"Who is the head of customer service?"
"That's Tina," Mia replied. She was sitting by the left-hand side of the huge table close to Fidelia.
Tina raised her hand nervously. "That's me, ma'am."
Fidelia's gaze landed on her. "Tina is not the problem—it's not that hard. What needs to change is the attitude. And if that doesn't change, then the staff changes. Simple as that."
Her tone sharpened as she leaned forward. "I wasn't impressed. And if I wasn't impressed, imagine a stranger who knows nothing about us. If we want to sell our company to people in the city you don't ignore them. You welcome them. You make them feel like they belong the second they walk through that door."
She tapped her laptop and looked around the boardroom. "We need innovation on that front. We need to raise it up. And Tina- you will take responsibility for leading that."
"Understood what I said?" Fidelia asked, her gaze sweeping the boardroom and Tina nodded. "Good. Because although we are starting small, I have big plans for Topnotch Investment Company."
She closed her laptop and stood straighter, her voice gaining momentum.
"We are not just an investment company. We are open to expanding into other branches, and I want us to be ready when that moment comes. Recently, we pulled in seventeen million dollars' worth of shares sold—after acquiring them from a social tech company. That was good. Very good. And I thank the team that made it happen."
There were nods around the table, but Fidelia pressed on.
"Moving forward, image is everything. The culture of this company must shine. We need new partnerships, and we need strategies that will bring Topnotch back to the top. So I expect every department to get moving—fast. Find the right investment company, secure strong partnerships, build value. That will be our first step."
"And the first Company we would be investing is Richardson Tech Corporation"
A hand rose from the far side of the table. "Why not Carlson Tech Corporation? They're about to launch a new product. Investing in that rarity will be more profitable than Richardson Tech. They're competitors, yes, but right now, Carlson is ahead."
Murmurs spread across the room.
"That's right," Bree said, her eyes narrowing with interest. "Carlson Tech is preparing to launch. Investing now puts us at the right place, at the right time. We're talking a profit margin of over twenty percent—depending on how much we put in."
She let the numbers hang in the air. "And for that, we'll need investors. Serious ones. This is a chance we cannot afford to miss."
Fidelia paused looking at them, then gave a nod. "Thank you."
"I am aware that Carlson Tech is doing far better than Richardson Tech right now," Fidelia said evenly. "But I won't put my money in Carlson Tech. I have my own reasons, and my decision stands—we are investing in Richardson Tech Corporation."
A man from the end of the table leaned forward. "With respect, ma'am, you just told us to do our jobs. We're telling you the best company right now to invest in, the safest option to increase profit. No risk. And you don't want to listen to us? How else are we supposed to do our job better?"
The room grew tense. A few board members shifted uncomfortably.
Fidelia's jaw tightened. "I'm aware of what I said. But I repeat—we are not investing in Carlson Tech Corporation."
The man's voice hardened. "Why? Is it because Carlson's CEO is your ex? Or because Richardson Tech is run by your future husband? Is that why you'd choose a losing side instead of the profitable one?"
The words cut deep. For a moment, the air in the boardroom was heavy with silence.
Fidelia's eyes flashed with anger. Her fists clenched at her side, though her voice came out low and sharp. "Watch your mouth."
The board froze, waiting to see if she would explode—or explain.