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Leah Miller was just 22 years old when she was training to take over her dad's company. She was kind, beautiful and full of happiness. But what happens when her dad tells her the...
I am currently sitting in my father's office helping him to fill out paperwork. My father is the CEO of his company - The Miller Enterprise. He built this company from the ground up 30 years ago, he was a young, determined man at the age of 22. And now 30 years later, he is teaching me, his daughter, the ropes of the business so I can take over when he's ready to retire.
My name is Leah Miller, just 22 years old, and I'm excited to become the new CEO of my father's company. Usually, the firstborn son takes over their parents' companies, but my brother, Jordan, already has his own business and doesn't have time to take on a huge enterprise too.
My father asked me into his office this morning to photocopy some documents and to also email some of his business partners to arrange upcoming meetings with them. I am currently his personal assistant, and I've had this job since I graduated from NYU with my business degree, 4 months ago.
"Leah, could you take a look at this file please?" My dad asked me, handing me a beige-coloured manilla folder. I took the documents out, scanning over them with my forest-green eyes. It was a small file about the current CEO of Williams Corp, Martin Williams, who is also good friends with my dad.
I have met Martin a handful of times, during business dinners or meetings between him and dad. Martin is training his eldest son, Jace, to take over Williams Corp, as Martin is ready to retire and live out his life, relaxing. He lost his wife 15 years ago in a car accident. I don't know a lot of details about it but I know that Martin became a workaholic and didn't spend much time with his 3 sons.
On the document, I noticed that for Jace to become CEO he must marry first. I feel sorry for his future wife because Jace is kind of known as a sought-after bachelor that many women, and men, go crazy for. I won't lie, he is gorgeous, with extremely dark brown, almost black hair, a strong jaw and a straight nose. But the fact is, Jace is a ladies' man and is seen in the press with many different women in his arm most nights.
"It's kind of sad for Jace to have to marry before he can take over his dad's business, does he even have a girlfriend?" I asked dad, while still looking through the many pages of the file. I notice dad straighten his back once I said that, which made me look over at him and see the thin line on his face, with concern flooding his eyes.
"What's wrong dad?" I asked worriedly, not knowing if I said anything out of line. I mean, yeah, it's not my place to say anything negative about that whole situation, but who does arranged marriages anymore?
"Nothing sweetie, did you check over the file?" Dad said changing the subject quickly. Hmm, that was strange.
"Yes, all checked. We have the meeting in 2 hours with Martin Williams. Would you like me to get the conference room set up ready?" I asked whilst getting up from my seat across from dad's desk.
"Yes please, sweetie. Altogether, there will only be 4 people to set up for, you, me, Martin and Jace" Dad explained. I have no idea why Jace was joining this meeting, but I didn't ask. Instead, I nodded, leaving dad's office and I headed towards the large conference room that sat in the corner of my dad's floor and got to work setting up the room with pens and paper. I put out small glasses but I will fill them a bit later with water for everybody.
Once that was all arranged, which took only 20 minutes, I went back to my office for the remainder of the time to reply to emails for new meetings.
10 minutes before the scheduled meeting with Martin and Jace Williams, I filled the glasses with water in the conference room and headed back to my dad's office to wait for them to arrive. I had my notepad and pen ready to scribble down any notes that my dad needed.
Right on time, my dad's office phone rang, Jenna, dad's secretary, informed us that Mr Williams is in the conference room waiting for us. We headed over, and opened the door, Martin stood up and greeted my dad with a handshake and one of those man hugs they seem to do.
"Peter, it's good to see you again," Martin said to my dad with a friendly smile before turning to me, and wrapping his arms around me, giving me a loving, fatherly hug. "Leah, you look more beautiful every time I see you" he stated, giving me a warm, toothy grin, making me return the gesture.
"Thank you, Mr Williams, it's so good to see you too" I replied. He looked at my dad and they shared a knowing look, before looking back at me.
"Please, Leah, how many times have I said it, please call me Martin. You remember my eldest son, Jace?" he asked, pointing over to the other man in the room. How could I forget such a handsome face?
"Of course, Martin. Hi, Jace, it's lovely to see you again" I said walking over to him with my hand held out ready to shake his. He looked at me with a smirk, before lifting his hand and placing it into mine, but instead of shaking, he brought my hand up to his mouth whilst watching me and gave the back of it a gentle kiss, that could have any woman swooning for him. Straight away, I looked away from him, feeling heat travelling from my neck to my face.
"Hello Leah, the pleasure is all mine" Jace stated, still with that sexy grin on his beautiful face. How can anyone be so gorgeous?
With one last smile, I sat down in my seat. Dad was sitting in his seat with me on his right, Martin across from him, and Jace next to Martin, sitting across from me. The two older men retrieved their files, which they were going to discuss in this meeting, while I prepared my notebook ready to write down the notes. I could feel eyes burning into me, and as I looked up, I saw gorgeous dark brown eyes staring at me and watching every move I made. Again, I could feel the heat travelling all over my face. Damn, these ginger traits!
"So, to begin, I want to thank you both for organising this meeting. As you know, Peter, we already have a signed contract between the both of us. But now we need our children to sign so we can start preparing for the event" Martin started, looking to my dad, who gave him a nod. Then looked at me and Jace, with a small, nervous smile.
"What is it that we have to sign?" Jace asked, reaching for the file from his dad to read.
"You two are getting married"
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