The Missing Heiress

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER ONE

James Isaac Blanchet Tan

JI Pinnacle Corporation. JI Pinnacle Building. Conference Room. Top Floor. April 1, 2009

James Isaac Blachet Tan, the eldest son of Jaime Tan and Isabelle Blanchet born on March 8, 1983, was formally introduced to the executives of JI Pinnacle Corporation as the Deputy CEO.

JI Pinnacle Corporation, one of the largest one of the largest conglomerates in Filipinas and one of the most profitable companies in the Filipinas Stock Exchange with billions of dollars annual net profit, founded and owned the majority stocks of: Air Filipinas Air Filipinas (an air transportation company); JI Pinnacle Banking and Trust Company; and JI Pinnacle Lands (a real estate and property development company which developed five-star hotels, shopping malls, condominiums, golf courses and country clubs all over the Asia-Pacific Region). Among JI Pinnacle Lands' establishments were: Palais Isabelle – a chain of five-star hotels in the Asia-Pacific Region; Pinnacle Malls – a chain of high-end shopping centers all over the Asia-Pacific Region; Pinnacle Towers – a chain of condominiums all over the Asia Pacific Region; and Pinnacle Golf and Country Clubs – a chain of world-class golf and country clubs all over the Asia-Pacific Region. It also has minor stake in companies like Filipinas Telephone Company (5.7 %), MGA Media Network (9.5 %) and Missi Power Company (10.7 %).

James had just returned from USA fresh from his studies. After high school, he studied an aerospace engineering degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA degree at Harvard University's Business School.

It was his first day of work and the first person who caught his attention was a very simple young lady wearing a navy blue business suit. The young lady was with his father's management staff.

After the meeting with the top executives, his father escorted him to his office along with the young lady.

"Son, this will be your office and Miss Zoey Dizon here will be your on-the-job trainee. She is one of the foundation's scholars. She started working with my management staff on the summer of her first year in college. This summer, she is required to have her OJT. She'll be graduating from her business management and accountancy degree next year. She's very efficient and very knowledgeable about the corporation. That's why I assigned her to you. Get settled and I'll see you after lunch with our meeting with the department heads.

His father left him with the young lady. She was still standing.

He motioned her to sit down by the chair in front of his glass office table, "Have a sit, Miss Dizon. Before we start working, I would like to know more about you."

"Okay, sir," the young lady replied with confidence.

"How old are you?"

She answered, "I'm twenty years old, sir."

"Tell me more about your family."

She narrated with sadness in her voice, "I got no family anymore, sir. I'm an only daughter. My parents died when I was still very young. My grandparents raised me but I already lost them too."

"Sorry to hear that. So where do you stay?"

She replied, "I stay at the accommodation facilities of the JI Pinnacle Foundation, sir."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Her answer was, "I have none, sir. I'm very much focused with my studies and my work here, sir."

He didn't expect it. A pretty lady like her would definitely have lots of suitors. "Well, that's good coz I really need a dedicated staff by my side. I need to study everything about the corporation. We'll start with Air Filipinas. I want copies of all the annual reports 10 years back."