Daughter-in-law Strikes Harder

“This is much harder than I thought!” Aria groaned inwardly, as she frowned at the statistics graph that Amelia had presented to her just the third day of becoming CEO.

Amelia was the managing director of the department store, and it was her fifth year working for the MLmall. She was competent and hardworking in her doings, extremely professional that it was hard to replace her.

She was one of the few women that had never tried to lure advances towards Dalton, or get too cringy because of the business bond she shared with him. Her technical and educational skills were at an incredibly high level, and she did perfectly fine getting the company better by the years with great innovative ideas.

Ever since she had been officially informed of the MLmall’s change in ownership and name, she had been giving it her best to relate with Aria well about the affairs of the company. It was even more easier and pleasant for her than she expected, because Aria was more calm and collected than she had envisaged.

Amelia had thought it would be like dealing with Dalton’s sisters, because she had met everyone of them in the past. The most saucy and annoying was Ellen, while the most suffocating was Eva. Since then, she had always hoped endlessly that any of them would not get to head the store. Aria was a different story.

“The difference is palpable, right?” Aria chuckled dryly, as she continued to look at the evident analysis of what had been going on for a few days, which didn’t even need an explanation.

She hated that she had to deviate from her initial course of action when there was limited time, but she still had to assume the position that she had taken over for show and publicity. It was hard to even breath since she was now quite known, but she never forgot to wear an eye shade every single time.

“Yes, ma’am. The record in sales has dropped since you became the new CEO, because some of our largest investors have stopped and withdrawn their shares. They say they do not trust the corporation anymore, if Mr. Miller does not keep being the one to run it,” Amelia explained in full details of the latest development to her new boss, to make her realize the gravity of what was up because of her new takeover.

“And there was a reduction in customer’s engagement, especially the VIPs right?” Aria asked Amelia the question she knew an answer to already, as she tried to act unfazed by everything that was happening.

Though it didn’t really matter to her initially, it has become hers now and it didn’t relate to the Millers anymore even if it crumbled. Reality had hit her in the head that running company affairs was not as easy as she thought. Especially if Dalton Miller was involved.

“Yes, ma,” Amelia dragged her next word as she subconsciously brushed her chin so many times in a few minutes, wondering if she should reveal the details of what she was about to say next.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

“What about the top investors? What is their share percentage in the company, and how much has it affected us?” Aria asked next, before the skeptical manager could even say what she was about to.

“The ones highlighted at the first top three spots are the ones. The third person, Fester semiconductors, has a share of 12%, the second, Gavild tech, has 17%, and the first person has the highest shares of 45%,” Amelia explained.

“And who is the first person with the highest shares of 45%?” Aria asked with great surprise wondering who it was, as she thought Amelia had forgotten to mention the name of the person. It was really a huge problem, that someone with that great amount of shares withdrew.

“It is, Mr. Miller, Ma,” Amelia finally broke the bombshell, hoping that she had not ruined things between the two couples.

She had tried to wonder in her head several times, what had probably gone wrong between both of them. It was he who had given her every rights of the mall, so it was really hard to understand why he withdrew his shares after the handover.

However, it was no longer her business to contact Dalton anymore, because she now had a new boss who was directly related to him. She had to be accurate and transparent with the new boss.

“Mr. Miller? You mean Dalton?!” Aria, who could not believe her ears half-yelled when she heard her assistant and managing director, talk about Dalton being the lead person to put her new job in jeopardy because of his initial position as the owner.

‘So that was his plan all this while.’

Amelia just remained calm and comported without saying anything, so that she would neither support nobody nor condemn them. It wasn’t even in her place to answer Aria’s rhetorical question.

“As my assistant, managing director and advisor, Amelia. What would you advise me to do?” Aria turned to the brunette standing in front of her, dressed in a professional black suit and pink stilettos to match her perfect outfit.

The billionaire’s wife knew that Amelia was a professional and could handle the situation, with every information she had studied in her few days of being the CEO of the shopping mall. If things didn’t end up working as she expected, she would have to hire legal management to take over.

“I have drafted out the few options that could be put into a large consideration, to cover up for all these losses and make up for her customers that are leaving,” Amelia finally informed, as she brought out the files from the envelope that she had tucked to her side all those while.

She had made up her mind that it was only a CEO who was ready to make a change, that she would be willing to work selflessly for without compromises. If Aria was not going to show interest in making things better as she found it, then she herself would remain idle and act oblivious to everything.

“I guess the real job starts now,” Aria sighed so hard.

.   ~•~

“Heard you are taking over the company now. Dalton Miller is always unpredictable and unbeatable in his game. You cannot figure him out,” Collin’s voice came from the other side of the MacBook that Aria was using for a video call with him.

Turns out that Collin had been so restless, sad and stressed out for days, wondering what could have gone wrong with Aria and why the vacation house got burnt. His inability to get across to her made his fear worsen, that he had his assistant investigating intensely on what could have gone wrong.

It was later that they were able to find out from one of the firefighters, that some person was able to rescue the supposed lady he had claimed was inside the place. Seeing the media uproar with a new CEO to the department store, made it easier to get across to her knowing well that she would be in an office at the shopping mall.

He was able to get across to her through her personal email, and they connected again with her heart filled with gratitude for him. They decided not to talk about the fire incident or what had happened in the past.

“It happened that way. Best thing to do before I finally end this marriage for good,” Aria said with a smug, tired already from involving herself with every department in the company and her workers. It was evening already, and she was getting ready to go home.

Collin, who was really bothered about Aria not getting the chance to end her marriage because of the company, could relax his nerves when he heard her still talk about a divorce.

“So, you are now the CEO of your first company, now. How is it going?” He asked her with a grin.

“Messed. Stressful. Turns out that Dalton is probably trying to screw me over. Was the highest shareholder and had withdrawn his shares. The company might be falling,” Aria replied nonchalantly, as her thumbs circled around the buttons of the device she was using.

“Never leaves his old habits, does he?” Collin uttered calmly, not wanting to let his emotions get the best of him. He hated to know that Dalton could get whatever he wanted, even if he didn’t deserve it in any way.

Aria just smiled away his words like it didn’t really matter. Everyone who recognized her knew her as Mrs. Miller, and not even her own name or identity. And she knew that it was going to continue like that, so far her life was tied to theirs.

As her life trailed back to the screen she had lost focus from initially, an email notification popped up on the screen. She tapped on it to see what it was all about, and the message went thus; Hi. MAS

‘It was the dancer. Just when she thought all hope was gone.’