Flawless

"This marks the second contract we have lost this month."

"Miss Lawson, the situation arose because..."

"I would be more than willing to listen to your excuses, Mr. Leonard," she interjected, her icy stare scanning the room, "but I have no interest in them. Instead, I am beginning to question whether you deserve your positions."

The board members lowered their heads, beads of cold sweat trickling down their backs despite the air conditioning.

Evelyn rubbed her temples, sensing a headache approaching.

"Lawson Conglomerates represents my grandfather's legacy, and he dedicated his life to building this empire," she said, placing her hands firmly on the table. "I made a promise to him that I would not let him down, and I fully intend to uphold that promise."

"If this occurs again, I will ensure you are all replaced," she warned, her voice sharp.

Mr. Leonard swallowed hard, nervously adjusting his tie. "Miss Lawson, the contract was lost due to…"

"You lost it because of your sheer incompetence, and there's no excuse for that," Evelyn cut him off, irritation evident in her tone. "From now on, all updates regarding the upcoming contract with Mason stores will go directly to my personal assistant. She will relay everything to me."

"You don't believe we can handle the contract. We are more than capable,".

Evelyn shot her a fierce look. "As the production manager, you should be aware that our company's income has plummeted by two percent over the last two years. I am not pleased with this, and I will not tolerate any further decline during my leadership. Is that understood, Mrs. Smith?"

The woman nodded, rendered speechless.

Leaning back in her chair, Evelyn signaled for her secretary to distribute the documents to the board members. They perused the papers, glancing up at her.

"What is this, Miss Lawson?" Mr. Abernathy inquired.

"This, Mr. Abernathy, is the contract I received from Mason stores," Evelyn replied, crossing her legs. "They want us to allocate space for them in one of our branches in City A." She continued, "You all know your roles, and I expect the final outcome by the end of the week."

"We won't let you down, Miss Lawson," her legal advisor assured her, and she smiled back at him. "Of course you won't. Your jobs depend on it."

Evelyn exited the room, her assistant trailing closely behind.

"What's next on my agenda, April?" she asked as she stepped into the elevator, pressing the buttons.

April tapped away on her tablet, her focus on the screen. "You have a meeting with Mr. Eric in ten minutes, and Senior Lawson has arranged a lunch date with Mr. Philip for you at noon."

Evelyn groaned in frustration. "When will that old man take a hint? I'm so over these blind dates."

With a sigh, she made her way to her office. "Send Mr. Eric in now."

"Right away, Miss Lawson."

"What about your date with Mr. Philip?" April inquired, but Evelyn simply shook her head in response.

"Cancel it. I'm not going," she declared firmly.

"But Senior Lawson said-"

Evelyn shot her a fierce look, silencing her assistant. "Senior Lawson doesn't make the decisions here. I do, and I've made mine clear."

"Make sure to print those files I handed you and have Mr. Leonard review them. I need them as soon as possible," she added, returning to her work.

April nodded and exited the office, leaving Evelyn to immerse herself in the paperwork, the rustle of pages echoing in the quiet room.

A few moments later, April burst back in, breathless and flustered.

"You know I don't appreciate you barging into my office like that, April," Evelyn reprimanded.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lawson," her assistant replied, handing her a phone. "Senior Lawson insists on speaking with you."

With a resigned sigh, Evelyn took the phone and pressed it to her ear. "Grandfather."

His voice crackled with irritation. "You spoiled brat!"

"Good day to you too," she replied, fatigue lacing her tone as she waved April out, watching the door close softly behind her.

"What's good about today?! You're disrespecting me by refusing to attend the date I set up for you!" he barked.

"We've discussed this, Grandfather," she replied coolly. "You can't change my mind."

"I only want what's best for you, Eve," he insisted, and she drummed her fingers on the desk. "You need a man by your side, regardless of your success."

She sighed softly. "I'm sorry, Grandfather. Marriage and relationships aren't for me."

She could hear him exhale heavily on the other end. "Fine then. I won't be going for my check-up either."

Evelyn frowned, puzzled. "Why not?"

"Well, I just don't see the point anymore. I'll probably just die soon."

"I see what you're doing, old man," she retorted. "Emotional blackmail won't work on me."

He chuckled lightly. "Really? Did James mention that I fell today and might have sprained my back? Maybe if I skip the check-up, I'll just fade away."

Evelyn let out a frustrated sigh. "Alright, I'll go. About your back-" she began, but he abruptly ended the call.

She shot a glare at her phone. "He always hangs up as soon as he gets his way."

Evelyn glanced at the timer she had set for forty-five minutes before the date. Her date, Mr. Philip was a highly accomplished individual, yet his arrogance overshadowed his achievements. He dominated the conversation, focusing solely on himself without inquiring about her experiences. His enthusiasm was evident as he animatedly gestured while speaking and seemed to love one-sided conversations.

She felt a wave of relief when their time was up and reached for her phone.

"Once, I visited City-".

"I must leave now, Mr. Philip. My schedule is quite packed," she interjected, rising from her seat and grabbing her purse.

"We were just beginning to know each other" Philip protested, also standing.

"It was one-sided" she replied, making her way out of the restaurant. Her driver, Matthew, quickly emerged with an umbrella, shielding her from the rain while escorting her to the car.

"The weather took us by surprise," she remarked as she settled into the vehicle.

"Indeed, Miss Lawson, the forecast can be unreliable," Matthew responded, shutting the door behind her, prompting a smile from her.

The journey home was serene, and she gazed out the window, observing the raindrops clinging to the glass, finding solace in the weather.