Chapter 10 “I’ll take my chances”

Yin Ivy Lee's POV

"Don't you think your employees would talk about us after what happened to the wedding?"

"I'll explain it to them, no worries…"

Yang was driving the car

"I'll just go park…"

"Okay…"

I was waiting for Yang at the lobby

"Ivy…" I turned around and saw Yuan holding a bouquet of flowers…

"Carnation and calla lily…" he said

"I hope I get the meaning right now… Magnificence and beauty; pride and beauty" he continued

"Shall we let him join us now?" Yang intercepted

"Yang…" I turned around

"Your keys ma'am"

"Thanks"

I saw Yuan changed his expression. Then he looked at me.

"Ahhh!!! He'll be the acting chair and CEO of Lotus for a month starting today."

"What?" he said

"I'll be a consultant… He'll be taking over Golden Dragons next month he needs to know the ways… In line with that He'll be your boss for a month too…"

"Bro…Let's get along well… I'm a newbie…"

Yang held out a hand for a shake

"Looking forward sir…" Yuan said and had a handshake

"Ohhh… nooo… Don't call me sir, just call me Ivan, It's awkward after all we're off the same age, right?"

"Ivan…"

"Great!!"

I guess they'll get along well? Perhaps? Even with the tension on Yuan's gaze.

We went upstairs and introduced Yang as the acting chair…

"Good morning! Everyone, this is Yang Ivan Zheng of Golden Dragons group of companies, he's my best friend and yes! If you'd like to gossip, he was my ex fiancé."

"Good morning everyone" he said

"Practically we're in very good terms, no one left someone… Anyway, He'll be the acting Chairman of the company for a month so he'll be your boss while I'm here as his consultant he'll be taking over the golden Dragons next month but before that, I'll be guiding him so he could do well in running our sister company…" I said

"Wait… sister company?" Yang whispered

I lean my head and talked in a low voice

"I bought major shares too in your company, we're sister companies now… surprise!"

"wow…"

"Everyone!! I hope all of you will cooperate and let's help him learn. If there are problems address it immediately to him not me, are we clear?"

"Yes! Miss Ivy…"

"Back to work!"

"I wasn't informed you brought a major share in the company…"

"Well I didn't tell your parents either… I just told them I'll help the company with all my might… I'll be partly running Golden Dragons, but of course the future is still up to you."

"Do you think I can do this?"

"Of course, Yang…"

We went inside my office.

"I'll let you have the honor of sitting on my throne for the whole month…" I pulled the chair and lean my head to tell him to sit.

"Your chair feels so comfortable"

"Ahh!! That's customized…"

"I'll have my chair customized in the future too���"

"Hahahaha!! But sitting in that chair carries a lot of responsibility…"

"I know, that's why I'm here to learn."

*knock *knock

"Yuan…" I raised my left brow

"Ahh… Come in!" he said

"Ivy…"

I crossed my arms and closed my eyes…

"Right, Sir Ivan…" Yuan directed his concern to Yang…

"Bro, just, Ivan…"

"Ivan, these are the financial reports handed by the finance team, another is from my department, these are reports from all the businesses we handle, Mall, resorts, hotels, restaurants, including the new venture of Lotus, the IT Museum."

"What am I gonna do with these?"

Yuan looked at me…

"Ahhh… Hahahaha!!! Yang, I review the management reports and look to it that there's nothing wrong with the management; For financial reports I recalculate and look for even a 'peso' anomaly."

"I see…"

"Yuan when do you need this verified?"

"Tomorrow…"

"That fast?!" Yang was shocked

���Haaa… Yang, that's extended, when I work on these things I only do it for half a day…" Yang looked at me with puppy eyes that's like telling me 'He's done a terrible mistake of accepting this job'

"Fine, I'll do my best…"

"Good!" I said

"Yuan, you may leave us…"

Well, Yang is eager to learn, he's doing things as fast as he could. I sat beside him just to make sure he does it right, after all it's my company!! Hahahahaha! I just kept silent while I look at him work… I found it funny…

He used to watch me do my home works when I was a kid, daddy was kinda strict when it comes to my studies. Yang would always wait for me to finish doing my home works with my personal tutor. He would keep on looking at me, anticipating the end of my study.

Now, I am the one doing that…

Yuan Mendez POV

I forgot to give him the attendance report of the employees that's why I head out to Ivy's office…

I got to peek in between the blinds of her office. Ivy seemed to have fallen asleep while trying to supervise Ivan. I was about to enter but I saw Ivan took a break from looking at the PC and look at her as he clears her hair from her face.

I admit that I was a bit jealous by his act. Is she really just a friend in his eyes? Or he feels something more? If he does, he would be a huge rival but he's got a girlfriend, right?

I turned around, not having the desire to break their moment…

"Yuan…"

"Ivy?"

"What's that in your hand?"

"Ahhh… the attendance report for the month…"

"I'll take it…"

I turned around to go back to my office after giving her the document.

"Wait! Wait for me here…" She said…

She went inside and talked to Yang, she grabbed her bag and kissed him on the cheek. If they really got married, I know they would really look great together, but I want her for me… I'll take my chances!

"Let's go grab lunch…" is what I heard right?

"You're not having lunch with him?"

"I'll just bring back something for him. Shhh!!" she put her index finger across her lips

"He has to learn how to sacrifice meals sometimes, Hahahaha!" she chuckled, it is obvious she was having fun with him…

She drove to a 15-minute away Japanese restaurant.

"I'll have the seafood Bento for dine and a Tonkatsu Bento for take please, ahh! Please don't put some sesame seeds on the Tonkatsu bento, the one who'll eat it is allergy to sesame…" she said

"I'll have the Tonkatsu Bento for dine miss… Thank you" I said…

"You like Tonkatsu too??? Yang loves it since we were kids…"

I just looked at her…

"What?" she said raising her brows

"Ivy… about what I told you in Namsan tower…"

"Yuan, are you sure that it's not because you pity me?"

"Yes, I am sure…"

"Because if you…"

"Ivy! It's not!"

"Fine! You don't have to raise your voice…"

"I'm sorry, it's just… I just want a chance Ivy, even if you won't answer me right away, even if you're uncertain about how you would feel in the future; I just want to give it a try and to have a chance…"

She stayed silent for a long time…

"Fine, I'll give you a chance but don't expect too much…"

She looked at me

"I'll take any chances Ivy, as long as I could prove that I'm sincere."

"Ma'am, sir your orders…"

We just looked at each other…

"Thank you" she said breaking the silence

"Let's eat…" she continued…

After finishing the meal, she immediately stood up and walked towards the door…

"Ivy…" I grabbed her arm

She turned and looked at me

"You seemed awkward…"

"How can I not be?"

"just treat me as a friend, like you do before you knew…"

"Fine…"

Then she walked to the car…

"Will you hurry up! Someone's dying of hunger in my office!!"

"Coming!!"

Can she care less about that guy?!?

When we arrived, she immediately went to her office and gave the lunch to Ivan. If he really was a rival, for sure I'd lose. The days in the office were fine, except seeing the both of them sweet, while she teaches him the ways in the office. As days passed, while Ivan sits as the acting chairman/CEO, I noticed that they do seem alike in many ways.

"Sir Yuan…"

"Yes?"

"I just got these files from the Lotus Hotel. I think you should review the employees' list. When I was organizing it, something looks suspicious that doesn't connect with the employees' proposed salary."

"Okay, thank you and please get me the master list of the employees of the hotel ASAP."

"Yes sir"

I reviewed the file I just received, seems like the general manager of the hotel created ghost employees and proposed a salary for those he created.

I went to Ivy's office to report.

"Miss Ivy…"

"Give it to him." She pointed at Ivan

"I received this from my staff, this is a file from lotus hotel."

"Lotus Hotel?" Ivy suddenly stopped scanning the magazine she was reading and raised a brow.

"Yes, when I reviewed it, it seems like the general manager created ghost employees to demand more funds to provide salary for the ghost employees."

"Haaaa…." She let out a sigh and closed the magazine she was reading and laid it on the table

"Are the evidences enough?" Ivan asked

"So far, I only have the record of the finance of the hotel, I told my staff to bring a master list of the employees as soon as possible."

"Good…"

*Knock *knock

"Come in!!" Ivy said with a sudden change on the tone of her voice.

"Do you have the Master List?" I asked to my staff who entered the door.

"Yes sir…"

"Give it to me…" Ivan said with full authority

He scanned the documents for a while and compared it with the Financial report.

"There were 27 employees registered in the Master list who receives a salary grade of 15, These employees were existent but not for the hotel. They are employees on your South Mall…"

"Yuan, call the 27 employees that are on the list tell them to come here by 1 pm." Ivy commanded into which I did ASAP.

By 1 pm all the names on the list were gathered on the conference room. Along with them I waited for Ivy.

Ivan entered the room. He was supposed to sit on the chair in the middle as he was the acting Chair and CEO.

The door opened again. It was Ivy this time who entered the room.

"I know that Yang would be able to deal with this perfectly, but knowing his character, because he's way nicer than I am, I think I'll have to deal with this."

She leaned her back on the chair and sat comfortably, she was silent for a while, and then she touched her hair.

"Do you know why you were called here?"

"No miss…"

"Okay… You know how much salary do you receive as a sales clerk?"

here comes the calm phase of the interrogation, I've witnessed this before… She's a lot scarier when she's calm.

"12, 500 Miss…"

"How about the rest of you?"

They all stated their salaries

"hmmm… right?!" she sneered

"Have you been to Lotus Hotel?"

"No miss…" they all answered

"I want you to tell the truth as early as possible… does anyone of you know General Manager Ramirez of Lotus Hotel?"

"Ummm… He once visited the mall before, he said he has a friend in the management department."

"What's your position in the mall?"

"Personal Relations first assistant, Miss…"

"How did you know it was Mr. Ramirez…"

"He was wandering in the office so I was about to lead him out but he introduced himself as Lotus Hotel's GM Ramirez… That's how I got to know it was him…"

"We're you all aware that you are ghost employees in my hotel?"

"Ghost employees Miss?"

"Yes, your names were listed on my Hotel's payroll, but you were all physically working in my mall, you also have your payrolls under the Mall���"

She leaned forward

"All of my employee's salaries are given through an ATM account. That's why I'm going to go through your bank statements to know if you're all innocent or not… If I found someone fooling me you all know that I don't go easy right?"

They were all silent could it be that they were in this scheme?

"Apart from losing a job I would file a case and I'll make sure that you'll have to go to jail… If you're in this scheme or if you know something better tell me now."

"Miss Ivy…" someone raised her hand

"GM Ramirez approached me one time he asked me to open another bank account and give him the details. He threatened me that I would lose my job if I won't follow his orders."

"That also happened to me…"

Then everyone in the room admitted to meeting him in person.

"So, he called you one by one?"

"Yes Miss…"

"I want you all to hand a written statement within the day, in that statement you're all going to tell me how he asked you and threatened you."

"Are we going to lose our jobs Miss?"

"Only if you've all been telling me the truth, then you won't."

She's indeed scary…

"Yuan! Make sure they write that statement inside this room and make sure no one goes outside or calls anyone…"

"Okay…" she went outside with Ivan

"Will you please surrender all your mobile phones until you have all written your statements…" I said to them…

All mobile phones are in front and they began writing the statement…

Ivan went inside after a couple of minutes. He sat on the chair next to mine. He seemed worried.

"Ivy's really mad at what happened, I'll help you with this so it gets fixed immediately…"

"She's always like that when cases like this happens." I said

"Really?! It was a first, seeing her so mad. She looks relaxed but she's probably killing that person in her head, that's what I saw when I looked at her."

Even a long-time friend still has new things to know about her. Is it because they were separated for a while? Or is it because she has changed and he finds her personality new? Does he know our past? Did Ivy tell him something?

"When I was hired here and when I watch her, she doesn't show much emotions… Unless, maybe if she gets drunk" I said and laughed

"Oh?! She was different, she was full of emotions, when she's mad it would usually show in her face. When she's down she would just cry, she wouldn't care if there would be a lot of people watching her If she's happy she would laugh like no end and…" He paused

"She used to smile a lot. I miss that…" he continued

He knew the real her. In his tone I think he likes her is he perhaps caught in between his dying lover and Ivy? Because of that, I feel threatened.

"Sir, I'm done writing the statement"

"Okay…"

After everyone has finished Ivy came back.

"I reviewed your bank statements"

Ohh… that fast?

"I guess there would be four people who'll be saying goodbye to their jobs today and saying hello to the jail."

"What do you mean?" Ivan asked

She sat on the chair and crossed her legs.

"As you can see, in my five years doing this job I've learned many ways to protect this company from all anomalies, isn't that amazing?! In just a span of 2 hours I was able to track down who's the snake among twenty-seven people."

"Yuan let me see the statements…"

I handed the laptop to her… She scanned through it…

"Tsk! They could be good story writers. Really!"

She let out a sigh and laughed…

"This will be the last time, four of you should just tell me right here and now!!!" the calmness is over!!

"Yin…" Ivan held her hand…but, I know he can't calm her down…

Ivy looked at him and surprisingly…

"Fine… I have CCTVs to prove that these four has conspired along with Ramirez."

I thought she was gonna call out the names and give them shame in front of these people but she didn't. Instead she took her phone and did something instead…

"I've sent the evidences to the police. I also informed the guards to lock the floor down until the police arrives. Let's just sit and wait here…"

A few minutes later, the police arrived and they pulled out the Mall's Management assistant, the sales clerk team leader, the Supermarket manager, and the Security Team manager. They were all in good positions but their greediness brought them into this situation.

"See you in court."

"How about the Hotel's General Manager?" Ivan asked

*ring *ring

Ivy answered her phone and she had a grin after ending the call…

"He's already at the jail…"

"That quick?!" Ivan asked in awe…

She's indeed quick with this kind of things… Right!! before she was a chairwoman, she was a lawyer, that's why she's quick.

"Shall I make him escape then?" she asked Ivan in return.

"When you have this kind of things, deal with it like how I did…"

"See what happens when someone does me wrong? Better serve and do your jobs honestly, then we'll be able to avoid these episodes. Anyway, you may go back to your works. I'll summon you as a witness in the court soon."

Everyone left the room apart from us three.

"You seem like a whole new person…" Ivan broke the silence

"Who? Me?!" Ivy asked

"Who else?"

She answered him with a smile, stood up and left the room…

Ivan followed her immediately…

The hotel management was reorganized and the employees who were innocent were able to keep their jobs. Ivy has been attending the hearing as she was standing as the company's legal representative. I tag along with her every court hearing.

"Ivy… flowers…" I've been giving her carnation and calla lilies every morning.

"I just wonder where do you get the money to buy a bouquet of carnation and calla lilies everyday…"

"My salary, of course!! Hahahah! this company pays well…"

"It's like buying myself a bouquet…" She argued

"Hey!! I worked hard for that…"

"Okay fine…"

She walked towards the elevator.

"Is Yang already here?" she asked…

"umm not yet…"

"Ahhh… Really?!"

"I thought he still lives in the villa?"

"He moved out yesterday, he bought a pad on a new raised condo."

Knowing that he no longer lives at the villa made me so happy!! The feeling of wanting to celebrate?! That's what I felt hahahah!!

"Ivy, do you have something to do tonight?"

"Hmmmm… Nothing… Yang handles the company very well…" she smiled

"Can we go on a dinner tonight?"

She looked at me and raised a brow…

"Okay…"

"So, it's a date…" I said…

She looked at me…

"It's just a dinner, but whatever! call it however you like…" then she went to her office…

She just agreed to a dinner!! I'm excited!!

I'm at my office compiling some files… and I can see who passes by the hall to Ivy's office. Ivan just arrived but it's already noon… lunch break…

"Hmm! He'll probably get scolded…"

I said and turned to the computer and continued working, just five minutes since Ivan walked the hallway, I saw something that made me jealous even though I don't have the rights.

"Yang!! Wait!!"

"Hurry!!"

Ivan spread his right arm and called Ivy to hurry… Ivy slipped naturally into Ivan's arms as she put her other arm on his waist. How am I going to beat that bond?! They act like they're couples… Will I be able to do the same?

It was late in the afternoon when they came back… Executives! They don't actually have to come to work on time.

Around 6 pm I went to Ivy's office

"Ivy?"

"Yes?"

"Ummm do you want to go now?"

"Sure! Wait I'll just get my bag…"

She went to her Private room and grabbed her bag.

"Let's go…" she said then we walked towards my car.

"Uhhhh where's Ivan?" I asked

"Is he invited? I didn't know…" she said with a smirk

"N-No! of course not!" I said…

"I just wanted to ask, you two are always together…" I continued

"Ahh! He went home early to arrange the things we bought for his house earlier…"

"You've been to his house?"

"Yeah! He got a good place!"

I shouldn't have asked, now I'm more jealous…

"I see…"

We arrived at an Italian restaurant.

"They're food is great here…"

"We'll see…"

We ordered something and as we wait for it to be served, we just kept silent, it's very awkward…

How am I gonna break this awkwardness?? Damn!! Should I ask her something? But like what? Food? Color? Number? Flower? That's too immature…

"Yuan…"

I snapped out of my thoughts

"Yeah!! What's it?"

"You said it's a date, aren't you going to talk to me?"

"Right! Ummm actually I don't know what to do…"

"Hahahahaha!!" she burst out laughing

"That's impossible!! With that handsome face of yours, you could have hit on a lot of girls…"

"Is that what you think of me?"

"Well, sorry! are you offended?"

"No… I'm curious of how you came up with that thought…"

"Well of course, y-you look good enough to hit on girls… Plus the fact that you're well off…"

"I don't hit on girls and my family is the one who's well off, not me…"

"Can I ask you something?" I'm nervous…

"Why are you working on my company instead of yours?" she must've been wondering why…

"Because they don't need me…"

"That couldn't be true… You're very talented and you're very smart! You're fairly competent!"

"They just don't need me. Besides they have my brother…"

"Are you not in good terms with your brother?"