Illaria point of View

I'm not a control freak, I'm just... enthusiastic about order and structure.

Being a chairwoman of one of the largest business empires in the world, I am an enthusiastic person. Just that... my passion lies in order and structure to precession.

That doesn't make me a control freak, does it?

People these days are getting more educated and becoming less understanding. In the olden days, when there's a person who has great command on his surroundings and his things, then he is called a taskmaster or disciplinarian.

Now, when I'm being a little less messy and more organized and making my people more organized like me, I'm being a control freak.

Someone said right 'Education is the key to unlocking the potential of imagination'.

Dude, didn't I just ask the employees to arrange all the five-year plans of the company according to the new system I found very convenient?

How is this being a control freak?

Although, this is the third time they are doing this in the past two weeks. It's just that their work did not reach the standards of the system and they had to redo it for a couple of times.

Although there are no fundamental errors in their work, the standards are still important, yes?

That doesn't make me a control freak at all.

"Ms. Allard, where is your certificate? You did not even tell me about it." Asmund, my personal assistant, spread his hand towards me, expecting me to give him something.

"Certificate? Which one?" I looked up from the documents I'm reading and asked with a confused frown.

"Micromanagement." What? "I'm starting to think you have a PhD in Micromanaging!"

Yo, who's the boss here and who's the assistant?

How many hearts, livers and lungs does he have to even dare taunt me?

"You're so detail-oriented, I'm pretty sure you'd notice if a pen was out of place on the moon!" Asmund, you son of a biscuit!

"Isn't everything alright? Should the standards be so abnormal?" He mumbled to himself but I bet my newly purchased stilettoes on it that he meant it for me to hear.

I glared at him so hard but it did not make any difference with him as he continued to blabber whatever he wanted to. I gave him a deadly glare that would even make a big shot pee in his pant but this glare, somehow, doesn't work on him.

Is it because he has been working for me for many years now that he started to treat me as a best friend?

"Wow, I'm impressed. You managed to fit my entire personality into one stereotypical joke. I bet you spent hours crafting that zinger. Why don't I encourage your ability and relieve you from your duties so you can find your destiny in entertainment industry?"

"Nay, thank you for your rare considerate thoughts. I'm worried that you would turn my replacement into a corporate zombie. I better save that poor fellow from lifetime hell." That son of a biscuit waved his hands fake hesitantly and pretended to be magnanimous, all the while showing me a victorious smile.

As if telling me that this round, he won the tug of words war.

Tell me, anyone tell me, why is this person still working under me? Why didn't I just pull this weed and throw it away?

"Now, if you are finished with praising this hell, why don't you send an email to this new project partner and ask him about the time he will be arriving here and schedule for the meeting accordingly? Can, a great gatekeeper of hell like you, do this small thing for me?" Hmm, if this is a hell, then you are the hell-hound.

Asmund grinned at me as if I complimented him and shot out of my office to do the task. I bet my second pair of new stilettoes that he did not understand the meaning of hell's gatekeeper.

He must be thinking that I praised him genuinely.

Seriously, what am I to do with this assistant of mine?

Forget about me, what is his future wife going to endure him?

"Mr. Yarwood," I pressed on the intercom button that the manager of the planning team uses. "Bring teams A and C, along with the copy of your newly improvised five-year plans."

It took them five minutes to get to my office which is enough for me to control my anger and frustration.

The moment they came in, I could see them flooding my room with sweat. I nodded at them curtly and asked them to sit while I took my sweet time checking the improved plan.

"Mr. Yarwood, what is SWOT analysis?" I asked, circling some words on the paper they produced.

"An analysis of Strengths, weakness, Opportunities and Threats of a company." His voiced quivered for a bit.

"Amazing, then why is the opportunities column empty? Do you think Allard empire has no future or are you cursing our company?"

"What? No, no, I wouldn't dare, Ma'am." Mr. Yarwood stammered and sweated profusely. "Allard empire is an all rounder so we almost have no new opportunities of... your standards... to take upon."

"That's right."

"That's so true, ma'am." Following Mr. Yarwood, the team nodded and agreed to his statements.

"But I do have an idea which I want to tell you personally, Ma'am." Mr. Yarwood expressed in a low mosquito tone and sneaked a couple glances at me to gauge my expression.

I nodded and just as he was about to talk, there was a knock on the door and in came my enemy in the whole company.

Asmund!

"Ms. Allard, sorry for the interruption. We received the reply just now. The partner and his assistant would be coming to the country by tonight and they want to know if we can schedule a meeting tomorrow noon. They want us to arrange a meeting in restaurants with best food here. If agreed, they will be here at eleven in the morning so that you can go to the restaurant together."

Why is this partner such a nuisance?

From the moment we agreed upon this partnership, this man has been too flashy with everything he said and did.

I've never seen him personally but from the pictures I got from internet, he is a –

I don't know what word to use to describe him.

If it wasn't for his super amazing technology that we needed for our most awaited and important geoengineering project, I wouldn't even think of associating with a man like that.

"Why can't we just meet at the restaurant then? Why should they come here and then go to restaurant from here – together?" I pressed my forehead to soothe some of the stress piling up.

The first time I had a phone call with this partner, he aske me if I was a honeybee. When I asked him what he is talking about; his reply was, if I wasn't a honeybee why am I pricking his heart and raining honey on him at the same time.

I lost my mind and soul for a moment there.

That man just talks whatever nonsense that comes to his mind. I wonder how he got so successful in the business world.

He should be like Cacao Almond, the famous love guru, with his words and actions.

"He wants to meet, talk and understand his partner and her employees to get an idea of how the work progress would be in the future. He also used some kind of ancient English language which I did not understand at all but that's the gist of it."

Wall – come and just hit me. I have no energy to come to you.

Why am I dealing with some many complicated headache personalities every day?

"Alright, just let them come. Book a private dining room in the restaurant for eleven-thirty time slot. Let's not give him much time to play here." I said and waved my hand for him to retreat.

I turned to Mr. Yarwood and was about to ask him to continue when I noticed him giving sneaky signs to Asmund to stay back and help him.

Asmund sighed and walked inside my office and looked at me with half pleading and half exasperated gaze.

"So you were telling that you had an idea, Mr. Yarwood?" I asked, ignoring Asmund and his signals with the manager.

"Right, yes Ms. Allard. Since the geoengineering research project is one of the most important projects of our company, why don't we buy out all the other similar companies and become the monopoly of the whole sector? In that way we will have more sources with no competition at all which will ensure a definite success in the area."

Immediately, as soon as Mr. Yarwood spoke those words, I heard a slapping sound which turned out to be Asmund. He facepalmed himself after listening to the manager's words.

If not for my absolute self-control, I would've too.

This Mr. Yarwood, how the hell did he become a planning manager? With what qualification?

"Mr. Yarwood, while suggesting this amazing idea, have you thought about what would happen if such a monopoly arises? What would happen to the national financial and corporate balance and stability? You have any idea what a deadly target will we become if we cross such unmarked boundaries?"

Am I running a conglomerate or a company of fools?

"Mr. Yarwood, I will give you and your teams one day. By this time tomorrow, I want a better, more refined, fully and rationally analyzed plan. If it isn't on my table by –"

A rushed knock interrupted me. Asmund immediately went to open the door only to find my second assistant, Lyra Starling Grant, running inside with a perplexed and helpless frown.

"Ms. Allard, there's some – umm – " She stammered and stuttered trying to say something but was unable to say it for some reason.

"What is it Lyra?"

"Uh ma'am, there is this – how do I put it - human rainbow garden walking around in the company looking for Asmund and you."

Human rainbow garden?

What is she talking abou-

Wait, did she say a human rainbow garden?

This reminds of one person whom I'm least expecting to every meet at all.

Shouldn't he be here tomorrow at thirty minutes past eleven?

Why is that walking disco ball here already?

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello Sweeties,

First chapter of the book is here. Enjoy!

What do you think about the start? Interesting enough?

Remember the main male lead from 'Draining Mr. Brainy'?  This is his eldest sister book with another Almond as a hero.

What do you think of Illaria? Is she a control freak?

What do you think about the main lead names? Good?

What are your views on Illaria and her assistant's sibling/friendly relationship?

Who exactly is this walking disco ball that Illaria is so scared of?

Please shower me with votes and comments.

Share my books with your friends.

Lots of Love

Lady Prim