Episode 2

CHAPTER 1.

By Isabella.

I woke from bed at 5 in the morning. I took a quick shower and got dressed to start my workday. Luckily, it's Friday.

For the past year, I’ve been working as an executive at a very significant wine trading company: F&M.

It is a firm with much prestige and quite well-known since its wines are distributed worldwide. There isn’t an event where a bottle of their brand isn’t present.

As I chose my outfit to face a new day, the apartment buzzer kept ringing incessantly. Obviously, it was Mariana, my best friend. We both work for the same company and ever since I started there, she picks me up every morning to go together. It’s her way of ensuring my well-being, as, after all we've been through together, there is no one more unwavering for me than her.

I opened the door, inviting her into the room while I finally gathered the necessary strength to get dressed.

"How did you sleep, Issi?" Mariana greeted me with a small smile.

"The same as two years and five months ago."

"Friend…"

"No, Mariana. Don't start. I'm doing the best I can. But I can't forget him. I will never forget him," I exclaimed.

"It's okay friend," Mariana sighed deeply. "Come on, it's time to leave. You look stunning today."

"Thank you. And so do you."

We both headed to the company. Although I had no desire to go to work. For some time, I lost interest in continuing to live. Every day I wished it would be Friday to go to my bed and get up on Monday morning, forcibly, to go back to work and thus continue with an empty routine since that tragic day. Nothing made sense anymore. Nothing made sense without him. For me, Ezequiel was and always will be the love of my life. My first love. His absence was marked on my chest, as if it were a scar that could never be removed. I still couldn't forget him. That tragedy left scars, on the soul and the skin. Wounds that hurt. That ache deep down in my being and no matter how hard I try, I can't heal them.

Since that tragic day, anything that to a human being would be basic in their day-to-day for me meant a great effort. Things like showering, combing one's hair, getting dressed and, even worse, leaving the house.

Fortunately, Mr. Marshall, my boss, is an understanding man. Since working for him, he has cared for me as if I were his daughter. He's given me time and space when I needed it and also support.

Upon arriving at the company, Mariana and I went to the ninth floor, where our respective workstations are located. I left my belongings on the desk and, as every day, checked in with my boss to see what he needed today.

"Isabella. It's good that you’ve arrived. I was waiting for you because I need you to prepare the event room for this very afternoon. I have a very important announcement to make and it’s necessary that all company employees be present."

"Of course, sir. Is everything alright?" I asked.

"You have nothing to worry about, sweet Isabella," he said with his characteristic fatherly tone.

"Well… I’ll go prepare everything, sir," I exclaimed, leaving the office to carry out his orders.

Mr. Marshall's words were spinning in my mind.

"What does my boss want to announce?" I wondered. - "Perhaps there is a raise or one of the employees is retiring and he wants to give them tribute."

Lorenzo Marshall is the fairest and most amiable boss in the business world. His company is part of his family. Each employee gets the recognition they deserve. Everyone is content with this job. It's a very large and prosperous company, with a huge motivation system. The Marshall philosophy was that if the employee is well-motivated, they are more productive. Despite being people with too much money, this was not an obstacle to treating their employees as equals.

I made sure the room was ready and personally chose the best bottles of wine from the company’s cellar. Once done, I announced to my boss that everything was ready. He ordered that after the break, all employees gather there, which made my curiosity, and that of the rest of the employees, grow even more.

While Mariana talked to me about the plans she had made with Julia, my other best friend, for the weekend, my mind kept thinking about the announcement my boss would make.

"Are you listening to me, Issi? You haven't even touched your lunch," Mariana asked.

"I'm sorry. I'm worried about the announcement Mr. Marshall will make. What do you think it's about?"

"Surely it's nothing. Perhaps the presentation of a new line of wines."

"Maybe," I responded tersely, though I was not very convinced.

After lunch, everyone was waiting anxiously in the event room, as the boss had requested. All company employees were there, tasting wines and some snacks. A slight sense of happiness overcame me, knowing that everything was going smoothly. After a while of waiting, the long-awaited announcement was about to take place:

"Well," Marshall spoke, "I have gathered you all here because I have made a very important decision and I believe all of you, as part of the company, should be informed. As many of you have anticipated, after much consideration, I have decided to step down as the president of this company and hand over the position to my son, Valentino Marshall."

All employees were stunned by the boss's announcement. Although everyone was aware that this day would come, no one expected it to be so soon. Moreover, who exactly was Mr. Lorenzo Marshall's son? - This was the question on everyone's mind. He had rarely appeared at the company and not all had the opportunity to see him. However, it is said that if arrogance had a physical form, it would probably be Valentino. Amidst the employees' astonishment, the boss spoke again:

"I know many of you are worried about this sudden change. However, I want you to know I have been contemplating this for some time. Also, you should know one of the conditions for my son in taking over as president of F&M is that the employees will keep their jobs unless a promotion or dismissal is required. This latter case, as you know, is done under strict scrutiny to prevent injustices. Otherwise, everything will continue as before. I fully trust my son's judgement, otherwise, I would not be giving him such an important responsibility. All these years at the helm of the company have been wonderful and I have met many people who will forever remain in my heart. I only hope Valentino is as fortunate. Thank you for everything."

Finally, we all clapped for the boss. But one could still see some worried faces despite Lorenzo's attempts to reassure us. To put the finishing touch on his speech, the boss invited Valentino to come forward to officially introduce himself to everyone. Valentino stepped onto the stage and spoke directly:

"Good afternoon. My name is Valentino Marshall, and as my father said, I will be your new boss from now on. I will implement some minor changes, which I hope will not affect the company's performance. If you have any questions or concerns, you can bring them to my office. That's all I have to say," he finally declared, stepping down from the stage.

The ladies of the company started to get excited; at first glance, Valentino is a very elegant and sophisticated man. And certainly sexy. However, I wasn't the slightest bit interested. My mind continued to dwell on that man who had stolen all my sighs some years ago. Of course, I cared that Valentino would now be my boss, but I wasn't interested in contemplating his attractiveness but rather his capability to lead the company.

At this moment, I just wanted to get home and crawl into bed. The office hours had passed; we were delayed due to the introduction of the new president. From next week on, things would take a drastic turn. A man about whom we knew absolutely nothing would become the new boss, and from his demeanor, he seemed quite serious.

I approached Lorenzo and hugged him. I wished him luck and a good rest now that he was retiring. Behind me, I felt a strong shiver. I turned and caught the intense and penetrating gaze of that enigmatic man. His look was cold, seemingly hollow. He had a perfect poker face. I did not know what thoughts were going through his mind, but I knew they provoked a strange sensation within me.

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