Chapter 96 - A Fresh Start for Everyone
Chapter 96 - A Fresh Start for Everyone
Sylvia Morin awoke on a sunny morning, her disheveled hair still lying on her soft bed. With a smile and
a happy face, she felt like she was living a dream. She had spent the last few days feeling a bit uneasy,
eagerly anticipating this special day, the day when she would be meeting Arthur Gardner with the other
participants who had been selected to receive his blessings and have their dreams come true -
something she had been striving for, for years. "Today is the day!" she thought to herself.
"Is this really happening?" Sylvia pondered out loud, a wide smile stretching across her face as she
tucked herself under the covers. She could scarcely believe that she was on the brink of achieving her
grand ambitions.
Then, she leaped from her bed and darted to the bathroom, humming joyfully as she shampooed and
lathered. Her melodious singing echoed throughout the house, prompting her parents to beam with
delight.
After finishing her bath, Sylvia double-checked that she had everything she needed in order for today to
go off without a hitch. Standing in front of her dressing mirror, she looked at her reflection and declared
with certainty, “Sylvia, it's your day! I'll make sure Mr. Gardner hears all the plans I've laid out in such
detail that he won't have any more questions to ask.” She said this with an optimistic smile.
Before leaving, she went through her usual morning routine of having breakfast with her father and
mother. The atmosphere around the dinner table was peaceful and comfortable, with a simple dining
menu.
“Congratulations Sylvia, your dream is about to come true,” said Sylvia's father, smiling warmly at her.
“I'm really proud of my very accomplished daughter, you always make the right choices, and you show
that you're truly determined to realize all the visions you have.”
"I told you Dad, I'm sure I can realize all my ambitions," Sylvia replied confidently. She carefully took
her food, feeling a twinge of annoyance at the memory of her parents' incessant nagging about her
choice some weeks ago.
"I hope you won't try to influence me again, or else I won't ever come back here," she said, even
though her father was only teasing her; such conversations were typical within their family.
"His company must be really valuable; he must be really wealthy. Is he still single?" Sylvia's father
continued.
"That's right, Sylvia," her parents said in unison. "We think that your beauty can attract Mr. Gardner,
and your mom will be so proud if you can marry a man as handsome, wealthy, and kind as him."
Sylvia took a deep breath upon hearing her parents' comments.
"Dad...Mom," she began, her voice trailing off. "Please, don't let anyone hear you say those words. Mr.
Gardner is a man of dignity, and I believe he is a very professional man, so I don't want to bring
anything personal like that into the business I'm about to do, okay?"
"Yes, Sylvia," her Dad continued, still trying to explain. "You are a very intelligent and capable young Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
woman, and you're also quite beautiful. Therefore, the advice we give is a great opportunity for both
parties, don't you think? I'm sure Mr. Gardner would be very pleased to have a partner like you. It's
actually very professional. In fact, I believe your business will move much more quickly if you two were
to get married."
Sylvia took a deep breath, then reached for the glass in front of her and drained it in one gulp. She
placed the glass back on the table with a loud thud. "Thanks for breakfast, Mom…," she said.
Sylvia then stood up and chirped, “Bye Dad, Mom...” before swiftly leaving the room. A wave of silence
briefly filled the room, but it was quickly interrupted by the sound of joyous laughter when Sylvia was
out of sight.
“Ah, Sylvia,” her father said with a voice filled with love and admiration, “She's always been so proud.
I'm so proud to have a daughter like her.”
“That's right,” her mother replied, her own pride evident in her voice. “I'm so proud of the fact that I was
able to give birth to such a wonderful daughter. And soon she'll be married to a successful and wealthy
young businessman.”
At this, her father's tears began to flow. “I'm so happy for her. She won't have to live a life of hardship
like we did. She'll be a rich lady after this and she won't have to bear the burden of my debts.”
“No honey,” her mother said, her voice soft and comforting, “You did everything for her happiness. You
should be proud of yourself for that.”
***
For the past few weeks, Arthur had been coming to the office of Brown Company early in the morning
before the other employees, displaying great diligence and often staying late into the night. That
morning, he was seated in his executive chair, going over the data he had studied the previous week.
Suddenly, the door at the far end of the room opened and Edna, dressed in a stylish gray executive
dress with her golden-blonde hair cascading down her back, stepped inside. Smiling, she stopped right
in front of Arthur and said, "Boss, all the guests you have been waiting for have arrived, and they're
already getting ready to meet you."
“Really? Fine, I'll catch up in a few minutes."
Edna slowly nodded and smiled. "Sure thing, boss. Is there anything else you need me to do before
you start your announcement?"
Arthur replied, "No, that's it. Just make sure all employees of the Brown Company are listening when I
start speaking."
Arthur then smiled and stood up from his chair. "Today is going to be a big day for everyone, for this
company, and I know we are getting closer and closer to our big dream."
Sylvia that morning left her house in a taxi since it was quite far from the Brown Company. As she rode,
she opened her laptop to make sure that the data she was going to present was accurate.
After an hour, the taxi arrived at a tall and luxurious Brown Company building, causing Sylvia to gape in
admiration and shake her head.
A man with a large body and a black suit approached her and said, “Ms. Sylvia, my name is Indian. I'm
the personal bodyguard of Mr. Arthur Gardner, and I was asked to guide you this morning.”
"Ah." Sylvia gave a polite bow and greeted Indian in return. "Thank you, Mr. Indian."
Sylvia followed him into the building and noticed several Brown Company employees eyeing her. She
smiled warmly and offered a friendly wave in greeting.
"To think, that girl looks even prettier when you see her in person. I think it's because the television
screen adds to her charm," remarked one.
"Indeed," the other agreed. "She is not only beautiful, but unbelievably intelligent. I heard she
completed her doctorate at the age of 22, which is truly an extraordinary achievement."
"Absolutely," the first said. "And I'm in awe of our big boss, Mr. Arthur Gardner. He is able to attract
such talented people. I'm sure he will bring an amazing transformation to this company. Every move he
makes is truly incredible, and something no one could have expected."
"And up to this point, I can no longer imagine how powerful and influential our big boss is," the other
said, shaking his head.
"Besides being extremely intelligent, he is also surrounded by girls as beautiful as angels."
"I heard that our boss also has a special relationship with Claudina," he continued, "and I wouldn't be
surprised if the two of them are actually dating."
"I think the boss is either dating or marrying all those beautiful girls," he concluded, "and it would still be
very natural, because I see they really admire and respect him."
Sylvia followed Indian into the VIP elevator and proceeded to a large room where she saw several
familiar faces – the other participants of the Business Takeover, also selected by Arthur.
"Hi, everyone. Good morning," Sylvia said with a smile as she sat down in the remaining chair.
Everyone exchanged greetings and waited nervously for someone when suddenly the door at the end
of the room opened, and Arthur Gardner walked in, accompanied by a girl with dazzling blond hair
whose beauty was beyond comparison.
"Good morning, all," Arthur said, and everyone in the room stood up and greeted him.