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“You could be collateral damage,” Ellen said. “Sorry. It’s nothing personal.”
I groaned. “At least you’ve given me a warning.”
“Are you going to tell him?”
“I’ll have to.”
“I suppose he would have found out sooner or later.” She took a bite from her grilled panini sandwich.
I had been so wrapped up in the conversation, I hadn’t noticed her food arrive, nor had I remembered to eat mine. My soup and sandwich were almost cold, but I forced myself to finish them, lest hunger pangs distract me later.
After swallowing the last spoonful, I excused myself. “I better get back to work.”
“Hope I haven’t upset you.”
I shook my head. “It’s fine. I’m glad I know now.”
“Don’t be a stranger, okay? Just because you’re Mr. Kingston’s lackey now, it doesn’t mean you’re not still one of us.”
I laughed half-heartedly.
One of them? It didn’t feel like that to me. Not anymore.
When I got to my office, Neil’s door was closed, but I didn’t think twice about knocking. No response. I pushed the door open anyway. Neil looked up at me from behind his desk as I approached. “What?” he barked.
“I have news.”
“This better be important.”
I sensed his threshold for importance was higher than mine, but I continued regardless. “Do you know about the petition?”
He leaned back and folded his arms, giving me his full attention. “Enlighten me.”
“I’ve just heard that there’s a petition going around the head office. A petition to have you removed as CEO.”
I didn’t know what I expected, but some kind of reaction, at least. Instead, I got nothing.
“Is that all?” Neil asked.
“Well, yes. Is it not a concern for you?”
“Let me explain something, Amelia.” He motioned for me to sit in the chair opposite his desk. “Putting it bluntly, your colleagues downstairs are fortunate that Luxmore as they know it even continues to exist.”
“What do you mean?”
Neil got up and crossed to the front of his desk, then reclined against it, facing me. From this new angle, he loomed above me, radiating his signature brand of quiet dominance. I held my breath.
“Zelthia’s master plan was a merger, not a mere restructure,” he said at last. “Flerotech was going to take over the company.”
“Flerotech… The Chinese appliance company?”
“Correct.”
I digested this new piece of information. “So Luxmore would have moved to China, and the New Zealand staff would have lost their jobs?”
“More or less.”
I shot to my feet. “But that’s ludicrous! Luxmore’s entire brand identity is based on being a New Zealand company. That’s why people buy our products. Why would we become part of Flerotech?”
