"Father, I don't want to destroy this shopping mall, it was left to me by my mother, wasn't it? And this shopping center is very profitable. Also, Henry is an extraordinary man. He is so rich and so outstanding, I'm afraid he will not see me as a good partner if I have nothing to my name.
What if he annuls the marriage? After I marry Henry, I believe that he will help me run this shopping center. This is a great opportunity for the Smith family,” Roxanne reasoned with Kenneth and tried to persuade him.
She was not going to give up without a fight!
The area fell into silence as Roxanne waited with bated breath. Her future lay in what her father’s decision would be that day and he did not disappoint.
When Kenneth sighed again, Miriam’s heart skipped a beat. She forced a smile and asked him, “Honey, you’re not thinking of putting her in charge of the mall, are you?”
“I am… she’s right. The Fords won’t accept a wife with no proper qualities. Roxanne, you will be the managing director from now on-”
“What? She’s not qualified!” Miriam squeaked, dropping her façade.
Managing director? Roxanne didn't deserve such a high position. Only her daughter did!
When Kenneth glanced at Miriam with a questioning gaze, she quickly changed her demeanour and spoke gently, “I mean… don’t make such a rash decision, honey. This is a shopping complex we are talking about. We might lose clients and revenue if not managed well-”
“Don’t worry. Henry is a great businessman. I’m sure he will be able to help Roxanne run the shopping mall. He might even pump in more money and help us expand,” Kenneth said in a tone that hinted that the discussion was over.
Hatred flashed through Miriam’s eyes. She was pissed but she couldn’t do anything. There was a limit to what extent she could control Kenneth. Besides, she didn’t want him to suspect her if she continued to persist.
She would just look for a way to oust Roxanne in the future.
At the same time, Roxanne released a sigh of relief. Finally, she got the mall that was rightfully hers. Now she just had to make sure she took full control so that it didn’t end up in her stepmother’s hands.
…
A few days later…
Roxanne had settled into her new job as the shopping mall’s managing director.
One section of the mall had an RG department store which was divided into several stores selling products such as clothing, electronics, furnishings, footwear, toys, cosmetics and groceries.
The other section was for partnerships. Some stores were put on rent for the purpose of selling goods, others were for fancy restaurants. Others rented the stores for office space. This meant they would get revenue from the rentals and from the department store too.
Roxanne was patrolling the mall, inspecting it to make sure everything was running smoothly. She also wanted to see what she could work on and how she would increase the profits of the mall. After all, she wasn’t here to play.
Making large profits would make the board members favour her in the future.
She frowned as she looked around the place, “How come no one thought of adding a kid’s section in this mall? If we have restaurants or cafes with a kid’s area, we would attract a lot of families. Families spend a lot of money… what do you think, Sarah?”
“That’s a good idea, Miss Smith,” Sarah Stevens replied, pushing her glasses up her nose.
She was Roxanne’s assistant and so far, they were getting to know each other.
As they were patrolling the department clothing store, Roxanne happened to see Maya and Victor walk into the clothing store.
She cussed and muttered under her breath, “Great. Just the two people I wanted to see while at work.”
Roxanne didn’t have anything against the couple but she would rather not bump into them at all.
She was about to walk out and avoid them but Maya’s words stopped her.
“Hey, you!” Maya pointed at a sales lady and ordered, “Pack this for me. And this… and this lingerie…”
She picked about twenty branded clothes and wanted to get them for free.
Roxanne furrowed her eyebrows when she witnessed this. She thought Maya had no shame at all. Didn’t she know such actions were bad for business?
Approaching the couple, she folded her arms across her chest. She glanced at them and said, “You have to pay for those clothes. We don’t offer freebies in my mall.”
Maya frowned when she was embarrassed in front of so many people. She glowered at Roxanne and screamed, “What right do you have to stop me? I’ve always gotten free things from this mall!”
“That was then, dear sis. Under my management, no one gets anything for free. Do you want the mall to go bankrupt?” Roxanne glanced at Victor and sneered, “Brother-in-law, if you want anything in my mall, you gotta pay for it. However, since you’re about to become family, I’ll give you a discount.”
After being addressed by his “useless” ex-fiancée, Victor’s eyes narrowed. ‘I never thought she could be this fierce. How dare she embarrass me like this?’
He looked around and saw that many people were staring at them. If news got out that he failed to pay for clothes, his reputation would be ruined. In the world of business, reputation is very important.
Victor Morgan was the CEO of the Morgan transport and logistics Company. He was arranged to marry Roxanne but after learning how she wasn’t favored at home, he decided to choose the woman who would bring value to him and that was her sister, Maya Smith.
He glared at Roxanne and scoffed, "When did you take over the mall? How can you be so rude to your sister? Or are you jealous of her? Stop dreaming, I would still not marry you even without Maya's presence."
Roxanne tried not to roll her eyes. What a couple they were. She ignored his words and stretched out her hand, “Pay up, please. Or do you want me to call the police?"
Thank you for reading.
Victor Morgan raised an eyebrow. The confident manner in which Roxanne confronted them caught him off-guard. Wasn't she a pushover? Where did she get the courage to stand up to them and humiliate them this way? "You want to call the police?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing. "I will if you don't pay. We have a word for people who get stuff without paying," Roxanne paused for a dramatic effect. "They are called THIEVES." The temperature around them reduced to a negative. Victor narrowed his eyes at Roxanne dangerously but she wasn't intimidated by him. Although he was handsome, tall with sandy brown hair and a rough beard, Roxanne looked down on him for having a poor sense of judgement. Who in their right mind would love Maya? She had a rotten personality. Her fakeness was evident in the way she carried herself. Was he blind? Regardless, his choice was none of Roxanne’s concern. She was there to make money. “Mr Morgan… if you and your fiancée are not buying anything, please l
Henry Ford's assistant, Diego Montero, pushed Henry's wheelchair. Diego used to work for Henry while he was abroad and when Henry came back to the Country, he was transferred back to continue working for him. He was an outspoken but kind man with curly dark brown hair and wore gold-rimmed glasses. When Roxanne got into the elevator with Henry Ford and his assistant, she felt like she couldn’t breathe. The place felt so small. Her heart was racing the entire time. Henry Ford’s powerful aura surged around them and she felt so small in his presence. How could a man still look so powerful despite his physical condition? Henry carried himself with an air of confidence that no one would dare look down on him. The moment the elevator doors opened, Roxanne let go of the breath she didn't realise she was holding. "Follow me," she told Diego and strode down the hallway confidently with her head and chin raised. When they arrived in her office, Roxanne pushed away the chair in front of her
Roxanne rolled her eyes and turned to face her sister who was standing next to Victor and her obnoxious friend, Alisha. A scoff escaped her lips. Indeed, they were birds of the same feather. Maya hooked her arm around Victor’s and sneered, “I didn't expect to see you here, Roxanne. Did you sneak in?” Of course, Maya thought Roxanne wouldn't have an invitation to such an upper-class event. It wasn't open to any Jim and Jack and only a few invitations were sent out. Maya was only able to go because Kenneth was invited and she begged him to give her his invitation card. Seeing Roxanne at the banquet came as a shock to her. "Henry hasn't seen you since news of your engagement was released and neither did he admit it to the media. It seems he doesn’t care about you. How do you still have the courage to attend a banquet?” Maya said sarcastically. “Mind your own business, Maya. I didn't come here for you,” Roxanne responded flatly. Meanwhile, Victor furrowed his eyebrows as a sliv
After Roxanne played the last notes, she stood up and curtsied while the audience erupted in applause. She whipped around to face the shell-shocked Maya. Smirking, she remarked, “Thank you, sis. I was wondering how I would introduce myself as Henry's future wife. Look around,” Roxanne said as cheers and praise echoed around them. “They love me.” Maya clenched her hands into fists and gritted her teeth. She didn't expect Roxanne to know how to play the piano. She was even better than her! How did she know? Roxanne never went for piano lessons. She was useless! Her mother made sure of that! Maya couldn't fathom how her plan to humiliate Roxanne changed into an opportunity for her to look good in front of figures from wealthy families. This was not supposed to happen! A malicious glint flashed through Maya's eyes as she glared at Roxanne. 'I can't wait to get rid of her.' On the other hand, Victor frowned but he didn't say anything. Deep down, he was impressed. He initially thoug
“Tell us how you plan to increase the shopping mall’s sales, Miss Smith. What’s your strategy?” One of the board members, Sean Anderson, questioned during a meeting on a Monday morning. The news that Roxanne who had no experience in marketing was appointed as the marketing director of the shopping mall spread like wildfire. A lot were against the appointment, especially those who were on Miriam Hopper’s side. They quickly called for a board member’s meeting to find a way to get rid of Roxanne. Since she was appointed by Kenneth Smith, they couldn’t just send her away but if the majority of board members agreed, it would be easier. Knowing she was going to be put under the microscope, Roxanne had prepared adequately for the meeting. With open confidence, she answered, “To increase sales, I suggest we implement strategies such as offering discounts, promotional codes and coupons. As much as we want to make money, we need to think about the customer too. If our goods and services are to
David Miller was known for luring women to his bed after drugging them. Of course, many women who went to negotiate deals with him often fell prey to his antics. Roxanne didn’t know any of this and innocently sat across from him in the private room. Glancing at him, she presented, “Mr Miller, I’m here to negotiate-” “Let’s talk about that later, baby. Tell me about yourself,” David muttered and his friends snickered. Roxanne’s stomach churned with disgust. David was in his sixties and he had a huge beer belly. She resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose and said, “I’m the marketing director of RG shopping mall. I’m here to discuss our pending partnership-” “Come on. I want to know about you, not work! What do you want to drink? A beer?” David interrupted her. “I’ll think you’re looking down on me if you refuse my offer to buy you a drink.” “I’ll have a soda. I don’t drink alcohol while working,” Roxanne responded calmly, trying to be patient. “Great! Let’s talk after that drin
Henry might have been in a wheelchair but he was as domineering as ever. David stepped back as his heart jumped out of his chest and flew away. His back was covered in cold sweat as he looked at Roxanne's state in horror. 'This woman is Henry Ford's fiancée?' At that moment, David internally cursed Richard for sending her to him. Was he trying to finish him? Henry was known for being merciless. He quickly went down on his knees and begged, "I'm sorry, Mr. Ford. I didn't know she was your fiancée. This will not happen again." "Of course, this won't happen again. I won't give you an opportunity to hurt any more women," Henry's voice was cold like a block of ice. Without addressing anyone in particular, he ordered, "Break his arms and castrate him." "What? You can't do this! I used to work with your father! This is illegal!" David screamed hysterically as Henry's bodyguards approached him. "Wasn't it illegal when you raped all those young women? Someone has to take justice f
The next day, someone was sent to deliver the electronic devices to the RG department store. When Richard heard the news, he was over the moon. He quickly rushed to the store so that the successful partnership could be credited to his lover, Crystal Anderson. The reason he wanted this partnership was to earn points for Crystal to become the new managing director of the shopping mall. He planned to kick Roxanne out. How dare she come from nowhere and claim a position she didn't work for? However, when he heard no news from David, he began to worry that it didn't work out. When he tried to call him, anxiety crept into him when he couldn't reach David Miller. All his phones were turned off and Roxanne didn't tell him anything either. Did the deal go through or not? David wasn't one to let a woman go without having a taste. Why didn't he call him back to give him feedback? To his surprise, Richard found Roxanne at the forefront talking to the supplier of the goods. His eyebrows furr