Chapter 109 Taking Her Place

Eden's POV:

Against what I believe to be my better judgement, I don't mention anything to grandma when I visit her the next day or the day after that. Instead, I prepare myself mentally for returning to the company on Monday morning.

Just thinking about working in my grandma's office, taking her place, feels wrong.

Martin is waiting for me when Noah and I get off the lift. I'm surprised to see him so early. I know my grandma usually starts work early but her 'early' and Noah's 'early' are two very different things.

"I've drafted up an email to send to the department heads," he begins without bothering to wish either of us good morning. Good old Martin. Straight to business. "I need you to give it a glance over. You'll still need to sit down with them at some point but this should sate their appetite for information for a day or two until you're settled in."

I hope he's right. I'm not looking forward to this at all.

Noah gives my hand a gentle squeeze as we walk down the corridor towards my grandma's office. It feels really weird not going to our own department. Martin lets us into the office and I'm filled with a sense of familiarity. Everything about this room reminds me of grandma. Her favourite family photographs sit on her desk, her books are on the shelves and I think the room might even smell a little bit like her.

Martin is talking, running through a list of things I'll need to do, but I'm barely paying attention as I take in everything around me. It's been a long time since I last spent a reasonable amount of time in here. I've been so busy pretending to be someone else that I've not even been able to visit my grandma's office, only ever dropping in for a few minutes when Noah sent me on an errand.

It feels like I've been wasting time pretending when I could have been with my grandma.

Taking the seat behind my grandma's desk, I suck in a deep, steadying breath. I can do this, I think to myself in a secret mantra. I don't want Martin or Noah to know how nervous I feel. I'm not sure anyone can imagine the responsibility I feel right now. I literally hold my grandma's dream in my hands, her life's work... What if I ruin it?

"You've got this," Noah says and for a second i wonder if he can read my mind.

I lift my eyes to meet his, offering him a grateful smile. "Of course I do," I say with mock confidence. "I've got you guys after all."

"That you do," Noah replies, nodding his head. "If you need me, you know where I am."

He leans over the desk to kiss me briefly. It's just a peck and leaves me craving more when his lips leave mine.

"I'm going head to my office," he says, giving me a quick wink. "I'll see you later."

I hate watching him leave. Even if it is only to go to his own office, a few hundred metres away. We've been working together every day for so long now that it feels weird to be spending even just one day apart. But this is something I have to do alone.

It's time for me to step up and do right by my grandma, my family. It's been a long time coming and I can't avoid the responsibility any longer.

Martin doesn't wait for the door to close behind Noah before he's putting me to work. I'm nodding my head and listening closely as he tells me everything that my grandma has missed over the last week. There are documents to sign, projects to approve and interviews to conduct. And that's the easy stuff.

As much as I might not want to have to handle it, I'm now the person who is probably going to have to fire Lewis Artie. And deal with the lawsuit that he's brought down upon us. A little before lunch, Sally from Human Resources comes to see me with the results of her investigation into the copyright issue and yet again, it would appear Lewis has managed to make it look like a member of his team has gone rouge.

It's infuriating. I just can't understand how he can be so willing to let other people take the fall for him.

"There must be something we can do," I say angrily. I refuse to accept that he can't be fired. I want him gone.

"We just need proof," Sally says seriously. She says it like it's the easiest thing in the world. "Every email, every call, points to his team members. We need something concrete, if we want to dissolve ourselves of any responsibility in this whole fiasco."

Martin steps forward. "You see, Eden, this isn't just about getting rid of Lewis. We need to put an end the growing list of copyright cases that are piling up against us."

"You want to find proof that he's responsible to remove liability?" I ask uncertainly.

Martin shrugs. "We can't allow him to pull down the whole company with his antics."

Nodding my head in agreement, I cross my legs as I sit behind my grandma's desk, a thoughtful expression on my face.

"There's something else," Sally says quietly, drawing my attention back to her.

I raise my eyebrow, unsure that I actually want to know. There's something ominous about her tone.

"There are rumours circulating," she begins and my mind immediately reels. I can imagine what sort of rumours are going around. Rumours about my grandma's health. Rumours about me... That I'm not up for the job. "Something about the company's finances."

That surprises me and my eyes dart to Martin's.

"Someone is spreading rumours that the company's accounts are in the red and have been for months. There are concerns that having a..." She hesitates, perhaps not wanting to upset me.

"Continue."

"There are concerns that having a new, perhaps a little young and inexperienced CEO, when the finances are in a mess is a bad idea."

Sighing, I pull a disgruntled face.

"Except the company's finances aren't in the red," I say confidently, after all I've spent enough time pouring over them to know.

Martin is nodding his head in agreement and it bolsters my certainty.

"As I said it's just rumours but..."

"But lies are often believed," I say, smiling at her. "I'll deal with it. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, Sally."

"You're welcome," she replies, getting to her feet.

I watch her leave the room before turning to Martin. "We'll need to arrange that meeting with the department heads sooner than you might have wanted," I tell him.

"Yes, I think so," he says. "I'll add to the diary for tomorrow."

"Thank you, Martin." With another sigh, I ask him what's next on the agenda.

With a wide smile, he says, "I've booked you and Noah a table at Les Luna."

"Lunch?" I ask with a grin. I'm relieved to have the morning finished and to be going to lunch with my boyfriend but I'm not exactly excited about what will happen after lunch. I'd like to avoid having to come back to this office if I can.

But that's not possible because I have one hell of a busy schedule. I'll be lucky if I manage to finish at a reasonable hour tonight. I definitely won't be able to visit grandma tonight, that's for sure.