She's Not Just A Queen

She's Veandra Reese

The people in the street heard the roar of the engine of a glossy, red sports car. It came running on the concrete road like a grounded dragon because of its noise. The cars in front of it, slowed down and drove to the side to let it pass as it is surrounded by police escorts on big bikes.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked a guy walking on the street to his buddy beside him.

"It looks like someone important is inside that sweet baby."

"That's the unreleased sports car we saw in the magazine, right?!!"

"What the heck? You're right! Why is it already sold to someone?"

They watched in awe as the car and the escorts turned to the left. Then stopped before a shiny towering building that stood out among its neighboring buildings. There is a red insignia of the letter "V" on it as well as the entrance of the building where crowds of people are gathering at the sides as the guards lined up to keep them out of the way.

"Here she comes!" squealed a girl from the crowd.

Even though the person in it has not yet opened the door, the cameras already rolled and flashed. The door slightly opened and the noise from them became louder than ever as the snaps and clicks of the cameras, squeals, and cheers were overwhelming for the ears. The door opened upward and a butler showed his gloved hand with a bow. A soft, slim hand came out in the open and the sun made it glow. Her fingernails were polished red. She brought out her pastel pink, high-heeled sandals to take her first step.

The cheers became louder than ever and the guards were struggling to stand straight without moving as their eardrums are about to explode from the noise. All because of a lady that came out of the ridiculously expensive car. Her face makes the beholder regret blinking even once. For the beauty that she has is worth every fraction of a second to look at.

She wore a black off-shoulder dress that made her astounding figure stand out and her flawless shoulders. Her hair was like a black shiny river as it flowed through the air seamlessly after she left the car. Her half-opened crimson lips made the hearts of the people skip a beat as they gulped.

Then she smiled and they cried, "Veandra Reese!"

"She's so beautiful!"

"A Queen before our eyes!"

"At her caliber? She's not just a queen."

"Then more like a goddess!"

She gave the touch key of her car to a valet and a folder to a bodyguard beside her. She cat-walked her way to the entrance. There is no one else on the way to the entrance but her and her nine bodyguards around her. They are wary of the possible threats that would endanger the life of Veandra. But even a single scrape on her delicate skin is considered terrible for them. They are even glad just to be walking beside her but their faces are not showing that they are. They are professionals and it is just that they have to act.

"I love you, Veandra!" cried a man as he tried to go over the line and through the guards but they stopped him.

"Woo!" exhaled a girl as she fans herself with her hand. "It's getting hotter, now that she's here!!"

"I wish I am as beautiful as her!" wished her friend.

Her pace is not fast nor slow but the people were unsatisfied with the little time from the rare chance that they managed to have a glance at the richest and the most beautiful lady in the country. Owning a whole building in one of the most expensive places to own a single patch of land in the world, is not even as near as hard but next to impossible unless you are a billionaire. Veandra is one, and she owns the entire building along with other buildings in the city.

She went in and stopped smiling as the cameras cannot catch a glimpse of her anymore. She is trying her best not to frown because it will ruin her face as something is bothering her beautiful mind. Her heels clacked on the tiles and the employees stopped what they are doing as she passed by and made her way to the elevator. Two bodyguards went inside with her as she checked her face with a small mirror. She gave it to one of the bodyguards behind her and that is when the elevator door opened. She walked out and went to the office meeting room. She walked in, the bodyguards waited near the door, and the men at the long table stood up from their seats.

"Good morning, madam Reese," they greeted her.

She did not respond until she sat on her special chair at the end of the table. She crossed her legs, brushed her hair over her ear, and she nodded. That is when the men sat on their seats, feeling nervous as well as bewitched by her beauty. There are a dozen of them and all of the seats are occupied.

Her presence is like that of a cunning queen that made them speechless. They just gulped before she spoke her first words: "So, you probably know why I called all of you here." She paused for a second then said, "And someone, please get me a coffee."

"Right away, madam," nodded another man beside the door and went outside.

"I'm afraid we do not know, madam," said a middle-aged man at the left side of the table.

She scoffed, "Don't give me that nonsense. After all, all of you are such good friends that I wasn't invited to your little schemes. Before I became the owner and CEO of this corporation, I remember telling you that I am not your everyday woman CEO that you think you can fool," She leaned forward and looked at them one by one. They did not glance even for a bit. "What seems to be a problem that you want me out of this company that in fact, I own 80% of the share while the dozen of you fight over the 20%? I can even lead the whole company by myself even without your help and you plan to fire me by vote?"

They looked at the table, unable to speak for themselves.

"It's not like that, madam," said another. "We just want this company to be independent to other-"

"Huh," she scoffed. "What a poor reasoning you have there, Mr. Ray. You want this company for yourselves or is it because you don't like the fact that a young woman holds all of the company's property? I must take control of every aspect that this company needs to improve on, to increase our chances of success. Whereas you and your bums are having fun spending money."

"You are mistaken, madam. We would never do such a thing."

"Oh really?" she smirked as the guard gave her the folder.

Instead of putting it on the table, she threw it into the air and above them all. The pictures of them having "leisure", flew like confetti to celebrate their failed attempt of lying. They were surprised as well as embarrassed because they are caught red-handed.

Her coffee finally arrived and she took a sip from it then put it on the table.

"Nice life all you have... I'm quite envious because I need to travel every day and everywhere to manage the other companies I owned. That gives me barely enough time to take care of my skin and even sleep. It's hard to be a beautiful woman at the same time being a dependable leader of multiple companies. I have no problem with my other companies but you guys, are the only ones who did this to me." Her expression became weak. "I feel sad. I feel betrayed and left out that I might cry..."

"I'm sorry, madam-"

The men felt guilty as she showed them the face they never have seen before but then she slammed the table with her hand, threw her coffee on the floor in front of the door, and "Oh!" she laughed as her expression suddenly changed. "I'm joking! Actually, I am very happy since I found a reason to replace all of you. So it's done! I'll take my 80% and you can keep your 20% and rub them under your armpits until they multiply. And clean that later!" she yelled at the guy who brought her coffee so he stopped wiping the floor. She stood up and walked to the exit.

"Madam!" a man yelled as they all panicked and apologized. They tried to pursue her but the two bodyguards would not let them through.

Just as she walked out of the door and over the spilled coffee, a man slipped through the bodyguards and ran to grab her hair as he roared, "You spoiled brat!"

But she stepped to the side and the man slipped on the spilled coffee. He hit his shoulder on the floor and he let out an agonizing scream.

"I can see through your intentions, you i***t!" she growled before kicking him in the stomach. More of the guards went to the vicinity and arrested the man who slipped on the floor.

She went to her office that has the kind of environment she loves. She is alone here to take a breather after all of the commotions that happened not too long ago. The room is naturally lit up by the sun from the panels, the room temperature is just right, it is scented with new books, and she is on her comfortable seat before her neat desk. There is a single laptop on it and a small figure of a black fox. This black fox has always interested her and she stares at it every time she finds time to be alone with herself.

She looked at the wedding ring she is wearing then back to the fox. "You've been here with me since I started my career, huh?" she whispered at it. "In fact before I even started it. Then I am here and I made it to the point that it only takes a single wedding ceremony to have my revenge. It was all bitter work but when I want to take a break, I come here and just stare at you then all of my worries are gone. You're an inanimate object but it seems to me that you're alive."

"I 'am' alive," someone answered and she leaned back in surprise.

"What?" she exclaimed and looked at her wide room and no one is there. "Who said that?"

"It's me, of course," it chuckled softly.

"Who are you? Stop hiding or I'll call my bodyguards."

"You don't need a bodyguard to find me because I am here in front of you." Her eyes widened as she looked at the figure fox. It is not moving but it said, "You look a lot like your mother."

Then its eyes shined before the office turned into a field of grasses that glowed under the sunless sky full of stars.

"What?!!" she exclaimed as she found herself sitting on the glowing grasses. "What... is.... How....Where am I?!!"

An animal with black fur approach her and its dark fur was like the night sky above as it contrasted against the bright light from the grasses. It is a black fox.

It walked around her as it said, "Welcome to my world, darling."