BILLIONAIRE'S RUIN

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER ONE

I looked at the bank figures on my work laptop before sighing desperately. One thing was clear: we were almost bankrupt and if we didn’t get funds quickly enough then we were doomed for the rest of our lives. Our chain of restaurants. DAVIS & FAMILY had already lost more than half its investors and we were hanging loosely by a thread.

“What are you thinking honey?” my mum’s voice questioned as she sat on the chair opposite mine, facing me.  A weary sigh left my lips.

“The company. You and dad have worked your butts off for this chain of restaurants and now it’s like everything is falling apart all of a sudden. You invested all your lives in it mum,” I watched a weary look settle on her face.

“Stop worrying too much Zoe. We won’t be the first company to fail and I know somehow we are going to be fine,” even though she suppressed it, I could tell she was close to tears.

“Mum how can I stop worrying? All your efforts are going to waste and I’m just sitting here unable to do anything. The bank is threatening to take our house and our restaurants too in two weeks’ time if we don’t pay our debt. I can’t bear the thought of losing this company. This company is more than just a source of income for us, it’s a treasure in our hearts, a home,” I stated fighting back the tears threatening to roll down my cheeks.

“Come here,” she spoke softly as she stood up from her seat.

I walked towards her and soon enough I was engulfed in an enormous hug, both of us unable to hold back our tears. This company was our life and we were losing it slowly to bankruptcy I sobbed into her shirt as I felt her tears wet my backside.

“It’s going to be fine,’ she whispered tearfully while massaging my back with her right hand.

“Zoe…” My PA trailed off earning our attention.

I stepped back from mum’s grasp, wiping the tears while spinning around to look at my PA.

“Gina,” I stated, my voice sounding a bit hoarse while I attempted a sweet smile.

“Mrs. Davis,’ she acknowledged my mother’s presence who just nodded in response.

“I’m glad I found both of you. Mr. Davis wants to meet you in the conference room ASAP,” she announced, her voice sounding so urgent.

“Why? Is something wrong?” I questioned, the concern in my tone hard to miss.

I picked up my coat ready to go storming my dad’s office on the upper floor.

“I think he finally found a buyer for the company,” mum’s statement made me whirl around, a look of pure disbelief painted on my face.

“Wait? What? Dad is selling the company?” The questions tumbled off my lips in pure shock.

“Yes,” she answered, a hint of subdued guilty in her voice.

“And nobody cared to tell me? Am I not a part of the family anymore?” I questioned bitterly.

“Of course darling you are part of the family,” she took my palms in hers, wearing a reassuring smile.

“I’m going to talk dad out of this madness. There has got to be other options,” I bubbled desperately.

“It’s too late Zoe. There are no other options. Investors have pulled out, the bank won’t lend us any more money and we have already lost close to half of our workers. We have already used up almost all our savings trying to sustain our company but now we have learned to accept the hard truth that we are losing it,” she explained.

“But mum-“she cut me off.

“We know that you have done enough trying to save the company. Your father and I will always be grateful knowing we have a daughter we can always count on. Come on, let’s go and find out what your dad wants to say,” she smiled as I nodded walking out of the office with her as if in a drunken stupor. I wished I could be half as composed as she looked right now.

We walked into the conference room to find the six other members of the board of directors sitting while murmuring in low tones. They stopped when mum and I walked in. Back stabbing bitches. I was pretty sure they were happy now that we were losing the company. They had been pressuring dad to hand over the leadership to another person probably one of them for some time now.  I watched my mum offer them her greetings but I was too angry to do any of that, so I headed straight to my seat.

“Ladies and gentlemen you must be wondering why I called you in the middle of the afternoon. Its common knowledge that this company is under serious financial crisis. Necessary actions have had to be undertaken… to ensure its continued prosperity,” he paused surveying us obviously looking for a reaction but I was pretty sure everyone’s expression mirrors my un-surprised one.

“You can all take comfort in knowing that in three days this company will be in the capable hands of … Frost Sinclair,” somebody kill me now.

“What the hell dad? Frost refused to help us out. He is literally our business enemy,” I flared standing up aware of the lack of manners I was displaying in front of the board.

“I know but you need to understand that was the best option we had at hand. Now it’s not about us being enemies but what the company needs urgently,” he said with no hint of regret.

“I’m afraid you father is right,” Mr. Stewart, the oldest board member spoke as murmurs of agreement from the rest of members accompanied his statement.

“All of you are unbelievable. You are just going to give up the company without a fight? To most of you it’s just a source of livelihood that you can easily substitute with another but to some of us this company is much closer to us than home. This place is my second home and if you all think I’m going to give up this company just like that then you got something else coming. I’m going to use everything in my power to save it. And as for the rest of you, keep your eyes on me because I’m going to prove that this company can still be saved without selling it off to an enemy. f*****g Assholes,” I left hearing my mum scrambling after me.

“Zoe, stop,” she called.

“Save it mum,” I walked into my office slamming the door behind me.