CHAPTER 40: PRS 40

Isabella Clark, who had been constantly contacted by Arjuna, the director of MIO Entertainment, finally decided to go to the capital the next day. The forty-year-old had been calling and texting her incessantly for the past few days due to pressure from the board of directors demanding that the entertainment company’s new owner appear in public.

Arjuna even lost sleep, as he was constantly pressured every night by investors and artists wanting to know who the new owner of the company was. Isabella acquired the company from Phoenix Systems.

"I have business in the capital tomorrow. Do you three want to come?" Isabella asked as she relaxed that evening with Mikaela, Almes, and Liora in the living room of their apartment in XX City.

"Come with me! I’ve been wanting to go to the capital for a long time," Almes replied enthusiastically. His face immediately lit up as if he had just received a big gift. "My friends said there’s a really beautiful beach there. I really want to see it in person, not just from photos! Oh yeah, they also said there’s a culinary destination that’s famous internationally, Sis. It would be really fun if we could stop by there too!"

Isabella smiled at her third sister’s enthusiasm. "Then, pack your things tonight. We’ll leave early in the morning. Don’t forget to bring a jacket, too; the weather in the capital has been cold lately," she said softly.

Mikaela, who had been sitting next to Isabella, looked at her while sipping her warm tea. "Are you sure you want to meet Arjuna alone?" she asked quietly. "You know how talkative that man can be when he’s panicked. Plus, he’s been calling you almost every hour since yesterday. I think he’s really stressed about the situation there."

Isabella nodded. "I know. But this has to be resolved. I don’t want the company to become the subject of negative publicity because I haven’t been around. Besides, I also want to see for myself how MIO Entertainment is doing now. It’s time for me to get involved and show that I’m serious about running this company."

"Very well then," Mikaela concluded firmly. "Then we’ll take a private jet tomorrow morning. I’ve been contacting the pilot since five in the morning to be ready. We need to arrive in the capital before work starts so you have enough time to take care of everything."

After ensuring everything was ready, Isabella left her family to pack. That night, she prepared the important documents she would bring, while her mind was a little tense about how the employees at her new company would behave.

The next day, before the sun had fully risen, Isabella, Mikaela, Almes, Liora, and Siva were at the Alegra family’s private airport. Their luxury jet glistened in the reflection of the dawn light, and within minutes they were taking off for the capital.

The trip went smoothly. Almes was busy gazing out the window, photographing the clouds, while Liora was busy editing photos on her phone. Mikaela, as usual, was reading a business report, and Siva sat beside Isabella, discussing the day’s meeting schedule.

Upon arriving in the capital, Isabella headed straight to her luxury apartment in the city center. She asked her family to rest while she and Siva prepared to head to MIO Entertainment, the company that was now legally hers from Phoenix Sistem.

An elegant black car arranged by Andre’s men—her father’s trusted bodyguards—picked them up in front of the apartment. After about a thirty-minute drive, they arrived at a tall building with the words MIO Entertainment written on it in large gold letters.

As soon as she got out of the car, Isabella gazed at the majestic building. "So this is the company that’s now mine," she murmured softly. A slight sense of pride, but also a great sense of responsibility, welled up in her chest.

The security guard at the door immediately bowed politely with a smile. "Good morning, welcome to MIO Entertainment. How can we help you, Miss?" the man, about thirty-five, greeted them politely.

"Good morning, sir. Thank you. I’d like to see Mr. Arjuna," Isabella replied politely with a faint smile.

She stepped into the main lobby with Siva. The white marble floor glistened, and the walls were covered with photographs of famous artists who had worked at the company. However, the impression of grandeur was slightly tarnished when her gaze fell on the reception desk.

A young woman dressed in heavy makeup sat there, looking indifferent, busy with her phone. She didn’t even glance up as Isabella approached.

Isabella raised an eyebrow. Inwardly, she noted the unprofessional attitude. The receptionist should be the face of the company, but this one seemed to have no sense of work etiquette whatsoever.

In a polite tone, Isabella asked, "Excuse me, I was wondering which floor the director’s office is on? I have something important to ask."

The woman, named Miranda, didn’t even turn around. She simply played with her phone, her voice languid, "Do you have an appointment? If you want to see Mr. Arjuna, you have to make an appointment first. That’s the rule here."

"Not yet, but I—"

"If you don’t have an appointment, you can’t!" Miranda interrupted quickly, still not looking at Isabella. "Please come back later after making an appointment! Mr. Arjuna is a busy person and can’t meet just anyone. Understand?"

Isabella remained patient. She knew that sometimes people reveal their true colors before they know who they’re talking to. She wanted to see how far this woman would go in her insolence.

Siva, standing behind Isabella, seemed to be holding back her emotions. "Miss, please be a little polite. We’ve come all this way. You could at least ask who wants to see Mr. Arjuna," she said, lowering her voice.

Miranda snorted. "Polite? I’m just following the rules. Besides, don’t expect Mr. Arjuna to meet with uninvited bitches like you! And what do you think you are? You have to show some respect to enter this building!" she shouted loudly.

Several employees who happened to be passing by stopped and stared at them in shock. The previously quiet lobby immediately became chaotic.

Isabella took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. She didn’t want to lose her dignity just because of one person’s lack of manners. She then decided to sit on one of the lobby chairs and scrolled through her phone, replying to a few messages from her employees.

But Miranda apparently wasn’t satisfied. "Hey, bitch! Who told you to sit there? That sofa is for important guests, not for random people like you! Get up now or I’ll call security!" she shouted again, making everyone’s heads turn.

Unable to resist, Siva finally stepped forward, but before he could speak, Miranda had already stepped quickly toward Isabella and raised her hand, as if to slap her.

Unfortunately, before her hand could reach Isabella’s face, Siva had already grabbed her wrist and swiftly slammed her to the floor. Miranda fell with a startled scream.

That’s when the elevator doors opened and Arjuna emerged, his face panicked from hearing the commotion from below. He ran over to them.

"What’s going on here?! Who dares to cause a commotion in my company?!" he demanded loudly, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Isabella sitting quietly in a chair in the lobby.

Miranda, seeing Arjuna’s arrival, burst into tears, staring at him with a pleading expression. "Mr. Arjuna! Help me! I was attacked by this woman! They came without an appointment and immediately assaulted me! I was just doing my job, sir, but they attacked me!"

However, Arjuna simply walked past Miranda and stood in front of Isabella, bowing respectfully. "Please forgive us, Miss. I am truly sorry for our employee’s behavior. This was a huge mistake on our part. We should have done a better job of training our staff in work ethics," he said earnestly.

Everyone in the lobby fell silent.

Miranda stared at him in disbelief. "Mr. Arjuna, why are you the one apologizing? You should have ordered security to kick this woman out! She—she’s the one at fault! She came unannounced and caused trouble! Why are you defending her?!"

SLAP!

A hard slap landed across Miranda’s cheek. Arjuna glared at her. "Insolent! Who are you to speak like that to the owner of this company?! What position do you think you have here, to shout in front of your highest-ranking superior?!" His voice echoed throughout the room.

Everyone’s eyes widened. The employees watching from a distance covered their mouths, shocked.

Miranda trembled. "W... what do you mean? The owner... of the company? It can’t be... she..."

Arjuna nodded slowly. "That’s right. Miss Isabella Clark is the rightful owner of MIO Entertainment now. You just insulted your highest-ranking superior. You just called our boss a very inappropriate name. Do you understand now how serious your mistake was?"

Miranda immediately fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "N-No... I didn’t know, sir... I really didn’t know... If I knew, I would never have dared... I’m sorry... I’m truly sorry..."

Isabella stared at her blankly. "Even if you knew, I’m sure you would still have behaved the same way," she said coldly. "This company doesn’t need someone with no manners. People who discriminate based on appearance don’t deserve to work in a professional place like this."

Arjuna bowed deeply again. "Once again, I deeply apologize, Miss Isabella. I will take firm action against employees like this. It is my responsibility as a director to not properly supervise employees."

"It’s okay, Mr. Arjuna. I understand for today," Isabella replied calmly. "But from now on, improve this company. I don’t want anyone like her working here. A company’s image starts with how the staff greets guests. If even the receptionist is like this, what about the others?"

Arjuna bowed obediently. "Yes, Miss. Miranda, starting today you are dishonorably discharged and will be blacklisted from all entertainment companies in this country. I never want to see you in this industry again. You have tarnished MIO Entertainment’s reputation, and that is unforgivable."

"Please, Mr. Arjuna! Miss Isabella, I beg you, don’t fire me... I regret it... I promise I won’t do it again... please give me just one more chance... I need this job... my family needs my money..." Miranda cried, pleading as she held Arjuna’s leg.

But Arjuna only gestured. Two security guards approached and pulled Miranda away. The sound of her crying could be heard until the elevator closed.

Isabella stared at the scene expressionlessly. Deep in her heart, she knew that decisive action was necessary so that everyone in this company knew who their leader was now.

"Okay, Mr. Arjuna," she said after a few seconds of silence. "Let’s begin the meeting. I want to see the company’s latest report, especially regarding finance and artist management. Also, I want to hear about any internal issues that have occurred. I need to know what needs to be fixed immediately."

"Okay, Miss Isabella. Please follow me to the meeting room. I have prepared all the documents and reports you need. The management team is also waiting upstairs," Arjuna replied, bowing politely.

Siva walked behind Isabella with steady steps. All the employees they passed bowed their heads deeply, not daring to look at the face of the young owner who had just silenced the entire lobby.