CHAPTER 1
Ansley
This is the moment I’ve been waiting for my entire life. Well, most of it. Ever since my grandfather sat me down andscrewed my head on straight, as he called it. He helped me focus on the things that matter, like getting good grades, attending a respectable college, and finding a job I could turn into a career.
I’ve done all of that. I ignored the temptations that were all around me, focused on school, and now I have an entry level position at York Financial. I’m still basically a glorified intern, but they’re paying me well, and my future has never looked brighter.
It’s my first day, and I’ve been invited to sit in on a high-level meeting. I’m not sure if every new hire gets invited to a meeting like this on their first day, but I’ve heard that Ms. Frost likes to see what people are capable of. I was just hoping I’d have more than a foot barely in the door before I got called into a meeting with the CEO.
I step into the conference room and hold my breath as I look around. The room is larger than my entire apartment, framed by floor-to-ceiling windows that spill early morning light across a polished glass table long enough to seat an army of executives. The chairs are sleek black leather, perfectly spaced, and perfectly aligned.
A massive screen covers one wall with graphs and market data I recognize but don’t fully understand yet. I’ll be responsible for compiling graphs like that soon. I’ll have to prove myself before they trust me to do more than that, based on what I’ve heard.
“Good morning,” I say timidly, unsure if I should introduce myself or wait to be addressed.
Victoria Frost is at the head of the table. She’s in her sixties but hardly looks it. She’s the CEO of York Financial and she’s got quite a reputation for having high expectations and very little patience. Some former employees referred to her as the Ice Queen in a scathing article they wrote after being terminated. Instead of suing them for defamation or burying the story, she simply owned it without a single apology.
There are two men seated on either side of her, across from each other. Gilbert Waters and Harold Smith. They’re two of the major decision makers at York Financial, but Ms. Frost has the final say in everything.
“Ansley, right? The new girl?” Ms. Frost asks, glaring at me. “They should have told you how we like our coffee.”
“Yes ma’am, I’m Ansley Ellery,” I reply, then I realize that she isn’t glaring at me because she wants me to introduce myself. She wants her coffee. “And yes, one cream two sugars for you.”
Ms. Frost wafts a hand, and I hurry to the table with coffee and breakfast pastries. I memorized how she likes her coffee by repeating it over-and-over in the elevator. I think Mr. Waters likes his black and Mr. Smith likes a splash of milk. I hope I didn’t mix those up.
I prepare Ms. Frost’s coffee first and bring it over to her. Walking over with the other two, I feel awkward, not certain I got them right. I tentatively offer Mr. Waters the black coffee and he raises a brow, so I switch the cups. He smiles and takes it. Mr. Smith doesn’t look up when I put his cup on the table. Hopefully that means I got it right.
“Alright, let’s get this meeting started,” Ms. Frost sighs, taking a sip of her coffee. Her expression doesn’t change, so I’m not sure if she likes it or hates it. “We need to talk about Blithe Holdings. Lots of activity this morning in the market.”
“As planned,” Mr. Waters says. “We liquidated our position before the market closed yesterday. Five million shares. If the trajectory holds, we’ll buy back in before the market closes today.”
“My team is predicting we’ll be able to pick up eight million shares with the capital from yesterday’s liquidation. Then tomorrow the shares will skyrocket, and we can decide how long we want to hold them before we turn some more profit,” Mr. Smith adds.
“Our investors will be happy. That’s what matters,” Ms. Frost says. “That’sallthat matters. As soon as the price peaks, sell everything.”
“Everything? You don’t even want to hold the five million shares we started with?” Mr. Waters questions.
“No. Blithe Holdings had a good year, but they won’t have another one like this. They’re behind on AI integration because they tried to build it themselves rather than buying it from one of the industry leaders,” Ms. Frost says. “We’re better off investing in a company that is more innovative. Blithe Holdings is a relic. I don’t like relics.”
“Yes, ma’am, understood,” Mr. Waters accepts.
I listen carefully. It’s a bit overwhelming. They’re discussing deals worth millions of dollars like I discuss a shopping trip to the mall with my best friend. But if I’m going to work here, I have to get used to it. Especially if I hope to one day have a seat at this massive table and do more than bring them coffee.
But that’s decades away. That’s the end game. I’m a long way from that. The only thing I’m worried about right now is surviving my first day and hopefully not making a fool of myself before I get my first paycheck.
“What do you think, Ansley?” Ms. Frost asks, turning her attention to me. “Don’t stand there like one of those emotionless angel statues downtown. My meetings are interactive. I expect everyone to give their opinion.”
“Oh, um,” I stammer. I wasn’t expecting to be asked any questions. I didn’t prepare for this. I quickly try to recall everything I know about Blithe Holdings. “What you said about their AI integration is correct, from what I remember. However, I saw an article two days ago that said they were still investing heavily in it.”
“And?” Ms. Frost tilts her head slightly. I’ve never had this kind of attention from someone as important as her. I’m definitely not prepared to be quizzed by the CEO on my first day. “I didn’task you to regurgitate something you read. I asked what you think.”
I take a deep breath before I respond. I went to school for this. I’m not completely out of my element. How would I answer this in class? We had discussions like this.
“Well, AI is still rather new,” I say. “A lot of companies have integrated it, but even the companies that are buying their models from industry leaders aren’t all seeing the kind of success they predicted. It’s also expensive to go that route, especially for a company the size of Blithe Holdings.” I take another deep breath. “Yes, they’re a relic, but people said the same thing about Grant Tech two years ago. Now their shares have quadrupled.”
“So, you disagree with my strategy?” Ms. Frost asks, her tone like a whip that cracks through the air.
“No, I mean…” I fidget with my hands, sweat trickling down my lower back.
