The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 1606

Arabella was in the midst of wrapping up the annual year-end meeting when her phone buzzed insistently. Glancing at it, she saw a text from Ms. Kiki.

“Summer, sweetheart, don’t worry about the trending topic. I’ve got it handled. They should know better than to cross me, and now, not one of them is getting off scot-free!”

Ms. Kiki, Arabella’s agent, was known for her fiery disposition. It took a lot to rile her up, unless.

Curiosity piqued, Arabella tapped into the news feed and sure enough, the top trending headline screamed, “Summer Lip-Sync Scandal.”

Right beneath it was another hot topic, “Summer Accused of Plagiarism.”

“Ms. Bennett, that concludes my report.”

At that moment, the head of the International Marketing Division stood rigid at the conference table, his spine icy with tension, much like a convict awaiting sentence.

Arabella lifted her gaze, noting how he hardly dared to breathe. She spoke with calm authority, “Not bad. Proceed with the plan, but keep an eye on the budget.”

“Thank you for your approval, Ms. Bennett.” The division head exhaled in relief and took his seat.

“This year has been demanding for everyone. I’ve received several emails about certain concerns, and I’d like to address them now. Since it’s the first year I took over Collins Fashion, there are questions about whether to hold the annual gala, if it’s necessary, and which date it should be on. The HR head can organize an anonymous vote for all staff to decide.”

The executives nodded in agreement. While some employees preferred to skip the annual gala, others relished the opportunity. An anonymous vote would allow everyone to express their opinions without fear.

“As for the matter that’s on everyone’s mind—the year-end bonus—rest assured that the company won’t let you down. The finance head will announce the details in a couple of days. Furthermore, regarding the holiday break.”

All executives immediately tensed, straightening in their seats, eager to learn if the company would offer time off, and if so, for how long, and whether it would be paid leave.