“Helena, come in here for a few moments, please!”
Trudging down the stairs, Helena paused at the doorway into her dining room, taking a moment to wipe the frown from her face. Once she was composed, she entered the room, finding her mother and father sitting at their usual places at one end of the dining table. Curiously, there was no food out, nor any cutlery, meaning this wasn’t a call to dinner. Taking her own seat opposite her mother, Helena looked between her parents, neither of whom showed any indication as to what this meeting could be about.
“So, ummm…” Helena broke the tense silence between the trio, looking to her father for answers. “What is this about, father?”
“As you know, I am a stockholder in a number of large and profitable companies,” her father began to explain, leaning back in his chair. “A new company has recently caught my eye, going by the name Expansive Candy. I have been in contact with the chairwoman of this company, Elena Exco, about investing in Expansive Candy. Before I commit, however, I want you to… have a look at the company, as it were”.
“And what do you mean by that?” Helena raised an eyebrow, but neither parent answered her. With a sigh, she amended her sentence. “What do you mean by having a look, father?”
“Your father wishes for you to go on a tour of this factory,” Her mother answered in place of her father, who merely nodded his head.
“Unfortunately, Ms. Exco rejected my request for a private tour,” Mr. Valentine took over, his nostrils flaring a little. Helena resisted the urge to smile, the idea of her father being told no quite amusing for her. “After some negotiations, she did agree to send you as part of a public tour group. While I would prefer you view the factory privately, any further… talking on the matter would likely be useless”.
“And why me, father?” Helena asked, confused as to how she fit into all this. Normally, her father would disappear for a few days to do all this, but here she was, being told that she would be doing it this time around.
“Someday, Helena, you’ll be in charge of this family,” her father said, staring wistfully off into the distance. “That will include managing and acquiring my wealth, if you will. Your mother and I believe it is time for you to start getting involved in this, and verifying that Expansive Candy will be a fruitful investment for me will be a good start for you”.
Helena had to bite her tongue. Yeah, sure, she wanted to scream. Like I want to follow in your footsteps! I have my own dreams, and they aren’t managing some pieces of paper!
As much as she wanted to say that, she didn’t. To reject such an important ‘request’ from her father would likely get her disowned, or at the very least kicked out of the house for a few days, a week at most. And then she’d come back, and both her parents would be scornful and resentful for a good year… no, it just wasn’t worth it to say no.
“Of course, father, I’m happy to help!” Helena said, forcing a smile onto her face. “What would I have to do at the factory?”
“As previously mentioned, I have negotiated your entry to one of the public tour groups,” Mr. Valentine began to explain. “You will be joining tour group number four alongside whoever found those tickets. While on the tour, you will take note of the factory’s condition, the working conditions for the employees…”
For the next while, Helena listened closely as her father rattled off everything she would be keeping an eye out for. By the end of his explanation, her head was absolutely swimming, but she had a vague idea of what she should be looking for. Basically, was there any risk of the place going under within the first year? If so, it was not a safe investment. If not, then invest.
“Do you understand, Helena?” Her father asked, fixing his stern gaze upon her. Once she had nodded, he relaxed, looking over at his wife. “We’re done here, dear. Let’s get the table ready for dinner. Helena, go wash up and then give your mother a hand in the kitchen”.
Nodding again, Helena stood and left the dining room. As she went about getting ready for dinner, she couldn’t help but feel… excited. A trip to a candy factory? That sounded awesome! And her overbearing parents wouldn’t be there to tell her off for eating too much sugar! Sure, she was technically there on business, but she didn’t care that much. As long as the place looked clean, she’d just tell her father it was a fine investment.
“Helena, are you ready yet?”
“Coming now, mother!”
Finishing up, Helena made her way back downstairs, a bright smile on her face.
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