<b>Chapter </b><b>15</b><b>: </b><b>The </b><b>Blueprint</b><b>. </b>
Joshua greeted Marlon with a bright smile, it had been a few weeks since he heard from his friend. When Marlon called and asked to meet him<b>, </b>he was surprised as well as curious. After shaking hands, Jushua lead him to his sectional sofa. Marlon looked out therge floor to ceiling window, A slight smile appeared on his face <b>as </b>he thought about how much Josie would love this view.
<i>“</i><i>What’s </i><i>got </i><i>you </i><i>smiling</i><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>” </i></b>
“<i>Nothing</i><i>, </i><i>just </i>a <i>random </i><i>thought</i><i>.</i>”
Joshua raised his eyebrow slightly skeptical; but chose not to pry.
“So…<i>how’s </i><i>life </i><i>back </i><i>in </i>the <i>real </i><i>world </i>been <i>treating </i><i>you</i><i>?</i><b><i>” </i></b>
<i>“</i><b><i>I </i></b><i>can’t </i><iin</i>. <i>You</i><i>?</i><i>” </i>
Joshua took a deep sigh.
<i>“</i><i>Some </i><i>days </i><i>are </i><i>better </i><i>than </i><i>others</i>.<b>” </b>
Marlon lightly chuckled, he knew Joshua was probably stressing about thepany. The board wasn’t exactly happy about him firing the architectural firm and had been pressuring him to find its recement.
<b><i>“</i></b><b><i>Yeah</i></b><i>…</i><i>I </i><i>heard </i><i>you </i><i>were </i><i>shaking </i><i>things </i><i>up </i><i>here</i>.”
Joshua let out a sarcasticugh.
“<i>Shaking </i><i>things </i><i>up</i>….more <i>like </i><i>giving </i><i>the </i><i>board </i><i>reason </i>597 <i>on </i><i>why </i><i>I </i><i>shouldn’t </i><i>be </i><i>CEO</i>.”
Joshua’s father passed from a sudden heart attack causing him to assume the CEO position much sooner than expected. When the decision was made, his uncle was furious. There were also some board members that disagreed.
<i>“</i>Look<i>…</i>we <i>all </i><i>know </i><i>Josh </i><i>is </i><i>talented</i>…<i>and </i><i>we </i><i>all </i><i>know </i><i>he’ll </i><i>be </i><i>CEO </i>someday<i>, </i><i>but </i><i>why </i>now<i>? </i><i>He </i><i>just </i><i>finished </i>graduate <i>school </i><i>for </i><i>Christ </i><i>sake</i><i>!</i><i>” </i>
His uncle James eximed as the board held a meeting regarding the next CEO, Dana Watson, Joshua’s grandmother and the founder of Watts–Corp shot her eyes over at James.
<i>“</i>Because I said so. As thergest shareholder and owner of thispany…I’d <i>say </i>my word <i>is </i><iw</i><i>.</i>”
James looked at his stepmother with darkened eyes. James was the result of an affair her husband Jasper had <b>with </b>his secretary. When he turned eighteen, Jasper officially brought him into the family demanding he have a ce in
17:59 <b>Thu</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>
thepany.
<i>“</i><i>He’s </i>our s-”
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51
“That <i>bastard </i><i>is </i>not my son.<b>” </b>
Jasper’s eyes seethed with hatred. He’d always been inferior to his smarter and more talented wife. The end result was countless affairs with women who depended solely on him in an attempt to make himself feel powerful.
Jasper knew the board waspletely in Dana’s pocket so they would agree to whatever demands she made. In the end, after Jasper threatened to go to media and expose all the family’s dirty secrets, so she agreed to bring him on as an associate VP. When the press asked, they concocted a story about Jasper adopting him from a mentorship program. Jasper knew above everything else; Dana hated the idea of her family image being tarnished. It was the only reason she never divorced him. Instead, she gave the mistress money and shipped them overseas until James turned eighteen.
After the passing of her son Jackson, James tried to hold a secret meeting with the board in an attempt to have them vote him in as CEO. He’d made offers with several of the board members and their greed superseded
their loyalty. Luckily for Dana, she still had loyal members who informed her of the meeting. It was then she announced Joshua as the new CEO.
Now, even some of his supporters were getting frustrated with him firing the firm so close to beginning of the Eastern resort project.
“How <i>the </i><i>hell </i><i>could </i><i>he </i><i>make </i><i>such </i><i>an </i><i>impulsive </i><i>move </i><i>like </i><i>this </i><i>without </i><i>consulting </i>us!!!”
Many of the board members felt he was too young, too impulsive, and too arrogant to be CEO.
“What made <i>you </i><i>fire </i><i>the </i><i>firm</i><i>?</i>”
Marlon asked as he sipped his ss of whiskey. Joshua let out a sigh as he stood and walked over to his desk. Picking up a stack of blueprints and sketches, he walked back over to Marlon and handed him the documents.
“Because <i>I’m </i>sick of <i>their </i>mediocre <i>designs</i>.”
Marlon looked over the documents, he didn’t know much about architecture and designs, but even he could tell this work wasckluster at best. Especiallypared to some of the work his cousin had done over the years.
<i>“</i>Yeah…this is kind of <i>t</i>…I see what you mean.”
“You see<b>!! </b>There’s no re<i>! </i>No creativity<i>! </i><i>It </i>looks like any other resort! This <i>is </i>supposed to <i>be </i>thergest resort in the world<i>; </i>I gotta have something else that makes it worth that. This just isn’t it.”
Joshua tossed the blueprints and drawings onto the coffee table.
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“<i>My </i>uncle’s been using this as a <i>way </i><i>to </i>weasel into the board’s graces. An attempt to prove I’m not ‘ready‘ to lead. If I don’t find a recement firm soon, they may actual vote me out<i>.</i><i>” </i>
Joshua tilted his head back as he held onto his ss before taking a swig.
“Welp! <i>That’s </i>why I’m here! To <i>pull </i>your ass out of <i>the </i><i>fire</i><i>.</i>”
Joshua looked at his friend with a puzzled expression. How could he possibly help him. As if reading his mind, Marlon handed Joshua a folder filled with blueprints and sketches, Puzzled, he took the folder slowly pulling out the documents. As he scanned the documents, his eyes began to widen. These sketches were incredible! From the design of the rooms to the structure of the lobby, the entire blueprint was exquisite. The detail that was ced into every single sketch was nothing short of amazing. And it didn’t just stop there; the creator of this blueprint designed various unique attractions. Casinos, water parks, a mini safari, amusement parks, you name it; the resort would have it. They even incorporated five star dining. This wasn’t a resort….it was a paradise!
Joshua sat the documents down; his face filled with admiration, excitement, and questions.
“W–<i>Where</i>…where did you get this??”
Marlon smiled proudly.
“<i>My </i>little <i>cousin</i>.”
<i>!!!!!!!!!! </i>
Joshua’s eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets! He could hardly believe his cars! When did Marlon get a little cousin! And one that was THIS talented!! Without thinking, he eagerly grabbed his friend’s arm.
<i>“</i><i>Why </i><i>didn’t </i><i>you </i>tell me <i>you </i>had <i>this </i><i>type </i>of talent <i>in </i><i>the </i><i>family</i><i>!!! </i><i>What </i>firm do <i>they </i><i>work </i>for<i>!!! </i>I’ll <i>hire </i><i>it</i><i>! </i>Just take <i>me </i>to him…<i>wait</i>…Is it a him or a <i>her</i>?”
Marlon smiled nervously. He knew he wouldn’t have a problem selling Josie’s work. To say she was talented was an understatement; Josie was a genius. Unfortunately, her current record wasn’t as clear.
<i>“</i>It’s ‘she‘.”
<i>“</i><i>She</i>….okay<i>…</i>well when can I meet her<i>?? </i>I mean <i>that’s </i><i>why </i><i>you </i>brought this to me, right? <i>So </i><i>I </i>can work with her<i>?</i>”
Marlon nodded taking another swig of his whiskey.
“I promise <i>to </i>take <i>you </i>to meet <i>her </i>very soon…but before I do…I need to know how opened your mind can be?”
<i>“</i><i>What</i>?”
“….there’s some things I have to exin to you about my cousin. I need to know I’ll have <i>your </i>full understanding<b>.</b>”
<b>51 </b>
Joshua looked at Marlon with a confusing expression. What could he possibly say about the girl that he felt may be beyond understanding? At this point, he could have told him at night she turned into a werewolf, and he wouldn’t
have cared as long as it meant she would design his resort.
<i>“</i><b><i>I’m </i></b><i>all </i>ears<b>.</b>”
Chapter Comments <ol start="4"><li>4. </li></ol><fn7ab3> Newest update provided by find?novel</fn7ab3>