"I understand, Mr. Weselton, and we are grateful for your three years of hard work, but that was the arrangement: three years," Elsa replied to the frantic man on the phone.

Elsa looked at her full-body mirror to go over her look one last time. Her hair was done in a tight bun, that left only her bangs free on her face. She went down the black pants-suit she put on for the occasion, making sure there weren't any marks or loose strands sticking out.

"That is my point exactly, Mr. Weselton, you kept the revenue steady. The company has not taken any steps forward since you took charge three years ago." She rolled her eyes as the man began trying to weasel an answer past her. She blocked out his stammering to refocus on her attire.

Should I just button it all the way up? Some people might think it's too revealing. No, we've been over this with the designers and the PR department, it's just a couple freaking buttons.

Once she convinced herself her buttons were fine, she put on her black heels that were brought in for the day. She then put on her favorite golden necklace, careful with it as if it were fragile. She carefully grasped the necklace and took a deep breath, as if hoping it could keep her safe throughout the day. As she exhaled, she picked up her phone (through which the man was still blabbering, much to her disappointment), and walked down the corridor.

As she walked down the steps, Gerda, her head maid, watched her with approving eyes. When Elsa looked down, she gave Gerda only a passing glance, a cold one at that. But Gerda could tell the young blonde meant no harm; her mind was somewhere else.

Gerda always could tell when Elsa was discussing business, by the way her once bright face would grow dark, even her eyes seeming to grow distant and cold. Elsa was devoting all of her attention to the blubbering man on her phone, and by the time she stepped out the front door she was starting to lose her patience.

"We are done with this conversation, Mr. Weselton. You had three years to show that you deserved to be the CEO, and you failed. And per the arrangement you agreed to with my attorneys, as well as the Board of Directors, I will be taking my rightful place in charge of my family business. Goodbye." Elsa heard the man try to respond before she hung up and got into her limousine.

The car ride was silent, as usual. That wasn't a bad thing necessarily, as Elsa had grown accustomed to the lonely rides in the back of her limousine; it gave her time to reflect on all of her responsibilities for the day.

Isolation was really a common theme in her life, as from a young age she was sheltered from the world by her parents. Besides, books were so much more knowledgeable, intellectually stimulating... and easier, than people. Dependable, consistent, rational, predictable and simple, providing valuable knowledge without their own agendas or motives.

As the gentle rocking of the limo calmed her nerves, and soon she forgot all about her conversation with the soon-to-be former CEO. Instead, she became lost in her own thoughts, going over her to-do list for the day.

Let's see... once we get to the headquarters, get in the building, take the podium, give the prepared speech, take pictures, and leave.

Elsa sighed as she ran through each task over and over again. She hated going in public, with all the flashing cameras everywhere she went, not that she went out much anyway. Regardless of how often she left her estate, the last couple weeks leading up to this press conference had been suffocating, to say the least.

She understood all of the additional attention though, it was a monumental day after all. Elsa Beck, the heiress to the oil and natural gas giant, Arendelle Petroleum Corporation, was finally being announced officially as the new CEO. Although only twenty-four, Elsa was more than qualified. She was a Columbia grad, top of her class, and had been shadowing the interim CEO, Mr. Weselton, since he took over for her parents three years ago.

She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. No, can't think about them now, we have far too much riding on today's press conference. As she opened her eyes, she tried to push all of the unpleasant thoughts aside, and continued down her list.

After the press conference, lunch for the interview with the New York Times. Oh, can't forget the doctor's appointment... Gerda worries too much about me.

The thought of the portly maid brought a smile to her face. Since her parents' death, it had been Gerda who took the responsibilities of caretaker. And she did one hell of a job. After a while Elsa was afraid to even sneeze in front of the woman, in fear of being placed under house-arrest until the maid deemed her "healthy". It didn't help that the blonde's looked frail her entire life.

Still, even she had to admit the past few weeks had not been kind to her. She was a bit feverish, had night-sweats and was coughing a lot. After two weeks of Gerda's motherly care, Elsa finally agreed to see her physician. Even though she thought it was just a cold, she could not afford to be this exhausted, especially with her oncoming duties.

"Miss Beck, we're at the headquarters now. Are you ready to go?" Kai asked.

She looked up to see him staring back at her from the driver seat. When she turned to look out her window she realized that they had arrived. She looked back to the driver, thankful that he had thought to consult her before opening the doors.

"Yes Kai, and please, call me Elsa, this new title doesn't change anything." replied Elsa with a soft smile.

"In private I will call you whatever you wish, but please, Miss Beck, in public I hope you understand there are rules to follow." And with that he gave Elsa one last reassuring look before stepping out of the car.

As Elsa watched him circle around the car, her smile faded. These people don't care about you, they just want to see you fail. All you have to do is put on a show, just for a couple hours. Remember: conceal, don't feel.

As she silently chanted her mantra taught to her by her parents, she slowly began to put on her mask. Her warm smile was gone. There was no place in this world for a naïve little girl with a soft heart and warm smile. This world only cared about upholding images and calculating revenues. And if she didn't keep her image alive no one would take her seriously.

By the time Kai got to the door, her transformation was complete. She stepped out of the limo, and began walking up to the doors with the cold glare gazing out at the flashing lights, as photographers sought to capture a moment of weakness in the face of the infamous 'Ice Queen'.