CHAPTER 10

Ana Pov

When morning comes I get up and make a cup of tea with a bowl of oatmeal and a banana cut up in it. I get dressed in a black Galvan Grace Off-the-Shoulder, 3/4 length sleeve, to the knee dress with my favorite black Louboutin high heels. I styled my hair down and blow dry curled it under with light smokey eye makeup and black onyx earrings and necklace. I grab my black Valentino sunglasses, keys, Christian Louboutin Leather Tote Bag, and two reusable shopping bags of chocolates and pralines. I walk down to the elevators to the parking garage. I get in my car and set my bags on the seat next to me. I start the engine to get it to cool the interior. I drove to a drive thru Starbucks for a vanilla latte on the way to GEH.

I park in my spot and grab my stuff and have my employee badge on as I enter the lobby. Everyone turns to look at me as I casually cross the lobby to the executive elevators. A girl at the lobby desk runs after me to stop me. She shouts, "Excuse me, Mam!" She says snidely, "You have to check in first and those elevators are for executives only."

I slide down my sunglasses and look over the top at her and say, "I have my employee badge on and I am the new CFO, since when do I have to check in each time I enter the building on a work day? I have an executive key to the elevator in my hand also." The girl blinked for a second and looked at my badge that sure enough said "CFO" and then at my hand with the executive key.

She says, "I wasn't informed that the position was filled."

I said, "I tell you what, my name is Anastasia Steele, you go check with your superior. I'll get to my office on the 20th floor and be on time to the meeting with the CEO and COO. Ok? You can find me there if there is a problem." I look at her badge and read her name. "Angela Graham." I push up my sunglasses, turn and put my key in the executive elevator and wait for it to come. The doors open and I get in and push the top floor.

When I step out, I walk to my office. A man stops me and says in his, I guess, sexy voice, "Hello, lovely lady can I help you get to where you're going?"

I say, "No, I think I can find my own office." I keep walking to my office. He says, "Sorry, honey, but that's the CFO's office." He runs to catch up.

I turn and let my sunglasses slip down my nose and look him in the eye. I am starting to get pissed off at people stopping me from getting to my desk and saying, "Well, honey, considering that's me, it's time for you to let me get to my job. If you ever call me honey again, you won't be working here much longer."

I turn and continue to my office and put my things on my desk. I close the door and take out my bug detector and go over all of my office and find one microphone and two cameras. I retrieve them and set them on the bar in a rock glass turned upside down. I check the in office phone and it's clean. I call Christian on my cell phone.

He answers immediately. "Anastasia, good morning."

I say, "Hi Christian, I need you in my office ASAP. You have a breach in security. I found one mic and two cameras in my office. I think you're going to have to go through all this floor and the rest of the building."

He said seriously, "I'll get Barney, Welch and Taylor to come to your office with me."

I said, "Ok, I'll see you soon." I hung up.

They were all here in less than five minutes. I showed them the upside down rock glass on the bar and the location of each piece in the room. Barney said, "This is not good. The floor was swept six weeks ago and nothing came up. What kind of a bug detector did you use?" I pulled mine out and showed him. He said, "This is military grade. How did you get it?"

I told him, "Inheritance from my father, a Marine Raider Colonel."

He looked excited, "Can I borrow it for today?"

I said, "Ok. Just make sure you give it back before the end of the day." He said he would and ran off to go over Christian and Ros' office and reception.

Welch crushed the bugs with his shoe heel, tossing the bits into the garage can and said, "Let's see how many we collect in your offices and the floor. Then we will know just how compromised we really are in order to get them up on this floor. In the meantime, Taylor and I will go over the surveillance CCTV to see if we can see anything suspicious. They both leave. Christian leaned over and kissed my temple and said, "Good catch, Anastasia. You're already saving the company money."

I giggled from his kiss. I said to him before he left, "One hell of a thing to have to find in my first five minutes though. I hope you find all of them and we get the bastards who planted it. Corporate espionage is bad for business."

He patted my hand and said, "We have a meeting at 10 am in conference room D and you need to schedule a meeting with your department heads. I'll send Andrea in when she has a moment." I nod my head in agreement.

Andrea sent out a mandatory group conference for today at 2pm with the department heads in conference room B. She had the HR department send me a list of PA candidates for interviews. Barney comes to my office with a grim look on his face and my new iPad, corporate laptop and cell phone for me to use for work. He spent the next half hour showing me how to set up everything. He said that he found eight mics and cameras, just in the offices of the CEO, COO and reception. He said he is continuing the floor sweeps starting in the conference rooms first now with my detector. This is bad.

At 10 am I arrive in conference room D and sit in the monthly department heads meeting for the whole company. Christian introduced me to everyone as the CFO and I listened to their department changes and updates. The departments I head presented reasonable information to the meeting, if not dry. I plan on going over these changes and updates at my own meeting later today.

When the meeting was over it was lunchtime and Carrick was waiting outside my office for me. I grabbed my purse, locked my office and went to lunch with him. We went to an Italian restaurant called The Pink Door in Pike Place Market. I signed the restraining order and had a really good time and a few laughs with Carrick. I thanked him as he dropped me off in the front of the building entrance. I had on my sunglasses and went into the building, flipping up my glasses on my head as I crossed the lobby. I was about to turn the key to call the executive elevator when I felt her before I saw her, Elena was charging up at me. I turned and blocked the blow she was trying to deliver to my head. I swept her legs and she fell to the floor. Taylor came out of nowhere to stand next to me. Elena was screaming, "You dirty little bitch, how dare you attack me! I'll kill you, you little bitch!" I stood there as she got up off the floor. I said to Taylor, "Text Carrick and tell him where she is and what she just did." Taylor was typing in a message and stopped as Elena swiped out at me with her claws and I grabbed her wrist taking her to her knees, whimpering as I applied pressure. He continued and then called the police. I immobilized her in pain. She screamed because she had an audience in the lobby with people watching her. She looked insane on her knees while I held her hand squeezing harder when she reached to bite or grab my hand with her other arm. She would cry out cursing.

The police finally came and Carrick arrived when they were handcuffing her. She screamed, "Carrick, tell them she tried to kill me the other day!" Carrick handed over a copy of The Four Seasons video and the restraining order he just was on his way to file at the SPD headquarters. Taylor handed them a thumb drive of today's activity in the lobby. The police and Carrick left for police headquarters.

I turned to Taylor and said, "Does Christian know?" He nodded that he did.

I logged into my laptop and perused my email once I got in my office. I made a call to the Director of Auditing, Mr Calvin Jenkins. I said, "This is Ms Steele, the new CFO. I need you to pull all the financial records of Esclava Salons for all three locations and start an in-house audit… Yes, today… Then put someone on it… I don't care if you think it's unimportant and who do you think you're talking to?… Who do you think your direct boss is now?... Oh really?... Let me just tell Mr Grey that you don't answer to anyone but him… I'll get back with you within five minutes… You best be near your phone, if I were you." I hung up.

I text Christian and ask him to tell his Director of Auditing that he is to answer to the new CFO now, because he is under the impression that he will only do audits and listen to what the CEO says only. What the fuck is with everyone in this damn company? If they aren't condescending, arrogant, or snide, they are attacking me.

Christian texts back that Jenkins got his ass handed to him. He said he would send out a corporate wide email stating what departments report to me directly and anyone bypassing the chain of command will be picking up their final paycheck in the HR department. I thanked him. I called Jenkins back and he wasn't uncooperative anymore, but complained that he couldn't get results by Friday. I told him to pull resources like an account to work with an auditor to expedite the results. I said, I wanted a report by no later than 4 o'clock the end of day Friday on my desk. I made sure to tell him that if he told me that any of my requests of him were unimportant according to him ever again, I would promote for a replacement. I then told him not to be late for my meeting. I hung up in his face.

I went to my 2 pm department head meeting. I had everyone from Auditing, Accounting, Finance, Accounts Payable, Payroll, Inventory, and HR, but a no show on the heads of Marketing or Accounts Receivable. I called both of their desks and corporate cell phones with no answer. I asked if anyone knew where they might have gone? Nobody knew, but the Accounting Director Mrs Kowalski said all nine departments received the same email copied to them and they were in the CEOs meeting earlier this morning that we all attended. I thanked her and started the meeting asking them to take turns to elaborate on the updates and changes within the departments so I can get background clarity. I took the minutes of the meeting and gave them all boxes of candy when they left.

After the meeting, I went down to Marketing and located Mr James Lawrence the Director. I said, "So tell me why you missed a meeting today at 2pm?"

He looked coolly at me and said, "There was a department head meeting already at 10am this morning with the CEO."

I said, "Yes, I was there. You knew that was not the only meeting today for you. I don't give a damn if there are a dozen meetings a day, you are to show up on time to them. The next meeting you miss of mine or me Grey's will be your last with this company, do I make myself clear Mr Lawrence?"

He smugly said, "Did you clear that with him?" I'm getting fed up with this shit.

I said, "Let's go find out together and on the way to Mr Grey's office, let's get the Accounts Receivable Director Ms Karen Andrews too. That's so we can all get it from the proverbial horse's mouth."

I grabbed Ms Andrews and all three of us went to Andrea and she had us go right in. I smiled at Christian and asked, "Did you know that Mr Lawrence and Ms Andrews both decided to miss my meeting today at 2pm scheduled, because you already had a meeting of department heads and my meeting was unimportant to them both enough to not show up at all and blew it off. Mr Lawrence has been told by me that if he blew off yours or my meetings that he would be collecting his last paycheck and I reiterated that to Ms Andrews. They both wanted to know if I cleared it by you, because neither believes I have any authority over them."

Christian said, "You're both fired, collect your personal items and security will escort you out of my building." They both gasped.

Ms Andrews said, "But Mr Grey, I always just answer to you under the chain of command and only have to go to your department head meetings once a month."

Mr Lawrence said, "Right, my department too."

Christian snarled and said , "Bullshit, you were under Daniel Rappaport and reported directly to him. You always attended all of his meetings under the exact same nine department heads. It's how he did his job and I know it and you're lying. What is your issue to not cooperate with Ms Steele being CFO?"

Lawrence said, "First of all, we were not given the opportunity to interview for the position." Ms Andrews nodded. "Secondly, she does not have the knowledge and experience that we do for the position." Ms Andrews nodded like a bobblehead.

Christian cleared his throat, "First of all, if you both can produce on your own, two masters degrees in Business Analytics and Accounting Forensics with over 4.2 GPA summa cum laude, starting the degrees at age 15 and have both degrees before the age of 21. Secondly, start highschool at the age of 11 years old and be 13 years old and valedictorian when you graduate. Then, by all means you should have got the position of CFO in my company." Their mouths hit the floor.

"Being that you both mounted this rebellion coup d'etat against my CFO pick for this job, you're out of your own job now. The audacity to dare tell me who I am to hire or fire in my own damn company is now your mistake. You disrespect my decisions and you disrespect me directly. So, get out now! Turn your keys, badges and corporate property over to security and HR will contact you on separation procedures." Christian picked up his phone to security and had two guards meet them at their desks to escort them off the premises.

Christian Pov

What a hell of a day for Anastasia to have to assert her authority at every turn. Then, to have Elena attacked her again in my lobby like that, is completely insane. I called the SPD to make sure to have her psychologically evaluated while in custody.

I stand up close and lock my door. I say, "Anastasia you will have to fill their positions from without or within the company. In the meantime, let me hold you for a minute." I took her in my arms for a gentle hug. She sat down on the couch with me and laid her head on my chest. I said, "I'm sorry you have to go through this power struggle and the Elena crap downstairs today."

She chuckled softly and said, "It's exactly how children behave when you think about it."

She said, "Elena was embarrassing for me, for sure. I am glad she is in custody and the restraining order will be fully intact if they release her." I gently caressed the nape of her neck.

I said, "It will get easier dealing with the Directors. You have to assert control and maintain authority over them. They will buck at first."

She sighed and said, "It's the condescending attitude, arrogance and male superiority complex that pissed me off, but I will persevere. I have a military background so it won't last long. Just a bumpy first day." I feel so calm touching her. I kiss the top of her head.

I sigh, go to sit up and say, "You are doing great already weeding the garden around here and got rid of two ingrates. You found a large security breach and that in itself is amazing and you worked for me only for a day." She smiled, caressed my cheek and kissed me softly. We stood up and walked to my office door.

She turned and said, "I'm falling in love with you too, Christian." She turned and walked out the door to her office. I smiled watching her go down the hall. Andrea was busy on her laptop and Olivia was frowning at Anastasia watching her too.

I looked over and asked her in my CEO voice, "What the hell are you frowning at my CFO for? Get to work Olivia, that's what you're paid for." Andrea glanced at Olivia and went back to what she was doing. I walked into my office. I'm sick of slackers in my company.