AN: Frozen is not property of mine
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Only once she stepped inside her office that Anna allowed herself to release a long sigh. Her shoulder slumped; she couldn't keep glancing at Elsa's desk. The blonde secretary must have seen the card. Anna had picked it up herself knowing that blue was Elsa's favorite color. This time she was confident that Elsa would respond upon her request. She always did.
So Anna settled behind her desk, putting on a mask of calm despite her nervous-wrecking state and started counting down from ten. Her eyes glued to the door, expecting a certain blonde would come through and see her. Then Anna could burn the offensive resignation letter and gained her peace.
Nine… Eight… Seven… Anna was tapping the desk with her knuckles.
On the edge of her vision, she saw Elsa was holding the snowman card. Yes!
Four… three…. Two… Anna's smile bloomed more and more as she heard Elsa's heels were approaching and the doorknob of her office turning. Only one person had permission to enter without knocking.
Anna spun her chair, grinning from ear to ear, arms wide open. "Welcome back!"
Files in hands and an earpiece on one ear, Elsa stopped by Anna's desk. "I'm here to remind you for the afternoon interview. Are you ready? The crew is waiting on the lobby."
Anna blinked. "Wait, what?"
"Gamezone interview, after lunch? Miss French's crew is here." Elsa replied.
Anna's jaw dropped. "Did you read my card at all?"
Elsa touched her earpiece, answering somebody across the phone line. "yes. She is on the way down. Give us 5 minutes." The blonde secretary turned her attention back on Anna again. "I did. I will stay until the end of this month. I also need to find a suitable replacement for you."
Anna had no idea that her heart can literally break. She was sure it broke and bled all over the floor and the person who was responsible looked so calm about it.
The young CEO stood up abruptly and stomped her way toward Elsa. "You know what? Fine. Bring those potential candidates and I will interview them myself." This time, Anna didn't even bother to use her hover board. She didn't wait for her secretary as she entered the elevator. For the first time in her career Anna felt the elevator ride was taking too long.
The elevator ride became a trip of epiphany for Anna. Like other thing in universe, everything happens for a reason. There was always explanation and truth behind every action, including Elsa's resignation. The blonde never elaborated further than personal matter and Anna could not even persuade her to stay. She had considered to do some amount of groveling but surely that seemed to be a very desperate attempt. That should be the last resort.
Then she reflected on what Kristoff had said to her. The young redhead immediately scratched off marriage and pregnancy from the list of possibilities. Elsa would've told her in advance if that had been the case. So Anna's logic then turned to the possibility left.
Elsa was tired of her.
Now that she thought about it, Elsa had been taking care of everything whether it was work-related or about Anna's personal life. She was the first person Anna always turned to. The one who was even able to handle unbeatable dungeon level though she was always so humble about it. Anna had been taking Elsa for granted and she always acted like a child she was.
She sighed again and this time it was full of self-loathing.
She never expected to see Elsa once the elevator door opened. Did she just teleport downstairs?
"I took the stairs." Elsa said briefly. "This is the list of possible questions and answers." The blonde handed her a list. It was a routine for every television or magazine interview to hand them list of questions. "Miss French is quite perceptive, so please hold yourself to make unnecessary comment."
Anna accepted the list, skimmed over it and returned it to Elsa. She had memorized it all. "It's not my first rodeo."
The epiphany then came to her in full-force. If there was a possibility of Elsa feeling sick of her, the least she could do is giving her a rest.
"You know what? You can go home early today."
The redhead suddenly had an idea. She would grant a half-day break for Elsa now.
"Would you mind to repeat that again?" Elsa's voice sounded a little bit surprise.
"I can handle this interview. Go home or do whatever you need to do, non-work related."
"I need to organize launch event after interview and appointment for tomorrow."
"Push it all back, it's an order." Anna pulled her employer's card job. "Go home, Elsa." It was one of her ways to give Elsa personal time. If Elsa was fed up of her unreliable attitude, Anna should begin to try taking care of few things on her own from now.
The blonde halted her steps, Anna only realized it when she turned her head and noticed Elsa wasn't walking by her side. "Elsa?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Anna shrugged. "See you tomorrow. We will pick you up a bit later time so you can sleep in."
The expression on Elsa's face was priceless, "sleep in?" She uttered the words as if it sounded so foreign.
Anna scratched her head, "well, you know. Wake up late?"
Elsa gasped, the notion insulted her. "I always wake up at 6 a.m sharp in the morning."
The young CEO smiled, "wake up at 8 tomorrow."
"But-"
"It's an order. Trust me." Anna didn't wait for Elsa's respond. She had other staffs accompanied her toward the conference room.
Something had shifted because on the first time in her career, Elsa witnessed how Anna's back walking away without her.
Belle French was a brilliant and charismatic reporter from Gamezone magazine. Having done numerous interviews in the past 6 years, Anna had divided media people into two categories. Paragon and Renegade. That meant the kinds who were objective, respectful, and sincerely interested with game project development and those who were only in for her blood and scandals.
However for the past 3 years since her debut, Anna couldn't make up her mind about the brunette reporter.
"Good afternoon, CEO Summers." Belle stood up from her seat, greeted Anna with warm friendly smile. Many had been fooled with the smile including her. The smile also had become a reason of why Gamezone magazine got an early first-leak regarding battle game play from previous project.
Anna too, smiled in respond of the greeting.
The brunette reporter looked comfortable wearing her company's yellow shirt with ID card on her neck. It was not her first time to get an exclusive interview with the CEO of Summersoft Corporation.
"Do we wait for Secretary Frost?" Belle asked with a light-hearted tone, her eyes were darting around the staffs that had entered the room with Anna, searching for a platinum blonde head.
"No, she needs to do other business. We can proceed." The young redhead pretended to not notice the curious glances from everyone in the room.
"Ah? I apologize. Since it is a bit peculiar to see you without her…" The brunette said, letting her accent slipped. Meanwhile, her words were receiving nods from others including Anna's staffs around them.
Anna cleared her throat, "I'm perfectly capable to answer questions without her."
Almost everyone had their mobile in hands typing vigorously while other phones vibrated in the room. Including Anna's phone.
So Anna asked for a second to check out e-mail which just come in. The neon highlight with capital words followed by her and Elsa's picture from seconds ago by the elevator hall was the company's headline of the day.
A Fight Breaks Out Between the Two? A bizarre occurrence just happened in Summersoft after 6 years of glory. According to a witness who insists to remain anonymous, they witnessed how our beloved CEO took elevator by herself while Secretary Frost went toward emergency stairs on the same time today… previously there was rumor and speculation regarding Secretary Frost's a.k.a the Ice Queen's resignation…
Anna stopped reading it as she caught Belle was peeking curiously on to the screen of her phone.
"We are not having a fight!" Anna groaned loudly to no one in particular. Everyone in the room was obviously conspiring against her. Belle secretly took out her phone to capture Anna's reaction in video.
"Oh no, Miss French. I'm afraid we need to postpone the interview for today, I have more urgent thing to attend." Like blowing up PR department.
"But we have been waiting for 2 months to get this interview!" Belle frowned, disliking a fact that she might come back with nothing for her exclusive.
"Our team will contact you with new date, I promise." Anna didn't even give the reporter a second look as she dialed number of the PR department's head.
Out of desperation, Belle grabbed Anna's arm before she completely turned away and left the conference room. "Give us something, anything. Or else, I can only write what the staffs are talking about." The brunette reporter realized that she was crossing the line. It could be considered as blackmail and it was beneath her to do something like that. She regretted it almost instantly.
So Belle was going to apologize for her rude action but she wasn't fast enough as another set of cold hand grabbed her wrist in firm clutch.
When she saw the owner of the hand, Belle finally experienced of how a Frozen Hell could be.
"If you continue this, I will make sure that you wont be able to write anything at all after today." Elsa was smiling but her tone layered with promise of painful threat. "Miss French." The blonde secretary mentioned her name with subtle hiss that only she out of people in the room shuddered under the cold gaze.
Belle winced and quickly released her hold on Anna's arm. The secretary didn't even try to be polite as she inserted herself between Belle and Anna. Her high-heels put her on advantage as she towered over the guilty brunette reporter. Her hand extended, palm up, Belle flinched visibly by the gesture.
"Your phone, Miss French. I believe you took some recording without our company's permission. That is not in our written agreement and violation of the rules."
Belle opened her mouth, about to defend herself but she found that she was in losing side. The blonde secretary now took possession of her personal mobile phone.
"Thank you for your cooperation, we will return it after we do a thorough check. Our security team will escort you and your crew outside. Have a good day."
There wasn't even a single protest as one by one the magazine crew being led outside. Anna was watching the entire scene unfolded with certain level of fascination.
"I told you to go home early." Anna said, somehow having mixed feelings with the entire situation.
"I was on my way home." Elsa pulled out her tablet. Anna saw how the blonde marked the Gamezone magazine's reporter as 'renegade' in her list.
The young CEO wanted to argue that the exit door was on the other direction of conference room but she believed that it was better not to point a flaw in Elsa's logic right now.
"Let's go, Anna." Elsa nodded her head toward the elevator.
"What, where?"
"Are you going to PR department to do some damage control?"
Anna grinned, this time they aboard the elevator together.
PR department was awfully quiet, only handful of people was working inside the glass room.
"Where is everyone?" Anna asked in puzzlement. Around this time of the year the department should've been very busy with upcoming promotion launch. They came across one of the employee who immediately scurried over once he set sight upon them.
"They are hiding under the desk. No surprise." Elsa said like it was a common occurrence in the office. Granted, Anna rarely visited another department unless it was for monthly inspection. It was more like Elsa's thing to do.
After Elsa saying that words, Anna spotted several heads popped out hesitantly from under the table. Each of them was terrified.
"Whoa, is it always like this?"
Elsa opened the door for Anna, "only when I make a visit to inquire some outrageous articles in company website."
The redhead nodded in agreement, "outrageous indeed."
Tinker Bell, the PR secretary was sitting calmly on her desk. Well not really calmly since Anna saw the woman was playing candy crush with her phone.
"Oh, hey Elsa, CEO Summers!" The little woman greeted cheerily. It took Anna off-guard that someone was calling Elsa by her first name except her. This woman might be one-of-a-kind.
"Is Adam inside?" Elsa asked, offering a small smile.
"Yes, of course. He told me to tell you he is away but you know how I can't lie."
Tinker Bell's bluntness making Anna to be grateful even more to have Elsa as her secretary. The blonde would've fought tooth and nail to guard the door if Anna asked her for no one to disturb her in her office.
Adam was almost falling off his chair when Elsa and Anna strode into his office. The dark-haired man grimaced, "I can explain this."
Anna plopped down on the nearest couch, "I'm all ears."
"Peter accidentally hit send without running by me first. It was supposed to be in a column gossip of daily news, the handwriting was atrocious and very cheaply written…" Adam said, walking around his desk to properly facing two women he was more afraid of than his mom.
"Really? You are worried about that? There are so many wrongs in that article but you start from there?" Anna let out a groan. "I knew I like you better as brawler in our raid party…"
Adam blinked, "except for a poorly written article, I have no idea of why you storming into my office."
"One!" Anna raised her index finger in front of his face. "Elsa and I are not having a fight." The redhead glanced at Elsa's direction who remained quiet by the door. Elsa nodded a little, assuring Anna that she had no ill-feeling toward her.
"Two! Whether Elsa and I taking elevator or stairs, is not anyone's business. Three! Replace the neon color and choose different font, for Pete's sake! It's hurting the eyes!" She explained animatedly to Adam who seemed submitting to his fate.
"Four!" Anna's fourth finger up, Elsa's gaze turned curious as if she hadn't realized that Anna would have a 4th point to complain to the department's head.
"Tell Peter that I will strangle his neck next time if he calls Elsa as the Ice Queen again!" Of course Anna would defend her secretary's honor even though Elsa thought it wasn't really a big deal.
That was the end of Anna's full-blown emotional speech.
Once Anna left the room, Elsa stayed a bit longer to have a talk with Adam.
"Please find another publisher magazine to replace the Gamezone. Their reporter violated the agreement today."
Adam didn't need to ask why. Even when it meant triple paperwork on his end. "Understood, do you have a list?"
"I will send it tomorrow."
"I'm sorry for today, it was getting out of hand. I never meant to hurt any of you." Adam said sincerely.
Elsa gave him an acknowledgement nod.
"Are you really going to quit?" He asked when Elsa's hand about to reach for the door.
"Yes." A quick reply.
"It will break her."
Elsa ignored Adam's comment as she stepped outside.
She was greeted by Anna's smile. "Let's go home Elsa."
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TheRedPrincess invites ThiefofHeart, PursuingFashion, TalkingReindeer, IloveMyself, WarriorofLove, and CuddlyTeddy into a chat room.
What is it Anna? You had distress 911 broadcast messages to senior team. Wait, where is Elsa? TalkingReindeer's bubble popped out on the screen.
Let's do a conference call. TheRedPrincess replied.
So a minute later, Anna's computer screen was filled with 6 concerned faces. It was rare for her to hold emergency meeting call. The last time was when their guild was taken over completely by a newcomer guild within single night.
"If it's about the PR nightmare from this afternoon, I have apologized. Where is Secretary Frost?" Adam began defensively.
"Ouch, mate. Our condolences. But yes, on that note. Why Secretary Frost not invited in this room?" Flynn, the head of Technical department offered. His hair was a mess and the background of his office was a mess. Like Kristoff, he had been pulling all-nighter in the past few days.
"Since she is not here, may I ask of what do I do with her resignation letter? It's already on my desk this morning." Mulan, the head of Human Resource asked.
A whistle coming from the head of Development support, "wow, I thought there is no lass in the building that loving her job more than Frost." Merida was chewing what it appeared as potato chips.
Kristoff let out a long yawn, "we haven't doing raid for a while and Secretary Frost is not in the room. It's obvious that our chief needs help about the matter."
"Thank you, Kristoff. Yes, I gather you all here because I need backup. She doesn't even want to disclose the real reason of her resignation."
"Not to be rude, but what her resignation has to do with the rest of us?" Flynn darely asked which quickly followed by unbelievable expression and groans from the others.
"You insensitive daft, where is your common sense?!" Merida being the first to react on Flynn's comment.
"It's a no brainer that Secretary Frost has everything to do with the rest of us." Tiana inputted. "Do imagine our company without Secretary Frost's push and meddling."
Flynn sighed, "Okay, I get it. It's disaster."
"That was putting it mildly. She has been helping a lot in sorting job agencies efficiently." Mulan admitted.
"Dealing with our supplier too and publishers."
"Setting up deadline maybe hell but somehow she always makes it."
"I wonder how she can accomplish so much jobs within 24 hours."
"And taking care of our hopeless CEO."
"That too."
A chorus of humming agreement and Anna quipped in. "Understood, you all worship Elsa and build an altar for her, but we need to focus here."
"Secretary Frost is irreplaceable. I think everyone agrees." Kristoff chimed in.
"What do we do?" Adam asked.
"What's wrong with Secretary Frost anyway?"
"It goes without saying we need a strategy to figure it out."
"Like the old Sun Tzu said, strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat." The HR head sagely said.
Anna nodded, happy that everyone is already in agreement. "We need to form a plan."
A chorus of groans and mumbles now echoed through the speaker. Their CEO with a plan never worked out very well in the end.
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AN: The reason is yet to be revealed. Thank you for your kind words and you can all guess of what Elsa's reason might be. All is not what it appears to be. Or is it?