Chapter One:
"Cory!" The cafe barista yelled as she set a large white to-go cup on the counter. Cory Ellison, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit that accentuated his tall, lean frame, stepped forward to grab his drink when a small hand deftly cut through the small mass of people and snagged his coffee. Following the hand, he found it attached to a woman adorned in a dark green, worn leather jacket, exuding an air of casual confidence. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back, framing delicate yet simple features, and her light green eyes sparkled mischievously as she flashed him an enormous smile. With a wink, she laid down a crisp hundred-dollar bill before sauntering out the door, leaving Cory momentarily stunned.
"Well, that was unusual," Cory remarked with a bemused smile. The barista, still in awe of the unexpected encounter, nodded in agreement. "Guess the next one is on her and be sure to keep the change."
"Right away, Sir," the barista replied, quickly composing herself.
A few minutes later, Cory had his coffee in hand and was navigating the pedestrian traffic for the short distance to U.B.A. Tower. He exchanged nods with the security officer at the entrance before making his way to his office on the top floor. However, his routine was interrupted by his assistant, Kyle, who appeared to be in a state of mild panic.
"I tried to stop her, Sir, but she insisted she didn't need a meeting," Kyle explained breathlessly.
"What are you talking about, Kyle?" Cory inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"She said she was your boss."
"I don't have a boss," Cory replied, his curiosity now mingled with amusement. "Do I?" A smile played on Cory's lips as he approached his office door.
Kyle trailed behind him, his concern evident. "Did you want me to call security just in case?"
As they reached the doorway, Cory was met with the sight of the mysterious woman from the cafe, comfortably seated at his desk with her feet propped up, sipping his coffee as if she owned the place. "I don't think that will be necessary, Kyle." Cory greeted her with a mixture of surprise and amusement as he entered the room. "Coffee girl!
"For the future, I prefer a little more sugar in my coffee," the woman quipped with a playful smile, her gaze meeting Cory's with unapologetic boldness.
"I will remember that for next time. And when I get you said coffee, what name would I be putting on it?" Cory replied, matching her playful tone.
Pulling her feet from the desk, the woman stood up gracefully and extended her hand in greeting. "Elenora McKnight, a pleasure to meet you at last."
"Cory Ellison, but I obviously you already know that," Cory said with a smile as he shook her hand, his gaze lingering for a moment on her athletic build and simple yet elegant attire. "McKnight..." Cory trailed off as he attempted to place the familiar name. "Wait, you're Matthew's daughter, aren't you?"
"The one and only," Elenora confirmed with a theatrical flourish, her demeanor exuding both confidence and warmth.
"And what brings you to U.B.A. today?" Cory inquired, intrigued by the unexpected visit.
An enormous smile spread across Elenora's lips. "Well, I heard you are looking for an investor."
Cory gestured towards the couch, inviting her to take a seat. Elenora settled herself comfortably, kicking off her shoes and tucking her feet beneath her as she made herself at home. "So are you telling me anti-news Matthew is looking to buy a news station?"
"No, not at all. I'm looking to buy," Elenora clarified, taking a casual sip of her coffee.
"What, did Daddy finally give you your inheritance?" Cory quipped, a hint of skepticism in his tone.
"What would it matter to you?" Elenora replied nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders with a wry smile.
Cory let out a sigh. "I'm not in the game of getting in the middle of some family dispute."
"This has nothing to do with him. I am a woman, with a fifty-five billion dollar investment fund, waiting to be assigned to your company, Cory."
Setting his coffee cup down on the desk, Cory rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't have time for whatever this is, Ms. McKnight."
"No, you don't. You have a company that is about to lose your last few remaining ad revenue deals because you have no money. Or did you not know that Fred Micklen is telling everyone and anyone that this place is a sinking ship and no one should touch it?"
"FUCK!" Cory's frustration boiled over, his hand slamming against the leather of the couch. "He's gonna haunt me to my grave." With a heavy sigh, he rested his elbows on his knees, burying his head in his hands.
"Probably. He is an asshole like that," Elenora remarked casually. "Which is why I'm willing to help. Legacy media is going to die, and I happen to enjoy The Morning Show, although I mainly watch to see what kind of disaster is going to befall this place that day."
"You and most of America," Cory muttered under his breath, lifting his head to regard Elenora with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. "What's in it for you? What do you get out of this deal?"
Elenora leaned forward, her demeanor earnest yet determined. "I want a position on the board, and I would want to revamp this place slightly. U.B.A. would see an increase in the sports division to allow for us to compete with other sports networks and we would hire for a new digital news division. Of course, I would also want to overhaul the budgets, but I believe we could give raises to most staff, and I would require U.B.A. to start an internship program for those trying to enter broadcasting and news."
"You'll have to excuse me when I sit here wondering what the catch is," Cory remarked skeptically.
"There is no catch, Cory. This place is going to die, it's going to get sold off for parts. But I want to keep it running. I want to build on it. I want it to last another eighty years, and of course, you would be part of that."
"I don't buy it. How do I know you won't just sell us off for parts?"
"Because it's written into the contract I've had drawn up. Unlike my father, I don't hate you, and I'm not an asshole, and I want to see this place succeed. With you, of course, at the helm."
Cory squinted at Elenora, his skepticism warring with a glimmer of hope. "Come on, you understand how ridiculous this all sounds, right? You show up on your white horse, offering me salvation. Anyone would have serious questions."
"My lawyers are sending over the offer at ten. I'm sure you can skim it. Make a list of questions and concerns, and we can discuss them over dinner tonight. Then, when you realize that this is the deal of a lifetime, you can take the offer to the board, and when you inevitably call me to accept, I'm going to make you take me out for drinks to celebrate."
"You are quite the spitfire, aren't you?" Cory remarked, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Elenora smiled, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Oh, you can't even imagine the fun we are going to have together." With a graceful movement, she rose from the couch. "Well, I know you are a busy man, Cory, so I will leave you to it. See you tonight."
Cory watched as Elenora retrieved her coffee from the table and exit the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts. After a moment, he rose from his seat and moved to his computer, his curiosity piqued. Typing "Elenora McKnight" into the search engine, he delved into a rabbit hole of articles and videos, each unveiling a different facet of the enigmatic woman who had just waltzed into his life.
The first article was a photo of Elenora dressed in khakis and a soiled tank top holding a camera. The headline of the article read, "Heiress helps in re-establishing power after the second Hurricane hits Puerto Rico." but it was from a few years ago.
The next article showed a picture of Elenora in a dress suit. Her hair tied back in a low bun, and glasses perched on her nose. "Elenora McKnight testifies against Jeffery Epstein." He knew he shouldn't, but he clicked on the article. The picture that greeted him now was Elenora sitting on the stand. "Ms McKnight has revealed that while she and two others vacationed in Cancun, Mr. Epstein stalked their whereabouts and, while he was in the area, made advances towards Ms. Knight. When she refused his advances, he cornered her in a private hotel elevator and forced himself on her while he was intoxicated. She was seventeen at the time and, as such as a California citizen was considered underage. While unconfirmed, it is rumored that her father had told Epstein as to his daughter's whereabouts, in exchange for funding a private business venture. Ms McKnight was believed to have received an undisclosed sum from her family's estate after revealing to the press what had happened during that time."
"Jesus Christ," Cory whispered as he ran a hand across his face.
Backing out of the article, Cory took a deep breath and scanned more of the headlines. "Elenora McKnight receives the IPA award for photos taken in Haiti." That wasn't her only award, either. He found a few more headlines showcasing a bunch of her work while also assisting in humanitarian aid.
"Elenora McKnight graduates top of her class from the California Institute of the Arts."
"Elenora McKnight opens her first New York Gallery."
"Elenora McKnight donates ten million to Planned Parenthood. "
"Elenora McKnight makes it to the top of the list for the highest female net worth."
"How Elenora McKnight took a tragic story of family betrayal, assault and heartbreak and turned it into a billion-dollar empire which only continues to grow. Come with us as we interview this amazing young woman as part of this year's. Forbes 30 under 30."
This link was for a video listed as four years old, and Cory's curiosity got the better of him. Clicking the link, he leaned back in his seat and watched as Elenora's smiling face came across the screen. She was standing in the doorway of a home and leaning against the door frame as she stared into the camera. "Well, come on in, guys." She waved a hand and motioned for the camera to follow.
The next image was of Elenora walking into a modestly sized living room. "So Elenora McKnight, are you ready for our thirty questions for our favorite thirty under thirty guests?"
"I sure am. Wait, does that count as one of the questions?" The interviewer laughed along with Elenora.
"So, is this your home, or are you renting?"
Elenora spread her arms out. "Nope, this is all mine. Restored to its greatness with a few modern touches, 'cause I'm sorry I still need television, sufficient lighting and running water."
"So you graduated from the California Institute of the Arts and you have made quite a name in the art community with your photos. Where is the coolest place you have ever taken a photo?"
"Oh, I know the perfect shot to show you!" Elenora moved along through her living room and up a set of stairs. The camera followed Elenora into a loft filled with bookshelves. A large square couch sat in the center of the room and, suspended above, was a large photo of a Tibetan man. He was smiling and holding up a camera, peering through the viewfinder towards the photographer. "This was Dechen. He was my guide at Everest."
"You climbed Everest?"
With wide eyes, Elenora quickly placed a hand over her face in shame. "No, I only went to base camp. I couldn't acclimatize and eventually had to call it quits. Don't tell anyone, but I was scared shitless to climb. It probably would not have made it anyway. Dechen was fantastic, he was a one-of-a-kind person. He even helped me more with this particular piece." Elenora waved for the camera to follow to the other side of the photo where they were greeted with the smiling face of Elenora who, like Dechen, was behind a camera. "We took these at the same time. It is such a splendid memory."
"Next question, are these all for show, or have you read them all?"
"I've read a good chunk of them. I like to read, but please do not start looking at titles. I'm a sucker for a good romance, and some of these might be a little spicy."
He learned much about Elenora in a short amount of time. Her favorite color was pink, favorite flower was the orchid, she freelanced and reported in many of the areas she visited. She had an art gallery, where she showcased her photos as well as featured local youth artists. Elenora seemed to enjoy staying in over going out and she made a few jokes regarding the fact she thought she was born about thirty years too late and that she felt like an old soul. She had learned to knit, enjoyed Gin as her liquor of choice and, as of this video nine months ago, was not seeing anyone.
"Mr. Ellison?" Kyle's voice sounded from the doorway, dragging Cory's focus from his computer screen to his assistant. "A courier just dropped this off for you."
Entering the room, Kyle handed over a large yellow envelope, and Cory opened it to discover the deal that Elenora had talked about. "Can you cancel my afternoon and set up a meeting with the lawyers instead? Tell them I want to meet them about a buy offer."
"Right away, Sir."
After Kyle left the room, Cory began flipping through the document. It was simple. He found much of the same stuff they had already talked about. However, there was a clause. Conditionally, Elenora would be hired on as a freelance reporter for the web division. Under salary, but with no obligation to print her articles.
As Cory pondered the terms of the offer, he couldn't shake the feeling that Elenora McKnight was more than just an heiress with a vast fortune. She was a force to be reckoned with, a woman of depth and complexity whose actions spoke volumes about her character. And as he weighed the pros and cons of accepting her proposal, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of working alongside her to breathe new life into U.B.A.
With a determined nod, Cory made up his mind. He would accept Elenora's offer, not just because it made business sense, but because he believed in her vision for the future of the company. He couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation for the journey that lay ahead.
For in Elenora McKnight, Cory saw not just a partner, but a kindred spirit, a woman who shared his passion for innovation and his commitment to excellence. And as they embarked on this new chapter together, he knew that the possibilities were endless.
With a smile on his face and a renewed sense of purpose in his heart, Cory leaned back in his chair, ready to embrace the adventure that awaited him. And as he closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh, he knew that with Elenora by his side, anything was possible.