TAKING OVER A UNIVERSITY I

Kaye drove her car directly to the company after sending Ivan to the airport. Since her schedule was cleared until 1:00 o'clock in the afternoon, she decided to check the documents and reports first.

"Young miss, shall we continue the sales meeting this afternoon?" asked her assistant who was working on her schedule to finalize everything.

"Yes. It would be good if we could come up with new idea for the stores." Kaye responded without looking at her. She was busy typing some corrections and suggestions on her computer.

"Got it." Acknowledged by her assistant before leaving her office.

Ivan's flight took an hour and half before it landed. Since it was already afternoon, Kaye's schedule was jam-packed so he sent her a message instead about his arrival.

When Kaye received the message, she was having a meeting already. She replied to him before putting the phone down.

"I suggest that we put on a promotion for our stores. We can make a flash deals for the old stocks to make place for the new arrivals." mentioned one of the sales managers which caught Kaye's attention.

"I like your idea but we still need to think of strategies to earn a little higher since 50% of the sales will be spent for the foundations." Kaye responded to her employee. After all, the stores were originally built so she could get funds for the foundations that she's supporting.

"Please think of suggestions with strategic plan and submit it to me. I'll go out for a bit and meet with Mr. Alejandro. I'll be back in an hour." Kaye gave them time to think of suggestions since she had to meet with a client as well who would be a potential partner for the art scholars.

Her assistant, Marie, followed her to prepare the flyers of the foundation that caters the art scholars.

Kaye opened another meeting room where Mr. Alejandro was waiting for her. He's an old man, at his fifties, who remained single after the death of his wife. He has no kids and that's the reason why he wanted to donate to orphanages and foundations.

"Good afternoon, uncle Claude!" greeted Kaye with a lovely smile indicating her happiness to meet the man again.

"It's been a while darling. How are you?" Claude Alejandro greeted her back with a hug.

"I'm doing fine uncle. How about you? I thought you would stay in France for good." Kaye replied as she took a seat on the opposite couch.

"There's no place like home, sweetie. Besides, memories of wife is here. I want to spend my time with her on the places we've been to. I just came back when I heard you're managing the company now." Claude had wanted to give her his owned university before, but Kaye has no interest in managing any company at that time so he went to France, leaving the school to his trusted subordinate. Thankfully, he wasn't betrayed.

"I was really busy uncle. I didn't know managing a company would be this challenging. But I'm glad. Knowing how the company is working under me and how much profit was given to the foundations."

"That's how I know I can trust you. Now that you're managing a company, I'd like to bring up my proposal again." Claude had a cheeky grin on his face despite his old age.

"Uncle, are you really serious? How old was I when we talked about that? I was just eight years old. How can you give it to me?" Kaye retorted back to the man who was once a father figure to her when she was at the orphanage.

Before Kaye got adopted by her parents, Claude used to visit the orphanage to look for a child who would become his successor.

He met Kaye one time who was busy drawing two kids and a cat while she sat under the tree.

"Do you like cats?" asked Claude to the child who looked at him with caution and curiosity.

"Not all cats. I just like Tomo, my cat." Kaye responded before going back to her childish sketches.

"What do you want to become when you're big already?" This has been a question that he asked multiple times to different kids, but he wasn't able to get the answer he wanted.

Then Kaye responded to him. "I want to find a good job, save money and give it to the kids who do not have food and clothes. It's the only way I can tell them that someone still cares. Nobody cares about me, but I don't want them to be like me. I want to be like Young Master Harley who took care of me before I was sent here." She looked so innocent with her bright eyes staring at him. However, her words would pierce you to your heart.

On the day that he was supposed to adopt her, there was a huge issue in his company. He had to come back immediately to settle it.

And the next day that he came back to the orphanage, she was no longer there. She was taken by the Jimenez but he didn't feel like it was a loss. He could just give her his company.

He visited her when she was young and proposed to her to become his successor, but her parents didn't want to burden her with high expectations. It was a good thing that Kaye, with all the detour she took, still found her way to manage the company.

Claude sighed heavily before taking a serious mood. "I'm serious honey. I cannot leave the company to just anyone else. At the same time, I've been intending you to take it since you were young. You should know how important this is to me." Claude commented with a serious face.

"Does it have to be this way?" Kaye asked with much concern, specially that she wasn't blood related to him at all.

"There are two choices honey. Either you take my university shares or not." Claude responded with a wide smile.