Doukakis's Apprentice Read Free Page A

effect he had on all women.
    ‘Miss Prince?’
    That cold, sardonic voice shocked her out of her stupor.
    If she had harboured any hope that he’d forgotten her contribution to his sister’s educational experience, then those hopes now lay smashed in tiny pieces at her feet.
    ‘As you know, Polly is the daughter of our chairman and chief executive.’ Apparently blind to the unspoken communication, Michael Andrews finally found the courage to speak. ‘Her father always made sure she had a job here.’
    The implication was that she was some sort of loser who couldn’t get employment without help, and Polly felt her temper rise at the injustice of that introduction. The anger was just what she needed to blast away those other feelings.
    Relieved to be back in control, she tapped a key on the laptop and opened a file. ‘I’ve prepared a presentation outlining our business strategy and looking at our forecasts for the future. You’ll see that we’ve won six new clients already this year and those accounts are—’
    ‘We don’t need to hear this, Polly.’ Michael Anderson interrupted her hastily and Polly’s fingers paused on the keyboard. Yes, they did. Without her presentation the staff didn’t stand a chance of being kept on.
    ‘But you have to—’
    ‘It’s too late, Polly.’ With a glance at his fellow board members, Michael Anderson cleared his throat. ‘I understand that this is a very awkward situation for you, but your father nolonger has control of this company. He’s always been unconventional, but now he appears to have disappeared completely. Even today, with rumours of the takeover all over the news, there is no sign of him, which just confirms that the board made the right decision to sell. The Doukakis Media Group is cutting edge. These are exciting times.’ He cast a fawning glance at the man who sat still and silent at the head of the table. ‘There’s going to be a shake up. We’ll be announcing redundancies to the staff later but I wanted to tell you personally as your father isn’t here. It’s tough, I know—’ he rearranged his drooping features into a look of sympathy ‘—but this is business.’
    Polly felt as though she’d stepped into a parallel universe. Her brain was fuzzy and there was a buzzing in her ears. ‘Wait a minute.’ Her voice sounded robotic and nothing like her own. ‘You’re saying you’re going to make everyone redundant just like that, with no discussion? It’s your job to protect them—to show Mr Doukakis why they’re needed.’
    ‘The point is, Polly, they’re not needed.’
    ‘I disagree.’ Her fingers were suddenly ice-cold. Panic crept into her throat and lodged itself there as if she’d suddenly inhaled all her worst fears. ‘The accounts we’ve won, we’ve won as a team. And we’re a good team.’
    ‘Just leave the laptop, Polly.’ Michael Anderson tapped the end of his pen on the table. ‘If one of Mr Doukakis’s people wants to look at the presentation, they can.’
    That was it.
    They were dismissing her.
    Every eye in the room was fixed on her, waiting for her to give up and walk out.
    Her father’s company would be dissolved. One hundred people would lose their jobs.
    ‘It isn’t over.’ The words spilled from her lips and Polly stared directly at Michael Anderson, the man who had sold herfather out and was now selling out her colleagues. Desperately, she tried to appeal to his conscience. ‘You
have
to stand up there and give this presentation.’
    ‘Polly—’
    ‘You have a responsibility! These people work for you.
They put themselves out for you.
You should be defending them.’ The exhaustion and stress of the past week overflowed like a river bursting its banks after heavy rainfall. ‘It’s because of their hard work that you’ve been living the high life. Why did you ask me to put together the presentation if you never intended to use it?’
    ‘You were anxious about your father.’ Michael’s tone was