Bought For A Baby, Kept For A Lifetime-Chapter 175: Didn’t Return

As Anne left the PR department team B office, she thought back to the conversation she’d had with Elder Sterling the previous day.

"Do you like your job?" He’d queried curiously as she studied the stars with him.

"Yes grandfather, it’s challenging sometimes but it is very rewarding." She’d told him.

"If you could change anything in the strategies of the company’s PR department right now, what would you do differently?"

Anne had taken it as a curious question to fuel their conversation, hence she answered without thinking too much about it.

"I think there should be a larger campaign our company should host."

"A campaign?" Elder Sterling asked interestedly.

"Yes, it could be a yearly event our company hosts to partake in a great social cause, something like a charity event." Anne explained.

"But the company already actively partakes in several charity organizations every year."

"This is different, what I’m talking about is an event where employees of the company will be involved as well. Right now SE to the general public is this enormous organization that many aspire to enter, there are people who don’t truly know what SE stands for, they don’t know the core value of the company. There’s a larger market yet to be explored from the average consumer. SE has a spot in every market, our products are bought because we upscale in quality along with the reputation of the Sterling family name attached to it, but what we haven’t thought about Is what would make the average everyday person see a product from SE on a shelf and feel warm in their hearts as they purchase it? Our previous strategy of selling unmatchable quality works, but as human beings we operate on emotion, and how something makes us feel, I believe if we do something to leave a warm lasting impression on the general public, it would further reinforce the company’s image to the public."

The more elder Sterling listened, the more intrigued he was by her idea.

"So what do you propose?"

"This yearly event should not just focus on giving back in the form of charity, but it should also magnify what SE truly stands for. The Sterling family is well respected by the general public, and at the end of the day, SE is an organization built around this family, so the theme of this event should revolve around family."

In a large family like the Sterling’s, there was bound to be internal rivalry. Maybe what they needed was to be forced together on something that would make them bond. Was what Anne had thought at the time.

Elder Sterling looked amused, "How did you know that SE’s core value starts from family? Usually in the past whenever I’ve witnessed an interview or even a questioning of our employees, what they believe to be our core value is immeasurable quality, luxury and high standards. What makes you deduce it had anything to do with family?"

"This company was founded by you grandfather, so was this family. I know that a father does everything so they can give their child all that they deserve, a father works day and night for their child to have comfort in the future, a father would starve himself to put a meal on his child’s table. This company is your legacy, it’s everything the Sterling family stands for, and it’s also everything you wish to give to your family because even from the moment this company originated, it was always for them."

Anne recalled her own father. Though he worked really hard, everything he gained he kept in savings for his children. She knew how strong a father’s love could be for their child, and elder Sterling, no matter how strict he appeared to the outside world, that love reflected deep within him.

Elder Sterling felt a warmth spread in his heart.

Anne was young, but there was a deep maturity to the way she perceived things.

She was right.

SE was a huge empire he’d created, but it was a gift he wanted to bestow upon his next generation.

In his long years of life, he’d never received the warmth of family, never received the benefits of a father’s love, he tried to do it with his son but Micheal inevitably pulled away, so he was determined to do it for his grandsons. To give them an empire that would continue on for the rest of the Sterling family generations.

In this moment, he felt extremely pleased that he’d made Anne a part of their family.

"You’ve passed the official interview Annelise, so the job is yours." Elder Sterling had announced to her.

She looked up at him, bewildered.

"What job is that grandfather?"

At first she’d taken his words as a joke, she didn’t expect him to have truly been serious about it.

"PR departments team A manager recently quit because of a fatal illness, they were going to start looking for a new employee to recruit but I knew you’d be perfect for this job."

"Me?" Anne had asked, after several moments of being incredulously dumbfounded.

Elder Sterling had laughed heartily at her expression.

.....

When Anne was brought to the new office, several of the team’s employees looked eager to welcome their new manager.

Team A was known for most of their success, but it was mostly due to the resilience of their manager, without him they would eventually regress and be the same as the employees in team B.

"Everyone gather around, I’d like you to meet the new manager of this team." Mr Hilton, from HR made the introduction upon entering the department.

This space was a lot larger than team B’s, and the employees looked a lot friendlier as well. It was true what people said: people with dark hearts would always have the same reflected in their environment. The saying was perfectly befitting for team A and their surroundings.

"Hello everyone, my name is Annelise Thompson, and I look forward to working with you all." Anne introduced herself to them.

"Hello manager Thompson." None of them showed any signs of complaint at her arrival, nor did anyone show signs of displeasure.

Anne spent the rest of the day familiarizing herself with her new job and the team who would be working with her.

It was a very refreshing change from the harsh and toxic air of team B that the work day actually felt truly enjoyable for her.

After work she returned to the Manor where butler Jones habitually waited outside to greet her upon her return.

Being excited about her new job, Anne had been telling Jasmine all about it on the phone during her ride back home.

The manor felt extremely quiet tonight, though it always was, something about it felt off.

When Anne sat down to dinner, she couldn’t help but notice the empty seats around her and it inexplicably made her recall what happened the previous night. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"I won’t go down unless you’re coming with me. You need to eat something." She remembered the rarely earnest look in Andrew’s eyes and a touch of guilt suddenly engulfed her.

"Has he had his dinner already?" Anne suddenly asked the butler who was standing behind her waiting in case she needed anything.

"The master? He isn’t home yet."

Anne frowned subtly wondering if he stayed back at the office to work overtime when the butler added,

"Actually...the master hasn’t returned home since he left last night."