Fifteen Years Later
"Mr. Russell wants you in his office, Rachel" Trina, a work colleague, informed.
Rachel had been gazing at quarterly projections for Atlas Investment Group's most valued clients for hours on her computer screen when she looked up. Though the figures had been running together in front of her eyes for hours, she had finally been able to find the pattern that had escaped her all morning.
"Did he say what it's about?" Rachel inquired, already closing her file and straightening her pencil skirt.
Trina shook her head, "Only that it's urgent"
Tucking a piece of black hair behind her ear, Rachel nodded. Having worked at Atlas for five years, she understood that when James Russell said "urgent," he meant drop everything.
As she crossed the office floor, Rachel could sense several eyes tracking her progress. She had learned to cope with the stares. Some admiring, some envious. At twenty-four, she was the youngest senior financial analyst in company history, a position she had earned through diligence and innate talent.
What they did not witness were the nights, the Saturdays forfeited, the juggling act that is being a single-parent climbing the rungs of a corporate ladder not intended for the one doing the parenting.
Rachel knocked on her supervisor's solid oak office door.
"Come in," a gruff voice answered.
James Russell sat behind his massive desk, his salt-and-pepper hair perfectly groomed as always. Beside him stood a woman Rachel recognized as the head of HR, her face carefully expressionless.
"Rachel, sit down," James motioned to the chair in front of him.
A knot formed in Rachel's stomach. Two executives, closed doors, solemn expressions. At most corporations, this was the prelude to a termination. But she knew her performance had been perfect. Something else was at play.
"I'll get straight to the point," James said, folding his hands. "Atlas is merging with KAL Apex Financials."
Rachel's eyes widened. KAL Apex was a financial powerhouse, headquartered in her hometown, which she had left years ago with no plans to ever go back.
"This is.. unexpected," she managed.
"The talks have been taking place for months," James continued. "We've managed to keep it quiet until all the terms were agreed on. The release goes out this afternoon."
Rachel nodded, her analytical brain already calculating what this implied for her role, for the corporate hierarchy, for her team.
"What does this mean to us?" she asked.
James reclined in his chair. "For the majority of the staff, not much difference in the foreseeable future. But for you.?" He hesitated, looking at her face. "We need someone to manage the integration of our systems and procedures at their head office."
"Their headquarters," Rachel repeated, slowing, her heart beginning to pound. "You mean in Aspen?"
"Quite," James agreed. "You're from there yourself, aren't you?"
"I am," she admitted, her voice intentionally even. "But I haven't been in years."
James nodded thoughtfully. "That's half the reason why you're perfect for this. You know the city, and more importantly, you know our systems better than anyone else. The transition will be smoother with you at the helm."
The HR director finally said, "It would be a promotion, Rachel. You would be our interface with their executive team, and you would report directly to their CEO."
"How long would I be there?" Rachel inquired, her thoughts scrambling to Darian, her son, who had just adjusted to his school, made friends who embraced his introverted nature, and found a manageable routine.
"Six months, minimum," James replied. "Possibly up to a year."
A year. In the city she had escaped. Back where memories hung around every corner.
"I'd have to consider my son," Rachel replied cautiously. "This would involve uprooting him."
James nodded sympathetically. He was among the handful of individuals at Atlas who were aware of Darian. As Stephanie's uncle, he'd been the one who got Rachel her first break.
"Surely," he replied. "But I must inform you, Rachel, this is not a request. The merger is going ahead, and we require our top players in the field. Your career at Atlas has been on the up from day one. This is the next step logically."
Rachel understood the translation. Either accept it or find work elsewhere.
"When would I need to begin?" Rachel asked, already calculating logistics in her mind.
"Two weeks," James answered. "We'll pay all moving expenses, naturally. And there's a substantial salary boost to make up for the inconvenience."
He pushed a folder across the table. Rachel opened it and almost gasped at the number on the first page.
"That's.. generous," she said, keeping her cool in spite of the fact that the sum would alleviate so many of her money worries, like Darian's therapy costs that her insurance only partly reimbursed.
"We value you, Rachel," James said to her straightforwardly. "And we need you for this."
Rachel shut the folder, her mind made up in spite of the upheaval in her heart. She had obligations to her son, to herself. Ancient history could not influence career choices.
"I'll need to know about schools in the area," she said. "And I'd like to fly out this weekend to look at other accommodation options before proceeding with the relocation."
James smiled with relief. "Of course. All the arrangements would be made by my assistant. And to help you settle into your new position, Liam Carson would be sent over from time to time for routine checks. I know the two of you get along"
Rachel nodded sympathetically. At least there would be a familiar face. As Rachel rose to depart, James added, "There is something else. I have three rules for this assignment." He raised a finger. "One: maintain total discretion regarding our internal arrangements until the integration has been attained."
Rachel nodded.
"Two: report any resistance or hindrance directly to me, not via their chain of command."
Another nod.
"And three," James gave her a warning glance, "no office romance. This merger is complicated enough as it stands without personal lives getting in the way."
Rachel almost laughed at that. Office romance was the furthest thing from her mind. "That won't be a problem."
At her desk, Rachel stared at her computer screen without seeing it. Aspen. After all these years. The town was filled with memories. Her mother's grave, her childhood home, and.. him.
But that was ridiculous. Aspen was a big city. The chances of running into Kohen Anderson were slim, and even if she did, they were different people now. Adults with their own lives.
Her phone vibrated with a text message from Stephanie:
'Uncle J just informed me. You alright with this?'
Rachel's response was immediate: 'Do I have an option?'
The reply came instantly: 'You always have choices. Just not always good ones.'
Rachel couldn't help but smile. Typical Stephanie, cutting to the chase.
As she set about tallying up in her mind everything she needed to do prior to the move, Rachel could not help but feel she was getting herself into something more than a career move. There was a disquieting sensation that settled over her, a sense that the world was building a stage and she'd just accepted by error, a starring role.
What she didn't know, couldn't know.. was just how accurate that intuition would turn out to be.