Monday mornings in corporate hell always start with weak coffee and tighter blazers.
I tug at the edge of mine as I take my seat in the gleaming conference room of Santillan, Vergara & Co.—the top consulting and legal advisory firm in the country. A company I once dreamed about when I was just a pregnant dropout with nothing but a resume, a child, and a point to prove.
Now? I'm not dreaming anymore. I'm here.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNz8mKDobd
Senior project strategist at twenty-five.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDroaATSxfk
Angelique's mom. Samantha Magtalas. Fully built, no longer broken.
But still... I get butterflies as the room buzzes.
Ricardo Santillan, founder and CEO, is standing at the head of the long marble table. His signature charcoal gray suit is impeccable, his expression unreadable. A legend in this industry—and one of the few men I actually respect.
"Thank you for being here, everyone," he says, voice low but commanding. "I'll get straight to the point. After thirty-six years of building this company from the ground up... I've decided it's time to pass the torch."
Murmurs ripple through the room like a subtle wave of caffeine-fueled gossip.
I glance across the table. Stacy catches my eye and raises a brow. She texts me under the table.
"Calling it now: Ryan's taking over."
Ricardo continues. "Starting next quarter, the firm will be under new leadership. You've all heard the rumors, but now it's official—my son, Ryan, will be stepping in as our new CEO."
He says it like it's a boardroom handshake. No emotion. Just fact.
The room holds its collective breath.
Ryan Santillan.
I've only seen him once. At a client gala last year. He didn't speak much—just stood in the corner of the ballroom in an all-black suit, like a secret no one wanted to say out loud.
Rumor says he's cold, brilliant, impossible to impress. That he doesn't take after his father's warmth, but his mother's fierce exactness. That he once fired a department head over a breach in ethics with a single email.
I try not to react, but part of me stiffens. The timing feels... intense. We're in the middle of three major projects. The clients barely know us. A leadership shift could shake everything.
"Ryan will be addressing everyone next week," Ricardo adds. "Until then, I'll remain active in the transition process."
He doesn't say anything else. No "I'll miss this," no misty farewell speech. Just a quiet nod, and then: "Meeting adjourned."
The chairs scrape back. People whisper as they file out. I grab my tablet and start heading out with Stacy, who mutters, "Well, there goes your peaceful work life."
I smile faintly. "Maybe he'll just let us do our jobs."
"Or maybe he'll breathe fire and turn this place into Game of Thrones," she says, sipping the last of her coffee. "Bet you fifty pesos he's either the hottest man we've ever met... or the scariest."
I don't answer.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPGEvCVUof
Because somewhere deep in my gut, I feel it.
The wind's changing.
And something tells me Ryan Santillan isn't just here to run a company.
He's here to rewrite the rules.
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