Royal Vs Rebel (Royal #2: Book 1)

7

-• Mr. Fashionista •-

Yuvraaj Singh Chauhan

Monday morning, I walk inside the editorial department to get an update on how far along the things are. Meeting Sara reminded me of two things. One, I still hate that woman with passion, and second, she still has that self-righteousness inside her. The way she always stands so upright in front of me, when in reality she's nowhere close to me, rubs me the wrong way.

As soon as the glass doors slide open, silence falls upon the room, all eyes move towards me. The deputy chief editor, Mrs. Bose comes out of her office, standing straight at the sight of me. I walk in, Zoya follows swiftly.

"Let's have a meeting?" I suggest, my gaze slinking over the nervous, mealy mouthed faces, stopping at Radhika. In turn, she gets up and nods, ushering the rest of her team inside the conference room.

"Mrs. Bose," I call out.

The woman stiffens, looking at me in alarm. "I'd like to share a word with you before the meeting starts."

She shares an anxious glance with her juniors, clutching the files in her hands tightly. I wait patiently. I've realised these people need to deal with a lot of patience. They're out of place, uncomfortable and afraid. As a boss, if I want a positive response from my employees, I need to give them positive energy to work with.

"Sure, we'll wait in the conference room for you." The team head speaks up, breaking the silence and leading the remaining team towards the meeting room.

"Go help them set up the meeting room." I say to my secretary.

"Yes, sir," she's walking away as soon as she's done adhering to my command.

I enter the small glass cabin, unbuttoning my blazer as I settle down. My hand motions, beckoning her to follow. She quietly obeys, sitting across the desk in her chair.

"Precisely how long have you been working for Icon?"

"Twenty four years, sir."

"And how many editions of Icon have you helped published in total?"

She looks into the distance thoughtfully, coming up blank. "I- I don't remember."

"288." I answer.

Her brows go up in surprise. An awed smile comes over her lips. "That's a lot."

"Indeed." I nod. "So where has that passion gone now?" She lowers her gaze to her lap. "You've seen the world changing, Mrs. Bose. You've seen it go from using Nokia handsets to flashy smartphones. I don't know much of this side of the world, but I take you do." She looks up at me and nods subtly. "This is your chance, Mrs. Bose. I'm a temporary Chief Editor of Icon, but after me, I want you to have that position and I want you to earn it. Because if Icon goes down, so do you and your team. I'll move on to something bigger. This failure might stay with me for a few months, but eventually I'll forget about it. Because unlike you and your team, I haven't invested years in it. I've no attachment with it. You do. I'm hoping you bring me good results so I can bring you the well deserved appreciation."

She sucks a deep breath, nodding at me in determination. "I'll do it. I'll bring Icon back on the top. But I've a request to make,"

I hum, willing to listen.

"If- If by any chance I fail, fire me alone. My team- they bear no responsibility. I've failed as their team leader but they've always done their best. I know they'd love to work together in the future, but if somehow that's not possible, then please offer them a suitable position in your company. That's my only request."