Beneath the Ice

chapter 14

Lisa was on a roll—or at least, she liked to think so. After surviving the investor presentation, which she half-expected Jennie to replay on a loop just to remind her how badly she’d almost messed it up, things had been surprisingly smooth. Jennie hadn’t mentioned the incident since, and while Lisa was still catching her breath after it, she felt like she was making some real progress.

Even the office had noticed that Lisa seemed... calmer. More focused. She was still her usual funny, slightly chaotic self, but there was a new sense of purpose in the way she worked. Maybe it had something to do with Jennie’s influence—or the slow but steady realization that Lisa was more capable than she’d ever given herself credit for.

It was late Friday afternoon when something unexpected happened. Lisa was wrapping up her weekly tasks, feeling pretty good about how the week had gone, when her phone buzzed. She picked it up, expecting a message from Jennie about a last-minute assignment. Instead, it was from her dad.

Lalisa, I just had a meeting with one of our key partners. They’re expanding into a new region and need someone with your experience to help lead the initiative. They’ve asked if you’d be interested in a leadership position. We can talk about it over dinner this weekend.

Lisa stared at the message, her heart skipping a beat. A leadership position? Now?

Her dad had been patient for the most part, letting her gain experience at Kim Industries without pushing her too hard to join the family business. But this—this felt like a significant step. It wasn’t just a subtle nudge toward taking over; this was a full-blown offer to lead something major.

And honestly? Lisa didn’t know how to feel about it.

She set her phone down, her mind spinning. "A leadership role already?"  Sure, she’d been working under Jennie for a while now, learning the ropes and figuring out how to handle high-pressure situations, but was she really ready for something this big?

As if on cue, Jennie appeared in the doorway of her office, her expression as unreadable as always.

“Ms. Manoban,” Jennie said, her tone clipped and professional. “I need you to finalize the quarterly client reports before you leave today. The board will be reviewing them next week.”

Lisa snapped out of her thoughts, nodding quickly. “Right. I’m on it. Just finishing up.”

Jennie gave a brief nod and turned to leave, but then, almost as an afterthought, she paused and looked back at Lisa. “You’ve been more focused lately.”

Lisa blinked, caught off guard by the comment. “Oh... uh, thanks? I guess I’ve been trying to keep things under control. Fewer disasters.”

Jennie’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if she were considering something. “It’s noticeable.”

Lisa wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not, but coming from Jennie, she figured it was as close to one as she’d get. She smiled awkwardly. “Well, I have a good teacher. Tough, but good.”

Jennie didn’t respond to that, but after a brief pause, she added, “Don’t let complacency set in. There’s always room for improvement.”

Lisa chuckled. “Of course. Always striving for greatness. That’s the Jennie Kim way, right?”

Jennie’s expression remained neutral, but Lisa thought she saw the faintest flicker of something in her eyes—maybe amusement, maybe approval. It was hard to tell with Jennie. She was like a locked vault of emotions.