Jay scowled, his eyes fixed on the photo of Nicomaine Dei Mendoza on the cover of Business Asia, a magazine to which he subscribed.
He threw the magazine on his desk and moved to take his coat off, already feeling annoyed at seeing her face too soon, after their board meeting ended.
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He would ordinarily ignore the magazine but her face on the front page piqued his curiosity, despite his annoyance. She looked regal and aloof, her stature a seeming challenge to anyone who would dare oppose her.
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So here he is, sitting on his desk with a glass of iced whiskey in his left hand, flipping through the pages of the magazine to read the feature story on the heiress to the Mendoza group of companies.
There was nothing in the article which he didn't already know about the "Ice Princess". This was how people in their circle alluded to Nicomaine.
She's the 25-year old CFO of FDM Holdings, Inc. (FDM), a conglomerate with investments in a diverse portfolio of companies, from power to telecommunications to manufacturing and food.
Her parents, Teodoro Nicolas Mendoza, the only son of Don Federico Delgado Mendoza, and Maria Anna Capili, died in a tragic accident when she was five, leaving the little girl to the care of the FDM patriarch. Everyone knows that she stands to inherit the entire FDM empire.
To her credit, Jay found her credentials to be quite impressive. A magna cum laude graduate in college with a doctorate degree in business from an Ivy League university, her business acumen is unparalleled among her peers.
Since she took over the role of CFO at FDM, she is said to have single-handedly streamlined operational efficiencies of their businesses to generate more revenues for the group. And if rumors were to be believed, she certainly didn't charm her way to the top.
"Ice Princess" and "charming" certainly don't go hand in hand., he mused.
He recalled the accounts of his colleagues, business partners and acquaintances regarding the FDM CFO.
They've told him how bullish she is, when it comes to business. She is known for driving hard bargains and not backing down. She's cold and calculating when she sits at a negotiation table.
Yet, her successes in business simply cannot be ignored. The word "amazing" came to mind when he read her list of accomplishments.
Outside of business, her reputation was far worse. People have called her a bitch, none too many times. She chooses not to mingle with any crowd and treats people with disdain. At least that's what he's heard.
Jay, who's lived and worked overseas before he joined FDM, has not really seen the Ice Princess at work first hand. He knows "of her" but doesn't really "know her".
They were schoolmates though. She was still a freshman in his graduating year in college and he barely interacted with her then, didn't even know her personally. But of course, everyone knew she was the only granddaughter of Don Federico Mendoza.
His only recollection of her was during a commotion on prom night when a fight ensued among the ladies in attendance. She seemed to have been at the center of it and he tried to mediate. He only vaguely remembers the incident except the part where several girls were ushered to the dean's office.
Because his family moved their business to Singapore after he graduated, he didn't have a chance to meet Nicomaine face-to-face in any business setting. Until now.
He held up the magazine in his hand again and stared at the "Ice Princess".
She certainly is beautiful, no doubt about that. But cold, deathly cold and unbending, was Jay's impression of the woman.
Nicomaine or no Nicomaine, however, Jay wouldn't have passed up the opportunity to be COO of FDM. It was a coup to have gotten that position considering that he is only 28 years old. His parents, who were apparently friends and business partners of Don Federico in several of their ventures abroad, introduced him to the FDM magnate, who soon after offered him the position.
It was an opportunity of a lifetime and he took it. His parents were more than supportive of his decision even if it meant that he would move back to the Philippines.
And even if it means working with the "Ice Princess".
Their first meeting, "split-screen" as it were, left little to be desired. Jay didn't mean to be rude to the woman but her tone just rankled him. And he didn't want her going out of that meeting thinking that he's going to be a pushover.
On the day he accepted his appointment, FDM shook his hands forcefully and gave him only one order, "Don't let my granddaughter scare you."
So if this means being at odds with Nicomaine, at least until she warms up to him, then so be it. He's throwing down the gauntlet.
