From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent (Anthea )

At such a tender age, it was hard to believe Anthea could even grasp the complexities of a contract, let alone spot a loophole.

Bart sparkled his eyes with smug satisfaction.

It was a flawless plan. He would not only secure a substantial sum, but the company would continue to bear his name. It was a win-win situation.

Anthea skimmed the contract with a practiced eye, her expression unreadable. After a moment, she laid the document back on the desk.

"All set, Ms. Yeager?" Bart asked, barely containing his glee.

She gave a slight nod.

Seeing no sign of suspicion on her face, Bart produced a pen with a flourish. "Then let's make it official with your signature. Oh, to avoid any future disputes, we'll need your fingerprint in a few places."

As a kid, she was. She missed the huge hole in the contract - she was so easy to dupe.

Bart believed he had been clever enough to plan for every eventuality.

Anthea took the pen and began to sign.

Bart glittered his eyes with triumph as the clouds of worry that had plagued him for days evaporated in an instant.

But just then, Anthea stopped writing.

"Something wrong, Ms. Yeager? Pen out of ink?" Bart asked, feigning concern.

A frosty smile touched Anthea. "Do you take me for a child, Bart?"

Bart faltered. Had Anthea caught on? Or was this just a bluff? Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.

"Ms. Yeager, you must be mistaken. I don't follow," Bart said, feigning ignorance.

A child couldn't understand the contract, could they?

Anthea flipped through the pages and pointed to a section. "This mentions a stake in the company. Care to explain? And here... Presenting such a flawed contract, are you underestimating me?"

Bart had indeed underestimated her, thinking he could pull one over on a young girl. If she had been none the wiser, she would have been stuck with a mute loss, with no chance for complaint.

At the sight of the contract, Anthea understood why this delivery company was on the brink of collapse. To run a business without the slightest integrity was to invite failure.

Bart's face drained of color and sweat beaded on his forehead. He hadn't expected Anthea to actually understand the contract! Was she truly just a young girl?

"Let me see that," Bart stammered, taking the contract. "I apologize, Ms. Yeager. I must have given you the wrong one. This is the contract you should sign."

No longer daring to deceive Anthea, Bart handed her the correct contract.

After scrutinizing the new document and finding no issues, Anthea signed her name.

"Shall I show you around the company now, Ms. Yeager?" Bart offered.

"Tomorrow," Anthea stood up. "My uncle will come by then. You can discuss work matters with him."

Bart nodded, following Anthea out with deference. "Of course. And about the staff?"

After witnessing Anthea's acumen, Bart no longer dared to treat her as a mere child.

"We'll keep the current staff for now. My uncle will take care of any specifics tomorrow."

"Understood," Bart said, knowing better than to upset Anthea further.

He escorted her out of the building with utmost care. The receptionists' jaws dropped as they passed.

Who was this girl that commanded such respect from their boss?

-

Since there was still time in the day, Anthea decided to visit the real estate office to purchase the shop space. It made sense for a long-term business to own rather than rent.

The sales agent, Una, nearly lost her soul when she saw Anthea.

Oh my! Why was Anthea here? Was she coming to demand a refund?

Una had been the one to sweet-talk Anthea into paying two full years of rent upfront, in cahoots with the owner of Samia's Savory Symphony.