There Is No Lie In This World-Chapter 32: Meet the Directors

"Miss Roen, the time has come."

I was sweating so much on my palms and back of my neck that Elune was constantly wiping them off, looking worried.

Elune dabbed my wrists with lavender oil. "For confidence," she said. Abe nodded solemnly, as if perfume could summon a CEO.

"I... still don’t feel ready for it."

"It’s fine to make them wait. In your position. But the longer you put it off, the grander your entrance will be."

That’s exactly how it was. I knew it too well. Hesitating outside the door, growing dread as each second ticked by, pressure mounting exponentially. This just felt like the first day of school.

"Could you tell me again what I need to do, please...?"

It was the sixth time I asked her, but Luc had infinite patience. Thankfully. freewebnoveℓ.com

"I do not believe anybody is expecting you to make any form of decision today. This meeting is more for you to get to know the key directors and what’s going on in the company. People are there to report to you, not the other way around."

"What if- what if I don’t understand what they say?"

"That’s expected."

"Mistress! Don’t be so cruel!" Elune stood up for me.

Thanks, Elune...

"Couldn’t I like... just read the reports or something?"

Luc answered my question with a disapproving look and a slight shake of head.

I was doomed.

"Miss Roen, you will be fine! You are the great CEO of the Roen Group now!"

That doesn’t help me at all, Elune...

"So, shall we proceed?" Luc asked one last time.

I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. My eyes were pulsating. I was seeing flashing green and red inside my eyelids. Heart beating on my finger tips.

"Let’s do it."

With that, Abe opened the door and I walked into the meeting room with Luc following closely behind me. Another figure entered with us too - a tall, well-groomed man I hadn’t seen before, dressed in a black tailored suit that that had the subtlest hint of elegant sheen. His voice was calm, composed, and slightly too steady - like someone who had rehearsed this moment many times before.

I don’t think my presence entered the room first. People probably saw my toes first. All I could manage to do here was just gaze into nothingness.

Not like a Roen at all.

"Rise."

A man I hadn’t seen before, who was waiting inside the room standing near the seat at the head of the table where I was to plop myself on to, gave an order and everyone followed.

"Welcome home, Miss Roen!"

The booming voice filled the intimidatingly big meeting room. All in sync.

"Tha- Thank you..."

I probably sounded like a mosquito.

Nevertheless, as was the case wherever I went in this Roen Tower, I was greeted with a warm smile of affection and respect by everyone.

That calmed my heart a little. Just a bit.

"Please be seated," the man announced and everyone obliged.

I walked over - doing my best to not trip - and took my seat too.

Elune did not accompany me to the room but now Luc and the man I hadn’t seen before stood by my each side. The man stood unnervingly still, hands clasped behind his back, posture like a sentinel’s. His eyes scanned the table not with suspicion, but with... comprehension. As if he knew exactly what would be said before it happened.

Once everyone settled down, the elderly gentle man sitting nearest to me on the left rose, bowed deeply and spoke.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Roen. We have been looking forward to this meeting. It is such a great honor to be part of this first meeting."

"The ho- honor is mine."

He gave a reassuring smile and continued.

"We are the Managing Directors and Directors of the Roen Group. All Departments are represented. Strategy, Development, Project Management, Procurement, Marketing, Sales, Operations, Finance-"

The man continued for a very long time.

"-and the Security," he finally concluded.

"Thank you..."

"It is customary for us to each Director to provide the new Chief Executive Officer with summary report presentation. Now, if you’d be so kind-" the man turned to a surprisingly young man at the end of the table and gave him a nod. He promptly got up and pressed a few buttons on a remote control. The lights in the room dimmed, a massive projector screen rolled down from the ceiling, and before long, the logo of the Roen Group lit up.

The presentation started. The young man had a pleasant voice. Very composed and confident, refined and relaxed. The first slides showed a brief overview of the history of the Roen Group, which was kept impressively concise yet informative considering its long and illustrious history. Next slides went over the main business fields, which pretty much covered every conceivable industry from food to finance, agriculture to aerospace.

It would have been a great understatement to say that I was overwhelmed.

Me? ’Leading’ all this?

It wasn’t just impossible. It was laughable to even hope that I could make any contribution to this organization at all. Any confidence and comfort I had been building up for past few days quickly disappeared.

Once the overview was over, each director gave me a brief overview of the current status and major activity from their department. By the third report, my brain was already overloaded and I wasn’t taking in any information at all.

The knowing nods of acknowledgment with friendly smiles around the table felt like a mocking gesture. I started to sweat again but Elune was around to wipe them away now. All I could do was do my share of nodding, trying to stagger them so that I don’t look like some mechanical toy gone broke.

"-and that will wrap up everything for now," the presenter concluded. I wanted to check the time but I was pretty sure this ’overview’ lasted for at least an hour.

"Any questions, Miss Roen?"

The Managing Director on my left inquired.

That was my cue to say what I had prepared with Luc and call it a day.

"Thank... you. Everyone. It was all very infor...mative. I would like to review everything in more detail in due course. I would- would appreciate written reports from each department."

"Wise decision, Miss Roen. We shall prepare as you wish," the one on my right nodded.

As soon as I responded with a forced smile, the man standing by my side - the still one - announced with a tone that felt practiced, polished, and faintly theatrical.

"Meeting adjourned."

With that, I rose. Bowed. Turned. And walked out of the meeting room. All I could do was focusing on not trembling, but I was pretty sure I did.