Chapter 8
I wake up to the sound of alarm clock and open the curtains of the windows. The pleasant spring sunshine enters my room, and the sky looks so clear and beautiful.
I wash up and prepare green tea to wake my mind up. It has become a morning routine to listen to Edvard Grieg's 'Morning Mood' as I enjoy my tea lately.
I go through the same routine of going on a cycle ride, and on my way back home, I buy myself croissants from the only bakery that was open early in the morning.
After taking a quick shower, I make myself some hot chocolate and carry it along with the freshly baked croissants to my reading room. I continue reading book from where I left yesterday and soon loose track of time.
Should I read just one more chapter?
No! There are clearly more important things I need to get done today and getting late for work after giving in to my heart is not what I stand by for. The heart is always foolish, and so, I try not to listen to it most of the times.
Frankly, if it wasn't for the blood circulation the little organ does, I would have got rid of it long ago. Six years ago, to be precise.
My schedule for the day is not very hectic. However, I will be meeting a very important business prospect that I have been looking forward to for a long time.
The CEO of Wilson Global, and I are finally meeting today to discuss our deal. The meeting is scheduled for eleven a.m. at Wilson Global's office. I won't be going to my office today. Wilson's office is almost an hour away from mine, and considering the early morning London traffic, Leah suggested we set out a bit early. She would pick me up at home directly and so I decide against reading more and get up right away. Afterall, I prefer not listening to Leah talk about the importance of punctuality all day long.
It's nine a.m. and I am now standing in front of my wardrobe. I have so many amazing outfits (thanks to my diva mum) and picking one among them is always a tough choice.
Should I go with the Vittoria's charcoal-gray pantsuit and the crisp white blouse? Or, shall I wear something bold, like crimson red sheath dress to make a statement?
I quickly search up the internet to check out the CEO and the other executives of Wilson Global. It looks like most of the employees (well there aren't many since the company is relatively new in the industry) in the top positions in that company is occupied my men.
I quickly make up my mind. Today we are going for the crimson sheath dress! I can bet a thousand pound that half of the people in today's meeting are going to be dressed in gray and black. What could be better way to stand out in the crowd than rocking a red outfit?
The hem of my dress stops a little below my knees. It has a high neckline giving the outfit a more formal look. The three-quarter open sleeve of the dress accentuates the black and red dragon tattoo on my left arm, and I am loving it. The day I turned 20, I decided I would finally get a tattoo. However, I had no idea what design I wanted, or where to get it.
I was randomly doing my research on some of the best tattoo artists in the world, who are known for their unique tattoo art, and I came across a name I couldn't even pronounce- Chen Jie. Chen Jie is clearly one of the best tattoo artists I've ever come across! Her tattoos looks like she painted them on the skin with delicate brushstrokes and not pointed needles. After going through some of her tattoo designs, I immediately fell in love with her style, and so I flew to Beijing to get my first tattoo from her.
I had always loved the idea of getting a tattoo, but mum used to tell me it's stupid to go through hours of pain under needles to get a drawing on your beautiful body. I remember how she tried to convince me against getting a tattoo, even as I was packing my bag to fly for the appointment. She said I would definitely regret getting tatted as I grow older.
Well, seems mum was wrong. Even after years, I love how the red dragon rests among the black clouds on my arms. The pain was an issue as mum said, but the end result was worth it. No wonder I got myself tattooed by her again two years ago and trust me, the temptation to get more tattoos keeps on increasing more.
I style the outfit with gold studs, a slim silver belt, and a matching silver closed toe heels. I quickly some Diptyque Tam Dao, and I am all set for the meeting!
I look at the clock and guess Leah must be almost here to pick me. I decide to buy me coffee on her way, but just as I was thinking of giving Leah a call, my phone buzzes with her call. " Good morning Aveline. I am waiting downstairs, so come down quickly if you are ready to leave."
Typical Leah. Her need to be exactly on time, not a minute early, not a minute late, seriously amazes me even after all these times. But honestly, what more would I ask from a secretary?
" Yeah, I'll be down in a few. Also buy me an espresso please."
I was craving hot chocolate earlier, so I did not drink coffee. But my body is already asking for its caffeine dose. I am not a huge fan of alcohol, but let alone a day, surviving eight hours without coffee makes me feel like I should rush to the rehab center.
On my way to the Wilson's office, I once again go through the proposals and other files we have prepared for our deal. I became interested in Wilson Global when, I first heard about their unique tech innovations in the medical field. It was almost six months ago. They were, and still are one of the most talked about tech start-ups in London, and as the CEO of Montague Enterprises, how could I not hear of the lucrative businesses in my own city?
Back then, I had asked our mergers and acquisition team to learn more about them. The Wilsons quickly made a name for themselves; however, they were still a small company. And tech needs a lot of money, which I happen to have a lot. I also asked Leah to see if any of our close business associates have any connection to the Wilsons so that we could talk business. Not like any business would deny having a meeting with the Montague Enterprises. At least not in Europe.
It turned out no one in my circle had any connection with them. So, I decided to have patience and let the M&A teams to do their stuff.
The heavens however had other plans. I had been looking for potential tech companies to invest in for almost a year at that time. It was also during that time that a major tech conference was happening in Stratford, and I secured us an invitation to the conference through connections. Afterall what could be a better way of finding profitable tech startups to invest in then attending a one where several of them would flock to.
Leah attended the conference in my stead to look out for new tech companies that might be interested in receiving our money. Who would have thought Leah would end up meeting up with the CEO of Wilson Global there.
Leah expressed our companies' interest in theirs, and she says Matthew Wilson was quite honored to have been noticed by one of the largest investment companies in Europe. The two shared contact, and now we are on our way to finalize the deal.
Initially, I was tempted to buy out their entire company, retaining their entire staff, and rename Wilsons Global to Montague Technologies. The thought of finally entering the tech world was tempting but after further discussions with my team and theirs, I decided on paying them quite a hefty sum for forty percent stake in their company. My team has already talked in detail about the terms and conditions of the investment, and today, Montague Enterprise will officially expand its way into the tech world too.
Leah, and I reach the Wilson Global office a little early and decide to take a tour around. Matthew's assistant gives us a quick round of their small office building, and then guides us to the meeting room. He said Matthew would be here soon, so we wait, sipping another cup of coffee the receptionist brought for us.
The clock hits eleven, and Matthew enters along with a man, who appears to be in his early 20s. Few other men follow the two, and soon they exchange smiles and hellos. After everyone gets seated, Matthew goes on to say how much this deal would mean for his company. Not entirely his anymore.
Being associated with Montague Enterprises means good news for any business and Matthew knows it. No wonder he readily gave away such huge ownership of his company to us. By partnering with Montague Finance, he does not just simply get the funding required for his business. He gets access to a whole new world of business connections, management expertise, and a tremendous increase in brand reputation, which would otherwise take years to build.
Although Wilson Global could be a huge deal in the future even without partnering with Montague Enterprises, Matthew knew being associated with us would speed up his company's success by several years. Looks like, the guy was in a hurry, and needed guidance in the management part of the business. So, when I stepped in, he willingly gave away almost half of his company to me. Quite lucky I would say. For both of us...
The deal is finally closed! After almost two hour long talk about this and that, we finally signed the deal. Leah and I share a glance and smile at each other.
As we are about to leave, the boy who walked in with Matthew speaks for the first time. " Miss Montague, this new start calls for a celebration. Would you be open to joining us for a celebration party this Saturday? You will make time to celebrate our union, right?" The young boy smiles at me. " I mean, the union of our companies." The boy looks straight into my eyes and turns his lips into an upward curve again.
So cheeky.
" Sure. We should definitely celebrate this deal. Count me in."
I quickly put on a professional smile on my face and bid them a goodbye. We quickly take a leave and I ask Leah to take me to the office. Our months of work had finally come to fruition, and I feel great about it..