Mel stepped off the private elevator into the Kallen Capital executive floor precisely at 11:45 AM. She was wearing a simple, dark suit that was less about fashion and more about armor. The fatigue from two days of hospital vigils was hidden behind a professional mask of cool, razor-sharp focus.
The energy on the floor had shifted. The staff knew she had been gone for a personal emergency, and her quick return signaled that her personal life was not a vulnerability, but a brief interlude. The message: she was back, and she was untouched.
Melanie walked past her office, where the lights were already on, and headed directly for the conference room. Rhys Kallen, already seated at the head of the long mahogany table, looked up, his expression unreadable, a mix of possessiveness and profound relief.
Chloe Vance was seated nearby, projecting an air of temporary, efficient command. She had a stack of documents related to the Argos Project spread neatly before her. As Mel entered, Chloe offered a tight, professional smile.
"Melanie. So glad you're back," Chloe said, the concern in her voice failing to reach her eyes. "I've just been reviewing the Argos files. It's a complex administrative issue, but nothing a second pair of eyes couldn't manage. I can brief you now on the steps I took to mitigate the potential compliance issue."
Melanie didn't sit down. She walked to the opposite end of the table and placed her single, slim briefcase on the surface.
"That won't be necessary, Chloe," Melanie said, her voice quiet but carrying the authority of a struck gavel. "My mandate is absolute. The moment I stepped off the elevator, all interim authority ceased."
She fixed Chloe with a cold stare. "The administrative delay you reported was an easily managed technicality, not a compliance failure. Creating a crisis around a procedural backlog, especially one generated by the absence of the Chief Risk Analyst, is not mitigating risk; it is creating political instability."
Melanie turned her attention to Rhys, but spoke for the benefit of the two other analysts in the room, making sure the message was broadcast.
"Mr. Kallen, I require one immediate measure to prevent this kind of political maneuvering from compromising my division again. The Argos Due Diligence Review is now classified as Level 5 Priority," Melanie declared. "All document sign-offs, data access, and scheduled meetings for Argos must now be personally cleared by me. Furthermore, any attempt by an executive to request delegation or access to Argos documents from the Risk Analysis team, unless sanctioned by me, will be reported to the Board as a potential breach of internal controls."
Rhys nodded slowly, a predatory smile just touching his lips. She wasn't asking for protection; she was building an impenetrable fortress around her work, and by extension, around his most prized asset.
"The classification stands," Rhys confirmed, his voice echoing her severity. "The Risk Analyst's mandate is absolute."
The change was instantaneous. Breach of internal controls was a career killer. Chloe's face went pale. Her attempt to gain a foothold in Argos had resulted in a security lockdown that specifically boxed her out.
Melanie finally walked to her chair, stopping directly across from Chloe.
"I spent the last two days dealing with a serious personal emergency," Melanie said, leaning down slightly, her tone dropping to a cutting whisper only Chloe could hear. "I learned there are things in life that are truly catastrophic. A two-day signature delay is not one of them. Your attempt to leverage my mother's illness for professional gain was not only politically short-sighted, it was profoundly disrespectful."
She straightened up. "Consider this your only warning, Chloe. Focus on your commission reports. Focus on your own portfolio. The next time you interfere with my department's controls, you will not receive a simple reprimand; you will be dismissed for cause."
The silence in the room was absolute. Chloe picked up her papers, her movements stiff and controlled. She had been publicly, decisively, and irrevocably defeated.
Rhys watched Melanie sit down, take a deep breath, and open her laptop to the Argentinian bond report. The Lion's possessiveness had been replaced, for the moment, by sheer, unadulterated admiration.
She is better than I am, he thought, because she knows exactly which battles are worth fighting.