The morning was busy but orderly at CARTER Organization.
Workers moved with purpose between glass doors and polished floors.
CARTER's Logo...bold silver letters...caught the light as staff streamed in.
Departments spread out across the building...Production, Sales, Logistics, HR, Marketing and the large open-plan Accounting Hall on the first floor where Martha worked.
Martha stepped out of Fred Thompson's car and straightened her blouse.
Everyone nearby knew Fred was her boyfriend; he didn't hide it, and she didn't either.
At the gate they exchanged quick, professional nods with colleagues who were also flying in.
Fred gave her a small, supportive smile at her and headed up toward the executive floor.
He was in a hurry to join a boardroom meeting; Martha walked the short corridor to the Accounting Department.
The Accounting Hall was wide and bright, rows of desks and monitors arranged in neat blocks.
A low hum of calculators, keyboards and quiet conversation filled the air.
Several accountants were already at their stations, printing reports or checking spreadsheets.
A notice board near the entrance listed monthly targets, deadlines, and the day's meeting schedule.
Martha moved through the hall with practiced ease, greeting a few coworkers.
"Morning, Nana," she said, stopping by a cluster of desks.
"Morning, Martha," Nana replied with a quick smile. Nana's face was calm and efficient...always focused on the day's tasks.
Lizzy, the team lead, sat at a desk near the center.
She acknowledged Martha with a measured nod that was polite but cool.
Her voice was professional, but the tone was sharp.
"Martha, I need the reconciliations for Warehouse Two before noon," Lizzy said without looking up.
"On it," Martha answered, handing over a printed summary.
Lizzy's fingers skimmed the pages.
Her words were brief and businesslike; the edge in her manner barely registered for anyone else, but Martha felt it.
Across the hall, other accounting staff...clerks, analysts, and a couple of junior accountants were busy checking invoices, following up on receivables, and preparing payroll sheets.
The department felt well-staffed: several hands typing, people consulting ledger books, and a senior analyst fine-tuning a cash-flow forecast on a large monitor.
Near the entrance, Gabriella's name flashed on a starred agenda item.
Gabriella, the department head, was not usually in the hall; she spent much of her time in executive meetings and strategic sessions with management.
Today, however, she was expected upstairs for a full briefing with the top executives.
Same meeting Fred had rushed to join upstairs.
She and Lizzy, her assistant shared a brief, professional exchange.
It was obviously an instruction she was giving to Lizzy to coordinate the team.
Gabriella's smile was cool, efficient, and distant.
She left the department in the good hands of Elizabeth Rowland, popularly called Lizzy.
***
The glass doors of the top-floor boardroom slid open and Fred Thompson stepped inside.
The long oval table gleamed beneath soft recessed lights.
Around it sat the key heads of Carter Organization... men and women in crisp suits, their tablets and reports spread before them.
First son of the CEO of Carter organization, Ryan Benson looked up briefly, his usual smirk appearing. "You're right on time, Thompson. We were about to begin."
Fred smiled lightly. "Wouldn't risk being on time for anything ".
Jordan Benson, seated beside his elder brother, nodded without warmth. "Morning, Fred."
Even if they didn't have the ability to show how much they hated Fred openly, it was obvious beneath their fake smiles.
They used to think Fred had the ability to snatch their father's organization because of his competence.
Fred returned the greeting, took his seat, and placed his folder neatly before him.
The large screen at the far end of the room blinked to life, revealing Williams Benson... the Chairman and General Manager of Carter organization connected via Zoom.
He was the father of the Benson brothers.
Ryan, Jordan and his mistress son, Dave.
His silver hair and calm, authoritative eyes commanded the room even from miles away.
"Good morning, everyone," came his firm voice through the speakers. "Let's get started. Ryan, you can chair the session."
Ryan straightened slightly, glancing around the table. "Alright. Let's begin with updates from each department. Gabriella, we'll start with Accounting."
Gabriella, dressed in a tailored navy suit, adjusted her glasses. Her voice was steady. "This week's reports show stable cash flow across all regions. Store managers from the eastern and northern branches confirmed consistent payment cycles. However, we had a slight delay in reconciliation from two outlets... both in the southern region. It's being corrected."
Ryan nodded. "What caused the delay?"
"System upgrade interruptions," Gabriella replied. "We've already coordinated with IT to prevent a recurrence."
"Good," Ryan said, scribbling something. "Anything else?"
She hesitated briefly. "We also finalized payroll adjustments for the new hires and updated the expense sheets for production. Everything aligns with the last audit."
Dave Benson, seated further down, tapped his pen loudly on the table. "Wait...wait. Did you say delay? How many days' delay?"
Gabriella turned slightly toward him. "Three days, Dave."
He nodded, jotting something hurriedly. "Three days is not good. If three days turns into four, four becomes five, then…" He stopped mid-sentence, eyes narrowing in confusion before nodding again. "Yes, good. Just...just make sure it doesn't happen again.". He clumsily chewed his pen harder, hoping the ground could swallow him that moment.
The room went quiet for a moment.
Fred's eyes softened slightly, then turned back to the papers before him.
Ryan quickly redirected. "What about Production, Patrick? How is it going so far?"
Patrick, a tall man with a calm tone, spoke next. "Production levels have increased by four percent this week, thanks to the new weaving machines. However, one of our suppliers delayed the silk shipment, which slowed down output for two days."
Jordan leaned forward. "What are we doing about that supplier?"
Patrick replied, "We've already sent a notice. If it happens again, we'll switch vendors. Fred suggested last month that we diversify suppliers; I think that's proving to be wise advice."
Fred simply nodded, his expression neutral.
Ryan's jaw tightened briefly, then he turned. "Laura, Marketing."
Laura, with her bright blazer and crisp notes, smiled. "Marketing reports a six percent rise in online engagement. Our 'Luxury Threads for Every Season' campaign performed well across all digital platforms. Store managers report that customer foot traffic increased by nine percent after the campaign launch."
Dave suddenly interrupted, squinting. "Nine percent... is that good or bad?"
Laura blinked. "It's an improvement, Dave."
He nodded vaguely. "Good. I like improvement."
The department heads exchanged quiet glances though they were used to Dave's meaningless observations but stayed composed.
Ryan cleared his throat. "Benjamin, Logistics."
Benjamin, always precise, said, "Distribution efficiency remains steady. However, transportation costs have increased due to higher fuel prices. We're revising route plans with our regional dispatch managers to balance expenses."
Williams' voice came from the screen. "Make sure the reports on that are shared with Accounting, Benjamin."
"Yes, sir," Benjamin replied.
Finally, Ryan turned to Evelyn. "Sales?"
Evelyn smiled confidently. "Sales are up seven percent overall. Store managers from all major regions sent in solid reports. We noticed particularly strong performance in the capital branch and western retail hubs. However, customer feedback suggests we should improve packaging quality for premium orders."
Fred nodded thoughtfully. "That aligns with last quarter's findings. I think we can integrate a packaging review without affecting production costs. Patrick, if your team can coordinate with Evelyn's..."
Ryan interrupted, his tone light but sharp. "Let's hold off on giving directives, Fred. We'll review suggestions after the reports."
Fred simply smiled, undisturbed. "Of course. Just a thought."
Williams' deep voice came again, calm but authoritative. "Let him continue, Ryan. I'd like to hear what he has in mind."
Ryan froze briefly, then leaned back. "Go ahead."
Fred turned a page in his folder. "It's a small initiative. We could introduce regional quality audits every month instead of quarterly. Store managers can send concise updates through the digital dashboard. It'll help identify issues like packaging before they affect sales volume. It's low-cost but effective."
Jordan exchanged a glance with Ryan. "That's...uh...ambitious. Are we sure the store managers have the capacity for that kind of reporting?"
Fred replied evenly, "They already submit monthly inventory. It's just an extra field in the existing form."
Williams' image shifted as he leaned closer to the screen. "That's a sound idea, Fred. Implement it next month. Gabriella, ensure Accounting tracks any cost changes."
"Yes, sir," Gabriella said, her expression unreadable.
Ryan forced a smile. "Excellent point, Fred. Always the strategist."
Fred's lips curved faintly. "Teamwork keeps the numbers strong."
Williams chuckled softly from the screen. "That's the spirit I like to hear."
There was a pause as everyone adjusted papers.
The quiet hum of the air conditioner filled the space.
Williams then spoke again, tone final. "Before we close, let's review our next steps for market expansion. Fred, I'd like you to lead a cross-departmental assessment on new regional branches. Coordinate with Ryan and Jordan on that."
Jordan's smile was polite but stiff. "Of course, Father. Fred and I will handle it."
Fred nodded calmly. "Happy to collaborate."
Williams concluded, "Excellent. You're all doing well. Let's keep Carter Organization at the top of the industry."
The screen blinked off.
For a brief moment, no one moved.
Then chairs scraped softly as everyone rose.
Papers shuffled, quiet murmurs filled the air.
Ryan clapped Fred lightly on the shoulder. "Nice ideas today. You always have one more trick up your sleeve, don't you?"
Fred smiled faintly. "Just doing my job."
As the team filed out, Gabriella glanced back once at Fred before following the others.
Fred stood by the window for a moment, watching the skyline...
***
Martha returned to her desk later in the morning with a stack of approved reconciliations and a calendar filled with deadlines.
Lizzy glanced up, expression unchanged.
"You handled Warehouse Two," Lizzy said, dryly.
"Yes. I'll send the updated ledger and follow up on the missing invoices," Martha replied.
Nana offered a quick thumbs-up from her desk.
Other team members continued their work, focused and methodical.
The Accounting Hall hummed with activity...reporting, reconciling, and preparing data for the next management check-in.
Outside the department, the organization carried on: production scheduling, sales calls, and logistics planning.
Inside, the Accounting team kept the company's financial engine running...precise, diligent, and essential.
Fred's voice carried through a quick hallway greeting when he came down briefly to collect a document.
He remained professional, firm, and quietly respected...stealing glances at Martha to check if she was having a hard time.