Emerald’s POV
I stepped out of Professor King’s office with my assignment held against my chest.
Although he had spent time going through my report with me, I could barely remember anything he had said after I returned to his office.
My mind was elsewhere. Grandpa’s phone call had completely thrown me off.
"Have you started making plans to reclaim Mercer Technologies?"
I slowly descended the stairs leading out of the Business School, replaying that single question over and over in my mind.
When he had asked it, I had been completely caught off guard.
The truth was, I hadn’t begun the plans yet. It wasn’t due to a lack of desire, nor had I forgotten my promise to him.
Ever since arriving at Lanard, every day had been spent settling into a new city, adjusting to classes, completing assignments, and trying to establish a routine. Before I knew it, more than a week had already passed.
I had intended to begin with it, but I simply hadn’t realized how quickly time had slipped away.
As I stepped outside, the cool late afternoon breeze brushed gently across my face. I exhaled softly. The hunger I had felt before my meeting with Professor King had disappeared completely.
Initially, I had planned to spend another hour or two in the library before returning to my dormitory. That wasn’t going to happen anymore.
Even if I sat there until closing time, I doubted I would absorb a single page. My thoughts would only continue returning to Mercer Technologies.
After returning to my dormitory, I placed my bag on the chair and headed straight for the bathroom.
The cool water helped wash away some of the fatigue from the day, but it did little to settle my thoughts.
Once I had changed into more comfortable clothes, I sat quietly at my desk. I stared at the notebook lying in front of me a second before reaching for my pen.
There was no point delaying any longer. Grandpa’s call was the right awakening.
If I intended to reclaim Mercer Technologies in six months, I couldn’t wait for the perfect opportunity to present itself. I needed to understand what had changed since I left.
Closing my notebook again, I reached for my phone instead. Fortunately, there were still people inside Mercer whom I trusted completely.
Some of them had joined the company during its earliest days.
Back then, Mercer had been nothing more than a handful of people working tirelessly to turn an ambitious idea into a successful business.
We had celebrated every milestone together, no matter how small. Some of them still kept in touch with me from time to time.
After scrolling through my contacts, I stopped at a familiar name. A faint smile appeared on my lips before I pressed the call button. The call connected after only two rings.
"Good evening." The man’s respectful voice came through the speaker.
"Good evening."
There was a brief pause before his voice, a semi-high-pitched tone, broke the silence. "...Miss Hugo?" His tone brightened immediately. "I wasn’t expecting your call."
"I hope I’m not interrupting your work."
"Not at all, Miss Hugo."
"It’s actually good to hear from you."
We spoke casually for a few minutes. He asked how I had been, and I asked how things were at Mercer.
The conversation felt no different from any of our previous calls over the years. Only after some time did I gradually ask about the company.
"Has everyone been keeping busy lately?"
"Very busy." He laughed softly.
"Some things never change."
"I suppose they don’t."
I smiled. "What about the board? Have they been holding many meetings recently?"
"There have been a few."
"Anything important?"
"Nothing that has been announced to the staff."
"I see." I nodded thoughtfully before asking another question. "I heard someone mention that the company has been meeting with several outside firms recently. Do you know anything about that?"
"I’m afraid not, Miss Hugo. If it’s happening, it hasn’t reached our department."
"That’s understandable." I paused briefly before continuing. "What about new investors? Have you heard anything?"
"No. At least, nothing credible," he replied. "Most of the rumours disappear after a few days. I suppose that’s normal."
"It always is." I agreed.
The conversation continued for several more minutes. By the time we ended the call, I had learned enough to know that nothing significant had become public within the company.
If anything important was happening, it was being kept strictly within senior management. That wasn’t surprising.
After thanking him for his time, I ended the call and opened my notebook.
Rather than writing lengthy notes, I simply recorded the information I had confirmed, leaving space beneath each point for anything new I might learn later.
Once I finished, I looked over the page again. There were still too many unanswered questions. But at least now, I knew where to begin.
Time slipped by unnoticed as I continued organising my thoughts. A yawn escaped me. I ignored it. But a few minutes later, another followed. Only then did I realise how tired I had become.
Pushing my chair back, I stood and stretched before walking towards the small kitchenette.
I opened the refrigerator, which was nearly empty. One shelf held just a few bottles of water, and another had a single carton of fruit juice. Aside from that, there was nothing else.
I smiled helplessly. "I’ll have to go shopping this weekend," I muttered under my breath.
Closing the refrigerator, I filled the kettle and switched it on. While I waited for the water to boil, my eyes wandered absentmindedly around the small kitchen.
It really had been a busy week. Busy enough that buying groceries had somehow slipped my mind.
A few minutes later, I prepared a cup of instant coffee. The familiar aroma rose gently with the steam as I carried the mug back to my desk. Setting it beside my notebook, I picked up my pen once more.
There were still a few people I intended to speak with over the next several days. I wasn’t expecting any one person to have every answer, but every conversation might reveal another small piece of the puzzle.
For now, that was enough.