Emily rolled out of bed the next morning, her head feeling like she had pressed the scramble button on her brains. She was racking up sleepless nights. All she could think about was the meeting over at Sunny Studios and the implications for her company. Never mind the fact that Conor had stood her up last night. It obviously wasn’t a good sign.

She knew Jude Ryan, Conor’s attorney, by reputation. Nobody seemed to have a good word to say about the man and not just on a business level. Corporate attorneys had a reputation for being ruthless, but this guy went further than that. Everything she read about him suggested he took pleasure in making the small guy pay. What would he want from her and the foundation? Conor said he wouldn’t sue, but did he mean it? Could he hold back the Rottweiler on his team?

Emily closed her eyes, remembering how those baby blues had pinned her to her seat on Sunday night. They could have frozen the waters of San Francisco Bay and his glacial tone had her in no doubt he meant business. So far, everything about Conor suggested he was a man of his word, but…

She nervously bit her lip. She didn’t have the funds to hire an attorney at Jude Ryan’s level.

She saw Dan the doorman’s look of concern before he returned his face to the pleasant mask he wore to meet and greet the building’s occupants. She declined his offer to call a cab. This morning, she would walk. It would help reduce her stress levels. She hoped so, anyway.

* * *

Conor walked in through the back door of the conference room. The nervous energy was palpable as he made his way through the crowd of employees, hearing bits and pieces of their conversations before they realized he was there. Silence fell as people gazed at him, their expressions a mixture of fear and anger.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. My previous meeting ran over. I hate being late, so please accept my apologies. I suppose you are all wondering why I called you here this morning.”

Nobody moved a muscle. Conor looked around the room. The only people meeting his gaze were Crystal, Gary and Sarah. The others seemed to think he would remove their heads from their necks should they look on his person. He frowned. He didn’t like that type of autocratic company environment. Sure, he was the boss, but the company was only as good as the best of its employees. Jude totally disagreed. If Jude had his way, every member of staff would have to re-interview for their own job. Jude seemed to enjoy intimidating his employees.

“As you all know, I have recently taken over Sunny Studios and while there are a lot of positive things about this company, there are quite a few things I have to change. First and foremost, as many of you will be aware, we are no longer marketing our latest game. We have suspended that product and all plans for any future releases. All customers will be refunded for their purchases. As of last night, that game is no longer available on the market.”

The whispers grew louder before he went on. “I have serious concerns about the level of violence associated with the games produced by this company. Going forward, that type of game is not something I want associated with Sunny Studios. Before I continue with my plans for the company, I want to offer every employee the chance to resign with three months salary as severance if you wish to work elsewhere.”

Conor caught Jude’s eye above the crowd. His lawyer’s face still looked like a corpse. The man nearly had a heart attack when Conor had outlined his plans earlier. But he wanted a clean slate and the only way to achieve that was by getting rid of any troublesome elements in the quickest, cleanest fashion.

“In addition to the severance, you will receive a reference. This reference will not refer to your outstanding performance or anything else as I do not know if that information is correct. What it will say is that your position was part of a company-wide layoff during restructure following the takeover.” He remained quiet until the noise around the room died down. “Crystal Kelley, my executive assistant, will compile a list of those who wish to take the severance. If you need time to think about your decision, the offer is open until the end of the week. If you have already made your mind up and wish to take the package, you are free to leave this meeting now.”

He surveyed the room, his gaze landing on those he wished would leave. He already knew who he didn’t want on his team going forward. The personnel files had been fairly useless in his decision making but the conversations with Sarah, Gary and Crystal had been illuminating. Again, he found himself wondering why people would speak negatively about the boss in front of Crystal. Was it not obvious she was one of his most trusted personnel? Or did people assume because she worked in a secretarial capacity, her opinion was therefore irrelevant?

He hid a smile as a few of the people on his “gone” list stood up and left. A couple he wanted to leave had an uncertain look on their face. They would probably make a decision over the next few days. And then there were the diehards. The trouble makers he wanted to leave who would stay to the bitter end. Maybe they believed he would offer them more money to leave or they could be under the unfortunate impression their skills were key to the success of Sunny Studios.

The lead designer on Get The Girl game almost certainly fell into this category. Well, Mr. Dander was about to get a horrible surprise. As a condition of their employment, all employees had agreed to regular screening of their company equipment. Conor’s security team had already gone through every piece of company hardware and software and their findings made for some interesting reading. Some of the staff spent more time on Facebook than anything else. But it was those who used the company resources for other, less sociable reasons he was most keen on speaking to.

A number of people had left the room by the time Conor stopped scrutinizing the workforce. He felt horrible for those who came in and gave the company their all during their working hours. Why was it the innocent always looked the most guilty at these type of company gatherings?

“Most of you have nothing to worry about. In fact, I am pleased by the number of committed employees I have gained by taking over this company. I hope you will not only stay with me on our journey, but you will find your role in our company’s success more enjoyable as well as financially rewarding. I plan on making this company the most successful gaming production company in the world. Yes, my plans are ambitious but if we reach for the moon and fall on the stars, I don’t think anyone will complain.”

He waited until the applause died down.

“The first change I wish to introduce will be a complete overhaul of the company branding. I do not wish to be associated with the name Sunny Studios for various reasons. So the name of the company will change. Everyone will have a say in that, so please forward any suggestions or ideas you may have to Ms. Sarah Grafton. She will pick out those she considers have merit and pass them on to the marketing team. The games we produce will be the most sophisticated on the market. I look forward to gathering you all here a year from now to celebrate our top ten successes.” Again, he had to wait for the applause to die down.

“I know there are gamers and designers among you who have amazing ideas. You will have a greater voice going forward. I will reveal our plans in more detail at the next meeting. For now, please be assured that those of you who wish to remain working positively in this company will be fine. Our ethos is changing, and our success will come, but the next few months may be the most difficult as we transition into something better. So be prepared to put in the hours. I am changing the remuneration structure as well. All staff will now get bonuses based on company profits, not just those on the sales team.”

Conor looked at his audience, pleased to see more than a spark of excitement.

“I am sure you guys have questions for me. I commit to meeting each of you individually, but this will take time. Crystal will organize my schedule. Please take advantage of this opportunity. I look forward to getting to know all of you.”

Conor took a deep breath before he delivered his last comment.

“As many of you know from reading The Ugly Truth, certain comments were made about me and this company over the weekend. This matter is being handled and I do not want any member of my staff to get involved. Do I make myself clear? Do not engage either on behalf of Sunny Studios or privately in any form with the chatter about this weekend’s activities. If anyone believes they can get involved and remain anonymous, I suggest you take advantage of the severance package on offer.”

Conor ignored the rumblings of conversation his last announcement had caused.

“Thank you for your time this morning. We will meet again next Monday when I will be in a position to make clearer announcements.”

Conor left the room before anyone could catch him. He knew certain individuals couldn’t wait to speak to him, but he wanted their conversations to remain private. While he didn’t condone most of the behavior his security team had uncovered, he wasn’t about to embarrass anyone in front of their work colleagues, either. Belittling people never worked, for various reasons.