The locator panel displayed the elevator's slow descent and apparent pause at each floor. At 7pm, the last shift change had occurred and those employees of the Children's Hospital, who had just completed their work day, were making a hasty exodus from the building. As the elevator's doors opened, the rush of people poured through the exit barely noticing the single female waiting for the car that would transport her to the tenth floor executive offices. Alena Madyson smiled at the Pediatric ICU Director who acknowledged her presence while the crowd otherwise ignored her.
After the commotion settled, Alena was able to catch a lift and begin her solitary ride to her last appointment for the day. Glancing at the mirrored panels, she groaned at the reflection of the tired, gaunt features staring back at her. Was a thirty-three year old professional woman supposed to look this haggard? Obviously her choice of the plain gray suit and white blouse was not the most eye catching attire but her entire wardrobe consisted of similar pieces with only slight variations. Her dark brown hair was severely pulled back into tight twist garnished with a mechanical pencil, that she swore she had lost earlier that day, and her brown eyes, which once resembled melting chocolate, now contained a mixture of colors reminiscent of a toddler's first attempt at finger painting...ugly. Although never a slave to fashion, Alena had once been described as attractive, a natural beauty with rich dark coloring and a curvaceous petite body. One man had called her beautiful. Well, maybe others had thought her beautiful, but only one man's opinion had ever mattered.
But now, as she stared at her pale reflection, Alena thought she looked closer to her mother's age. The flashing thought of her mom reminded her of the painful loss that had dominated so much of her life. The untimely death of her parents forced an eighteen year old Alena to become a legal guardian of two younger siblings. Her brother's disabilities may have limited her social life, but her love for the boy had replaced the need to be with anyone, with the exception of that one man.
Harnessing her thoughts, Alena remembered how her parents had taught her that family should be revered above all else. Had she not followed their examples while caring for her brother and sister? Was she not placing her family as priority when she tried to explain her life to that man, the explanation which was a major cause their separation leaving both angry and hurt, so that she could be with Tony during the final stages of his illness? And how had she failed her sister, Lia? Had she not worked hard to provide the best private schools money could buy? In the end, Tony died, the man left, and Lia was still missing and classified as "presumed dead." If her parents had lived, would Tony still be alive? Did she fail as a surrogate parent in keeping Lia safe? In her heart, she knew that her self-pitying was unfounded. Every year that Tony had lived, the doctors had declared as an exception. And Lia had boasted of her party girl lifestyle reminding Alena that she would never be the girl left behind, crying over the one that got away referring to the man who had given her older sister hope that fairy tales do come true. Unfortunately, the fairy tale was replaced with a vow of never being subjected to that pain again.
Eight years ago after an investigation by the Office of Inspector General, the executives of the Children Hospital were escorted out in handcuffs by FBI agents and the hospital was soon purchased by the American Kingdom Foundation. Although corporate CEO, Edward King, had never stepped foot in the pediatric units, his financial generosity had kept the healthcare provider's doors open.
"Oh yeah, I'll take big fat donations over cheesy PR appearances any day," Alena had boasted to her staff.
But Edward King was anything except invisible. Female colleagues joked about getting their daily fix of the King thanks to the various local newspapers and TV news stations. He always appeared diplomatic, considerate, and gorgeous. Attending every elite function that the city's night life offered, Edward would pause at the entrance of an establishment to speak to a reporter and always mentioned the needs of the hospital. Impeccably dressed, he was always accompanied by two standard accessories: 1) a beautiful woman whose pale perfection complimented his dark features and 2) the man, who looked a mythological god from the Mediterranean, standing in the background, not as an onlooker, but as the friend, brother and guard, ready to sacrifice his life for Edward's. The day the Foundation assumed ownership, that man, Gabriel Philandros, was announced as the hospital's new CEO.
On the first day of his command, Gabriel walked into the executives demanding to speak to the Director of the Finance Department. When Alena arrived at his beckoning, they started a tedious review of the numerous accounts so they could present accurate financial statements to the board. After a few weeks of late nights filled with his questions and her answers, their conversations started shifting to more personal topics regarding family, hobbies and travel. In a matter of days, the professional communication converted to playful banter that started with her innocent observation about his late start in the work day. When he finally revealed his true nature, Alena sat quietly staring at him. Certainly, his expression confirmed that he was not joking. But as she studied his face, she vowed that he was not only the best looking man she had ever seen but also the best looking man that ever lived. Well, not lived but existed. In addition, she discovered that his gorgeous looks were also fearsome and silently spoke of the destructive power. The observation did not change her feelings for him because their bond was too strong. That bond had promised an eternity of happiness but ended with a lifetime of miserable reminders.
As the elevator neared her destination, Alena snapped back to the present consumed with her loss – Tony's death, the man's rejection and Lia's disappearance. In addition, she had liquidated every asset and had borrowed on every credit card to pay for the private investigators who had promised to find some clues to her sister's location. In the end, they all had the same report of "no leads, cold case, presumed dead" and Alena was left alone and in massive debt.
A generic chime brought Alena from her thoughts and to the realization that she had finally arrived at her destination. While the majority of the administrative work force was beginning their weekend, Alena was reporting to a summons that had appeared on her MS Outlook calendar. The executive team on site consisted of the Chief Nursing Office, Chief Operations Officer, and, her immediate supervisor, the Chief Financial Officer. The latter would be the only bastard inconsiderate enough to call a meeting at 7pm, Friday. As she walked down the corridor, Alena reminded herself that she had no weekend plans, no family waiting for her arrival and she would have probably worked late anyway.
Stepping into the executive suites always disappointed Alena on the misuse of the hospital's scare funds. The children's hospital survived on the dedication of employees who cared more for their mission than their paychecks. The clinicians gave the love and devotion that patients and families needed to endure horrific diagnosis, procedures and, sometimes, death; while the ancillary staff served the patients by protecting the financial assets, monitoring expenses and maximizing profits. Everyone worked together with the exception of the executives. Noting the décor with usual distaste, Alena wondered if an interior designer was kept on retainer. With each step, the heels of her shoes would sink into the lush carpet making her pause to question if she should remove the offensive accessories. Mentally scolding her subjection to this hedonistic squalor, Alena approached the only occupied desk in her line of vision.
"Hey, Frieda," Alena greeted the executive assistant, "I have a meeting with Steve. Is he in?" she asked looking at the closed door to the CFO's office.
"Sorry Alena, Steve's not here," she said while gathering her personal belongings in obvious preparation for her own departure. "You should have made an appointment or at least called before just dropping in", Frieda reprimanded.
"Ok", Alena stiffly replied at the terse comment, "maybe I'm supposed to meet with Debbie or John. My calendar had a generic post to meet in the executive suites. Are either of those two here?"
"No such luck. Are you sure you have the right day?" Frieda paused in her packing to look at Alena.
"Lately, even I would question my judgment, but the Outlook reminders informed me of this appointment. Since the executives are the only people with access to my calendar, would you please check to see who made the request?" Alena asked. "I know you're ready to fly but apparently someone initiated this meeting."
"O-kay," Frieda mumbled logging on to her desktop. "Oh my," she said in a wide eye stare at her monitor, "When did he get here?"
"Who"?
Frieda's head jerked up to blink at Alena in a mouth gaping stupor.
