Hannah's Chance (Chapter 9) (fm:sex at work, 5783 words) [9/9] show all parts

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Monday morning arrived with a grey October drizzle. Hannah arrived early at the office, determined to maintain her newfound momentum. She noticed that Clare's door was open and paused on the threshold, seeing her boss silhouetted against the window, staring out at the rain-slicked city. Clare turned, her expression unreadable. "Close the door, Hannah."

Hannah obeyed, the click of the latch sounding unnaturally loud in the quiet room. Clare didn't sit. Instead, she paced slowly behind her desk, her eyes never leaving Hannah. "Your emails," she began, her voice dangerously soft. "Vague on Tanaka. Vague on Keller. And still no name for this 'major shareholder'." She stopped, planting her hands on the polished wood. "You've also made a major mistake in promising Keller a detailed analysis within a week. It's a ridiculous timescale for us to follow, you ought to have specified a fortnight at least."

Hannah met her gaze, keeping her own voice level. "Alex is already working on the technical repositioning. A bank - Creighton Bank - is drafting the separation mechanics. The timeline is aggressive, but achievable."

"Creighton Bank?" Clare's eyebrows lifted fractionally. "That niche operation? Since when do you have direct access to their carve-out specialists?" She leaned forward, knuckles whitening on the desk edge. "And why was I not consulted before you committed my resources to this impossible deadline?"

Hannah held her ground. "The opportunity demanded speed. Keller was ready to walk. Maria Wallington at Creighton has the expertise and the bandwidth. I leveraged our relationship."

"I'm still saying you could have handled this better. I hope you're not becoming a loose cannon." Clare's eyes narrowed, her gaze sharp enough to cut glass. "And Alex? You've assigned him critical Keller work without consulting me. What about Tanaka? You promised progress." She tapped a finger on her desk. "I need a detailed update. Now."

Hannah took a measured breath, choosing her words with precision. "Tanaka is complex. The board is fractured. Reddy leads a faction resistant to any external solution, viewing our involvement as a threat to his own plans. Chen, however, sees value in our strategy." She paused, letting the division sink in. "The shareholder I met in Milan is aligned with Chen. They're applying pressure, but it's delicate. One misstep could tip the balance toward Reddy."

Clare's expression remained stony. "Delicate? You're dangling promises to two volatile clients with overlapping crises. Alex cannot split his focus between Tanaka's model refinements and Keller's complete scientific repositioning. Not in five days." She picked up a pen, tapping it rhythmically. "Prioritize. Tanaka first. Keller's proposal can wait."

Hannah's pulse quickened. "Keller's timeline is fixed. If we delay, he'll assume weakness and walk. Maria's bank is mobilizing now." She leaned forward slightly. "Alex only needs to finalize the biomarker data - the heavy structuring is with Creighton. I know Tanaka's a much bigger fish, but Chen doesn't have a notional majority on the board as yet, so we have to wait for that anyway. Besides, their model is already functional. Minor tweaks can wait."

Clare's pen stilled. "What you refer to as minor tweaks may be what secures a board majority. Haven't you looked at it that way?"

Hannah felt a flicker of irritation but kept her voice steady. "The major shareholder I presented the model to has seen enough to try and pressure the board. We have to wait to hear from them now. Rushing Alex

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Hook writes Mon 17 Nov 2025 19:58:

I suspect you have considerable knowledge of international financial strategy. Professor? Industry VP?
The story's flow is brilliant, with plenty of sidetracks, just as in real life. Well done!!

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