The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Eric must have gotten used to the workload and grown confident in handling the tasks he was assigned.

"I'm good. Besides, I'm getting paid to help you out with stuff like this anyway. But now that you've set up your company, can I be an investor?"

I froze. "But your revenue share is nearly the same as one." If he joined in as an investor, wouldn't that mean lesser profit for me?

He quickly explained, "Don't worry, I won't demand more revenue share after I invest in the company."

Eric knew Annalise had what it took to lead and run a company. More importantly, the brand was her brainchild.

After some hesitation, he confessed, "You could easily replace me if I remained in my role, but the dynamics would be different once I become a shareholder."

I understood where he was coming from. He wanted to be an actual part of the company, not just a regular employee.

I said, "All right, then. But we'll need an office to run our business out of. We might not be able to afford a huge office right now.

"I think it'd be feasible for our office to be in the same building as Sasha's. What do you think? I've got some cash with me. I could wire you the money for the office. We could have our new hires work there when the time comes."

At first, Eric was worried he'd have to tank his funds to purchase an office. I could tell he was relieved when I offered to contribute to the purchase as well. He reassured me, "Leave it to me. I'll sort this out properly. You have nothing to worry about."

I had faith in his capabilities. After all, he was Zane's right-hand man. "By the way, have you figured out how much we should pay our employees?"

Eric shook his head.

"Well, what if we paid our interns and probation staff three thousand dollars with housing and meal allowances?" I suggested. Living expenses in the city were high, and I was worried three thousand dollars might not be enough to cover the average probation staffer's rent and other living expenses.

I added, "And we'll increase their pay to five thousand after they've been confirmed and pay them a commission. If the sales numbers are good, they're entitled to some of the revenue, too."

Eric nodded. "Sounds good to me." Rent in the city was costly. The probation staff and interns would hardly have any money to put aside after paying their rent, meals, and commute.

Besides, the commission was an added perk for staffers who had passed probation. The money was practically a given at this point, considering the company's positive sales numbers.

"Oh, and we could throw in other benefits like maternity leaves and in-house childcare services," I said.noveldrama

Eric had picked up on these concepts while he was working at Huxham Corporation. He knew he could execute the ideas well. "Don't worry. I'll come up with the perfect arrangement."

I broke into a smile. "All right."

After our discussion, Eric reported back to Zane, who fixed him with an assessing look. Eric found it odd and asked, "What's wrong, Mr. Huxham?"

"You've improved a great deal lately," Zane observed frankly, not at all withholding his compliments for Eric. "You were great at your job before, but you're more meticulous and confident now."

Indeed, Eric's time management and overall performance were second to none. He grinned and said, "Practice

makes perfect, right? Thetical

helped me polish up my

performance. I was all over the place when I first started, and I couldn't seem to get anything right.

"But I got used to the pace and demands. And now, I still have some free time left over after I've sorted out my usual work."

Zane was happy to hear this. "But try to get some rest now and then. I don't want you to overwork."

He would lose out on an excellent employee if Eric ever crashed because of work.

"Don't worry," Eric reassured him

calmly. "With all the money I'm

to wil

about to make, I'll work hard so I can

indulge in the fruits of my labor.

How else will I get to enjoy life if all I

care about is making money?"