Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Serendipity (7)
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Tessellation Investment headquarters, 47th floor, 3rd Planning Office.
Portfolio managers were preparing the final rehearsal of the new energy bond investment proposal they had completed after weeks of all-nighters. Data, market analysis, risk management, expected returns. They were confident that everything was perfect.
And exactly at 2 PM, the conference room door opened silently.
What appeared was a woman with platinum blonde hair, beautiful like an actress.
In this gathering full of elite financiers with decades of experience, she seemed not just young, but almost childish.
But no one dared to underestimate her. Instead, they tensed up like people dragged before a tiger.
As her distinctive red eyes, feared by all, swept over the room, everyone stood up rigidly as if on cue.
The planning team leader, who had prepared this portfolio, greeted her politely on behalf of the group.
"You've arrived, Vice President."
Celestina lightly nodded for them to sit and took her seat at the head of the conference table. Then she said,
"Begin."
The team leader swallowed dryly and opened his mouth.
"Yes, Vice President. We will now begin the report on the investment proposal for 'Helios Energy' bonds related to the new nuclear power project."
The presenter fluently explained the proposal while turning the carefully crafted pages.
Flawless eloquence, logical profit structure. Everything seemed smooth.
It was exactly 3 minutes in.
"That's enough. Stop there."
A voice poured cold water over the room. Instantly, cold sweat trickled down everyone's backs.
The presenter also swallowed dryly and stopped. A hellish silence enveloped the conference room for a while.
Finally, Celestina lightly lifted her red eyes and asked,
"This bond's credit rating is based on 'Omega Ratings,' right? So the undisclosed debt agreement between the issuer, Max Prime, and Helios Energy wouldn't be reflected... And next Thursday, when that contract takes effect, the bond price will completely fluctuate, won't it?"
"......"
"........."
Instantly, everyone in the room turned pale.
They could claim injustice. It was top-secret information decided in a meeting between the top executives of those companies, not publicly available. Probably only insiders would know.
But they had no one to blame. It was their job to identify and deal with such variables. Even if their performance reviews suffered from this, they had no grounds to protest.
Celestina stood up without hesitation.
"Reanalyze from the beginning. By tomorrow."
Despairing silence lingered among those left in the conference room.
As she walked down the corridor, everyone she passed lowered their eyes and courteously made way as if by agreement.
As could be seen, within Tessellation Investment, the name 'Celestina' was an object of awe.
Not just because she was the successor. If she were a brat relying only on her bloodline, the cunning elites entrenched in major corporations would have used her or flattered her while secretly mocking her.
But Celestina was perfect in every way.
"Write a report on how such an error occurred. After this meeting ends, put it on my desk within 2 hours."
"S-Sorry, Vice President!"
She handled dozens of such matters while not missing even the smallest mistakes.
That's why she inspired awe and fear in the company's employees.
Because she demanded perfection from her subordinates as well.
It was the responsibility of an asset management firm that had to generate returns with investors' money.
Tessellation Investment was certainly a company with world-class capital and influence, but a significant portion of that capital was clients' money.
Thus, while wielding power close to that of a nation with astronomical sums, it came with equally enormous responsibility. A single mistake could lead to irreparable loss of credit.
Therefore, 'Celestina Obersh,' who was the face of the company, had to be perfect at all times and places.
Presiding over dozens of meetings a day, analyzing hundreds of reports, managing networks with heavyweights like sovereign wealth funds, social security funds, and international bank executives, holding market outlook meetings with branch managers around the world... yet not a single mistake.
And Celestina achieved it. It was a capability that inspired awe in onlookers. Everyone praised and envied that perfection. Investors her performance, subordinates her genius and effort, and her father...
"......."
She secretly let out a sigh.
The expectations and sense of responsibility she once willingly shouldered had gradually turned into a massive pressure weighing on her shoulders.
It used to be fine. There were times she felt accomplishment and even enjoyed the pressure.
But after an incident three years ago, when only her father and she remained in the Obersh family, no.
Panic came with fatigue. Severe insomnia. Nights without a proper wink continued since then.
What she had done until now only shackled her life like chains.
This regret would probably never let her go, even until the moment she closed her eyes forever.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'Certainly, it was like that.....'
"........."
Celestina blinked her dazed eyes and got out of bed.
Waking up refreshed after a deep sleep to a pleasant morning felt somehow unreal.
She made it to work on time solely due to habits ingrained in her body.
"You've arrived, Vice President."
Entering her office, her secretary bowed politely.
"....Yeah. Good morning."
The secretary blankly lifted her head at the unexpected response and unconsciously pinched her own cheek.
".....?"
Unaware of the secretary's action, Celestina sat down and began her usual work.
As per routine, she reviewed the hundreds of research reports that came in before the regular session opened. But it took less than half the usual time.
Thanks to her mind being clear after escaping long insomnia.
"......."
Thus, unexpected leisure arose in her densely packed schedule divided by the minute.
During that break, Celestina leaned deeply back in her chair and let out a low sigh. Her refreshingly clear mental state felt awkward instead.
'What on earth....?'
How could she sleep so peacefully last night?
She wanted to find the reason. Like discovering a thread of hope she thought didn't exist, a desperate longing welled up.
But no matter how hard she tried to find the cause, all she knew was that last night, her mind felt more at ease than usual for some reason.
'Why, why was that....?'
Suddenly, she realized that the comfort from then resembled a familiar memory.
Yes, like someone's warm embrace, like a scent that reassured her heart... a certain girl's face kept coming to mind.
Lately, it happened often. Celestina often thought of someone in her reverie.
Many people wanted to help with Celestina's situation, but it was all calculated moves to gain favor or owe her as Tessellation's Vice President. But that girl was different. She refused even compensation, extending a hand to this 'Celestina Obersh' like helping someone who fell on the street.
"Ha..."
A chuckle escaped unwittingly. And she flinched again at herself for laughing.
Strange. After meeting her, she kept feeling unlike herself. Now it was confusing.
Of course, she naturally had some human fondness for the other. Didn't she thoughtfully help a stranger like her? But no more than that. She just thought it was an amusing connection.
Yet why did she keep thinking of her like this?
Even staying still, her thoughts leaned toward that girl... it even felt like being swayed by someone for the first time.
"..... No way."
Soon Celestina shook her head. Useless thoughts. She was herself, nothing had changed.
Shaking off the reverie, she focused on work again.
Dozens of meetings and appointments as always, strategy formulation, crisis response, networking, deal oversight. All executed perfectly without a single mistake.
As usual, astronomical capital was efficiently reallocated at her fingertips.
Someone would bear losses equal to her gains... but no emotion or humanity intervened.
Yes, that was the Celestina everyone expected, her true nature.
Heir to the Obersh family, capital nobles who pursued only profit.
The 'White Shark' revered in the financial world.
She wouldn't be swayed by people now.
Never in the future.
Absolutely.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "......"
I stared blankly at her sitting in front of me.
'Has it been a week since our last meeting...?'
Somehow we had become close enough to meet this frequently.
Considering her position, she shouldn't have that much free time, yet she made excuses to see me almost every week.
Maybe she has less work than I thought...? Even such rude speculation faintly crossed my mind.
But each time she proposed important business matters, so I couldn't ignore them.
Today was the same.
"Studio Vibe. We've acquired undisclosed bad news on that company."
She took a sip from her teacup and continued nonchalantly.
"The CEO artist's scandal and the management corruption tied to it. Our dealers will short it soon."
Celestina added, looking at me.
"It's a competitor to Starlit Entertainment, a subsidiary of Lumina Group. What do you think? If you're interested in this project, why not join in?"
Certainly beneficial info for us. But one question arose.
'Beneficial, yes...'
For someone like her to personally bother, it was too small a scale.
Starlit Entertainment was just a mid-tier subsidiary among Lumina's many, so its rival Studio Vibe was similar.
Of course, for our group, crushing a subsidiary's competitor is profit regardless of size, but for a giant like Tessellation, toppling such a company yields little compared to the effort. Better to invest elsewhere.
Only something like Nexus last time would yield meaningful profits.
'Yet she brings this personally?'
No matter how I thought, it felt like an excuse for another purpose.
But I couldn't ask her intent and awkwardly opened my mouth.
"Tha... thanks. Always giving good info."
Anyway, it's profit for me, a gift-like favor. Rather than nitpick, I thanked first.
Then came a cryptic response immediately.
"Then we're business partners again, right?"
"....."
Without waiting for my reply, she casually spread her arms slightly in front of me. Meaning she wanted a hug.
I looked at her with a slightly dazed expression.
Before I knew it, we did this every meeting.
At first, the hug was just a contrived excuse to avoid revealing the miracle.
Lately, somehow, it felt completely backwards.
'What on earth happened to make it like this....?'
I had no idea.
I just blankly patted the incoming older beauty like a baby familiarly.
"You must be really tired...?"
"........."
Instead of answering, she just buried her face deeper into my shoulder.
In the awkward silence, even after my patting hand grew embarrassed, she didn't move for a long while.
A long while.