Chapter 706
Changing only for her (Sophie and Tristan)
Victor already had his assistant inform the employees about having a meeting at three-thirty. When
they heard about Sophieâs return, they were all thrilled and overjoyed.
âI know you have other matters to attend to, Ms. Sophie, so Iâll head back first.â Wilma didnât want to
hold up Sophieâs time.
âDid you drive here? If you need a ride, I can ask someone to give you a ride back.â Itâs difficult to hail a
taxi in this weather.
Wilma beamed gleefully.
She never knew pregnancy would bring her such bliss.
In the past, the sight of pregnant mothers would always arouse pity within her heart, for she thought
they must be exhausted. However, she never knew why they wore blissful smiles on their faces.
âI drove here. Iâm only one month along, so it doesnât affect much,â Wilma assured with a smile.
Sophie felt happy for Wilma, seeing the joyful look on her face.
âBe careful then. Itâs dangerous to drive in this weather. Iâll drop by Transfix Cosmetics in a couple of
days when Iâm free.â
Sophie hadnât been visiting the company much since it got on track. She wondered how everyone was
doing there.
âSure, Ms. Sophie. Iâm sure Wendy and the rest will be thrilled if they know youâll drop by.â
The girls in Transfix Cosmetics like Ms. Sophie a lot.
Sophie hummed in response and saw Wilma off.
After Wilma left, Victor was done making the necessary preparations and notified Sophie, âMs. Sophie,
letâs head to the conference room. Everyone has been waiting for you.â
âOkay.â
Relief washed over the executives when they saw Sophie step into the conference room. They were all
happy to see her return safely and soundly.
âI know the companyâs been through a lot recently, and some shareholders have divested, but thatâs
fine. Those matters arenât going to affect Tanner Groupâs development. I hope everyone in this room
can work together to take Tanner Group to a new height!â
Sophieâs voice wasnât booming, but every word she uttered was impactful.
Her encouragement convinced her subordinates in the room of the bright future ahead of them and
provided them with confidence.
âRest assured, Ms. Sophie. Weâll work even harder. Iâm sure Tanner Group will achieve greater
heights!â
âThatâs right, Ms. Sophie. Those shareholders who divested lack insight. Theyâll regret it one day.â
âThank you all very much for your trust in me. You still being here means youâre confident with Tanner
Groupâs prospects. Christmas is just around the corner, so letâs work hard for a few more days before
we get to enjoy the holiday.â
It had been an eventful year.
For most people, surviving the year safely was challenging enough, much less earning a profit.
However, despite the economic recession, Tanner Group managed to maintain steady earnings.
Naturally, the credit for that achievement went to Sophieâs excellent management and the employeesâ
hard work.
âI guarantee that you all will be satisfied with the year-end bonus.â Sophie was aware that the economy
was the driving force behind the employeesâ motivation.
The terrible economy that year resulted in the bankruptcy of numerous smaller companies.
Surprisingly, Tanner Group could still afford its employeesâ annual bonuses.
âMs. Sophie, weâre grateful enough to have a secure job.â
âDonât worry. With me here, Tanner Group will not fall, so everyone can rest assured. I can afford your
annual bonuses too.â
Knowing they would still have an annual bonus despite the yearâs hardships, happiness radiated
through the employees of Tanner Group.
Thatâs how a leader should be. Ms. Sophie is too remarkable.
Victor immediately had his secretary pour Sophie a glass of warm water when they returned to his
office.
âThank you for your hard work, Ms. Sophie. Year-end bonuses are quite high in recent years, so itâs not
going to be a small amount if youâre planning to reward every employee.â
Victor knew every employee was excited about receiving their bonuses, but it would cost the company
a fortune.
âDonât worry, Victor. Weâll regain the funds by February next year. Trust me.â
Sophie reached for her glass and took a sip. The office was warm with the heater on, so she only wore
a thin black garment, which made her appear even younger than she already was.
It was surprising to think that such a young lady who wasnât even twenty had the capability to manage
the company well. In fact, not even one of her employees had a single bad thing to say about her
management.
âAll right. Got it.â
âHave the finance department do the accounting and grant everyone their bonuses.â
âWill do, Ms. Sophie.â Naturally, Victor had no objections to that. He would, of course, respect Sophieâs
decision.
âWill you come to the annual party and give it to them personally?â Victor knew how busy she was
recently.
Also, her leg hadnât completely recovered.
âWeâll see by then. Has the date been set for the party? Let me know once itâs set. Iâll come if I have the
time.â
I should attend such a crucial event and celebrate with everyone.
âSure. Iâll have the finance department do the accounting and ensure everyone gets their bonuses
before Christmas.â
Everyone would get to celebrate their holidays with joy if they received their bonuses after a busy year.
It was common knowledge that the employeesâ salaries of a big company like Tanner Group wouldnât
be meager.
However, the fact that they worked in the big city meant their cost of living was high. Some employees
had to rent their accommodations and pay for their daily expenses. By the end of the year, they
wouldnât have much savings.
Moreover, a majority of the population was living from paycheck to paycheck.
That was why the staff was so excited after hearing that they would get their bonuses.
They had to buy Christmas presents for their family, after all.
Otherwise, they wouldâve been embarrassed to return home empty-handed with everyone knowing
they worked in the city for a large corporate.
It was only half past four by the time Sophie settled the affairs of Tanner Group. She decided to meet
up with Tristan. On the way out of the building, every employee beamed at her as they greeted her.
Their bright mood and happy faces lifted Sophieâs spirits as well. The cold mask she usually wore was
absent as she reciprocated each of their greetings.
âI seriously think weâre so lucky to work for Tanner Group. A few of my friends got fired because their
companies didnât want to give them their employees bonuses.â
âYeah! I heard about that too! Many companies are coming up with all kinds of excuses to fire their
employees due to their unwillingness to pay their employeesâ paychecks and bonuses.â
âMs. Sophie is my goddess! I was worried about how I should explain to my parents when I return
home for Christmas. I felt bad for going home without any savings when Iâve been working in Jipsdale
for a whole year.â
Others wouldnât understand how they felt.
It might seem like they had high salaries, but so were their expenses. As such, it wasnât a surprise for
them to not have any savings.
Sophie left Tanner Group under the grateful gazes of her employees and headed to Lombard Group.
Since the employees of Lombard Group were well acquainted with Sophie, they greeted her as she
walked into the building.