V

Sydney lived in a luxurious apartment with a spectacular view over the city, however it wasn't lavishly furnished. It was rather empty. She had a basic lounge, coffee table and television and essentials in her kitchen whilst her bedroom and study were the only rooms that were fully furnished for work purposes. It wasn't that she struggled for money, on the contrary her pay-check was extremely generous for the amount of work she did for Hamilton Incorporated, it was that she hardly spent time at her apartment and it seemed a waste to furnish it when she couldn't enjoy it. She lived in the office and Andrew's house more than her own.

Removing the key from her front door she was happily welcomed by her birthday present. A rescued German Shepard with a blue ribbon wrapped around its collar. Sydney had always grown up with large dogs when she was younger and when she happened to be scrolling on the Internet she found Walter, a two-year-old boy and she immediately fell in love.

Quickly slipping into her office she locked the black envelope in the bottom draw of her office desk and made a mental note to file it on Monday. Ruffling Walter's fur she continued with her regular morning routine as though she hadn't been interrupted from Andrew this morning.

A long jog around the local parks and side streets kept her mind fresh and clear before she treated herself to a long rose scented bubble bath. Allowing the warm water to sooth her aching muscles she sank lower into the water. Her day consisted of family and friends calling to wish her a happy birthday whilst she lounged around her house in her bathrobe, wearing only her underwear underneath.

Sitting curled up on the sofa, a beer in one hand and freshly delivered pizza on the coffee table, Sydney picked up her book ready to loose herself in the characters. A world where the only drama was romantic and held happy endings. Sighing in relaxation she didn't bother looking at the caller ID as her phone started blaring on the coffee table giving Walter a startle from lounging underneath her feet. Reaching to grab it, she quickly finished her bite of food before answering it.

"Sydney Winters speaking" She automatically spoke.

"Sydney, turn on the news on Channel 6." Michael's voice suddenly flooded her ears, slightly panicked yet saddened. Frowning she reached forward to the remote to follow his instructions as the news flooded her screen.

"This is Channel 6 reporting live at the traumatic horror that has occurred off the very shores of Washinton D.C. At two o'clock this afternoon it was reported missing of Andrew Hamilton's, CEO of Hamilton Incorporated's, jet had been missing as the famous CEO himself was late for a meeting at the Pentagon. A viral video was posted this morning of the very jet crashing into the ocean, as it is yet to determine whether Andrew Hamilton and his team were on board. Authorities will be working around the clock to figure out the mystery of how one of the most up to date technological planes of the century could crash. Divers will be making their way onto the scene as we speak to retrieve the black box in hope for answers as the family has refused to comment at the current situation."

Muting it she gasped in horror as several pictures appeared in the top corner of the screen. Feeling her eyes stinging at the thought of Andrew having died in the crash, the very plane she ensured he got on. Guilt beginning to eat at her heart, she ran her fingers through her hair, realising that his family would be finding out the very way she had.

"Oh my gosh, Michael! He was on the plane! I made sure he was on that plane this morning!" Sydney breathed uneasy as her voice began to shake and quiver.

"There is no way that plane would malfunction Sydney. Andrew designed that technology himself and as much as he is a lazy ass, he is good at what he does. Get to the office; I'll be there shortly." Michael informed her seriously, it was a major accusation what he was claiming yet she knew he was right. The plane was flawless, so the only possible reason why the plane crashed was due to the pilot or someone on board.

Quickly scrambling to make herself presentable as she guessed there would need to be a press conference this very night, she messaged Doc to meet her downstairs. Once she fitted into her heels, the sound of the horn downstairs was enough to inform her he was waiting. Constantly scrolling through her phone on all the news sites, she hoped one would provide more information about the crash than the other. However they all had the same useless information and only began to speculate the cause behind the crash itself.

As they drew outside the building, Sydney noticed the press crammed together with their microphones and cameras. Taking in a deep breath she waited until Doc opened the door and acted as her shield until she was inside the building as the flashing of lights blinded her vision.

"Miss. Winters what do you think happened to the plane?" Questions and theories were being thrown all around as she refused to say a single thing until she was safely inside the building. The security was tight and they didn't need to check her ID to allow her in. Everyone knew who Sydney Winters was.

"Would you like me to have them removed?" The head of security asked as policeman held lines of reporters back as the tried to press against the glass of the side of the building, as if it would get them any closer.

"No, organise them into the conference room on level two. I'll be there shortly when I have a statement for them. God give me strength." Sydney wisely spoke as he nodded to her instruction. Making her way upstairs she knew the board would have assembled as soon as the news broke the factor it was Andrew's plane. Not only did it mean they had lost a CEO but also the questioning of their technology's performance to their clients was the last thing they needed.

Hearing the confused roars of the members getting louder she knew she was heading in the right direction. David Gregson's secretary remained outside and quickly opened the door when Sydney approached before shutting it behind her. The board seemed to quieten at the sight of Sydney, almost with relief with the fact; she hadn't been caught up in the accident.

"Please tell me Andrew missed his flight." One asked her though her pale and distressed face gave away the very answer they all feared.

"I personally saw to it this morning he got on the plane" Sydney whispered loud enough for them to hear. Curses erupted across the room as many answered ringing phones to order their staff members to fix parts of the mess and keep clients happy.

"A press conference needs to be held soon, we can't have the world questioning our technology, especially as we are in the process of sealing a deal with the US military" A voice shouted out as they all nodded in agreement.

"I already have them being placed in the conference until we have a statement prepared." Sydney informed them as she huffed knowing full well that she would have to be writing this statement as well as delivering it in a matter of minutes.

'"In the meantime we need to figure out what to do next"

"We know what we need to do. We need a new CEO!" Sydney couldn't pinpoint the angry shout, though her anger bubbled.

"Mr. Hamilton's plane just went down into the ocean and you want to replace him already? This is not the time!" She barked keeping them order however her statement fell on deaf ears as they all turned towards one another to come up with more suitable solution.

"This is the perfect time. Since he has not handed over his position and if the board in agreement we can assign a temporary CEO until this is resolved." David Gregson informed whilst Sydney just stared at him as though he had grown two heads.s

"Who would be temporary CEO until this crisis is solved? It maybe never solved for all we know!" Sydney snapped back at their idea however smirks formed over their faces.

"I vote Miss. Winters as the new CEO of Hamilton Incorporated until a more suitable candidate is brought forward. All in agreement?" The notion was thrown out causing Sydney to pause in shock. Her as CEO? It sounded ludicrous in her head at the thought of taking over the business. The board thought it was a perfect plan, who better to run the company than the woman who did it as part of her job.

"You can't be serious?" Sydney scoffed at the silence of the room only to realise all the men were watching her, faces set in stone. They had made up their minds and she knew she didn't have a strong enough defence to ensure they thought differently.

"Deadly" Mr. Gregson finalised as she let out a deep breath through her nose.

"This meeting isn't over gentleman, we will recommence tomorrow first thing in the morning. In the meantime I want you to keep the US military happy and get me answers on what happened to that plane! Heaven forbid if he died in that crash, find his body. This will kill Juliet not being able to bury her son....Right now I have to deal with the press." Sydney concluded. Little did she know that when she left the board smirked amongst one another. She was already acting as the CEO this company needed, calm, collected and focused.

"I have drafted a brief statement for the press conference downstairs" A voice beside her spoke causing her to jump out of her thoughts and smile in thanks. Sydney felt slightly guilty she didn't know Gregson's secretary's name, but now wasn't the time for introductions. As soon as she was out of the elevator, Sydney was mobbed by a few stylists who touched up her hair, clothing and makeup to make her look more presentable.

Loud voices bubbled from behind the doors as Sydney took a moment to breathe. Straightening her spine and pulling back her shoulders she marched into the conference room demanding attention as the voices began to die into a murmured whisper as she made her way to the podium. Flashes of cameras and little red dots signifying live video recording, Sydney couldn't help but notice her hands shake slightly.

"Ladies and Gentleman if you would quieten down please. As you would all be aware that not long ago Mr. Hamilton's plane has crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. We already have teams making their way to investigate the cause of the crash and to retrieve the black box. We all have many questions about what could have caused this accident but Hamilton Incorporated would like to ensure that our partners and clients that we stand by the notion, that the crash this evening was not result due to technical difficulty...." Once those words left her lips an uproar and flashes of light echoed the room.

"Our hearts and prayers are with the Hamilton family as we try and locate any sign of what has happened to the CEO. Until light can be shed on this situation, the members of the board are in the process of assigning a temporary CEO to manage the company. Thank you." Sydney concluded before allowing security to escort her safely out of the building and into the awaiting car.

"Hamilton's residence please Doc" Sydney instructed as he nodded and took her to go see Juliet. As the car pulled into the driveway the door was already flying open with Juliet in tears. Holding the her motherly figure tightly, Sydney blinked to ensure her own tears didn't fall. She needed to be strong as she allowed herself to be escorted inside, to see a grieving family.