Family & Business

[Marzena Vaas]

​

The headquarters of Kingdom Group was shiny and new. So far, all of the employees seemed to be enjoying the new space and the bustling atmosphere of Sejong City, Seoul. Sebastian Choi could see it all, the men and women in his employ were working with a renewed sense of purpose. It made him feel better about uprooting so many people to make the move from Dargul. His father had opened the flagship store there with intentions of remaining for years to come, so it had not been easy to sign his name at the bottom of the contract that released the mall from Kingdom Group’s ownership. But Sebastian knew that business was not always easy, and sometimes it required risk.

Sebastian would not look back; he had to keep moving forward.

The CEO made his way to the conference room, where there were already sharp-suited men waiting for the annual meeting of the board of directors. However, there was a lone figure that stood out from the crowd. It was Marzena Vaas. Today, he was pleased to see that his sister had taken it upon herself to dress the part, clad in an outfit that was equally professional and stylish. While she had taken a bit of a break from the company, she had remained a member of the board. Even though Marzena had not played a large role in the day-to-day operations of Kingdom Group, she had always been a part in the overall vision of the company. After all, their father had created the company with her in mind.

Shortly after their father passed away, Marzena had faced scrutiny during her short time as interim CEO. However, now that their fellow board members had come around to the idea of working in First Order space, their opinions had swiftly changed. There was a small part of him that wondered if they viewed her favorably due to the fact that she was married to the Supreme Commander. No, surely that was not the only reason. Marzena had good ideas for the company, even he could acknowledge that. While she was most definitely not a traditional business woman, she had charisma and a fashionable edge that made her an asset.

“Good morning,” Sebastian said, offering a smile to his fellow board members.

His hand automatically moved to straighten his tie, and he had a seat next to Marzena. Though he would never fess up, Sebastian was feeling apprehensive. Today the board members would select the new Chairman, and he was hoping that they would vote in his favor. In his eyes, he had brought Kingdom Group into a new era - it was no small task.

 

[Marzena Vaas]

As Chairman Kim made his way behind the podium, Marzena smiled and folded her manicured hands atop the table. She remembered him from her childhood, Mr. Kim had become a good friend of the family and a loyal business partner. He had even attempted to set Marzena up with his son on several occasions. A smile touched her red lips at the thought. One of the first wedding gifts she had received back home on Dosuun had been from Mr. Kim.

It was yet another reminder that so much had changed.

Now, she was beginning to leave the spotlight to focus on her life as a wife and mother. It was all very new, and she was still adjusting. But now, she couldn’t imagine life any other way. At one time in her life, fame had been everything. However, after the birth of her daughter, the celebrity status seemed to matter less and less. Marzena was content to spend time at home, but she realized quickly that she still needed something to occupy her free time.

As Kingdom Group began the move to Seoul, she had talked Sebastian through the stressful times, and given him a lot of input about their newest project - the Galleria. He had also given her some control of the new Marketing division, as she was quite the social butterfly and happened to enjoy attending events. But all in all, it was nice to be involved again. Her gaze suddenly shifted down to the meeting agenda, and the words spoken by the Chairman seemed to drift far away.

There was a stab of anxiety that she couldn’t shake.

It’s okay, the baby’s fine… she’s with mother. Somehow, this thought did not make her feel any better. Her wringing hands fell into her lap, hidden away from the board members gathered around the table. Marzena’s dark eyes flickered towards the clock a few times, before settling back on the Chairman. Just focus…

 

[Marzena Vaas]

The Chairman touched on several topics - the success of the move to Seoul, the addition of the Marketing division, and a bit of praise for completing phase one of the Galleria. He remarked that these were “very exciting times, indeed.” Before moving on to the final agenda item, he offered a tearful smile and expressed his gratitude to the company that had seen so many of his early mornings and late nights.

“It is my pleasure to finally pass on the torch,” Chairman Kim nodded.

Sebastian leaned forward, his dark eyes followed the line of business men and women around the table. All of them wore similar expressions, brows arched slightly, eyes focused on the Chairman in hopeful anticipation. The corner of his eye twitched. No one else had put as much time and energy into this company. No one else had been raised to do this.

“The next Chairman of Kingdom Group is…” Mr. Kim paused, “Marzena Vaas.”

Next to him, his sister’s eyes went wide and fluttered in surprise.

Sebastian’s mouth fell open, he simply couldn’t help it. He sat up straighter, and chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment. As he watched Marzena rise from her seat and make her way forward, he threw on a smile. The corners of his mouth lifted enough to be convincing, and his hands were clapping along with the other board members. But inside… he was crushed.

Glancing around, he could see that the board members looked generally pleased. Of course, Marzena would always be associated with Kingdom Group. She was the ideal customer, she had a vision for the company, and she was always great when it came to publicity. It was a good move, he understood. However, it wouldn’t stop the bitterness.

Once again, the sun would shine on Marzena… and he would be left in the shadows.

 

[Marzena Vaas]

A couple of hours later…

The meeting had wrapped up, news had quickly spread through the headquarters. It seemed that Marzena could not walk freely through the building without being stopped by Kingdom Group employees. She appreciated their well-wishes and kind words, she really did - but she could easily see that it did little to improve Sebastian’s mood.

Marzena knew that the title of Chairman was honorary, for the most part. It was a role that would allow her to be involved, but not on the same level as Sebastian. She would contribute to the overall direction and vision of the company, but Kingdom Group would truly remain in Sebastian’s capable hands. However, she knew that his feelings were probably a bit sore. Sometimes, he was just too hard on himself.

Her high heels clicked pleasantly on the polished floor as she made her way down the hall to Sebastian’s office. Marzena set a gentle knock on his door and then cracked the door.

“Hey,” She said, peeking inside. “Let’s go out to lunch, okay? My treat.”

From her place in the doorway, she watched as Sebastian stood to his feet and gathered his things. He nodded and offered her a strained smile. Marzena could immediately see that his shoulders slumped slightly, he had lost some of the swing that he normally had in his steps. Ever since childhood, Sebastian’s bumps and bruises could always be fixed by a good meal.

 

[Marzena Vaas]

“Fine.” Sebastian finally spoke, “But we’re making a stop first.”

He waited until Marzena retreated out of his office, and walked out behind her. Before leaving the building, he made sure to inform his assistant that he would be away for the rest of the afternoon. Leaning in, he also gave her an assignment to prepare an office for Marzena. Of course, he knew that she would be completing most of her work from home… but her new status did deserve a fancy work space - even if it would sting to see the title of “Chairman” etched on the door below her name and not his.

Walking along with his sister now, he did his best to nod and smile to the employees that stopped to greet them. Just keep grinning, he told himself, and figured that he either looked the part of a happy CEO, or he looked like a madman. Once they had made their way outside and into the speeder waiting at the curb, he let the corners of his mouth drop slightly. With a small glance over his shoulder, he ordered the driver to bring them to the Galleria. They were off, and Sebastian blew out a sigh, his suited form sank down into his seat.

The Choi siblings spent their ride in silence, both of them took the chance to check their datapads. Sebastian returned some messages, and Marzena made a call to their mother to check in on the baby. He had been at the hospital the day his niece was born, but it was still a bit weird to think of Marzena as a mother. While he would never have described Marzena as a terribly selfish person, he knew that she did have a tendency to be self absorbed. But now, she had a husband and a new baby to fuss over.

Things were just… different.

 

[Marzena Vaas]

​

Marzena stowed her datapad inside her large shoulder bag and leaned forward to gaze out the window of their transport. The Galleria Mall was a lovely display of modern architecture that fit in well with the city-atmosphere of Sejong. She could already imagine the plaza filled with customers, even though there were still areas roped off to deny entry at the moment. The grand opening was still a couple of weeks out, and Kingdom was busy finalizing leasing opportunities for the boutiques and shops within.

“It looks amazing.” Marzena said, a smile spread across her face. “How are things coming along for phase two?”

The mall was nearly finished, but Kingdom Group’s plans for the area did not stop there. In the coming months, there would also be a luxury hotel, a tower of condominiums, and a couple of restaurants. It was an ambitious project, but they had planned to complete the high end streetscape in phases that would hopefully minimize impact to their customers and surrounding businesses.

She glanced over at Sebastian in time to see him shrug. Marzena blinked, unsure if his response was due to his mood or if he had been encountering issues. Her mouth opened to question further, but she pressed her lips together and sat back. Maybe this wasn’t a great time to discuss business. Marzena watched as Sebastian continued to stare at the Galleria, and then gave the order for his driver to continue to their true destination.

 

[Marzena Vaas]

They arrived at Blue Ginger, a classy Seoulian Barbecue restaurant and were quickly shown to their private dining area. Marzena and Sebastian were greeted promptly by the manager, he was thrilled to see them again - it had been quite a while since their last visit. The aroma of grilled bulgogi and kalbi was in the air, and Sebastian drew in a deep breath of the savory goodness. He too a sip of barley tea and looked down at their table-top grill that was swiftly heating up.

“I’ll do the cooking,” Sebastian said, “You always burn everything.”

“I don’t burn the food, I’m just trying to make sure that it’s cooked properly!” Marzena said, clearly offended.

“If your food is black, it’s burnt - no one wants to eat that. Just ask your husband.”

Sebastian smirked as Marzena held up her hands, surrendering the cooking utensils. At least he would always be the better chef, a thought that brought him a glimmer of satisfaction. A little bit of sibling rivalry was always good. He knew that it was probably a good thing that Marzena did not cook very often. The Supreme Commander was a good sport, or maybe he just had an iron stomach.

Their waiter returned with a plate of thinly sliced beef, and an impressive array of side dishes - steamed vegetables, kimchi, a couple of dumplings, soup and salad. Sebastian’s smile made a sudden reappearance and he set to work. He deftly lifted small sections of meat and placed them on the grill in front of him. The marinated meat did not take very long to cook, and after a few minutes, there was enough for their first serving. He split the amount between him and Marzena, but made his portion a bit larger.

“Mmm.” He shoveled a spoonful of rice into his mouth, and chased it with a slice of bulgogi.

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena sipped her tea while Sebastian began stuffing his face. Her slender fingers gently lifted her chopsticks, and she took a dainty bite of bulgogi. She had to admit, it was cooked to perfection. Sebastian was already eyeing her bowl of rice, his brows arched in a hopeful expression. She shook her head, but laughed softly as she pushed the small bowl across the table. Just like old times, she mused silently. Her career and sense of vanity had dictated her diet, and rice had been strictly off limits, but her brother had always been more than willing to eat her share.

Smiling down at the color display of banchan or side dishes, she selected a few slices of zucchini and some spinach dressed with sesame oil. Next, she took a piece of meat and neatly wrapped it in a leaf of green lettuce - it was something they had done as children. Marzena sighed and let the nostalgia firmly take hold.

“Father would be happy to be back on Seoul, don’t you think?” She asked suddenly, without even thinking. “I mean, it was a good move.”

Marzena raised her eyes from the table and looked at her brother.

“And I think he would be very proud of you.” She smiled, “Actually, I know he would be.”

She spotted the light dash of color on Sebastian’s face, and promptly turned her attention back to her meal. Even though he was obviously a bit down, she wasn’t trying to prop him up with flattery. They were simple words, but ones that their father had never expressed. He had been a fairly stony figure, especially when it came to dealing with his son. Marzena had been privileged to see a gentler side, but it was one that was never shared with her brother.

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Sebastian and Marzena enjoyed their meal, they remembered times from their childhood, and they laughed together. It had been a long time since they had actually taken the time to relax and catch up. As he dabbed his mouth with a napkin, Sebastian smiled to himself. Yes, maybe they needed to do this sort of thing more often. Especially now that his family had grown to include a new brother-in-law and little niece. He was also hoping that his family would continue to grow, and perhaps soon… he would think about settling down himself. No doubt, his mother would be thrilled at the prospect of more grandchildren.

“Ready to go?” He asked as he settled the bill, and left a generous tip.

They made their way back outside and into the speeder once more. Sebastian automatically pulled his datapad out to check his messages, but his finger hovered over the mail icon. He pushed out a sigh and set it back down in his lap. Sebastian could already tell that Marzena was getting anxious to get back to see the baby.

“Please take us back to my mother’s house.” He spoke to the driver, and glanced out the window as the speeder took off.

The ride was quiet, but not uncomfortable. However, the ease with which they had conversed at the restaurant seemed to have faded. When they arrived, Sebastian exited first and held his hand down to assist Marzena. As his sister emerged from the speeder, he stood to his full height. With her palm still grasped in his, he gave her hand a firm shake.

“I look forward to working with you, Chairman.” He said, adding a slight nod for emphasis.

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena was taken aback, but offered a wide smile, and returned the handshake. She knew that it probably hadn’t been easy for him, but his approval did mean a lot to her. Her hand fell back to her side, but she gave Sebastian a playful nudge with her elbow as they turned towards the house.

“Thank you, Sebastian.” She bowed her head, “I look forward to working with you, too.”

Of course, she was very used to bossing her brother around. Would it be difficult to judge him as CEO and not as her brother? She aimed a sidelong glance in his direction as they walked. Maybe it would be difficult, but she would try her best. At any rate, she was sure that Kingdom Group’s success would only grow.

There was still much work to be done, but their projects here on Seoul were well underway. While the focus would remain on large projects, Marzena also had a few ideas of her own that she was excited to put into motion. It was only a matter of time before the Galleria development was complete, and they would move on to other cities on this world… and more.