Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World



Poul groaned as the light streaming through the windows hit his eyes. He lifted a hand to shield them, but the warmth of the sun beckoned him to wake up. He sighed, realizing that his sleep was over. Slowly, he rose up from his bed, feeling a bit disoriented.

As he sat up, he suddenly felt something soft and warm on his chest. Looking down, he saw Sara's head resting on him. Memories of the previous night came rushing back to him, and he couldn't help but smile at the thought of sharing the bed with her.

He gently brushed a strand of hair away from Sara's face, admiring how peaceful she looked when she slept. He remembered the conversation they had before they went to bed, and it pained him a little.

Poul didn't want to disturb Sara's peaceful slumber, so he slowly and carefully lifted her head off his chest and placed it gently on the pillow. He paused for a moment, watching her breathe before turning his attention to getting out of bed.

As he swung his legs over the side of the bed, Sara groaned and Poul froze his heart racing. He had tried to be so careful not to wake Sara, but it seemed his efforts had been in vain. He turned to look at her, expecting to see her stirring, but to his relief, she had simply shifted in her sleep.

Poul let out a small sigh of relief and stood up, making his way to the bathroom to freshen up. As he washed his face, he thought of the agenda for today. He will have two business meetings, one with the man Jonathan talked to and the other is Mr. Sherman. One thing in common in them is that they are hotshots from the federal government. Meaning, this day is important for him and his partner.

As he finished washing his face, he took a bath 

and got dressed in his best suit. He wanted to make a good impression on these important people. He walked back to the bedroom and saw that Sara was still sleeping peacefully. He didn't want to wake her up just yet, so he decided to leave her alone and head to his office.

On his way to the office, he greeted the staff who were working on the same floor and exchanged pleasantries with them. 

Poul and Jonathan had always been friendly bosses, and they made it a point to know each of their employees personally. It was one of the reasons why their company had a low employee turnover rate, as his staff felt valued and appreciated.

As he entered his office, his partner Jonathan was already there, going over some papers. "Good morning, Poul," Jonathan greeted him.

"Good morning, Jonathan. Are you ready for today's meetings?" Poul asked as he took a seat behind his desk.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Jonathan replied with a smile. "I've gone over the proposal we're going to present, and I think it's solid."

Poul nodded in agreement. "Good. Let's hope the federal hotshots see it the same way."

Just then, their executive secretary buzzed in. "Mr. Nielsen, Mr. Axelsen. I have scheduled an appointment with Mr. Stevens and Mr. Sherman for today. They'll arrive in the afternoon." 

"Good morning, Amelia, and thank you for informing us," Poul said as he turned his face to Jonathan. "Afternoon huh? That means we still have time to prepare and go over our proposal again. Let's make sure everything is in order."

Jonathan nodded and they both got to work, reviewing their proposal and making any necessary changes. They wanted to make sure that they presented the best possible case for their company and its services.

Amelia, on the other hand, has ordered breakfast for them to fill their empty stomachs. 

It took them two hours, to do some minor revisions on the presentation. After looking over it again, the industrialist duo nodded in satisfaction. 

Amelia entered the office again, handing the industrialist duo a file needed for their proposal later. 

"Thank you, Amelia," Poul said as he received the file.

"Uhm, Poul. I heard that we will have a new worker for our company? I heard that she is a nurse from England applying for a position in the clinic?"

"Ah, yes, you'll see her soon," Poul replied, his eyes fixed on the file.

"Great, can't wait to see her. Though may I ask where she will arrive from? I need to know so that I can prepare something for her arrival." 

"There's no need, Amelia. The applicant is already in the building," Poul said.

  "In the building?" Amelia tilted her head to the side, confused. 

"Yup, in fact, you have already seen her at the celebration yesterday," Poul said. 

Amelia recalled her memories from yesterday, specifically the memories of Poul interacting with people. Since it was a woman, it was easy for her to narrow it down. A few seconds later, she found it. Though unsure. The woman that Poul danced with on the dancefloor. It might be her. 

Amelia shook her head, denying the possibility. The girl that Poul danced with looked like a noblewoman. She was dressed elegantly and she carried herself with grace and poise. It couldn't possibly be the same person who applied for a job in their clinic. But then again, she didn't know much about the woman who had applied. She decided to ask Poul for confirmation.

"Excuse me, Poul. Can you confirm if the nurse applicant is the same woman you danced with at the celebration?" Amelia asked.

Jonathan, who was listening to their conversation, laughed. "You really are an observant fellow, Amelia."

"Eh?" 

Poul smiled, amused by Jonathan's comment. "Yes, Amelia, it's her."

Poul looked at his wristwatch to check the time. "Speaking of which, she is a bit late. I will go to her room and wake her up so that you two can meet each other."

Upon saying that, Poul stood up from his seat, picked up the file Amelia had given him, and made his way out of the office. 

Fifteen minutes later, Poul returned to the office with Sara who was dressed formally. 

Amelia looked at the woman beside Poul. There's no mistaking it, it was the girl whom Poul danced with yesterday. Though why she was in the building and slept in the guest room is still a mystery to her. Amelia stood up from her seat and greeted Sara with a warm smile.

"You must be Sara Olsen. A pleasure to meet you, I'm Amelia Weiss, the executive secretary of this company." 

Sara smiled back at Amelia and shook her hand. "Thank you, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Ms. Weiss."

"Mr. Nielsen, do we have to prepare for her interview?" Amelia asked.

"Nope," Jonathan chimed in. "I have already interviewed her since when we were in New York. She will be a fine addition to our clinic." 

"Really?" Amelia flickered her gaze at Sara. 

She is sensing something among them, that Poul and Jonathan must have some sort of relationship with Sara. The reason she can tell is that they rarely give special treatment to their applicants. They only did it to her and that was it. But this girl received it. 

"I will find out what's going on here," Amelia thought to herself.