Page 3 of Vacation with the Ice Queen

Nicole stepped fully into the office, setting her bag down in a gesture of quiet defiance. In seven years, Serena had learned to read the subtle shifts in her assistant's demeanor—the slightly straighter spine, the deliberate placement of the bag signaling this wouldn't be a brief interaction.

"I took the liberty of reviewing the board's recommendation." Nicole's gaze remained steady, a rare occurrence when most employees found Serena's direct eye contact too intimidating to maintain. "They're right."

The accusation stung with unexpected sharpness. "Excuse me?"

"You haven't taken more than three consecutive days off in the five years I've tracked your schedule." Nicole moved closer, breaking the invisible barrier that typically separated their professional roles. "You've cancelled your last four physical exams. You've been wearing the same contacts for nearly fifty hours. And you've had six tension headaches this week alone."

Serena's jaw tightened. "I wasn't aware my personal health had become the company’s concern."

"It becomes relevant when it affects Frost Innovations." A tablet materialized in Nicole's hands, displaying a graph with downward-trending lines. "Your decision accuracy decreases twenty-three percent when you exceed sixty work hours in a week. You're currently approaching eighty-two."

The board ganging up on her in the boardroom was one thing; Serena had navigated those waters since founding her company. But this ambush from Nicole carried a different sting, reminiscent of Rachel standing in their bedroom doorway, suitcases already packed and in hand.

"I didn't realize I was being monitored like one of our security systems." Ice coated each word.

Nicole didn't flinch. "It's my job to anticipate problems before they become critical. You are approaching critical."

Silence stretched between them, charged with unspoken tension. Beyond the windows, Manhattan sparkled indifferently, the city that never slept a perfect counterpart to its sleepless overachievers.

"The board isn't suggesting this leave out of concern for my wellbeing." Serena finally broke the silence, closing her laptop with a decisive click. "They're protecting the company’s image while considering whether I'm still an asset or have become a liability."

Nicole stepped closer, her voice dropping. "Then prove them wrong. Return in two weeks stronger and clearer than when you left. Make them remember why Frost Innovations existsbecauseof Serena Frost, not despite her."

The strategy was sound; Serena couldn't deny it. In any negotiation, sometimes a tactical retreat positioned one for a more effective counterstrike. Still, the very concept of retreat grated against every fiber of her being.

"And where exactly am I meant to go on leave to? My apartment, where reporters are probably already camping inthe lobby?" The bitterness in her voice surprised even her. "Or perhaps a spa weekend where I can be photographed 'hiding' from the crisis?"

Nicole's expression shifted to something dangerously close to triumph as she slid a slim folder across the desk. "That's been arranged."

Suspicion narrowed Serena's eyes as she flipped open the folder. Inside lay details of a private island resort so exclusive it barely registered on the digital footprint Serena typically monitored.

"Solara Island," Nicole explained, allowing a hint of pride to color her tone. "Owned by Elara Silver. No press, no public access, minimal digital connectivity. The only way on or off is by the resort's private helicopter or boat. Even the staff sign ironclad confidentiality agreements."

Elara Silver. The name triggered a distinct memory of a formidable woman from the finance world who had abruptly changed course mid-career after some personal crisis. Their paths had crossed briefly at a tech conference years ago, though Serena doubted Elara would remember her.

"A wellness retreat." Serena couldn't keep the disdain from her voice as she scanned the amenities. "Meditation. Yoga. 'Healing journeys.' Is this a vacation or a new age reeducation camp?"

"It's off the grid without looking like you're hiding. It's secure enough for paranoid celebrities and disgraced politicians." Nicole's dark eyes held Serena's unflinchingly. "And it gives both us and the board exactly what we need: you, officially stepping back while we handle the press cycle, but actually preparing to return stronger than ever."

The logic was impeccable. Serena couldn't argue with the strategy, only with the underlying necessity. She closed the folder, fingertips lingering on its edge.

"And if I refuse this... suggestion?" The question emerged as a challenge.

"Then I've failed at my job." Nicole's response carried no manipulation, no threat—just the simple truth of a professional assessment. "Because my job is to ensure that Serena FrostandFrost Innovations both survive this crisis intact."

The weight of the day—the board meeting, the media onslaught, the endless damage control—pressed down on Serena's shoulders like a physical burden. For the first time in years, she felt the foreign sensation of uncertainty taking root beneath her sternum.

"The private jet is scheduled for tomorrow morning at nine." Nicole gathered her belongings, victory already assumed. "I've arranged for Ashley to handle the operational transition. Your schedule has been cleared for two weeks."

"I haven't agreed to this." Yet Serena made no move to stop her assistant's preparations.

"Of course not." A ghost of a smile touched Nicole's lips. "You're simply reviewing the strategic options."

Serena's gaze drifted back to the screens still displaying Vivienne Blackwood's triumphant face. The parallels were too precise to ignore. Both women thought they knew Serena, thought they could predict and manage her. The board, Rachel, Vivienne—they all believed they understood the Ice Queen well enough to outmaneuver her.

Perhaps the most effective counter was to become temporarily unpredictable.

"Two weeks." Serena's voice cut through the silence with renewed authority. "Not a day more. And I'll need secure communications channels for emergencies."

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