Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World

The deal went successful for the industrialist duo, getting another huge contract from the United States Army and the state of Washington. Though this usually calls for celebration, the industrialist duo is experiencing tension with one another.

Ever since that day, the industrialist duo has been distant, not communicating with anyone even if it's a business deal. It felt as though their cooperation had broken in an instant.

Amelia was noticing it and couldn't help but feel saddened about the situation. Having the two founders not on good terms is bad for the company, so she took action.

Two days after the deal, Poul was in the company clinic, visiting the worker that got injured from the accident by a falling wooden crate. As she approached, he saw Poul, discussing something with Sara. From her position, she could hear that their conversation was rather technical as Sara spoke a lot of medical terminologies that she can't understand. Surprisingly, Poul was able to hold a conversation with her as if Poul was a doctor.

She always knew that Poul was an amazing person when it came to knowledge and expertise, but not to this extent. For her, it felt unrealistic that a person can hold a vast amount of information and utilize it efficiently.

As she was staring at the two, the two finally noticed her presence.

"Amelia, what are you doing? Do you need something from me?" Poul asked, beckoning her to come closer.

"Uhm…Poul," Amelia walked forward and stopped in front of him. "If possible, I would like to have a private conversation with you if that is okay? It's business related."

"Really?" Poul raised a brow before turning to Sara, who nodded her head.

"It's fine, Mr. Nielsen," Sara said formally ."I'll inform you once his condition has improved."

Poul nodded before turning his attention back to Amelia. "Lead the way, Miss Weiss."

Amelia led Poul to the conference room where she sat on one side of the table and Poul sat on the other. Poul looked at Amelia with his piercing golden eyes, waiting for her to speak.

"Poul, I'm sure you have noticed it too. You and Mr. Axelsen are not on good terms lately," Amelia said, getting straight to the point.

Poul let out a deep sigh. "Yes. Does he really have to say that in front of my face? Like I'm just explaining to him that I am meeting with a client who got terrified because of his actions. We almost lost the deal if Morgan and Sherman didn't intervene."

"I know, but you and Mr. Axelsen are the founders of this company, the core pillars. If one were to collapse, so will the other, and the pedestal will crumble," Amelia said, trying to make Poul understand the gravity of the situation.

"I understand your point, Ms. Weiss, and I am prepared to address the matter with him at the earliest opportunity. However, Mr. Axelsen is presently occupied in New York, attending to his duties concerning the metro station project. Simply calling him would be unprofessional and inappropriate given the circumstances," Poul said formally.

"Uhm, that is just you being scared of confrontation, Poul. You have to face the problem head-on and communicate with him. Ignoring it will only make things worse," Amelia said, trying to encourage Poul to take action.

Poul frowned. "I am not scared, Ms. Weiss. I simply understand that there is a time and place for everything, and this matter deserves a proper and formal discussion. I will talk to Mr. Axelsen in person when he returns, and we will work things out."

"But Mr. Axelsen is not due to arrive in Pittsburgh for about another six months, that long?" Amelia asked, surprised by the long wait.

"Yes, he has a lot on his plate, and the metro station project is of utmost importance," Poul explained calmly.

Amelia sighed, knowing that waiting for six months is not a viable option. "I understand, Poul. But waiting for that long is not feasible. The company needs both of you to be in sync for it to function correctly…"

"Look, Amelia…" Poul interrupted. "I get it okay? You want us to reconcile at the soonest possible time because you felt responsible as our executive secretary to ensure the smooth functioning of the company. Because if you don't, you will think that you failed as our secretary."

"You are seeing the point Mr. Nielsen, very clear," Amelia replied, her expression stoic. "I'm also sure that you are seeing that it's not just for my benefit, Mr. Nielsen. It's for the benefit of the company and all the employees who work hard to make it successful. We need a strong and cohesive leadership team to steer us in the right direction and ensure that we continue to thrive in a competitive market. You and Mr. Axelsen have built this company from the ground up, and I know that you both care deeply about its success. That's why I urge you to find a way to resolve your differences and work together again," Amelia said, her voice firm and confident.

Poul gulped, surprised at Amelia's determination and conviction to make his relationship with Jonathan right.

"Fine, I'll give him a call later after my business here," Poul relented and continued. "But if he doesn't pick up my call, that's on him."

Amelia breathed a sigh of relief, happy that Poul had finally agreed to take action. "Thank you, Poul. I appreciate your willingness to talk to Mr. Axelsen and resolve this issue. I'm sure everything will work out in the end," she said with a smile.

With that, Poul stood and left. Now that Poul has been settled, it's time for her former employer to convince Jonathan.

***

Same day in New York, Poul just returned from his room at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Caroline, who has been staying with him for a while in the same room, welcomed him back.

"Welcome home!"

Jonathan looked up and down at Caroline, seeing that she was wearing an apron.

"How's your day?" Caroline said, her eyes beaming with joy.

Jonathan let out a sigh and sat down on the sofa, feeling drained after his meeting earlier. "It was a long day, Caroline. I had to deal with some issues with the construction."

Caroline noticed Jonathan's exhaustion and walked over to him. "Is that so?" she asked, as she approached him. She could see the exhaustion in his eyes, so she walked around the sofa and began massaging his temples, hoping to relieve some of his tension. "You look exhausted, love. Let me help you relax," she said softly.

Jonathan closed his eyes as Caroline's fingers worked their magic on his temples. He let out a deep breath, feeling the tension in his body slowly dissipate. "Thank you, Caroline," he said, his voice soft and grateful.

Caroline smiled, glad that she could help him unwind after a long day. She continued to massage his temples, moving her fingers in circular motions. "You work too hard, Jonathan. You need to take a break sometimes," she said, her voice gentle.

"Well, being the project manager of the metro station doesn't allow me to," Jonathan chuckled.

"So, Jonathan, I received a call from Pittsburgh. It was Poul, he was hoping that he could talk with you. He didn't tell me more details but I'm sure it's about the company."

"Yeah right," Jonathan chuckled. "So someone has knocked some sense into him huh?"

"Did something happen between you two?" Caroline asked, stopping her hands from moving.

"Just a small disagreement, nothing serious," Jonathan said, trying to brush off the topic. He didn't want to burden Caroline with his work issues. "But I'll give him a call later. Thanks for letting me know."

"Okay, if you say so. Oh, by the way, I cooked you beef stew. We have been eating outside quite a lot and I figured as your future wife, I should

know how to cook for you," Caroline said, changing the topic. She walked over to the kitchen area and brought back a bowl of beef stew. "Here, try it and tell me what you think," she said, placing the bowl in front of him.

Jonathan took a spoonful of the stew and savored the taste. "Wow, Caroline. This is delicious!" he exclaimed, his taste buds tingling with pleasure. "You're an amazing cook!"

Caroline blushed, pleased with his reaction. "I'm glad you like it," she said, taking a seat next to him. They ate in comfortable silence, enjoying the warmth of the food and each other's company.

After dinner, Jonathan called Poul, curious to know what he wanted to talk about. "Hey Poul, Caroline told me you wanted to speak with me. What's up?" he asked, his tone friendly.

"Jonathan, I wanted to apologize for our disagreement the other day. I realize now that I was being too strict and shortsighted," Poul said, sounding sincere.

"No, I have a fault on my end too, so I apologize," Jonathan said.

"So that means we are good right?" Poul asked.

"Yes, of course. We're good," Jonathan replied, relieved that their disagreement had been resolved.

"Oh, very good then."