Lucius

She had been working for Lucius for two years now and knew the main rule: never try to understand him.

The company feared him. Not for his shouting, not for his punishments, but for his unpredictability. No one knew what mood he'd show up in the morning with. Lucius ran the company coldly and impeccably, as if everything around him were just a mechanism that had to keep running.

He spoke several languages, personally negotiating with foreign partners. One of them was Julia, the owner of the Japanese designer paper brand Midori. She was scheduled to fly in today for an important meeting.

But Lucius arrived in a bad mood. He locked himself in his office and seemed to have forgotten about the negotiations.

When Julia arrived, the secretary greeted her politely in the reception area:

• Please wait a minute, I will inform you of your arrival.

She knocked on the office door and opened it.

• Mister Lucius, Julia has come to see you.

He turned slowly in his chair, looking sullen and irritated.

• How should I know? Why the hell did you come to me?

There was a pause in the office.

And only a second later did it dawn on him that the meeting had been scheduled after all.