bChapter /bb226 /b

    OLIVIA’S POV

    b30007 /b

    b20 /b

    Our cars pulled up into the driveway, the low hum of the engines echoing against the high walls that surrounded the mansion. Before the drivers could even step out to open the doors, Charlie’s car door flew open with an eager thud.

    Without a backward nce, he bolted out, his small sneakers pping against the marble path as he raced toward the front entrance. His little arms pumped like he was in the middle of apetition. The kid didn’t even wait for me or my parents, he was far too excited to get inside and probably jump straight onto his PS5

    I couldn’t help but smile. Out of all of us, Charlie was probably the happiest person to hear about this trip. The moment he learned that Grandpa was taking him to a new city, I am sure his eyes lit up as if Christmas hade early. For him, that meant freedom, no rm clocks, no homework, and definitely no school for the next few days.

    And even though he had a knack for academics, always bringing home report cards filled with A+ grades, school was never his favorite ce. It’s the same with most kids. They only see it as an endless cycle of rules, sses, and assignments… until they grow up and realize just how much they actually needed it. I could already hear hisughter echoing through the hallways as he probably dumped his things somewhere and went straight to switch on his game console.

    Damien had mentioned earlier that he needed to stop by somewhere to pick up a few things before heading home, and Julian had driven back to his own house right after we left thepany.

    So now it was just me, Charlie, and my parents.

    I wasn’t worried about Julian’s safety, far from it. If anything, I knew he could handle himself better than anyone else I knew. Julian wasn’t the type to panic in dangerous situations, he had a calm but calcting way of dealing with problems. The incident five years ago proved that to me. Back then, when my entire life seemed to crumble in a matter of days, Julian was the one who stepped in, guided me, and helped me see the path forward. If it hadn’t been for his advice and his relentless support, I wasn’t sure I’d even be standing here today.

    I followed closely behind my dad as we walked into the house. The scent of wood and faint cologne greeted me as we entered the living room. My father’s pace didn’t slow until we reached my private office.

    He pushed open the door and walked in without a word, heading straight for the couch. I stepped inside after him, I reached back and closed the door behind me, shutting out the faint noise of Charlie’sughter in the distance.

    “Alright,” I began, crossing my arms as I stepped toward him, “now that we’re here, why didn’t you want to tell me what Uncle Jose said back at thepany?”

    My father leaned back slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face. “When you’ve lived as long as I have,” he said slowly, his voice steady butyered with meaning, “and gained as much experience, you start to realize that every wall outside your home has ears… and those ears can be used against you someday.”

    I frowned, not quite satisfied with his cryptic answer. “Okay, and what exactly is that supposed to mean? We werepletely alone back there. There was no one anywhere near us.”

    He gave me a patient look, the kind that told me he thought I was being naive. “Someone is always listening, Olivia. Especially when you’re in the kind of position you’re in, you have to assume that people want to catch you slipping. They wait for you to say something off–guard, something careless, something they can take out of context and sell to your rivals for leverage. That’s the game in the corporate world. Information is currency, and loose words can bankrupt you faster than bad investments.”

    I studied him for a moment, the weight of his words settling in. He wasn’t wrong. I’d already experienced my fair share of betrayal and maniption over the years, but hearing it in this calm, matter–of–fact tone made it hit differently. He wasn’t just warning me, he was preparing me.

    b38/b%

    “Okay, now that we’re alone, what did Uncle Jose say?” I asked, leaning forward in my chair. Curiosity gnawed at me like a restless animal.

    Dad shifted in his seat, sping his hands together. His gaze wandered toward the window before returning to me. “Before I tell you, you need to know some things.”

    That caught me off guard. His tone was heavy, not the casual exnation I was expecting.

    “Things like what?” I asked, my brow furrowing.

    He exhaled slowly, as if deciding whether I was truly ready to hear whatever he had kept hidden all this time. “I didn’t tell you this before because I didn’t want you to feel bad in any way. But now that your uncle is making moves, sending messages, making calls–it’s time I tell you the truth. The ke family has never made a daughter the CEO of ke Enterprise. I’m talking about generations of tradition. It was always passed from father to son. My father passed it to me, his father passed it to him, and so on.”

    I had known thepany had old–fashioned values, but hearing itid out so inly made it feel heavier, more real.

    Dad continued, “As you know, Julian was meant to take over after me, but he didn’t have any interest. He wanted his own path. That decision opened the spot for my brother, Jose.”

    My eyes narrowed slightly. The moment Dad mentioned Uncle Jose, my mind sharpened. “Go on,” I said, already sensing there was more.

    “I would have given him that position without a second thought,” Dad said, pausing briefly, “but…”

    That pause was enough to make my stomach tighten. “But what?” I asked, my voice a little sharper now.

    Dad’s eyes darkened with something that looked like both disappointment and caution. “He’s not a genuine man. He never was. Yes, he’s been working in thepany for years, and others might think he deserves the position more than anyone else. But I see the truth in him, he only works so hard so he can use the power and money for himself. Even at his age, he still craves power like an addiction. My father saw this in him too. He knew if thepany ever fell into Jose’s hands, it would crumble. That’s why my father gave me the position instead of him.”

    I didn’t need him to exin further. The pieces began sliding into ce in my head like a puzzle I hadn’t realized I was working on. Jose’s cold nces at family gatherings. His forced smiles. The way he never seemed genuinely happy for my sesses.

    “I had to break that circle,” Dad went on, his voice steady now, “because I saw how much better thepany would be in your hands. I’m sure my father would have agreed. But now that it’s been officially announced…”

    “He’s not happy with it,” I cut in, finishing the thought for him.

    Dad’s expression hardened. “Not just that. He said he’s going to take it back. He’s going to take back what he believes rightfully belongs to him.”

    The words hung in the air between us like a dark cloud. I leaned back in my chair, the realization sinking in. “Now I see why he never liked me from day one,” I muttered.

    It wasn’t just dislike, it was resentment. A deep, bitter resentment

    In my mind, I could picture him now, pacing in his office, the way he’d look at me if we crossed paths again – calm on the surface but with a storm raging behind his eyes.