My father’s first love and my mother’s boy toy showed up at our door looking for a fight. At first, I figured it had nothing to do with me. Until Dad’s first love narrowed her eyes and pointed straight at me. “Why does she get to spend your money studying overseas? Your money is mine. That woman’s daughter has no right to touch it.” Then Mom’s boy toy actually whined at her. “Babe, we’ll have kids of our own someday. The daughter you had with that old man doesn’t deserve your money.” I laughed from pure disbelief. I was the heir my grandfather had trained himself. And these two thought they could come after what was mine? 01 Sometimes, no matter how capable you are, you still have to do things you don’t want to do. Like now. On a bright, lazy afternoon I could have spent doing absolutely anything else, I was sitting here drinking tea with a room full of idiots. The tea was just the right temperature. I took a slow sip. Grandpa was getting old. His health had been failing these past few years, and lately all he wanted was to see the family at least pretending to get along. For that one small wish of his, I had agreed to live with my parents for a while before leaving the country. A little show of fatherly kindness and filial devotion. Something to put an old man’s heart at ease. I just hadn’t expected them to be this stupid. Two leeches raising two more leeches, and now they wanted to challenge me. I didn’t even lift my eyes. “Marissa, at your age, the whole delicate little mistress act is a bad look.” Her face stiffened. “And besides, Grandpa kicked my dad out of the company’s core management ten years ago. What exactly are you showing off for?” My father, Victor Whitmore, and his first love, Marissa Vale, both went pale. My mother was just about to laugh at them when my next sentence wiped the smirk right off her face. “And Mom, this little boyfriend of yours is really not it. He looks like boiled chicken. Pale, soft, one stiff breeze away from passing out. Kidney deficiency vibes, honestly.” I tilted my head. “And kids? Does he not know you’ve already gone through menopause?” “You brat!” My father straightened up in front of the woman he loved, suddenly brave. “We are your elders! Is that how you speak to your elders?” “Exactly! Menopause? What menopause? You’re making things up!” My mother, Lauren, snapped too. “Briar, we finally sit down together for tea, and you have to make it this ugly?” I picked up a napkin and dabbed at the corner of my mouth. Honestly, after living with Grandpa at the old estate all these years, I’d almost forgotten what kind of people they were. My parents had been a classic business-marriage disaster. After I was born, they each went off to play their own games. Their concern for me was basically nonexistent. When I was little and living in this villa, they spent all day partying outside and didn’t come home for more than a year. I was abused by the live-in nanny until I was nearly starved to death. If Grandpa hadn’t returned early from a project in Europe, I would have died in this house. After that, Grandpa was furious. He froze my father’s trust for three years, kicked him out of the company, and took me back to the old estate to raise me himself. Without my parents’ care, I finally had a peaceful childhood. After college, I planned to study abroad and expand our overseas markets along the way. But Grandpa was getting older. He hoped my parents and I could repair things, so he asked me to live with them for a while before I left. A chance to reconnect, he said. Now it seemed there was no need. Bringing their lovers home to provoke me. What was this supposed to be, a lesson in parental authority? Only idiots like my parents could come up with something this ridiculous. I looked at them and smiled. The next second, I flipped the table. After what happened with the nanny, I had learned kickboxing for self-defense. Marissa reacted fast and dodged. Mom’s boy toy shielded her, so she was fine too. Dad wasn’t so lucky. Scalding tea splashed all over him. He opened his mouth to curse, but I cut him off with one cold look. “Mom. Dad. You don’t have the ability to act like elders, so don’t try to pull rank with me.” I dusted off my clothes. “What, did age take your brains with it?” I had no interest in wasting more breath on them. “Briar! I’m your father!” Dad finally lost it. “Is this how you talk to your own father?” Mom couldn’t hold back either. “Briar! I carried you for ten months!” “Do you know I nearly died on the operating table giving birth to you? And this is how you treat your mother?” They usually lived their own separate messy lives, but when it came to dealing with me, they were impressively in sync. “I know all that,” I said, smiling as I pulled a stack of documents from my bag. “That’s why I brought you gifts today.” “Dad, did you know Marissa has a son? Motherly love really is powerful. For her own kid, she can even tolerate someone as old and ugly as you.” “And Mom, your puppy here has been using your money to date more than a dozen girls at school. He’s all over the campus gossip page. You should take a look.” The scene instantly turned brutal. Screams, shrieks, accusations, all tangled together. I blinked, picked up my bag, and walked out. Honestly. They couldn’t even recognize the people sleeping beside them, and they wanted to fight me? 02 After handling some work that evening, I went back to the old estate to see Grandpa. The moment I stepped through the door, the butler came forward. “Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore arrived this afternoon. They’ve been keeping the old gentleman company.” I raised an eyebrow, not surprised. When I entered the living room, sure enough, the three of them were on the sofa. Victor was bent forward, carefully offering Grandpa a cup of freshly brewed pu-erh tea. Lauren sat on the other side, gently massaging Grandpa’s shoulders. Grandpa leaned back against the sofa, smiling. The moment he saw me, he lifted a hand and beckoned, his voice growing stronger. “Briar’s back? Come here, sweetheart.” The harmonious atmosphere in the room froze instantly. Dad’s hand paused in midair, the smile on his face almost cracking. Mom’s hands stopped moving too. The corners of her mouth visibly dropped. Grandpa acted as if he didn’t see their expressions. He waved a hand. “All right. You’ve both kept me company all afternoon. Go home. I have some things to discuss with my granddaughter alone.” “Dad, we…” Mom tried to speak, but Grandpa swept one glance over her, and she shut up immediately. Dad didn’t dare defy him. He could only stand up through gritted teeth. As he passed me, he shot me a vicious glare. Mom followed behind him and rolled her eyes when she walked past me. Once they were gone, the living room fell quiet. “Come. Let’s go to the study. Play a game of chess with me.” Grandpa braced himself on the armrest and slowly stood. I hurried forward to support his arm. His body had gotten worse year after year. The man who once carried me running through the courtyard now had to catch his breath after only a few steps. Even when he placed a chess piece on the board, his hand trembled faintly beyond his control. We hadn’t walked far when Grandpa spoke first, his voice calm. “I heard about what happened at the house today.” “Your parents have always been foolish. You know that.” My hand paused around the chess piece. I said nothing. “These years, you’ve done very well. You learned the company from me. You’re much stronger than either of them.” “In the blink of an eye, that tiny girl grew up.” His voice thickened. “I still remember when you were born. Such a small little thing. I named you Briar. People said a girl couldn’t carry a name that strong.” “I wasn’t happy about that at all.” He tapped the chessboard. “My granddaughter can carry any name in the world.” He looked at me. “And you proved it. You handle the company cleanly, decisively. I knew it. My granddaughter was born to stand above the crowd.” Tears suddenly rolled down his face. “But I still worry about you. A sharp mind can cut the person who carries it. You understood too much too early. You’re sensitive, and those parents of yours are unreliable.” “When I’m gone, what will you do alone?” “Grandpa,” I said, sniffling, “I’m not alone. I still have you with me. I’ll be fine.” Grandpa shook his head and patted the back of my hand. “Put studying abroad on hold for now.” His eyes were tired. “I’ve already given instructions. Starting tomorrow, you will act in my place as chair of the board.” He paused. “But you must promise me one thing. No matter what foolish thing your father does in the future…” “Make sure he never lacks food or shelter.” 03 I became so busy at the company that I barely had time to breathe. Everyone was waiting to laugh at me, waiting to see how a young woman like me could possibly sit firmly in the chairmanship. The first person to come looking for me was Dad. He didn’t even get to see my face before security escorted him out of the building. After all, he wasn’t even a shareholder anymore. Just a spoiled trust-fund failure living off family money. But I hadn’t expected Grant Blackwell to come back to the country. He was the grandson of my grandfather’s closest friend. Born into a military family, broad shoulders, narrow waist, handsome features. Exactly the kind of man most girls would find attractive. My parents had arranged the engagement themselves. Their plan was simple. They hoped I would fall head over heels for that pretty face, lose myself in romance, become as brainless as them, and then let them coax the Whitmore shares right out of my hands. Unfortunately for them, they miscalculated. Since I started learning company business from Grandpa at fifteen, I had seen plenty of men with beautiful faces and rotten intentions underneath. Over the years, I had always been lukewarm toward Grant. He, too, only came looking for me when he remembered I existed. “Briar.” Grant walked up to my desk, his voice carrying just the right amount of concern. “I heard everything. Your grandfather handed the whole group over to you.” “You’re a young woman, suddenly taking on a business this big. The pressure must be enormous. How can your body hold up like this?” He leaned forward slightly, his tone growing gentler. “I’ve already taken a leave from school. I’m back for good this time.” “Briar, you don’t have to carry this alone. I’ll help you.” “I studied financial management overseas. And we’re engaged. It’s only right that I help you manage the company.” Listening to him, I nearly laughed out loud. For a moment, I couldn’t decide whether Grant had no brain, or whether he thought I didn’t. Men were born with this absurd confidence. They always believed that if they were handsome enough and said a few pretty words, women would fall madly in love and hand over everything they owned. I raised an eyebrow, just about to respond, when a powerful male voice rang from the doorway. “Who said my niece can’t handle it?” I looked up and saw my uncle, Raymond Caldwell, standing at the door. This uncle of mine was much smarter than my love-obsessed mother. At least he never directly provoked me the way my parents did. “Where did this pretty boy come from?” Raymond strode over to Grant. “Trying to live off a woman and still making it sound noble?” “My niece needs your help? She grew up learning from the old man himself. Since when does an outsider get to point fingers here?” Grant had thick skin. Even being mocked in public didn’t anger him. He smiled. “I’m Briar’s fiancé.” “It’s perfectly natural for me to share her burden.” “Fiancé?” Raymond rolled his eyes. “And I’m her actual uncle.” Then he turned to me, his face full of smiles. “Briar, let your uncle make the call today. Dump this guy.” “I’ll introduce you to a whole stack of better men. Every single one stronger than this freeloader.” I couldn’t help laughing, though I knew exactly what was at stake. The Blackwell family’s military connections were crucial to the overseas security project I planned to push forward. So on the surface, at least, I couldn’t tear this engagement apart yet. I stood and looked at Grant apologetically. “Grant, I’m sorry. My uncle has always been blunt. He doesn’t mean any harm. Don’t take it personally.” “You should go first. I’ll come find you later.” Grant glanced sideways at Raymond, then looked back at me with a smile. “Briar, I’ll wait for you tonight at the InterContinental for dinner.” Then he left. Only Raymond and I remained in the office. His eyes shifted, and he rubbed his hands together with a smile. “Briar, I heard… you’re chair of the Whitmore Group now?” I understood immediately. So this was what he had come for. I pulled out a chair, sat down, poured him tea, and smiled. “Uncle Ray, we’re family. No need to circle around.” “If you have something to say, just say it.” “My niece really is straightforward!” His eyes lit up, and he immediately followed the opening. “Here’s the thing. Your uncle has a project recently. Guaranteed profit, no loss. It just needs a little startup capital.” “You’re chair now. Could you invest a little in your uncle’s project? Not much. Just a hundred million.” My smile didn’t change. I agreed instantly. “Of course, Uncle.” “As your niece, I have to support your career.” “Have your assistant send over the project materials later. I’ll ask finance to start the process.” Raymond hadn’t expected me to agree so quickly. His eyes brightened. Then he added, “Also, Briar, your cousin just graduated from college this year. Could you let him come to your company and help you out? Let him learn from you.” My uncle and aunt only had one daughter, Iris, who was studying abroad. The “cousin” he meant, Liam, was his illegitimate son. I had heard Mom mention him a few times. Raymond treasured that secret son of his. But my aunt had a fierce temper and tolerated no betrayal. As luck would have it, Raymond had been able to sit comfortably as chairman of the Caldwell family business all these years partly because my mother loved helping her younger brother, but mostly because of his wife. So he didn’t dare let her know the illegitimate son existed. I kept smiling and nodded. “No problem. Once Liam graduates, have him report to HR. I’ll have a vice president mentor him personally.” Raymond was overjoyed and left happily. The office finally quieted down. The smile slowly faded from my face. If there had only been one dog, I might have had a problem. But now there were two. All I had to do was wait for the show. 04 Grandpa’s death came suddenly. That day, I was out of town negotiating a project when I received the butler’s call. I rushed back overnight. Dad had already arranged the funeral. The funeral home was cold. Low music drifted through the air. In the center of the memorial hall hung Grandpa’s black-and-white portrait. Before the coffin, Dad knelt on a cushion, sobbing like his heart had been ripped out. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought he was the most devoted son in the world. Beside him, a woman held a swaddled baby and gently soothed it. I recognized her vaguely. One of Dad’s mistresses. “Dad! Open your eyes and look!” Dad cried, pounding the coffin heavily. His voice was hoarse. “You finally have a grandson! I gave you a grandson!” “Why couldn’t you wait to see him? Why did you leave?” I stood there as my stomach churned. Just then, my mother stormed in. The moment her eyes landed on the baby in the woman’s arms, she exploded like a firecracker and lunged forward to snatch it. “Victor Whitmore, you filthy stud! You dare bring your bastard child to the old man’s funeral? I’ll smash this little curse to death today!” The woman screamed and dodged back. Dad immediately stood and shielded her. The two of them began fighting in an instant. A proper memorial hall became a circus within seconds. I only stood quietly and looked at Grandpa, as if all the noise had nothing to do with me. My nose suddenly stung. Tears gathered in my eyes, but I held them back with everything I had. Only when the lawyer entered the hall did the chaos finally quiet down. He carried a document envelope in his hand. Grandpa’s will. The lawyer cleared his throat, bowed deeply to Grandpa’s portrait, then opened the will and read it word by word. Most of the real estate would be split equally among my parents and me. Grandpa’s lifetime collection of paintings, antiques, cars, and scattered investment and trust income all went to me. And then came the most important part. The shares of the Whitmore Group. The forty percent of shares Grandpa held during his life would be divided equally between me and my father, Victor Whitmore. Each of us would inherit twenty percent. I stood frozen as half the blood in my body seemed to turn cold. I already held the ten percent Grandpa had transferred to me years earlier. With this inherited twenty percent, I had thirty percent total. Enough to stand firmly in the company. Not enough to fully control the Whitmore Group. And Dad, a useless playboy Grandpa had kicked out of core management ten years ago, a man who wasn’t even a shareholder yesterday, had gained twenty percent overnight. That meant he now had the capital to fight me head-on. I frowned. I knew Grandpa had arranged this out of fatherly love. But he had overestimated my father. Grandpa could give him shares. Dad could not hold on to them. Dad froze for a few seconds, then burst into irrepressible laughter. “I knew it! Dad still cared about me, his son!” He glanced at me smugly. “So what if the old man trained you as heir? I’m not only your father. I’m his only son.” As he spoke, he touched the baby’s cheek. “Briar, you’d better be careful. A girl running a company? That kind of glory never lasts.” I lowered my eyes, expressionless. “Dad, whether my glory lasts or not, we’ll see.” “But it’s true that you’re a poor judge of people. Marissa fooled you for so long. This time, try not to get fooled again.” “I already threw that woman out!” Dad snarled, clearly stabbed in a sore spot. “Just wait until your brother and I replace you.” With that, he wrapped an arm around the woman, held the newborn baby, and walked out of the memorial hall without looking back. Mom was so angry her face turned green. Pointing at his back, she cursed and chased after him in her heels, shouting that she was going to settle this properly. The memorial hall, noisy moments ago, emptied in an instant. Only I remained. Me, and Grandpa lying in the coffin. I stood there for a very long time. So long my legs went numb and lost all feeling. Only then did I brace myself against the cold funeral home wall and move outside one step at a time. From the memorial hall to the parking lot was only a few hundred yards. Holding the wall, I walked for half an hour. That was enough time to think through many things. I suddenly remembered years ago, when Grandpa first brought me back to the old estate. He had stroked my head and said, “Briar, if no one helps you walk, then lean on the wall and walk by yourself. Go slowly. You’ll get out eventually.” I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I covered my face and cried without a sound.
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