Chapter 14

Serena's POV

I wake up to the faint glow filtering through my curtains. My body still feels heavy. I pause for a second, my eyes landing on my phone. There's a new message from Lucas-just a few simple words. Last night's conversation with him hangs in my mind, but his text is as cryptic as it gets: "From now on, I'll be there."

I don't have the energy to decode him right now. With an sigh, I put my phone aside and limp to the bathroom.

I spend a few minutes washing my face, doing a light makeup routine, and then I choose a crisp, black tailored pantsuit-something professional and no-nonsense. My leg still kills me sometimes, so I choose flat shoes.

Once I leave my apartment building, I'm about to hail a taxi when a sleek black Maybach pulls up. A man in a crisp suit steps out and walks up to me. He's young, polite, and carries himself with the trained confidence of a professional driver.

"Ms. Sinclair?" he says, offering me a business card. "I'm Ethan Brooks. Mr. Harrington asked me to drive you to StarRiver Group."

I pause, a flash of irritation and confusion mixing in my chest. Lucas did this without asking me first. Typical of him to make a decision on my behalf. Still, the throbbing in my leg is getting worse, so I decide not to argue.

"Fine," I mutter, sliding into the back seat. On the way, I pull out my phone and shoot Lucas a curt message: "Thanks."

He replies almost instantly with a short, "No problem."

When we arrive at StarRiver Group, Ethan gets out and hands me his business card again. "I'm your full-time driver, ma'am. I'll be back to pick you up later."

I nod. "Alright," I say simply.

Walking through the lobby, I feel dozens of eyes on me. It's no secret that yesterday's shake-up has everyone gossiping. Some people avert their gazes; others stare openly. I don't slow down. I head straight to the executive elevator that goes up to the chairman's floor.

Inside my new office, the space has been cleaned up, all trace of the previous chaos gone. I sink into the chair and pick up the phone.

"Come to my office," I say flatly.

After a few minutes, a woman in a loud, floral outfit strolls in. She's wearing a blouse with a flashy pattern and a pencil skirt two sizes too tight. Her makeup is caked on, her lipstick almost neon. She seems annoyed before she even opens her mouth.

"I'm April Carter, Mr. Sinclair's secretary," she announces.

I watch her, feeling a mocking smile tug at my lips. It's so typical of my dad to surround himself with people who look like they're part of a cheap beauty pageant. "Get a notebook," I say. "We have a lot of work to do."

April sighs dramatically, leaves the office, and comes back with a small notepad and pen. She looks like she'd rather be anywhere else. I lean forward.

"Listen carefully. First, I want a complete set of basic info on all employees from HR. Second, I want every single ongoing or planned project file from the Group Department. Third, I want the Marketing Department to bring me sales data from the past six months. Fourth, the Finance Department needs to prepare the same period's financial reports. Last, the Design Department must submit every design file-both in production and not yet launched. There's a meeting at two this afternoon with all senior department heads and the vice president, Henry Lockwood. No one's allowed to be late."

April jots down random scribbles, looking half-bored. When I ask her to bring me coffee, she stands there blankly until I ask, "What's your name again?"

She sighs. "April. April Carter."

I just nod. "Right. Coffee. Now."

She rolls her eyes and leaves. I release a frustrated breath, massaging the tense spot at my temple. This is going to be a long day.

By two o'clock, I'm seated in the conference room. Only Henry is there with me, fiddling with his pen in anxious silence. April Carter pops her head in.

"I told them about the meeting," she says with a shrug, "but no one's here yet."

"Then go and remind them," I snap. "If they're not here in ten minutes, they might as well resign."

She gives me a mock salute and disappears. Henry looks at me, surprise evident in his eyes. I lift my hand, telling him to stay quiet. I'm not here to justify my decisions.

Within ten minutes, a group of sluggish, overly confident managers file in. They're clearly trying to send a message, like they can walk all over me. They settle into their seats, exchanging smirks. I don't give them a warm welcome.

"Let's get started," I say. "Show me what you've prepared."

Cole Anderson from HR goes first, shrugging casually. "Didn't have time to compile everything. We'll do it tomorrow."

Similar excuses come from the Group Department, Marketing, and Finance. They're playing it like they own the place, giving me lazy reasons why they can't get their work done. The arrogance makes my blood boil, but I keep my tone steady.

Finally, Design Department's turn. Nina stands up. She's all smiles and polished words, acting like some sweet little angel. "I actually have our latest designs ready," she says brightly. "May I present them?"

I don't miss the triumphant look in her eyes. She spends nearly an hour flipping through slides. Dresses, suits, accessories-the works. I try to concentrate on the designs, but I can't help noticing the smug tilt of her smile.

"So," she concludes, "we're ready to launch next month. Everything's set."

I press my fingertips together. "I see room for improvement," I say bluntly.

Nina's face tightens, just for a split second, but she quickly replaces it with a fake grin. Cole Anderson jumps in to protect her. "Serena, you might want to be careful here," he says in a patronizing tone. "Nina's designs lead the fashion trend. She's won an international award. Worldwide ranking number five, Asia's number two, under her brand name Lilac. You probably shouldn't be criticizing her."

Nina fakes a humble laugh, batting her eyelashes. "Oh, Cole, please. I'm not even Asia's number one yet. It's such a shame."

I slam my hand on the table, giving them both a hard stare. "Asia's number one," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "isn't that still not number one globally?" Then I turn back to Nina. "If you're so confident, aim higher. Don't act like being second in Asia is enough to shut me up."