Chapter 10
Zara’s POV
The enclosed elevator hummed quietly as it climbed floor after floor, each sound echoing loudly in my chest.
I took a steadying breath.
Smith Holdings—The company that bore my name. The legacy my grandparents built and was inherited by my father. The one that had once written me off as a ghost of the past. Today, that changed. I returned not as a forgotten daughter but as the rightful heiress.
My tailored grey pantsuit clung to me like armor, sleek and commanding. My hair was packed into a bun, exposing the well-laid edges around my scalp and the diamond earrings that once belonged to my mother. I wasn’t here to beg. I was here to reclaim.
Leo walked beside me in silence, dressed in a black suit that whispered dominance and class. His hands brushed against mine as the elevator climbed, but I ignored the undeniable pull. There is still some mystery behind him. Something unsettling. Something that needed to be uncovered.
He had accompanied me to be officially introduced as my fiancé to my parents and anyone who cared to listen.
My assistant, positioned at our backs, kept looking at me and back at him as though she could feel the tension between us. Almost like she could sense it too. But I had to remind myself that this was a story for the media, and acceptance by the company.
The elevator slid open with a hushed chime.
The workers froze at the sight of us, each looking down with murmurs on their lips as we stepped out of the elevator. Whispers surged through the marble floor corridor like a wave of electricity.
Leo took my hand in his in a very soft and comforting manner. It took everything in me to remind myself that this was an act, and I shouldn’t let the softness and calmness get to me. “It’s pure business”, he had said.
“Ms Smith,” the receptionist stammered. “W-we weren’t expecting—”
“You are now”, Mia, my assistant, replied immediately and assertively.
I let out a soft smile at her efficiency as we walked towards my father’s office.
I couldn’t help but notice the photographs on the wall—a reminder of men who had sat at the leadership of this empire. My grandfather, stoic in black and white. My father, proud and heroic. And to my surprise, my step-sister, Madilyn Smith. Framed in gold. Her portrait shinier and newer. They had included her picture as the next in line to head the company. They had crowned her in my absence.
How must she feel on my return? I didn’t intend to cause her any problems, but this was my legacy as the first child of my parents. And I wasn’t that weak Zara anymore. I would take what’s mine unapologetically.
Besides, my mother had supported my father in building this company while she was alive. There were rumours that my father had been keeping a mistress while my mum was alive and had gotten her pregnant. My father denied it, but it turned out to be the truth after she died. Evelyn, Madilyn’s mum, was the mistress. I let it go to maintain the peace and tranquility my mother stood for. But that was the height of things I would take. I was not letting them take away my legacy.
My father’s office loomed ahead—massive, glass-paneled, and surrounded by healthy, beautiful plants. Behind the office, I could already hear the low murmuring voices.
Mia’s knock on the door was followed by a response. “Come in”, a male voice that sounded like my father said.
There he was, my father, Joseph Smith. I hadn’t seen him since I came back from New York. He was dressed in a well-ironed grey suit with a shiny brooch to complement it. He gave me a long stare, his brown eyes scanning my entire body from head to toe, probably trying to take in the new look of his prodigal daughter. He finally let out a soft smile that calmed my nerves.
He rose slowly from behind his Mahogany desk. “Come here,” he gestured to me with his arms open wide.
I, in turn, leaned in for a hug. That feeling. It’s been so long since I’ve been hugged so passionately.
He pulled back, still studying me. “How have you been, Zara?” His voice was laced with sheer curiosity.
“I know you have a lot of questions, Dad.”
“We would choose another day to talk about it. But we can say I’m fine. For now,” I let out a chuckle.
He gave an understanding nod and turned to Leo, and back at me. “Would you choose a special day to introduce him to me too? I already saw the news headlines. I can’t believe the world got to know before me.” He said, looking disappointed.
“I’m sorry, Dad.”
“I intended to tell you first, but everything happened so fast. So—”
He cut me off before I could finish apologizing. “Don’t bother Zara. What matters is you’re back now, and it is just what your mother would have wanted. I hold nothing against you.”
“Thank you, Dad.”
“So this is Leo Armstrong.”
I hesitated for a bit because lying to my father, who had been nothing but sweet to me, proved a bit difficult. “Well…he is my fiancé”, I finally let out the big lie with a heavy sigh following it.
“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Leo said, facing my father, his voice low and respectful.
“It’s good to see you too, young man. So, when are you getting married? I assume you’ve picked a date?”
I froze. A thousand thoughts ran through my head.
I glanced sharply at Leo, who was already searching my face for answers, eyes narrowing slightly at me, waiting for a cue.
Looking back at my dad and letting out a big smile to seal the awkwardness in the room, “We are… still newly engaged, Dad. We would talk about our wedding preparations later. Right, Leo?” I signaled hard to him to play along.
“Oh yes, we would. I can’t wait to marry your daughter.”
What?
I looked sharply at Leo, and I could tell he regretted his last sentence. He can’t wait to marry me?
I unconsciously let out a laugh. He nervously smiled in return.
My dad clapped his hands together. “That’s great. Come, let me introduce you to the Board.”
The board. I hadn’t seen most of them since my mum used to take me around the company as a 10-year-old. Now, I would stand in before them as a woman ready to live up to her legacy. I couldn’t say I wasn’t a bit nervous.
As we walked towards the boardroom, every step became heavier. Mia trailed behind silently while Leo stayed close. We reached the tall wooden doors of the boardroom, and my father pushed them open.
Several suited figures sat in the front row. Their eyes widened upon our entrance.
Then I saw them. Madilyn and Evelyn. They sat across the long table, hair sleek, and lips curved into a forced smile.
As I opened my mouth to speak, my father dropped a bomb. “Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to reintroduce my firstborn daughter…and the next CEO of Smith Holdings.”
Gasps filled the room as heads turned, one to another.
Madilyn’s smile went dim.
Evelyn's brows furrowed, eyes turning red.
And just like that, war seemed to be brewing.
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