My father's footsteps were steady as he walked back to his chair.
He didn't look at me while he spoke. He didn't have to. His voice carried enough authority to command a room without meeting anyone's eyes.
"There's a man," he said slowly, setting his glass down. "Kennedy Peters. You've heard of him."
I felt the name cut through the air like a blade.
Of course I had. Everyone had.
Kennedy Peters was the kind of man people whispered about. Ruthless in business, feared in silence. My father's biggest rival. And, if the rumors were true, a man who dealt with things darker than money.
Ann's smile deepened as she crossed her legs.
"Oh, she's definitely heard of him," she said softly. "The man owns half the city. The kind of power your mother only dreamed of."
My father shot her a look, and she quieted immediately, but her smirk stayed.
"That man," he continued, "has been trying to destroy everything I've built. He's clever, patient, and careful. I've sent men after him, but none came back with anything useful. Some didn't come back at all."
He finally looked up, his eyes burning into mine.
"You want your mother's company, Elena? You want to lead? Then bring Kennedy Peters down."
For a moment, I thought I had heard him wrong. My heart skipped. "What?"
He leaned back in his chair, calm as ever.
"I said, destroy him. Find out how his business works, where his weaknesses lie, what he's hiding. Get close to him. Get inside his company if you have to. I don't care how you do it."
Patricia laughed, the sound light and cruel.
"Oh, this should be fun. Little Elena playing spy."
Ann joined her with a small chuckle.
"She'll last what? A week? Maybe two? Kennedy Peters doesn't tolerate weaklings."
Their voices buzzed around me, but I barely heard them.
My mind was spinning. This wasn't a request. It was a suicide mission. Everyone knew Kennedy Peters didn't let people close, especially not those from my father's circle.
"I can't just walk into his life," I said quietly. "He'll know who I am."
"Then don't let him," my father replied. "You've always been smart, haven't you? Use that mind for something other than crying over your mother's grave."
The words hit harder than I expected.
My mother's face flashed in my head, her gentle smile, her soft voice when she used to say I'd grow into a woman who changed everything.
I swallowed hard. "You're asking me to lie, to risk my life."
He leaned forward, his voice dropping lower. "I'm not asking. I'm giving you a choice."
My breath hitched. "A choice?"
His eyes turned cold, so cold I almost stepped back.
"Either you prove you're capable of leading by doing this... or you walk away. You forget the company, the legacy, and everything your mother left behind. You'll be just another rich girl living off my name."
The room felt smaller, suffocating.
Ann's perfume was too strong, Patricia's laughter too sharp.
I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. This was how they always broke me, not with blows, but with words.
Patricia tilted her head, pretending to look concerned.
"Maybe she should just let it go. Not everyone is meant to lead, Father. Some people are just meant to watch."
I turned toward her slowly, every ounce of anger in me threatening to spill.
But my father's eyes held me in place. "Don't look at her," he said softly. "Look at me, Elena. I need an answer."
My hands trembled, but I forced myself to lift my chin. "And if I refuse?"
He stood again, walking closer until he stopped right in front of me.
"Then you're not ready to lead," he said quietly. "And if you're not ready, I'll make sure your mother's name is erased from every company document that still bears it. By the time I'm done, it'll be as if she never existed."
Something cracked inside me.
The silence that followed was deafening. Ann's lips curled into a smile of triumph. Patricia laughed under her breath, enjoying every second of my humiliation.
I didn't look at them. I couldn't. I kept my eyes on him, the man who was supposed to protect me, the man who had stolen everything my mother built and was now daring me to fight for it.
I swallowed hard. "You'll regret this," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
He smiled faintly, the kind of smile that never reached his eyes. "Maybe. But at least I'll know you tried."
I closed my eyes for a second, breathing through the storm in my chest.
The fear, the anger, the pain, all of it mixed into one bitter taste.
When I opened them again, I saw Ann's mocking gaze and Patricia's proud smirk. They thought I'd walk away. They thought I'd crumble like always.
But I wouldn't. Not this time.
I straightened, meeting my father's eyes. "I'll do it."
The room fell silent.
For a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his expression, pride or satisfaction, I couldn't tell. Then it was gone. He nodded once.
"Good. Don't come back until you've succeeded."
He turned away as if the conversation was over.
Ann leaned back, her smile soft and poisonous. "Careful, dear," she murmured. "Men like Kennedy Peters don't fall easily. And when they do, they drag their enemies down with them."
Patricia laughed quietly. "If she's lucky, maybe he'll even notice her before he destroys her."
I didn't respond. I walked out before they could say anything else. My heart was pounding, my vision slightly blurred from unshed tears.
But under all of it, beneath the anger, the humiliation, and the fear, something else burned.
Determination.
If this was what it took to get back what was mine, then so be it.
I would walk into the lion's den. I would face Kennedy Peters. And I would win.
Or I'd die trying.