Morning showed up at Spencer Manor like it owned the place.
Light came in clean through tall windows and fell across polished floors, quiet rugs, and walls lined with old portraits that watched without blinking. Outside, Manhattan was already loud, but the sound reached the house softened, as though the street noise knew better than to act up in here.
Aurelia Spencer lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
She had closed her eyes. She had even tried to let her body sink into the mattress. It never worked. Every time she got close to sleep, her mind slid back to the chapel. The rain. The casket. Her mother's fingers trembling when she thought no one was looking.
Across the hall, the guest rooms were occupied.
Serena and Naomi had insisted on staying the night. They both had apartments in the city. They could have gone home. They did not. Serena had shown up with a garment bag, a tiny overnight case, and a face that refused to let Aurelia drown alone. Naomi had arrived with a legal pad, a charger, and the kind of quiet determination that said she was there to hold the line.
Aurelia had not asked either of them to stay.
They had stayed anyway.
Her phone sat face down on the bedside table.
She did not touch it.
A soft knock came at the door.
"Aurelia," Margaret called gently.
Aurelia's voice came out rougher than she intended. "I'm awake."
Margaret opened the door slowly and stepped inside. She was already dressed in black again, hair pinned back, makeup neat in a way that looked more like armor than style. In the early light, she looked like she had been holding herself up all night and could not decide whether to let go.
Margaret walked to the edge of the bed and sat down carefully, like she was afraid the mattress might tip the balance of the whole day.
"You did not sleep," Margaret said.
Aurelia sat up. "I rested."
Margaret gave her a look that said she did not believe that for one second.
"They called," Margaret said.
Aurelia's hands went still on her lap. "The board."
"Yes," Margaret replied. "Twice. They asked if you were coming in early."
Aurelia took a slow breath. "Did you answer?"
"I told them you would be there when you were ready."
Aurelia nodded once. "Thank you."
Margaret looked down at her hands. "They asked if you needed more time."
Aurelia let out a breath that almost became a laugh. "That sounds polite."
"It wasn't," Margaret said quietly.
Aurelia met her mother's eyes. "They don't get to rush me."
Margaret's mouth tightened. "They'll try anyway."
Aurelia stood and walked to the window. Spencer Manor sat on a street that looked calm on purpose. Clean sidewalks. Doormen and security that never looked like security.
Manhattan still pressed close. Even here.
"I know," Aurelia said.
Margaret stood behind her. "I keep thinking he is going to walk into the hall and ask why everyone is whispering."
Aurelia's throat tightened. She kept her eyes on the glass. "He won't."
Margaret's voice dropped. "I hate saying that out loud."
Aurelia turned.
Her mother's eyes were bright, but she was holding them steady. That was Margaret Spencer, even in grief. She did not let the world see her break until she chose.
Margaret reached for Aurelia's hand. "You do not have to be hard all the time."
Aurelia squeezed her fingers once. "Just today."
Margaret's lips pressed together. "Today will be rough."
Aurelia nodded. "That is why I will not fall apart."
Margaret let go, stood, and smoothed the edge of the blanket again, still doing it without noticing. "Tea is downstairs. I asked the house staff to make toast too."
Aurelia shook her head. "No heavy food."
"Just a few bites," Margaret said.
Aurelia opened her mouth to refuse again, then stopped. "I'll try."
Margaret's shoulders eased a fraction. "Good."
Aurelia watched her mother hesitate at the door. Margaret turned back.
"He loved you," Margaret said, voice low.
Aurelia swallowed. "I know."
Margaret left quietly.
A second knock came almost right after, quicker, less gentle.
Before Aurelia could speak, the door pushed open.
Serena Collins stepped in with purpose, dressed in black that still looked like her. Her hair was pulled back in a loose knot that did not pretend to be perfect. She carried a cup of tea in one hand like it was a weapon.
"You are not skipping tea," Serena said.
Aurelia stared at the cup. "How did you get that?"
"I have charm," Serena said. "And I gave the staff my most tragic face until they gave in."
Naomi Rivers followed Serena into the room, tablet tucked under her arm, expression sharp and awake. Naomi looked like she had slept even less than Aurelia, but she stood like she did not care.
"They moved the meeting," Naomi said.
Aurelia took the tea from Serena, mostly to keep Serena from waving it around. "To what time?"
"Nine," Naomi replied. "Full board. No delays."
Serena's eyes widened. "Nine. That is rude."
Naomi's gaze flicked to Serena. "It is calculated."
Aurelia sipped the tea. It was hot enough to sting her tongue. It grounded her.
Aurelia set the tea down carefully. The cup clicked softly against the saucer. "You will be in the building."
Naomi nodded. "In the lounge."
Serena's mouth tightened. "So I stay in the lounge too."
Naomi glanced at Serena. "Yes."
Serena looked at Aurelia like she was trying to decide whether to argue. Then she softened. "Fine. But if they make you bleed, I am going to bite someone."
Naomi did not smile. "Do not bite anyone."
Serena rolled her eyes. "I will bite politely."
Aurelia held up a hand. "Both of you. Stop."
They went quiet.
Aurelia walked to the wardrobe and slid the door open. Everything in Spencer Manor felt heavier than Monaco. Even fabric. She pulled out a tailored black suit, then chose one that fit clean at the shoulders and waist. It did not hide her shape. It did not apologize for it either.
Serena watched her. "Good. Wear the one that says you are still you."
Naomi's gaze stayed level. "Wear the one that says you are not asking."
Aurelia breathed out slowly. "Both can be true."
As she dressed, her phone buzzed on the table.
Aurelia ignored it.
Serena watched her. "Are you going to check it?"
"Not yet," Aurelia said.
Naomi nodded once, like that was the right answer.
Aurelia picked up her bag. "Let's go."
They moved through Spencer Manor together. The house felt awake but still. Somewhere downstairs, soft footsteps moved through the halls. A door opened. A kettle hissed, then stopped.
The front entry hall looked the same as it always did. Tall ceiling. Portraits. The chandelier unlit, letting morning light do the work.
Serena glanced up at the walls. "Those paintings still creep me out."
Aurelia kept walking. "They are family."
Serena whispered, "That is why they creep me out."
Naomi did not even look up. "The car is waiting."
Outside, the street looked calm. A black Mercedes sedan waited at the curb, engine running. The door opened. Aurelia slid in first. Naomi took the seat across from her. Serena climbed in beside Aurelia.
The ride into the city started quietly.
Then Serena spoke, like she could not stand the silence anymore. "Do you remember the first time we went to Spencer headquarters?"
Aurelia nodded. "You got lost."
Serena pointed at her. "I was twelve. It was a building designed to swallow children."
Naomi glanced up from her tablet. "It is designed to swallow adults too."
Serena looked out the window. "I used to think your dad built it like a castle."
Aurelia's jaw tightened. "He built it like a machine."
Naomi's voice stayed calm. "And now it needs a driver."
Serena turned to Aurelia. "How are you, really?"
Aurelia stared at the street passing by. A man crossed the road with coffee in hand. Someone yelled at a taxi. A dog tugged on a leash. Life kept moving.
"I feel like I left a life behind," Aurelia said quietly.
Serena's tone softened. "Monaco."
Aurelia did not answer.
Naomi's eyes lifted. She did not push.
Serena leaned in. "Did Andrew call again?"
Aurelia finally looked at Serena. "Yes."
Serena's eyes widened a little. "Are you going to answer?"
Aurelia looked down at her hands. "Not today."
Serena nodded slowly. "Okay."
Naomi spoke, low and direct. "The board will use him if they can."
Serena blinked. "Use him how?"
Naomi looked at Serena like she had to explain gravity. "Anything that looks like a distraction becomes a weapon."
Serena's face tightened. "He is not a weapon. He is a person."
Naomi's gaze stayed steady. "So is Aurelia."
Aurelia inhaled slowly. "Enough."
Both of them went quiet again.
The car slowed as they approached the Spencer Corporation building.
Outside, cameras were already waiting. Not as crowded as the chapel, but enough to make Aurelia's skin tighten.
Serena leaned closer. "You do not have to talk to them."
"I know," Aurelia said.
Naomi's voice stayed low. "Walk straight. Do not stop."
Security opened the door.
Sound rushed in.
Questions overlapping. Shouts calling her name. The rapid clicks of cameras.
Aurelia stepped out first.
She did not look at the cameras. She did not flinch. She walked forward with steady steps, posture straight, chin lifted. Her heels clicked on the pavement in a measured rhythm.
Someone shouted, "Is it true you are taking over?"
Another voice called, "Is the company safe?"
Aurelia kept walking.
A third voice yelled, "Did you even want the job?"
Serena stepped out behind her and stayed a little back, eyes wide and angry.
Naomi moved in close, not touching Aurelia, but close enough to block anyone who tried to get too near.
They got inside.
The lobby gleamed with polished stone and high light. Flowers stood tall in heavy vases. The whole place smelled clean and expensive. It did not smell like comfort.
The lobby shifted when Aurelia entered.
Conversations softened. Someone straightened a jacket. A woman at the front desk corrected herself mid-sentence and said, "Good morning, Ms Spencer," like she had practiced it already.
No one smiled.
They watched.
Aurelia paused for half a second in the center of the lobby, then kept moving.
A security staffer guided them into a side corridor.
A sign on the wall read Executive Lounge.
The door opened into a private space with low couches, a coffee bar, and a wall of glass looking out over the city. The sound of the building faded here, like it had been left outside on purpose.
Naomi scanned the room automatically. She checked the corners, the door, and the glass. Then she nodded once.
"This is controlled," Naomi said. "Good."
Aurelia looked at them. "You stay here during the meeting."
Serena's mouth opened.
Naomi spoke first. "Yes."
Serena pressed her lips together. "Fine."
Aurelia turned toward the elevator.
Serena stopped at the edge of the lounge, not following, but not retreating either. She straightened slowly, like she was marking the moment instead of rushing past it.
Naomi stayed where she was, phone already in hand, posture set, eyes alert.
The hallway beyond the lounge was quiet, too polished, too bright. The kind of quiet that felt watched.
Aurelia's heels struck the floor in a steady rhythm as she reached the elevators. The elevator was already full when Aurelia stepped inside.
A few people glanced at her, then looked away.
A man reached for the control panel, hesitated, then pulled his hand back as Aurelia pressed the button herself.
The doors slid shut.
She felt the weight of their attention without turning around.
The elevator rose.
The hum of the machinery filled the space, steady and contained. Aurelia rested her hands lightly at her sides and fixed her eyes on the mirrored wall. For a second, she saw herself clearly. Not the heiress. Not the headline. Just a woman standing upright because she refused to bend.
She thought of Serena's face in the lounge. Thought of Naomi already working angles she could not see yet. Thought of her mother back at Spencer Manor, holding herself together one careful breath at a time.
The elevator slowed.
The doors opened.
The boardroom level hallway was all glass and sharp light. The skyline stretched wide beyond the windows, the city laid out beneath her like something distant and untouchable.
Aurelia stepped out alone.
She walked toward the boardroom doors with measured steps, shoulders back, pace unhurried. No one flanked her. No one shielded her. She did not need it.
When the doors opened, the conversations inside stopped.
A long table stretched through the center of the room. Every chair was filled. Suits. Jewelry. Neat hair. Polite faces that did not feel polite.
Aurelia walked to the head of the table and took the chair her father once occupied.
A man cleared his throat.
"Ms Spencer," he said, voice smooth, "our condolences."
Aurelia met his gaze. "Thank you."
The lawyer stood, folder in hand. "As discussed, the board has convened to address leadership continuity and immediate market concerns."
Aurelia listened without blinking.
"As of today," the lawyer continued, "Aurelia Spencer is named interim chief executive officer of the Spencer Corporation."
The word interim moved through the room like a quiet dare.
A woman near the far end leaned back. "Interim."
A man beside her said, "Temporary."
Aurelia leaned forward slightly. "Until the board votes otherwise."
A different man spoke, voice sharp. "You have not been here in years."
"That is true," Aurelia replied.
"So why should we trust you?" he asked.
Aurelia's voice stayed calm. "Because I am here now."
He scoffed softly. "That is not an answer."
Aurelia held his gaze. "It is the only answer that matters today."
A murmur passed across the table.
Someone tapped a pen against the wood. The sound was small, steady, irritating.
A woman asked, "What is your plan for stability?"
Aurelia did not rush. "My plan is to stop the panic."
A man laughed under his breath, the sound short and smug. "Easy to say."
Aurelia turned her eyes to him. "Do you want panic to lead, or do you want leadership to lead?"
His smile faded.
Another voice cut in. "You are grieving. That is understandable. But this is a billion-dollar company."
Aurelia's fingers pressed lightly into the table. "Then it is a good thing I am not here to be understood. I am here to work."
A chair shifted to her right.
Dominic Blackwood sat two seats down from her.
He had been there the whole time.
He had not spoken.
He watched the room like he was reading it.
The rest of the meeting continued the same way, sharp questions thrown like darts, the word interim used like a jab, Monaco dragged into the air like bait. Aurelia stayed steady. She gave them answers that did not beg. She did not explain her life to people who wanted to tear it apart.
When the vote finally came, hands lifted. Some fast, some slow, some reluctant.
The motion passed.
Not cleanly. Not happily. But it passed.
When the room finally started to empty, Dominic stayed seated.
Aurelia gathered her notes, her movements measured.
She walked out.
And the moment the boardroom doors shut behind her, she felt the tightness in her chest shift, like her body had been holding its breath and did not know if it could breathe yet.
Downstairs, the executive lounge felt warmer.
Naomi was already standing when Aurelia walked in, phone in hand, eyes sharp.
Serena was back on the couch, posture tense, like she had been counting minutes.
Naomi spoke first. "How bad?"
Aurelia let out a slow breath. "They tried to break me."
Serena leaned forward. "Did you break?"
Aurelia looked at her. "No."
Serena's shoulders dropped in relief. "Good."
Naomi stepped closer. "Any surprises?"
Aurelia's eyes flicked toward the glass wall, then back. "Dominic watched. Then he spoke once."
Serena's eyes widened. "Of course he did."
Aurelia's phone buzzed in her bag.
She did not reach for it.
Naomi's voice softened. "Do you want to go home?"
For one second, she wanted to say yes.
Then a voice came from the hallway outside the lounge.
"Ms Spencer."
Aurelia's spine stiffened.
Naomi's posture went still.
Serena stood.
Dominic Blackwood stepped into the lounge doorway like he knew exactly where she would be, calm as ever.
He looked at Aurelia, not Naomi, not Serena.
"May I have a moment of your time?" Dominic said.
And Aurelia realized the lounge was private but not hidden.