CHAPTER 8: FAMILY INTERFERENCE
1264 Words
Neither of us spoke afterward.
The storm continued outside, rain sliding down the glass walls while the city lights shimmered beneath the dark sky.
Kai's hand remained wrapped around mine.
Warm.
Steady.
Dangerous.
I should have pulled away.
Instead, I sat there listening to the rain and the steady rhythm of my own heartbeat.
For the first time since my second life began, I wasn't thinking about the future.
I wasn't thinking about the accident.
I wasn't thinking about the hospital.
I was simply here.
With him.
And somehow that scared me more than anything.
A sudden buzz from Kai's phone shattered the moment.
He glanced at the screen and sighed.
"Problem?"
"My cousin."
I immediately knew who he meant.
Derek Mercer.
The perfect heir.
The perfect smile.
The perfect reputation.
And underneath it all, a man who had never believed Kai deserved anything.
Especially success.
Kai ignored the call.
Two seconds later it rang again.
Then again.
"Persistent," I muttered.
"Annoying," Kai corrected.
The phone stopped.
A text message appeared instead.
Kai read it.
His expression darkened instantly.
My stomach tightened.
"What happened?"
He hesitated.
Then turned the screen toward me.
The message was short.
Board meeting tomorrow.
Hope your little Chen project is worth embarrassing the family.
—Derek
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Kai locked his phone.
"It means Derek hates that the Horizon Initiative is getting attention."
"Because you're leading it?"
"Because we're leading it."
The distinction wasn't lost on me.
For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.
Then the lights flickered back on.
The storm was finally passing.
Reality returned.
And with it came responsibilities.
I slowly withdrew my hand.
Kai let me.
But disappointment flashed across his eyes before he could hide it.
"We should finish the reports," I said quietly.
"Yeah."
Neither of us mentioned what had happened.
Neither of us forgot it either.
---
The next morning, the office felt different.
Tense.
People whispered near elevators.
Executives moved quickly between meetings.
Something was happening.
Mina appeared at my desk carrying enough gossip to power a small country.
"You won't believe this."
I looked up.
"Good morning to you too."
"Derek Mercer is here."
That got my attention.
"What?"
"He arrived an hour ago."
Mina lowered her voice dramatically.
"And apparently he's attending today's board review."
My stomach sank.
Wonderful.
Exactly what we needed.
A power-hungry cousin with a superiority complex.
By lunchtime, I finally saw him.
Derek Mercer entered the conference room surrounded by executives.
Tall.
Sharp suit.
Perfect posture.
The kind of man who looked polished enough to belong on a magazine cover.
His smile was flawless.
His eyes weren't.
Those eyes were calculating.
Cold.
Dangerous in a completely different way from Kai.
Derek noticed me immediately.
"Miss Chen."
I stood politely.
"Mr. Mercer."
His smile widened.
"I've heard impressive things about you."
Something about the compliment felt wrong.
Like a trap hidden beneath velvet.
"I appreciate that."
Derek glanced toward Kai, who had just entered the room.
The atmosphere instantly cooled.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Little cousin," Derek said smoothly.
Kai's expression remained neutral.
"Derek."
No warmth.
No affection.
Nothing.
The tension between them could have cut glass.
"Looking forward to your presentation," Derek continued.
"I'm sure you are."
Derek chuckled.
The sound carried absolutely no humor.
---
The board review began at two o'clock.
Everything started normally.
Our campaign projections were approved.
Investor interest exceeded expectations.
Community outreach numbers looked promising.
For one glorious hour, everything went perfectly.
Then Derek spoke.
"I do have one concern."
Every executive looked up.
Derek folded his hands calmly.
"Several investors have questioned whether Miss Chen's leadership role was earned through merit or family influence."
Silence.
My pulse stopped.
There it was.
The attack.
Not direct enough to challenge openly.
But sharp enough to do damage.
Around the table, executives shifted uncomfortably.
I forced myself to remain calm.
"I've completed every assignment required for this position."
"Of course."
Derek smiled politely.
"I'm merely addressing concerns."
Liar.
Before I could respond, another executive spoke.
"There have been rumors."
More silence.
The familiar frustration returned instantly.
My entire life.
Always the same.
Not smart enough.
Not capable enough.
Just the chairman's daughter.
No matter how hard I worked.
No matter how much I achieved.
Someone always questioned whether I deserved it.
I opened my mouth.
Then Kai stood.
The movement was sudden enough that everyone looked toward him.
Including me.
"Derek."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"You want to discuss qualifications?"
The room went completely silent.
Derek's smile faded slightly.
Kai continued.
"Lila has worked harder than anyone on this project."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
No embarrassment.
Just certainty.
"If this initiative succeeds, it's because she helped build it."
My heart slammed against my ribs.
The room remained silent.
Kai wasn't finished.
"Every projection. Every outreach strategy. Every investor report."
His gaze locked onto Derek's.
"She earned her place."
The confidence in his voice left no room for argument.
For a second, nobody spoke.
Then my father cleared his throat.
"I agree."
Another executive nodded.
"So do I."
One by one, support followed.
The discussion ended almost immediately.
Because the truth was obvious.
Derek had lost.
But judging from the look in his eyes—
he wasn't done.
Not even close.
---
The meeting finally ended an hour later.
Executives filtered out slowly.
My father was pulled into another discussion.
Soon only a handful of people remained.
Including Kai.
And me.
I gathered my documents quietly.
"You didn't have to do that."
Kai looked up.
"Yes, I did."
"Derek was attacking you too."
"He was attacking you first."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
The question escaped before I could stop it.
Why defend me?
Why keep choosing me?
Why keep making this harder?
Kai's expression softened.
Then he stepped closer.
Not enough to cross a line.
Just enough that I could see the honesty in his eyes.
"Because nobody gets to make you feel small."
My breath caught.
Dangerous.
So unbelievably dangerous.
"Not Derek."
Another step.
"Not investors."
Another.
"Not even you."
My chest tightened painfully.
Because deep down—
I still doubted myself sometimes.
And somehow he knew.
Always knew.
"I don't need rescuing," I whispered.
A faint smile appeared.
"I know."
His voice gentled.
"That's why I respect you."
The words hit harder than any confession could have.
Respect.
Trust.
Belief.
The things I never had from him in my first life.
The things he was giving me now.
Freely.
Without asking for anything in return.
My defenses weakened slightly.
Just enough.
Kai noticed.
Of course he did.
His smile became softer.
Warmer.
"Lila."
The way he said my name made my pulse stumble.
"I—"
Before I could finish, the conference room doors opened.
Mina rushed inside.
"Lila!"
I stepped back immediately.
Professional distance restored.
Mostly.
"What happened?"
Mina looked breathless.
Concerned.
"There's a problem."
My stomach dropped.
"What kind of problem?"
Mina swallowed.
"The media."
Kai and I exchanged a glance.
Neither of us liked where this was going.
"Someone leaked documents about the project."
The room went silent.
Derek.
The thought arrived instantly.
Because who else would benefit?
Mina continued.
"Social media is exploding. People are accusing both companies of favoritism."
Kai's jaw tightened.
I felt the same cold realization settle in my chest.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
Derek had failed inside the boardroom.
So now he was taking the fight public.
And for the first time since the project began—
I realized our biggest challenge wasn't the campaign.
It was surviving the people determined to destroy it.
- Writer
