The Crown of Thorns

Chapter 4：Drawing on Power

Michelle Lane, Mrs. Morrison Sr.'s niece from her side of the family, Harvard Business School graduate, with a resume that seemed tailor-made for Morrison Group. But Emma knew this was just another scheme between Mrs. Morrison Sr. and Frank.

"She didn't even bring reference letters," Sarah fumed. "Just thinks she can parachute into management because she's Mrs. Morrison Sr.'s niece?"

Emma sipped her coffee elegantly. "Let her come. I want to see what game Mrs. Morrison Sr. is playing this time."

An hour later, Thompson personally showed Michelle around. The tall young woman in Chanel carried herself with practiced grace. Employees whispered as they passed, speculating about her identity.

"Emma," Mrs. Morrison Sr. called directly. "You've seen Michelle's resume? How about making her Frank's special assistant?"

"Mother," Emma's voice remained calm, "company policy requires board approval for all executive positions."

"This is a family business. Rules can be flexible."

"How about this," Emma suggested, "let Michelle start from entry-level. Since she's so talented, I'm sure she'll rise to the top on merit alone."

Silence on the other end, then: "You're making things difficult for her."

"No, I'm helping her." Emma walked to the window. "Mother, you should understand—Morrison Group doesn't need another person promoted through connections right now."

Just then, Frank's reply arrived. Emma opened the email, her expression growing increasingly sardonic.

"Dear Emma:

I've discussed with the board. For the company's future, we need fresh blood. Michelle's Harvard record is outstanding, and I believe she'll bring positive changes.

As for your financial concerns, we can discuss those later.

Frank"

Emma closed her laptop with a cold smile. Perfect, everything was proceeding as she'd expected. Frank and Mrs. Morrison Sr. wanted to use Michelle to check her power, just like they'd tried with Victoria.

But this time was different. She wasn't that naive woman anymore who could be easily manipulated.

"Sarah," she pressed the intercom, "arrange for Michelle to start training. Beginning with... cash office in Finance."

Emma insisted on moving Jack's crib to her office. "Mrs. Morrison, this isn't proper," Marianne, a seasoned nanny with impressive credentials, tried to object. "The nursery is more suitable for childcare."

"This is my child," Emma said calmly. "He stays where I want him to stay."

Marianne had been specially hired by Mrs. Morrison Sr. from an elite family, reportedly having raised many wealthy heirs. But Emma saw through her ambition—these nannies often deliberately cultivated children's dependency on them, then used that relationship to gain influence in the family.

"Mrs. Morrison, you're the Group CFO, always in meetings. How can you watch a child?" Marianne persisted.

"That's exactly why I need to make time for him." Emma signed documents while softly talking to Jack. The three-month-old baby giggled at his mother's voice.

Sarah and the other assistants loved playing with Jack too. "Look, young master looks just like you when he smiles."

"He's too young to tell who he looks like," Emma laughed. But she knew she couldn't let Jack become like his father Frank—just another privileged playboy.

Just then, a video call came in from Emma's grandfather, James Jiang, Chairman of Jiang Group.

"I hear my great-grandson is a month old," the elderly man smiled kindly. "I've given him a nickname—'Little Bean.' Though small, it contains great potential. I hope he'll grow to be a seed that changes the world."

Emma felt warmth in her heart. In this family, it seemed only her grandfather truly cared about the child's future. The Morrisons just wanted nannies like Marianne to "train" him, showing no interest in his actual education.

"Marianne," after the call ended, Emma turned to the nanny, "from today on, you'll follow my schedule. I'll personally set Jack's routine and education plan."

"But Mrs. Morrison Sr. said—"

"I'm sure she'll understand," Emma smiled. "After all, a qualified CEO needs proper training from childhood, don't you think?"

Marianne opened her mouth, then closed it. She finally realized this CEO's wife wasn't someone she could manipulate.

Sarah gave a discreet thumbs up. This was Emma's brilliance: taking control of situations without confrontation, achieving her goals while maintaining appearances.

Watching her son sleep in his crib, Emma gently stroked his face. This time, she would guide him personally, ensuring he became a truly worthy heir, not like last time...

Marianne left Emma's office fuming. As she walked through Morrison Tower's luxurious corridors, she couldn't help but marvel at the opulence—the marble floors, designer furniture, and spectacular Manhattan views. Her monthly salary as a professional nanny was decent, but it was nothing compared to the wealth surrounding her. One designer piece in this building probably cost more than her annual income.

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. Her only chance at real wealth was through young Jack. If she could establish herself as his primary caregiver, her future would be secure. Many elite nannies had leveraged their positions to gain significant influence in wealthy families. Some even managed to get their relatives hired or secure business opportunities.

"I can't let Mrs. Morrison take complete control of Jack," she muttered.

As she hurried back, she ran into Jessica Morrison in the executive lounge. Jessica was surrounded by her personal assistants, critiquing the latest office design.

"Who's that?" Jessica narrowed her eyes, watching Marianne pass.

"That's young Jack's nanny, ma'am," her assistant Claire replied.

"The nanny?" Jessica's interest piqued. "Bring her here."

Moments later, Marianne stood before Jessica, maintaining a deferential posture. She wasn't sure why the CEO's sister wanted to speak with her, but she knew the Morrison family politics were complex.

"You're Jack's nanny?" Jessica asked condescendingly.

"Yes, Mrs. Morrison," Marianne kept her eyes down. "I'm in charge of the young master's care."

Jessica's expression changed instantly. "In charge? I heard Emma's taken over everything herself. Some CFO she is, playing mommy during office hours!"

Marianne saw her opportunity. "Mrs. Morrison keeps Jack in her office now. She's... she's pushed me aside completely."

"Really?" Jessica leaned forward. "Tell me more."

Marianne detailed how Emma had moved Jack's things to her office, how she personally handled everything except feeding times, how she was essentially being sidelined. She carefully emphasized how unprecedented this was for a family of their status.

"Unbelievable!" Jessica exclaimed. "A Morrison Group CFO acting like a common nursemaid? What will people think? We'll be the laughingstock of Wall Street!"

As Marianne left, Jessica was already heading to Mrs. Morrison Sr.'s office. "Mother needs to hear about this immediately!"

Unknown to them, Michelle Lane, Mrs. Morrison Sr.'s niece, had observed the entire exchange from the executive lounge's private section. She'd always had an uncanny ability to sense future outcomes, almost like precognitive dreams. She'd seen Jessica's future downfall and Charles's unexpected rise to power.

"Jessica's so obvious with her plotting," Michelle thought. "No wonder she ends up losing everything."

She'd also seen Victoria aligning with Charles, becoming unexpectedly powerful. While Michelle planned to marry into the Morrison family herself, she knew she needed to play a careful game. Mrs. Morrison Sr.'s support was crucial, but future alliances would be equally important.

As for Emma... Michelle had seen something disturbing in her dreams about Emma's future, but she didn't dwell on it. After all, why worry about someone who wouldn't be around long enough to matter?

But something puzzled Michelle. In her visions, Frank wasn't supposed to be involved in the Asian market merger—he should have stayed in New York, becoming increasingly infatuated with Victoria, repeatedly angering his mother. Mrs. Morrison Sr. had called Emma in multiple times to handle the situation, but Emma proved disappointingly ineffective, completely overwhelmed by Victoria's influence.

In her prophetic dreams, Michelle had seen Emma's gradual decline. A woman in her prime reduced to a shell of her former self, aging a decade in just a few years. Even junior executives at Morrison Group looked more vibrant than their CFO. While Michelle felt a twinge of sympathy, that was all it warranted.

After all, Michelle knew she was destined to become the true power in Morrison Group. There couldn't be two queens in one corporation, and Emma's weakness was her own fault. If she couldn't handle office politics, who could she blame?

According to her visions, Emma should have already been crushed by Victoria's influence by now. So why was she still strong enough to challenge Jessica? If she couldn't even handle Victoria, how could she stand up to Jessica, currently the most aggressive force in the Morrison family?

Jessica was now telling Mrs. Morrison Sr. about her encounter with Marianne.

She embellished the story extensively, making it sound like Emma was personally running a daycare center in her executive office. Mrs. Morrison Sr. slammed the table in anger. "What does she think she's doing? Has she lost her mind? Has Morrison Group fallen so low that our CFO needs to be a personal nanny? Summon her immediately! I need to know if she's determined to destroy our family's reputation!"

Jessica nodded eagerly, urging the staff to hurry.

Michelle quickly intervened, shooting a disapproving glance at the tale-bearing Jessica. "Aunt, I don't think we need such a dramatic response."

"Why not?" Mrs. Morrison Sr. looked at her.

"Aunt, can we really trust just the nanny's word? It would be a shame to damage your relationship with Emma over this. Besides, Jack is her son—isn't it natural for her to be attentive? It's not like she's personally doing the feedings or anything."

Michelle added smoothly, "If anything, the public would just see it as maternal dedication."

Mrs. Morrison Sr., calmed by this perspective, felt her anger subsiding. Indeed, Emma was no longer someone she could easily control. Given the company's current situation, they might need to rely on Emma's financial expertise. Alienating her completely would be unwise.

However, she turned to Thompson: "Keep close watch on Emma's office. She represents the Morrison family's image as our CFO. We can't let her do anything that might damage our reputation. Report to me if there are any... irregularities."

It was the perfect opportunity to keep Emma in check and ensure her compliance.

"Yes, ma'am," Thompson responded. "I'll handle it immediately."