THE HEIRESS THEY BURIED

THE FIRST DAY AT WORK

VANESSA POV

I arrived at AJ Global ten minutes before eight, dressed for the position I had forced Adrian to give me. I stepped out of the elevator in a tailored black suit, carrying my designer bag in one hand and my confidence in the other. Several employees looked up as I walked past.

Some recognized me, others were probably wondering why a woman who had never officially worked at the company was suddenly walking through the executive floor like she belonged there.

I didn’t care, I had been around Adrian long before most of these people knew his name, I had watched him take control of the company when everything was uncertain, I had seen the pressure he carried, the mistakes he made, and the decisions that eventually turned AJ Global into what it was today.

I belonged in this world whether Adrian liked it or not. A young woman approached me with a warm smile.

“Ms. Langford?”

“Yes,” I responded with a polite smile.

“I’m Claire, I was asked to show you to your office,” she explained, gesturing for me to follow her.

I followed her without a word. As we walked, I noticed the quiet conversations behind us. People were curious, I could feel their eyes following me. That was fine, attention could be helpful.

My new office was smaller than Adrian’s but impressive enough to make the position look important. A desk sat near the window, with a computer already set up and several folders arranged neatly beside it.

“Your access information is here,” Claire explained, handing me a card. “If you need anything, contact me.”

I took the card and glanced at it. “Who do I report to?” I asked.

She hesitated for a moment before answering “Mr. Jacob.”

“Of course,” I gave her a small smile. “Thank you.”

The moment the door closed behind her, my smile disappeared.

I turned on the computer and opened the company system. Finance, Operations, Business Development, current projects.

Then I tried accessing an older report, access denied, I tried another, same thing. I leaned back in my chair, Adrian had restricted my access.

I wasn’t surprised, but knowing it and seeing it were two different things and it confirmed something important. He wanted me inside at the company, but not close enough to discover anything important.

And I knew exactly whose identity I needed to confirm. I needed proof that she was Daniel Grant’s daughter, Gregory and I had started with a suspicion, but suspicion wasn’t enough, if I was going to report anything to him, I needed facts.

I wasn’t going to challenge him on my first morning, there was more than one way to learn what someone was hiding.

I spent the next hour going through the work assigned to me. Most of it was simple enough, I completed the first report quickly, then moved to the next.

I wanted everyone to see exactly why Adrian had no choice but to give me a position, I wasn’t here to prove that I was useful, I was here to remind him that I had always been useful.

Around ten, I left my office to get coffee, then I saw her. She stood near the reception, holding several folders while speaking to an employee.

I stopped without meaning to. “What is so special about her,” I wondered.

There was nothing dramatic about her appearance, she wasn’t trying to attract attention, her clothes were simple and professional, and her expression was calm but there was a quiet confidence about her.

She listened carefully as the employee spoke, then responded with a short answer before continuing toward Adrian’s office.

I watched her as our last encounter crossed my mind, the confidence she used in introducing herself to me, not knowing the memories her surname would trigger.

The timing and Adrian’s unusual interest in her, the connections were too strong for me to ignore but suspicion wasn’t proof, I needed proof.

Dina suddenly looked at me, our eyes met, she smiled politely.

“Good morning,” she greeted softly.

“Good morning,” I answered casually, keeping my expression relaxed.

“Welcome to the company,” she added professionally.

“Thank you,” I replied with a brief smile.

“I hope your first day is going well,” she asked, her tone warm and polite.

“So far,” I answered, keeping my response deliberately brief.

She smiled again and walked past me, I watched her disappear around the corner, she wasn’t nervous, she wasn’t trying to impress Adrian.

She acted like she had earned her place, that made me even more curious. I returned to my office and spent the next few hours testing my access.

Every request led to the same answer, restricted, controlled and unavailable and every locked door seemed to have Adrian’s name on it.

I clenched my jaw, Adrian had anticipated me. Fine, I wasn’t going to let a few locked files stop me, I was inside the company now, I had access to people, departments, conversations and opportunities.

If one door was locked, I would find another way through and if that wasn’t enough, I would make someone open it for me.

By lunchtime, I understood what he was doing, he hadn’t brought me into AJ Global because he trusted me, he had brought me in because he wanted to keep an eye on me.

The realization should have annoyed me. Instead, I smiled, he was watching me, I’d watch him too.

Later that afternoon, I approached Adrian’s office with a folder for his approval. The door was open, Dina was standing before his desk with a file.

I stepped inside. “Adrian, I need to speak with you.” I announced walking farther into the room

“I’m busy,” he replied coldly, barely looking up.

I glanced at Dina before turning back to him. “Perhaps she can leave,” I suggested, my tone carrying just enough impatience to make my meaning clear.

His expression hardened. “This is an office, Vanessa. Act professionally,” he warned, his voice firm.

The reprimand stung, but I hid it behind a smile. “Of course,” I replied smoothly.

He turned to Dina. “You can go,” he instructed.

She nodded and walked out, but not before I caught the uncertainty in her eyes, Adrian followed her to the door, then looked back at me.

“You’ll speak to me when I’m free,” he said firmly.

He closed the door behind him. I stood there, anger burning beneath my calm expression. Once, I had never needed permission to enter Adrian’s world.

Now, he was making it clear that I no longer had that privilege, so I returned to my office, which only made me more determined.

I want him back, and after what I had just witnessed, I knew Dina was more important to him than an ordinary employee.

My first day had given me no answers, but it had confirmed one thing.

Dina Grant was standing between Adrian and me, and I had never been good at walking away from what I wanted.