The first week of Liam’s tenure as CEO passed in a blur of meetings, press interviews, and strategic planning sessions. Ava had expected the transition to be smoother, but the reality of stepping into a leadership role at Carter Industries was more daunting than she had anticipated. The employees watched her with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, their whispers following her down the halls like shadows.
Ava sat in her new office—smaller than Liam’s but no less impressive—reviewing the quarterly financial reports when her assistant knocked on the door. “Mrs. Carter, you have a visitor. A Ms. Eleanor Carter.”
Ava’s stomach twisted. She hadn’t seen Eleanor since the gala, and the memory of their last conversation was still fresh in her mind. She set down her pen, her voice steady. “Send he
