The Grant limousine rolled to a stop in front of Carter Industries, its silver emblem gleaming beneath the afternoon sun. The glass tower rose like a blade against the skyline sleek, cold, and unfamiliar. Emily stepped out in silence, her heels clicking against the polished marble as if announcing the arrival of something inevitable.
Inside, the atmosphere shifted the moment she entered. Conversations stilled. Phones continued to ring, but hands hesitated before answering them. Everyone knew her face Mrs. Emily Grant but none dared speak her name too loudly.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Grant," the receptionist said, voice trembling slightly.
Emily smiled faintly.
"Is my father in?"
"Yes, ma'am. Mr Smith is in a meeting with the board."
"Then I'll wait in his office," she said smoothly, already walking towards the elevator.
The elevator doors closed around her like the lid of a secret, and she let the silence settle. Her reflection in the mirrored walls looked composed hair sleek, posture perfect, eyes unreadable. But beneath that calm was a quiet pulse of anticipation.
When the doors opened, her father's secretary jumped to her feet. "Miss Emily! You didn't tell us you were coming"
"Surprises," Emily interrupted gently, "make life interesting."
She entered her father's office and paused. The room had changed. The leather chair was new. Her mother's portrait once above the desk was gone. Replaced by some generic piece of abstract art. Soulless.
Her fingers brushed the edge of the desk as she whispered to herself, "Erased neatly. As always."
The door opened behind her.
"Emily?"
Her father's voice was warm, cautious. He looked older than she remembered the years had not been kind. His suit was impeccable, but his eyes flickered with something closer to discomfort than affection.
"I thought I'd stop by," Emily said, turning with a faint smile. "It's been too long."
He hesitated. "You should have called. Your Aunt"
"Would have found a reason to be elsewhere," she finished, tone still soft. "I wanted to see you, Father. Not her."
As if on cue, Patricia appeared in the doorway, "Emily," she said with a sweet smile. "What a surprise. We were just discussing you yesterday."
"I can imagine," Emily replied. "I do tend to linger in people's conversations lately."
"We were wondering how married life feels. Timothy Grant is… quite the enigma, isn't he?"
Emily's gaze shifted to her slow, measured. "He is. But I find mystery far preferable to mediocrity."
The air thickened. Patricia's smile tightened a fraction. Her father cleared his throat. "Emily, let's not"
"I'm not here to fight," Emily said calmly. "I came to see the company. Mother's legacy. I hear there have been some… changes."
Patricia crossed her arms, still smiling. "Progress, dear. Your mother's methods were admirable, but the world moves forward."
Emily's eyes glinted. "Yes. Though some call it forward, others might call it erasure."
The silence that followed was sharp. Her father looked away first.
Emily moved toward the window, looking down at the city below. "You've built quite the empire here, Father. I only wonder if you remember who helped lay its foundation."
Patricia's voice turned silky. "You can't live in the past forever, Emily."
"I'm not," she said, turning to face her. "I'm just here to collect what was left behind for me."
For a fleeting second, the older woman's mask cracked a flicker of unease. But then it was gone, replaced with the same polished calm.
Her father coughed "Emily, why don't we discuss this another day"
Emily turned to him and smiled
" Of course father "
When Emily finally left the office, the tension hung heavy in the air. The staff watched her go, whispering behind polite smiles.
Downstairs, in a black car parked across the street, Timothy watched the building through the rain-streaked windshield. His expression was unreadable, a blend of curiosity and something more protective than he cared to admit.
He'd followed her, though he couldn't explain why. Maybe instinct. Maybe something deeper.
Inside the lobby, Emily stepped out of the elevator, she didn't see Timothy's car which was parked across the street.
She got into the car and the driver took her back to the Grant's Mansion.