Chapter 1

My only daughter trashed my office, all for some gold-digging opportunist.

I refused to make him Vice President of the company, and she absolutely lost it.

"Mom," she wailed, tears streaming down her face, "you can't just hog the company forever! You're getting old. Isn't this supposed to be Liam's to manage eventually?"

Furious, I immediately fired Liam Miller.

I laid out all the evidence showing he was completely untrustworthy, not someone she could ever build a future with.

I thought she'd come to her senses, but instead, she slammed a formal declaration disowning me onto my desk.

"You've been single for twenty years, Mom. All you see is money. Do you even know what love is? I'm marrying Liam, no matter what. If you don't approve, then fine, go spend the rest of your life alone with your precious company."

Watching her storm out and slam the door, I picked up my phone and called my nephew.

"Ryan," I said, my voice steady, "come home. It's time to take over the company. Your cousin doesn't want it anymore."