The Rain hadn't stopped pouring for hours, But inside the boardroom the air was thicker than any storm outside. Annalise sat at the head of the long mahogany table—the very seat her father once commanded. There was a murmur in the room—not of doubt, but of recognition. The way she stood, the fire in her gaze... it was like seeing Smith Leamington all over again.
Delphine stood right beside her, calm and regal as she opened the meeting.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, "you all remember my son, Smith Leamington. And you all know what he built. It's time you meet the woman he left it to."
Annalise rose. Her heels clicked softly against the polished floor as she walked to the front. Gone was the shy & introvert girl hiding behind a borrowed name—this was the daughter of a legacy.
"My name is Annalise Leamington," she said, steady and clear. "And I'm here to reclaim what my father left behind... and protect it from the man who destroyed him."
For a moment, the boardroom was silent. Then, one by one, the expressions around the table shifted.
'She carries his fire,' murmured one of the senior board members, eyes fixed on Annalise.
'That look... that's Smith's gaze,' another whispered, nodding slowly.
'It's like he's back in the room,' someone else added, a faint smile tugging at their lips.
A murmur of agreement rippled across the table and then the whole board room broke into a round of applause congratulating delphine and Annalise.
Delphine met Annalise's gaze from across the room, a soft, knowing smile tugging at her lips. The future had just shifted—and Annalise was now firmly at the center of it.
As the soft city lights flickered in the distance, Annalise stood with her arms crossed, taking in the view from the grand Leamington balcony—her balcony now.
Hans stepped up beside her, hands tucked into his pockets, silent for a beat before finally saying, "You know... I think I'm starting to like this new version of you."
Annalise turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. "New version?"
He gave a slight smile. "Yeah. The one who walks into boardrooms like she owns the world. The one who doesn't flinch when the whole city's watching. You're not the girl hiding in the shadows anymore, Annalise."
Something softened in her eyes. "I don't have the luxury of being that girl anymore."
"I know," Hans said, his voice low, sincere. "But I just wanted you to know—I like the confident, unstoppable you."
Their eyes locked for a moment longer than usual. For the first time, the air between them didn't feel so complicated. It felt... charged. New.
Clyde rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped out of the car, loosening his tie. The boardroom politics at his father's office had drained him, and he was ready to collapse.
But then he saw her.
Rezi stood waiting on his front steps, dressed in a sleek maroon outfit that shimmered slightly under the porch light, arms folded and eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Long day, businessman?" she teased.
Clyde blinked, caught off guard. "Rezi? What are you doing here?"
She smirked. "I figured if you were going to be dealing with power suits and old men all day, you deserved a proper distraction tonight."
Clyde chuckled, walking toward her slowly. "And what exactly do you have in mind?"
"I don't know," she said with a shrug, stepping closer. "Maybe something that makes you forget about boardrooms... and remember what it feels like to just be you."
For the first time in weeks, Clyde smiled without force.
The Next Morning Delphine woke up to be informed by servants that they were surrounded by Paparazzi and Seeing the Breaking News on every News paper and News channel .
"HEIRESS REVEALED: ANNALISE SMITH LEAMINGTON CLAIMS HER LEGACY"
"DAUGHTER OF THE LATE SMITH LEAMINGTON STEPS INTO POWER"
"WHO IS ANNALISE? MEET THE MYSTERIOUS NEW FACE OF THE EMPIRE"
The paparazzi swarmed outside Leamington Tower and the estate gates, flashes going off like strobe lights. The name "Annalise" was on every journalist's lips.
And somewhere far away, Carlos sat in his private study, a glass of wine in one hand and a smirk on his face.
"So... the girl wants to play queen now," he muttered. "Then let's see how long her crown lasts."
He reached for his phone.
"Get the team ready. We move ahead with Phase Two."
Back at the Leamington offices, Annalise stood tall before a new client—one of the biggest import companies in the region. With steady poise and razor-sharp negotiation skills, she delivered her pitch flawlessly.
By the time the deal was signed, her client was smiling, the room applauding.
Her first successful deal. Her first step into her father's shoes.
As she walked back into her office, Han was waiting.
"How does it feel?" he asked.
She turned to him, confident and radiant. "Like the beginning of something unstoppable."