She looked up, eyes wide with uncertainty, and pointed a hesitant finger to her own chest.
I rolled my eyes. Pathetic.
"Yes, you," I drawled. "Get over here."
The woman scrambled toward me, head bowed, movements frantic and uncoordinated. Watching her was painful.
"You called me, ma'am?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I tilted my head, regarding her like an insect I was considering crushing beneath my heel.
"Do you work here?" I asked slowly, as if speaking to a child.
"Yes... yes, ma'am," she stammered.
I narrowed my eyes. "Look at me when I'm talking to you. And stand up straight."
She flinched but obeyed, her body trembling like a leaf in a storm.
I hadn't even done anything yet.
"If you want to keep your job," I continued, voice smooth but laced with ice, "I suggest you change your wardrobe. This company provides a wardrobe allowance so that employees don't walk around looking disgraceful. You are not representing Blackwood Corporation like this." I waved a manicured hand in front of her.
"If you want to dress like someone who works for a cheap company, do it. But do it after you drop your resignation letter. Are we clear?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am!"
"Good." I turned on my heel, dismissing her entirely.
My attention was no longer on the woman who had no place in my world. My mind was already on the meeting ahead, the one that would shift the balance of power in this company forever.
My grandfather was waiting.
I pushed open his office door after a single knock, stepping inside the grand space. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the city skyline, the empire he had built standing tall before us. He stood before the glass, hands clasped behind his back, an air of quiet dominance surrounding him.
"Grandpa," I called softly.
He turned, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. But beneath that warmth, there was steel.
"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked.
I met his gaze without hesitation.
"I was ready the moment I walked into this building."
A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest as he opened his arms.
Without hesitation, I stepped into his embrace.
"I trust you," he murmured. "I know you'll handle this."
A small smirk played on my lips as I pulled back. "They won't know what hit them."
AUSTIN'S POV
The boardroom was silent.
Every seat was filled, every executive present, waiting for the arrival of the new CEO.
I had spent the past few hours ensuring that everything was in order.
The transition had to be seamless, the announcement perfect.
And yet, as I made my way toward my seat, the door swung open with an almost deafening force.
Silence.
Every breath in the room seemed to hitch. Every pair of eyes locked onto the figure stepping inside.
And there she was.
A woman with golden blonde hair that cascaded in perfect waves over her shoulders. Eyes the color of a summer sky—sharp, calculating. She moved like she owned the world, dressed in a black suit that hugged her body with precision, a delicate drop necklace resting against her collarbone. It looked simple, but I had no doubt it was worth a fortune.
Her chin was lifted, her stride effortless, confidence pouring off her like an intoxicating perfume. I knew her.
Avery Blackwood.
The arrogant granddaughter.
The woman everyone feared but no one dared to challenge.
What was she doing here?
Had she come to support her mother?
Surely, that was the only explanation. Her mother was supposed to be announced as CEO today. That had been the plan all along.
Yet... no one followed behind her.
And she wasn't heading to just any chair.
She was walking straight to the head of the table.
A cold dread curled in my stomach.
Then, she placed her perfectly manicured hands on the table, her gaze sweeping over the room like a queen surveying her kingdom.
And with a voice filled with power, authority, and finality, she spoke.
"Hello, everyone," she said, "I'm Avery Blackwood, the new CEO of Blackwood Corporation."
The air shifted.
The world stilled.
And my breath caught in my throat. You've got to be kidding me.
Did I just hear arrogant, insufferable Avery Blackwood say she's the new CEO?
She's going to start laughing any second now, right? Maybe she'll say her mom is on the way?
But she wasn't the type to joke.
The room fell into stunned silence, everyone frozen in disbelief. And then—almost like a delayed reaction—they snapped out of it, hurriedly standing as if she had just announced herself as a queen rather than CEO. I was already standing, but watching them scramble to show her respect made my stomach turn.
Avery stood there, proud, composed, and every bit the tyrant I imagined she would be. She had the kind of confidence that wasn't learned—it was inherited, passed down like the empire she was about to rule. And she knew it.
Then, the door opened again, and relief crashed over me.
This was a joke. It had to be.
Mr. Blackwood walked in. His sharp blue eyes—eyes that had commanded this company for years—landed on his granddaughter. And then, as if dropping a bomb with no warning, he said,
"I'm sure you've met my granddaughter. She'll be the CEO from now on."
A weight sank in my chest.
No. No. No.
This couldn't be happening.
I didn't know Avery well—aside from the fact that I hated her. She was cold, ruthless, and dangerous in a way that made people step aside when she walked into a room. And I—Austin Smith—had just signed a contract binding me as her personal assistant.
And the worst part?
I thought I was signing up to work for her mother.
I could feel my pulse hammering as realization sank in. Mr. Blackwood tricked me. He had me sign that damn contract, knowing full well I'd be working under his nightmare of a granddaughter.