The late afternoon sun slanted through the tall glass windows, turning the city skyline golden, but inside Peter Smith's office, the air was heavy with tension.
Peter sat behind his mahogany desk, fingers tapping lightly on a file, though his mind was far from the papers before him. Daniel, his long-time assistant and confidant, leaned against the window frame, the familiarity between them allowing Daniel to speak freely, even in matters Peter didn't voice to anyone else.
"Sir," Daniel began, steady and calm, "our bid for the Metro Project has been submitted. But there's a complication."
Peter's eyes lifted, sharp and calculating. "Hale Group?"
Daniel inclined his head. "Yes. Adrian Hale himself signed the bid papers. He'll be leading the negotiations personally."
A shadow of memory flickered across Peter's face. "Hale Group... once Miranda's empire," he murmured.
Daniel tilted his head. "You knew her well, didn't you?"
Peter's gaze drifted, distant. "Knew her? I wanted her, as did every man in the city. But Miranda Hale... she wasn't just beautiful. She had fire in her veins and brilliance in her mind. She didn't belong to anyone else's world." His jaw tightened, a mix of regret and longing shadowing his features. "And yet... she chose Richard."
Daniel didn't interrupt. He knew the fragments of this story, but Peter's voice carried a different weight this time-colder, harder.
"Richard Verno," Peter said, a sneer curling his lips, "a manager's son, smooth with women, not business. Adrian didn't even take his surname. And yet... he ensnared his mother. Even Miranda-the Iron Woman-fell."
Daniel's voice was quiet but probing. "She built Hale Group into a giant, but after Adrian was born, something changed, didn't it?"
Peter's hands tightened around his pen. "Yes. She faltered. Lost projects... lost herself. The world said it was fatigue, business pressure... but I knew the truth." He stopped, pressing the pen flat against the desk as though to silence the memory entirely.
Daniel glanced at him. "You knew the reason, didn't you?"
Peter's eyes hardened. "Some truths are better buried."
The office was silent for a moment before Daniel spoke again. "After she passed, Smith & Sons rose. For a decade, Hale was nothing."
Peter's lips curved slightly. "Yes. Until her son returned."
Daniel nodded. "Adrian Hale. People call him 'the male Miranda.' He inherited her mind, her presence... Investors trust him, employees follow him. He's built Hale Group into a force that cannot be ignored."
Peter let out a low, humorless laugh. "Formidable, yes. But not immortal. Miranda once stood before me-and fell. Adrian may look like her shadow, but shadows vanish under the right light."
Daniel studied him carefully. "You almost sound... unsettled."
Peter's eyes sharpened. "Unsettled? No. I respect the enemy. Adrian has her brilliance without her weakness. That makes him dangerous... far more than I ever imagined."
Daniel's voice softened, deliberate. "Then we prepare accordingly. If Adrian Hale wants war, we give him war. But Peter... this feels different. Like Miranda herself has returned through him."
Peter's gaze drifted to the skyline, expression unreadable. "Then let the ghost come. This time... I'll bury it myself."
His fingers drummed against the desk, but a deeper concern pressed on him now-one that had nothing to do with business. "Daniel," he said, his voice heavy, almost fragile, "I fear for Jennifer. She's young... and foolishly infatuated with Adrian. If this obsession continues, I dread what will happen to her heart, to her life."
Daniel stepped closer, eyes calm but firm. "I know Jennifer well, sir. Spirited, yes, but not unwise. Still... her fixation with Adrian is dangerous. You must guide her, before she loses herself completely."
Peter exhaled sharply. "And what do you suggest? She won't listen to me where he's concerned."
Daniel's voice dropped, confidential, weighty. "Redirect her. Give her a future elsewhere. A union that secures her position, keeps her safe, and... keeps her away from Adrian's reach."
Peter's brows furrowed. "You mean... marriage?"
Daniel nodded. "Yes. To someone noble, worthy. The Davenport family, for instance. Lord Edward Davenport's son, Christopher, has just returned from Europe. Polished, educated, with no shadow of scandal. A union with him would not only protect Jennifer, but also strengthen Smith & Sons' ties with one of the city's oldest families."
Peter rubbed his chin, considering. "A future with the Davenports... It would fortify her standing. But will Jennifer accept it?"
Daniel stepped closer, leaning in, voice measured. "Sir, if we want to secure her future, there is no better candidate than Christopher. Exceptional in every way."
He continued, "Oxford-educated, studied economics and philosophy, years abroad in France and Italy mastering international trade. Polished, intelligent, worldly... and he carries himself with a dignity Jennifer would respect."
Peter's eyes softened slightly. "And his personality?"
Daniel's expression was sincere. "Considerate, loyal, principled. Unlike Adrian Hale, he will never bring scandal or danger into her life. He understands responsibility, legacy... yet is gentle, compassionate. He can give her a future where her heart is safe, her reputation intact, her happiness secured. He is everything a father could wish for his daughter."
Peter exhaled, tension easing slightly from his shoulders. "A future with Christopher Davenport... perhaps that is exactly what she needs."
Daniel allowed himself a faint smile, knowing he had planted the seed of reason. "If we act now, before Adrian Hale interferes, we can ensure Jennifer's life-and your legacy-remain protected."
Peter's gaze fell to his hands, thoughts heavy. "She is my only child... the last piece of my heart. I cannot let it be destroyed-not for business, not for revenge, not for anyone."
Daniel placed a steady hand on Peter's shoulder. "Then we protect her, Sir. With every measure, with every plan. She will have a life of dignity, happiness... and safety."
Peter nodded slowly, eyes distant, as if seeing both the future he hoped for and the danger he feared. "Yes... we'll secure her future. Before it's too late."