The office had been counting the days.
It had been three months since Alexander Ford and Liam left the branch. Three months of quiet routine. Three months of unanswered curiosity, they were coming back, the announcement had been short and formal:
"The CEO will arrive this Monday for a scheduled operational review"
Naturally, everyone assumed Liam would return with him.
Monday morning arrived with unusual energy, desks were cleaner, screens were brighter, conversations were sharper. Even the air felt rehearsed.
By 9:17 a.m., the glass doors at the entrance opened.
Alexander Ford stepped in first—composed, measured, commanding without effort. The entire floor seemed to straighten instinctively but the second figure everyone expected…
Did not appear, instead—Two young women entered behind him, silence spread like a ripple.
They walked with quiet confidence, neither rushed nor hesitant. One carried herself with calm authority, her gaze steady and observant. The other seemed lighter in expression but equally composed.
They looked young, but not as young as liam was, too poised to be interns, and they carried the unmistakable Ford resemblance.
The realization passed from desk to desk without a word, daughters, alexander did not waste time.
"Ms. Evelyn," he called toward the HR department.
The HR manager stepped forward immediately. "Yes, Mr. Ford."
"They will be observing operations here for the next period," he said evenly. "You will oversee their orientation."
Still no introduction, still no names, but the message was clear, this was not a social visit, this was placement.
Evelyn nodded and gestured politely. "Please, follow me."
As they passed through the office, eyes followed them openly now.
Questions lingered in the air.
Where was Liam? Why didn't he return? And why send the daughters instead?
In the Contents department, Damien watched carefully, his fingers stopped moving on the keyboard.
So, the son was removed from the board. and the daughters were placed instead, that wasn't coincidence.
That was restructuring.
Across the room, Brian observed something else, not power, not politics but awareness.
As the more composed of the two girls walked past the creative screens, her gaze slowed.
She didn't look lost, she didn't look impressed she looked analytical, evaluating as if measuring the space, as if deciding something silently then she walked on. The door to HR closed behind them.
Only then did the office allow itself to breathe again. Brian leaned back in his chair, fingers resting loosely on his keyboard. The glow of his monitor reflected faintly in his eyes, but he wasn't looking at code anymore, he was thinking, liam's absence wasn't small, it was deliberate.
Alexander Ford was not a man who acted randomly. If the son was removed from this branch and the daughters placed instead… then something had shifted at the core of the company.
And Brian had learned one thing during his years here—When leadership changes the board, the game is already in motion, across the room, quiet conversations resumed.
"Why isn't Liam here?"
"Maybe he's staying in another branch."
"Or maybe…"
The sentence was never finished; speculation was dangerous in a company like this.
Inside the HR office, the atmosphere was calmer. Evelyn offered polite smiles and gestured toward the chairs across from her desk.
"Welcome. I'm Evelyn, head of Human Resources for this branch. I'll be guiding you during your stay."
The two sisters sat, now that the office noise was distant, their differences became clearer. The first — the one with the steady gaze, sat upright, attentive, absorbing every word. There was a quiet intensity in her posture, as if she had already decided she belonged here "Layla Ford".
The second sister leaned back slightly, crossing her legs with effortless elegance. Her eyes wandered to the window, then to the office layout beyond the glass wall. "Ava Ford".
Unlike Layla, Ava didn't look like someone about to begin training, she looked like someone passing time.
Evelyn cleared her throat gently. "You'll be rotating between departments. Observation first. Then light involvement."
Layla nodded immediately. "I'd like to start with Contents."
Her voice was calm but firm. Not demanding or decisive.
Evelyn blinked slightly. "That department handles marketing campaigns, branding, visual production…"
"I know," Layla smiled and said softly. "That's why."
Ava sighed quietly.
"I don't mind observing," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "But I hope this isn't going to be… permanent."
Evelyn hesitated.
"It depends on Mr. Ford's plans."
Ava gave a faint smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Father always has plans."
Layla's expression didn't change—but something flickered in her gaze, unlike her sister, Layla wasn't here out of obligation, she was here because she chose to be, and that difference mattered.
Later that afternoon, the HR door opened, Evelyn stepped out first, behind her walked Layla and Ava. This time, there was no dramatic entrance. No CEO beside them, just two daughters stepping into the working floor, Evelyn gestured lightly. "This is the Contents department."
Several heads turned.
Damien looked up from his screen, calculating instantly. Layla's eyes scanned the room, slower than before. She noticed the layout of desks. The positioning of creative boards. The energy of the team.
Evelyn gestured lightly. "This is the Contents department."
Several heads turned, Damien looked up from his screen, calculating instantly.
Layla's eyes scanned the room, slower than before. She noticed the layout of desks. The positioning of creative boards. The energy of the team, but she didn't step forward.
She didn't ask to sit, she didn't reach for a keyboard Instead, she remained beside Evelyn.
Observing.
There was a quiet distance in her posture—not arrogance, not superiority—but restraint. Unlike Liam, who had once tried to blend into the team, Layla made no attempt to integrate herself into the workflow.
She wasn't here to participate, she was here to understand.
Evelyn began explaining softly, pointing toward different areas. "The team here handles client campaigns. From scripting to editing to final visual output."
Layla listened carefully, her gaze shifting as each process was described. She watched how designers communicated without words. How editors adjusted footage frame by frame. How ideas moved from whiteboards into motion.
She absorbed everything.
But she remained outside it.
Ava, on the other hand, barely hid her impatience.
Another sigh escaped her lips.
"So, this is what Father calls 'essential exposure,'" she murmured under her breath.
Evelyn pretended not to hear.
Layla did.
"Try to pay attention," Layla said quietly, without looking at her.
Ava crossed her arms. "I am paying attention. I just don't see why I need to."
Unlike Layla, Ava had no desire to understand company structures, team dynamics, or production cycles. To her, the office felt heavy—too structured, too confined.
She wasn't rebellious, just uninterested and it showed meanwhile, Layla asked questions—but not to the team, but to Evelyn.
"How are performance reviews structured?"
"Which department has the highest turnover rate?"
"Who approves final campaign releases is it a branch level or headquarters?"
Brian noticed that immediately he saw she wasn't studying the work, she was studying the system, Damien leaned back slightly, watching the dynamic unfold.
Interesting, very interesting.
Liam had wanted to prove himself but Layla wanted to measure everything.
And Ava— Ava looked like she would leave if the door stayed open too long.
Ava released another soft sigh as they walked away, "How long do we have to do this?" she muttered.
Layla didn't answer immediately, her eyes were still thoughtful. "As long as we need to," she said finally. And for the first time that day—There was something firm beneath her calm.