Alexander lowered his head, glancing at the message on his phone. His gaze lingered on the attached photo for a few seconds before his brows slowly knitted together.

Back when he first started leading the Brooks Group and was getting crushed by every major company in Oceanvein, if it hadn't been for Miss Johnson stepping up to help, there's no way the company would be what it is today.

He had always meant to thank her face-to-face, but before he even had the chance, she'd mysteriously vanished without a trace.

For the past two years, he never stopped quietly searching for her...

Now, the news that Eira was still alive had blown up the internet, sitting at the top of the trending list all day.

Meanwhile, over at Johnson Group.

William Johnson was staring hard at the photo in his hand. Others might not recognize her, but he knew that face better than anyone.

Only, he was sure-Eira couldn't possibly be alive!

He was seated in the conference room, pretending to listen, but his mind had wandered off entirely, not registering a word from the presenter.

At that very moment, Eira stepped through the doors of the Johnson Corporation in a knee-length sapphire dress and eight-centimeter heels, each stride crisp and commanding.

Before long, the sharp clip-clop of heels echoed down the hallway outside the top-floor meeting room.

William's face twisted in displeasure as the sound reached his ears, and he cut off the speaker mid-sentence. "Who the hell is stomping around..."

"Uncle, long time no see."

His voice lodged in his throat. Eira stood at the doorway, giving him an easy wave.

His face turned ghost-white. Two years ago, he'd seen that girl's body with his own eyes... How could this be happening?

Forcing himself to stay composed, he wrinkled his aging face into an expression of joy and forced out some tears. "Eira, you're really alive? This is... This is amazing! You have no idea how hard I've been looking for you these past two years!"

"When your parents passed, one after the other... I couldn't sleep a wink those nights from worrying."

His voice started to tremble with emotion like it almost moved him to tears.

Eira looked at him, fake concern plastered all over his face. Her own heart was cold as ice, but she kept it off her expression. "Really? I thought about you a lot too, Uncle."

"Oh dear, that's touching enough. Don't be too upset though-your parents... well, they're gone, but I'll take care of you from now on."

He smiled gently, an almost too-tender look in his eyes like he was genuinely heartbroken.

Eira's hand tightened slightly at her side, but her tone stayed calm. "Then I'll have to trouble you."

Seeing that, William relaxed a bit.

No matter how he looked at it, even if she somehow survived, she couldn't pose much of a threat.

And if she ever did... well, he'd deal with it.

Eira's lips curved into a soft smile. "Uncle, you've worked hard these past two years. Back when my parents were still around, they always said the company would eventually be handed over to me. I didn't expect things to be delayed this long. Now that I'm back, you can finally take a well-deserved break."

William froze for a second, caught completely off guard. His face went stiff.

She was testing him, plain and simple.

The fact that something happened right when she was about to take over the company? Way too much of a coincidence. So much so, that Eira couldn't help but suspect something.

"So, what do you say, Uncle?"William took a deep breath, forcing down the anger bubbling inside him. He managed a strained smile as he said in a calm tone, "Eira, you're joking, right?"

"I get that young people have energy and drive, but you've been gone for two years. You have no idea how the company runs now. Maybe it's better to take some time, ease into things?"

"No need. I pick things up fast."

Eira curved her lips into a soft smile, eyes twinkling, but the tone of her words was anything but gentle. "Let everyone know-I'm taking over as CEO right now."

*****

Just as Alexander walked into the hospital room, the sound of soft sobbing drifted out.

He pushed the door open, frowning as he asked gently, "What's going on?"

The moment Sophia saw him, tears trickled down her cheeks, soaking into the blanket and leaving a dark patch. The sight was enough to stir some sympathy.

In a meek voice, she said, "The doctor told me... apparently it was Grandma Brooks who had my previous doctor reassigned..."

As she spoke, she glanced at her wrist, where a long, visible scar cut across her pale skin.

Alexander's face darkened instantly, tension clinging to every inch of him. "I'll call my grandma."

"No, don't," Sophia sniffled. "Don't let this mess up things between you and her just because of me."

"Oh, right... Is Miss Johnson okay?"

The moment she brought up Eira, Alexander let out a cold laugh. "What do you think? If she hadn't pushed you, you wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place."

Sophia shook her head slightly, pretending to defend Eira. "Don't blame her. You two were married. It's understandable that she'd get the wrong idea about me. After all, back then, you and I hadn't really..."

"We're divorced."

Sophia coughed a bit and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "It's... it's not because of me, is it? Is that why you two split up? I- I..."

She bit her lower lip to keep herself from choking up. Her face was streaked with tears, delicate and pitiful.

Alexander stared at her, caught off guard by that fragile expression-

He never liked women crying. It grated on his nerves.

Eira always knew what he didn't like and never pushed it.

Even when she felt wronged, she'd just lower her head and silently let the tears splash onto the polished floor, never saying a word.

Suddenly, he felt arms wrap around his waist tightly. He looked down to see Sophia's sorrowful face, snapping him back to reality.

"Alex?"

That voice made him come to his senses.

He was zoning out, stupidly. The girl in front of him was Sophia, the one who once risked everything to save him-

Not that infuriating woman Eira.

With a furrowed brow, he shoved aside the unease, gently patting Sophia's head.

"It's not because of you. Just focus on getting better."

Sophia clung to him even tighter, burying herself into his chest with a subtle smile.

'Finally got that b*tch out of the way. That glass stunt really paid off.'

Her voice suddenly softened into a fragile whisper. "Alex, what if I can never play piano again? I... I might as well be dead. Just forget our childhood promise, okay?"

Alexander gently patted her back. His shirt was damp with her tears, and he could feel the chill against his skin.

His eyes drifted toward the white wall in front of him, his dark gaze slowly clouding.

After what felt like forever, Sophia finally heard the words she'd been waiting for-

"It's not off the table. I'll marry you, just like we agreed."

Alexander said it casually. Then he noticed Daniel standing outside, pointing at his phone.

He released Sophia gently, offering a hint of apology. "Something's come up at work. I'll swing by later."

As soon as he left, Sophia quickly wiped the tears off her face. The sorrow vanished, replaced by excitement.

Everything was happening way faster than she expected.

Moments later, a nurse slipped in and softly said, "Miss Clark, the photos turned out great."

She brought up the pictures on her phone, smiling. "You and Mr. Brooks look like you were made for each other."

In the photo, Sophia was nestled in Alexander's chest, while he looked down at her with a gentle gaze.

She gave a satisfied nod and sent the photo out.

Once the nurse left, Sophia ripped off her bandages without care, revealing hands marked by faint scars.

Playing the piano was her livelihood. No matter what, she wouldn't really risk damaging her hands-not even for Alexander.

These scars were plenty convincing.

Outside the hospital, Daniel hurried to open the car door as Alexander stepped out.

Alexander got in, smoothed his coat beside him, and rubbed his temples. "Did you dig anything up?"

Daniel's tone turned serious. "News just hit the internet-it's true. The Johnson family's eldest daughter is back."

Even though it wasn't brand new info, Daniel still looked stunned.

Two years ago, Eira vanished. Everyone in Oceanvein knew. Rumors even said she was dead.

Seems like Alexander was the only one who never gave up.

Alexander's fingers tapped the armrest slowly, his eyes dark and unreadable. "Keep an eye on the Johnsons. Bet things won't stay quiet for long."

"Got it," Daniel replied, turning to watch the road ahead.

The car glided through shifting patches of light and shadow, casting patterned reflections on Alexander's calm, brooding face.

"What's Eira been up to these past few days?"

Daniel felt a chill run down his spine. "Mr. Brooks, she's completely off-grid. She hasn't even returned to the villa."

That in itself was strange. Eira had always been gentle. Her world revolved around Alexander. But now? Not only had she asked for a divorce, she'd vanished without a trace.

Hearing that, Alexander's expression darkened further. His eyes were like frost. "Didn't think she could be this persistent."

*****

At that moment, Eira was sitting at the head of the Johnson Group conference room table, her voice cool and commanding.

"If you've got something to say, lay it out. I'll deal with it one by one."

She swept a steady glance across the table at the shareholders.

In the silence, a newly appointed shareholder couldn't hold himself back. He pointed at her, scowling, "You're just a woman, and you think you can claim the CEO seat? That's just greedy!"

"This company isn't your playground. I'm absolutely against it!"

Eira smirked, clearly unimpressed, her voice full of disdain. "This seat was always mine. I'm not taking it-I'm reclaiming it."

"I don't care who you think you are. As long as I'm here? Not happening!"

"Oh? That so."

Unfazed, she motioned toward the door. Instantly, the bodyguards outside stormed in and dragged Caspian Wells out without hesitation.

"Anyone else got an issue?"

Eira toyed with the pen in her hand, her tone icy. "If it's something that's actually good for the company, go ahead."

Her words shut the room down. No one dared speak.

At the side, William looked like his face had been through five different paint jobs.

He hadn't expected his niece to come back after two years and flip the table like this.

Lucky for him, he wasn't caught off guard. He'd planned ahead...

Eira sat in the main seat, casually spinning the pen in her hand. The shareholders, seeing her expressionless face, dared not say a word.

Seeing the room fall silent, she said calmly, "Since no one objects, let's move on to department updates."

One by one, department heads stood up to give their reports, their voices tight with nerves.

When a few long-standing partner companies were mentioned, Eira finally looked up with mild interest, her sharp gaze lingering on the screen for a moment.

Once everyone had finished, Eira walked up with her laptop, signaling someone to pull up the old collaborative projects with the other companies.

"These projects-we're shutting them down."

The moment the words left her mouth, several managers froze. The one who just gave the report looked like he'd just swallowed a bug-those were basically the only achievements he had to his name.

Under the weight of everyone's stares, Kane Brightman finally couldn't hold back. "President Johnson, even if we want to terminate them, shouldn't we give a reasonable explanation?" He hesitated for a second before adding, "These are long-term contracts that have been running for years. Canceling them now would mean hefty penalties."

Eira swiped across the screen with her finger and looked over at him coldly. "Then tell me-which of them are still making money?"

Kane opened and closed his mouth, mumbling, "Well... they were profitable at the start..."

These projects touched on the interests of several shareholders too. Their faces darkened, but what happened to Caspian earlier silenced them all.

Eira pressed her red lips together with a dismissive smile. "So, tell me, do we really have a reason not to terminate them?"

With that, she hit delete on multiple old projects-most of which had been signed around the time she ran into trouble.

The project teams were completely restructured-some folks reassigned elsewhere, others, especially those with connections, let go entirely.

These changes finally rattled the boardroom. Some shareholders couldn't sit still anymore.

"President Johnson, you're still the interim CEO. Shouldn't decisions of this scale go through the board first?"

"Halting so many projects all at once-our stock price this quarter could crash hard."

"Even if they're not very lucrative, these are legacy projects. A company shouldn't forget its roots... we shouldn't blindly chase trends-"

Smack!

Eira slammed the folder in her hand onto the table, cutting the speaker off mid-sentence. "You all know perfectly well what's dragging us down!"

"The higher the company flies, the bigger your dividends. You seriously don't get that?"

She gave a sharp, cold smile. "If anyone's not on board, feel free to give up your shares. No one's stopping you."

Silence. The shareholders who had been whining all lowered their heads, not daring to speak again.

Sure, the Johnson Group wasn't what it used to be, but the annual dividends were still solid. Only a fool would let go of their shares.

Everyone couldn't help glancing at William. Something was off with him today. Just a few days ago, he was the loudest voice of opposition...After all, those axed projects? He was the one who kicked them off.

Eira followed the others' gaze, lifted an eyebrow slightly and said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "Uncle, any thoughts?"

William stiffened. The moment their eyes met, an uneasy guilty feeling crept up on him.

His hands clenched under the table, and his eyes flicked over the red-lined projects. It felt like a knife to the heart.

He forced a stiff smile. "You're the CEO now, of course I don't object. As long as the company does better, that's what matters."

Eira sneered inwardly. She'd love to see how long he could keep up this little act.

She flipped the presentation to a new document. "All of you are veterans here, but if you want to make money, then follow my lead. Here's the future roadmap - stick to it, and I'll make sure you all get your piece."

Her presence filled the room like a pressure wave. "But if you can't deliver, don't expect me to show mercy."

With that, Eira turned and walked straight out of the conference room.

Everyone stared at her receding figure, then looked back at the plan she just laid out - and gasped.

"Two hundred mil in pre-sales in a month? Has she lost it?!"

"Shhh! Keep it down. If anyone hears you, that might be the last day you work here."

One of William's guys, Lorenzo Kestrel, leaned in and asked, "Mr. Johnson, what do we do now?"

A dark glint flashed through William's eyes.

What choice did they have? Play by her rules for now. But whether they succeed or not... well, that was another story.

*****

After stepping out of Johnson Corp, Eira sank into the back seat of the Maybach, eyes fixed on her phone.

Ever since her memory came back, she had John hack into the company system and pull every shady deal from William's computer.

Turned out, his ambition ran way deeper than she'd imagined.

John noticed her silence and looked over, worried. "Boss, everything go according to plan?"

"Yeah. All smooth, thanks to you."

He finally let out a breath of relief, his tone lightening up. "Told you. There's nothing you can't handle."

Eira chuckled behind her hand. "You and that mouth."

"By the way, there's a masquerade ball tonight. You in?"

He kept glancing her way as he drove, hyping it up, "Good chance to chill a bit. Once you go back to your heiress life, chances like this won't come often."

Eira thought about it and agreed. Back home, she quickly changed and grabbed a white fox mask before heading out.

When they arrived at the venue, John opened the door for her.

She stepped into the room, dressed in a flowing white gown that shimmered under the chandeliers. With every movement, the sheer fabric hinted at the elegant lines of her long legs. As eyes traveled upward, the dress cinched perfectly at the waist, accentuating her hourglass figure and the subtle curve of her hips.

The strapless neckline revealed her graceful collarbones and swan-like neck. Eira's hair was swept up in a loose chignon, with a few soft strands framing her delicate face.

The moment the grand doors opened, the once-lively ballroom fell into sudden silence.

Every gaze turned as one, drawn to her-Alexander's included...