The familiar scent of oil paint and fresh paper hit me as I walked through the glass door at Martinez Art Supplies.

After a week in paradise with a strange man, being back in the little art complex felt like being back home.

"Ah there she is," Mr. Martinez beamed from the other side of the room where he was supervising the paint parcel. "My pale little artist returns bronzed and beautiful. The vacation did you good, yes?"

I smiled, trying to push away thoughts of Alexander and our little encounter from my mind.

Before leaving, I'd slipped a piece of paper with my number on it into one of his slacks but up till now, I had gotten neither a call nor a text.

"It was definitely memorable,"

"Good, good. You do look like you got some life back in you," He winked knowingly, "Met a nice man?"

"Something like that," I muttered as I hung behind the counter. If only Mr. Martinez knew how 'nice' Alexander had been.

"That's good. Rafael dropped by earlier. I swear, he's going to lose it if he doesn't see you soon," Mr. Martinez said and I laughed.

Rafael was my art instructor turned friend.

The morning passed in a comfortable routine.

I did a little painting in the backroom to start off the day. Then I mixed custom paint colours for the local artists, helped a confused college student pick out brushes, and arranged a new display of canvas boards.

I was just done wrapping a small landscape for Mrs. Peterson who made it a point to buy a piece every month to 'support local artists', when my phone buzzed.

My heart leapt, thinking Alexander had finally decided to call me. I glanced at my phone – unknown number – it was definitely him.

"Martinez Art Supplies, this is Lily," I said, in the sweetest voice I could muster.

"Miss Rose," The voice was crisp and professional, nothing like Alexander's. I stood straighter, "Miss Lily Rose?"

"Yes. That's me. How can I help you?"

"My name is Barrister Willis. I represent the law firm of Willis, Hartwell and Associates. I need to speak to you regarding a matter of utmost urgency. Would it be possible for you to come to my office this afternoon?"

I frowned, "I'm sorry but what is this about? I haven't done anything –"

"Miss Rose," He interrupted, "I assure you. You're not in any trouble. This concerns an inheritance matter that requires your immediate attention. I'm afraid I cannot discuss the details over the phone,"

"Inheritance matters?" I asked, "I think you have the wrong person. My grandmother died five years ago and she left me her recipe book and a set of china. That's about it,"

"Miss Rose, I'm certain I have your information correct. Born 15th March, 1995. Currently employed at Martinez Art Supplies, Collins Avenue? Former foster child of the Miami system,"

The blood drained from my face at that. There were not a lot of people who knew about my foster care background.

Well, I didn't exactly advertise that part of my history.

"How do you – who are you exactly?"

"Like I said earlier, I'm a barrister in charge of an estate matter. Miss Rose, I cannot stress how important it is that we meet today. Are you available at 3pm?"

My eyes went to the big black clock. It was barely past noon and Mr. Martinez had been encouraging me to take more time off anyway.

"Sure," I said, "I suppose so. But I still don't understand..."

"Wonderful. My office is on the fortieth floor of the Meridian Building downtown. The receptionist will direct you to the Thompson Estate Conference Room,"

"Thompson?" The name hit me like a slap. I was sure I had heard it somewhere but I could not remember where.

"Yes, Miss Rose. I'll see you at 3 o'clock sharp. Good day,"

The line went dead before I could say anything else. I stared at my phone, bewildered.

"Everything okay, mija?" Mr. Martinez asked, as he came to stand beside me.

"I'm...I'm not sure. I need to leave early today. If that's okay with you. Something came up,"

"Of course. Take all the time you need."

Two hours later, I took a cab to the Meridian Building. As I stepped into the gigantic steel monument, I felt woefully underdressed in my sundress and cardigan, especially when I had to ride the elevator with men and women dressed in thousand-dollar suits.

The law office of Willis, Hartwell, and Associates screamed old money and even older power. As I walked in, the receptionist smiled warmly, "Miss Rose? Mr. Willis is expecting you. Please follow me,"

We walked down a long hallway lined with portraits of distinguished lawyers and judges until we reached a set of heavy wooden doors.

"The Thompson Estate Conference Room," The receptionist announced as I walked in.

Inside, a man in his sixties rose to welcome me.

"Miss Rose," He said, "I am Charles Willis. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"Mr. Willis." I managed to say as I shook his hand, "I have to say I am completely confused about why I am here,"

"Please take a seat. Can I offer you something? Water? Coffee? Fresh juice?"

I suddenly became aware of how dry my mouth felt, "Water, please. Thank you,"

As he poured the water, my eyes strayed to a stack of legal documents on the table. They stood beside what looked to me like photographs.

"Miss Rose, what I am about to tell you now," He began, as he settled back into his chair, "may come as quite a shock. Three days ago, Richard Thompson passed away,"

I didn't know anyone by that name and it must have been evident to Mr. Willis who continued gently,

"Mr. Thompson was one of Miami's most prominent businessmen. He built Thompson Enterprises from the ground up. The company is worth about 2.8 billion dollars now,"

I neatly choked on my water, "I'm sorry. Did you just say, billion? With a b?"

"Exactly. And according to his last will which was properly witnessed and legally binding, " Willis paused for some time, studying my face carefully "He had named you sole beneficiary of his entire estate,"

For a long moment, there was complete silence, the only noise being the sound of my chest hammering against my ribs.

"That's impossible," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "I've never known any Richard Thompson all my life. This must be some sort of mistake."

Willis opened a manila folder, withdrew a photograph, and slid it across the table to me.

"Do you recognize this man?" He asked.

I stared at the photo of a man in his seventies. He was silver-haired with kind eyes and a gentle smile, but there was absolutely nothing familiar about him.

"I've never seen him before. Never,"

"Miss Rose. I do understand that this is overwhelming. But I can assure you that Mr. Thompson was very specific in his instructions. He left detailed notes explaining his decision...though I'm afraid they raise more questions than they seem to answer,"

"How could he possibly know anything about me? I work in an art supply store. I can barely balance a simple checkbook. How in the world am I supposed to run a billion-dollar company?" I asked, still trying to wrap my head around everything.

"Mr. Thompson was known for his unconventional business decisions. He valued character over connections. He saw something in you,"

I stood abruptly and paced to the windows. The view of Miami from here was beautiful but I couldn't focus on anything except the impossibility of what I was hearing.

"This doesn't make any sense. I can't run a company. I don't know anything about business or finance..."

"Miss Rose, if I may, Mr. Thompson anticipated your concerns so he arranged for a transition team to guide you through your initial period. But the fact remains that you are the CEO and primary shareholder at Thompson Enterprises,"

"CEO?" The word sounded big to me now.

"Yes. The board of directors has been notified. Your first official meeting is scheduled for Monday at nine am,"

"Monday? As in four days from now?"

"Exactly,"

I sank back into my chair, rubbing my temples, "I think I'm going to be sick,"

Willis poured another glass of water for me, "This is definitely a lot to process. I must inform you, Mr. Thompson's nephew, Alexander Thompson was expected to inherit the company. He's not at all pleased with the development,"

At the mention of Alexander's name, my fingers gave way and the glass slipped through them, shattering on the floor.

"Alexander Thompson?" I managed to ask.

"Yes! He's been groomed to take over the company since he was a child. Yesterday's will reading was quite a shock for him...Miss Rose, do you know Alexander Thompson?"

I closed my eyes, remembering how strong his hands were as he claimed me and made me whisper words in the dark that even I didn't understand, the way he'd looked at my face the day I left as if he was trying to memorize every part of it.

"Oh, God. What have I gotten myself into?"

One day ago.

I adjusted my Italian silk tie and checked my Rolex watch for the fourth time in ten minutes, sitting tight in anticipation of what was about to transpire.

For thirty-two years, I had been trained for this particular day – the day I would officially inherit Thompson Enterprises.

Richard Thompson, my great uncle, mentor, and the closest thing I had to a father, was gone, but his legacy was going to live through me.

"The reading will begin momentarily," Charles Willis said as he walked into the room, "I trust everyone is present,"

I looked around the conference table. Everyone was indeed present – from the board members and key executives down to the long-time housekeeper, Mrs. Chen, who had been in the house for as long as I could remember. There were also a few relatives there to pick up the scraps that would undoubtedly fall to them.

But all eyes were on me, waiting for the 'coronation' that was thirty years in the making.

"Let's get on with it," I said, "I have a company to run,"

Willis cleared his throat and opened the folder that contained Richard's final will and testament.

"As you know, we're all gathered here to execute the last will of Richard Thompson..."

I zoned out, wondering how long it would take before we got to the good part. I was already mentally planning the changes I would implement in my first weeks as CEO.

I was going to take Thompson Enterprises to heights Richard never imagined.

"The estate includes all assets, properties, investments, business holdings," Willis said, "After careful consideration and multiple revisions over the past year, Mr. Thompson made his final decision regarding succession,"

Multiple revisions? Richard had never mentioned anything to me about changing his will. Perhaps, it was something of no consequence.

"To my great nephew, Alexander Thompson, I leave my personal effects, including my watch collection, vintage wines, and a sum of five million dollars," Willis read.

My blood turned to ice.

Personal effects? Watch collection? This was the inheritance of a favourite relative and not a CEO.

Murmurs ran through the rooms and I felt every eye turn to me. But I remained calm.

"Continue," I said.

Willis nodded, looking at me with unsolicited pity, "The remaining of my estate, including all shares of Thompson Enterprises and the position of Chief Executive Officer, I bequeath to Miss Lily Rose of Miami, Florida."

The silence that followed was deafening. I felt as though I had been punched in the chest. I sat up straighter, unable to process what I had just heard.

Was this some big joke?

"I'm sorry," I said, "Could you repeat that?"

With an irritating nod, Willis read through it again, keeping his tone carefully natural.

"Who the hell is Lily Rose?" I asked as several board members shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"I'm afraid I do not have extensive information about Miss Rose. Mr. Thompson was quite discreet about his reasoning,"

I shot to my feet, the foot of my chair scraping violently against the floor, "Discreet. Discreet! He handed a billion-dollar company to some random woman. And you call that discreet?"

"Alexander," Mrs. Chen spoke up, "There must be some sort of explanation –"

"Explanation?" I asked, eyes wide, "What possible explanation could there be for giving away my birthright to a total stranger?"

I turned back to Willis, "I want answers, William, and I want them now."

"I understand your shock, Alexander, but –"

"Don't," My voice dropped to a deadly whisper, "Don't you dare tell me you understand. I've spent my whole life preparing for this. And here you are telling me he gave it to nobody?"

Willis reached out and opened another folder, "Mr. Thompson did leave a letter explaining his decision but I doubt it would give you the closure you're looking for,"

"Read it."

"Alexander, perhaps in private –"

"Read it now!"

Willis sighed and pulled out a handwritten paper, "To those who may question my decision regarding Lily Rose, I offer this explanation. Leadership is not inherited by blood but earned through character. And although Alexander is intelligent and has the drive to succeed in business, he also lacks the heart to lead with necessary compassion,"

Humiliation burned through me as Willis spelled out each word.

"Miss Lily faced adversity that would break most people but she emerged with her humanity intact. She creates rather than destroys and she sees potential where others see problems. I have no doubt that she is the future this company needs,"

He went on to read more but I stopped listening. Each word felt like a blow, one that cut too deep.

"That's enough," I finally said.

Willis stopped reading and folded the letter, "Alexander, I understand this is difficult..."

"Difficult?" I laughed, but it lacked humor: "Difficult is an understatement for this betrayal."

I paced the conference room, "I want to know about this Lily Rose. Who is she? What is her background? How does she know my great uncle?"

"Well, I'm afraid I can only share limited information but I can tell you she's currently employed in an art supply store..."

"Interesting. He gave his billion-dollar empire to someone who works retail," I said in utter disbelief.

One of the board members spoke up, "Alexander, perhaps we should discuss the legal options. I'm certain there are grounds to contest –"

"No," I cut in, surprising everyone and myself too, "If Richard wanted to play games, then fine, we'll play games. But what I'm not going to do is contest the will like some desperate relative fighting for scraps,"

I straightened my jacket and walked back to my chair, "I want every single detail about this Lily Rose. Where she works, how she came to know Richard, and what she eats for breakfast. I want her entire life story on my desk by tomorrow morning,"

"Alexander, what are you planning?" Willis asked.

"I'm going to find out what's so special that my great uncle thought was worth destroying this family for. And then," I paused, my eyes filled with cold determination, "I'm going to take back what's mine,"

With that, I picked up my coat and briefcase and moved towards the door with quick steps.

Willis' voice reached me, "Where are you going?"

I paused at the door with my hand already on the handle, "To meet the woman who stole my life. Don't worry, Willis. I'll be the perfect gentleman. After all, I wouldn't want to disappoint Uncle Richard's memory by showing my true colours,"

With that, I left her room and took the elevator ride down, stepping into the sunlight with one thought burning in my mind.

Let's see how special you really are, Lily Rose.

I stood at the base of the Thompson Enterprises tower, craning my neck to take in the sixty-storey building.

My hands trembled as I clutched the leather portfolio that Willis had given me. It was filled with documents I barely understood, despite studying them, and keys to offices I'd never seen.

The blazer I had borrowed from Sophia felt foreign on my shoulder, and my feet ached from standing in these pointy heels for so long.

You can do this, I whispered to myself, It's just a building. Just a job. They're just people...

Oh God.

The lobby was exquisite with high ceilings and a waterfall that probably cost more than okay people's houses.

Employees moved around in expensive suits, having conversations in low tones.

"Miss Lily Rose?" A woman approached me with a warm but professional smile, "I'm Janet Morrison. Mr Thompson's – I mean, your executive assistant. Welcome to Thompson Enterprises,"

It all felt surreal. I have an executive assistant now.

"Thank you," I breathed as I shook Janet's perfectly manicured hands, "I have to admit, I'm a little overwhelmed,"

"Perfectly understandable. Shall we head up to your office? The meeting begins in twenty minutes,"

As we rode the elevator to the executive floor, Janet explained a few things about the company's structure, key personnel, and upcoming meetings.

And all it did was make me feel even more overwhelmed.

My mind kept racing ahead to all the ways I could fail spectacularly.

Janet opened a set of massive doors, revealing the most beautiful office I had ever seen, "This is your office, Miss Rose,"

I stepped inside and felt my knees go weak. Never, in all the years I had spent on earth, had I witnessed such luxury.

The office was way larger than my apartment with a huge seat in the middle. Behind this huge desk, windows stretched from floor to ceiling offering a view that felt like I was floating above the city.

"The previous Mr. Thompson preferred traditional decor," Janet said, "But if this does not suit your taste, we can redecorate,"

She had to be kidding.

"The boardroom meeting is in the Meridian Conference Room." Janet went on, "All your briefing materials are ready and Mr. Willis will be there to assist you with any legal questions,"

Twenty minutes later, I found myself seated at the head of a conference table, surrounded by the most intimidating people ever. They studied me with mostly hostility.

My heart raced wildly as Willis did the introductions.

After him, a stern-faced man with silver hair spoke up, "Miss Rose, I'm Robert Hartley, Chairman of the board. I think I speak for everyone when I say we're curious about our qualifications for this position,"

My heart raced wildly, and it was difficult to get any words past my lips, but I had to say something.

"I...well, I understand this is...unconventional..."

"Unconventional?" Another woman cut in, leaning forward, "Miss Rose, do you have any experience running a company? Any business education at all?"

I shrugged, hating how intimidated I felt, "I have a degree in fine arts,"

That sounded pathetic in a room full of MBAs and years of corporate experience.

"According to this background check," Another man began, "You work at an art supply store. No management experience, no finance background, no corporate training whatsoever,"

"I may be lacking the traditional qualifications and –"

"And nothing, Miss Rose," The first woman said again, "Thompson Enterprises employs more than fifteen thousand people worldwide. It's a responsibility, not a hobby,"

A bead of sweat ran down the space between my breasts, "Very well then, I understand that. But Mr. Thompson obviously saw something in me–"

"Mr Thompson was clearly not thinking straight in his final months. Perhaps grief clouded his judgement,"

There were murmurs of agreement and I felt myself shrinking in my chair. Just a few minutes in and I felt like dying.

"What my colleagues are simply trying to say is," Hartley said, "that perhaps you would be more comfortable in an advisory role. While we arrange for proper leadership?"

Anger flared hot in my chest. Who did this man think he was, "Proper leadership? You mean someone you approve of,"

Before anyone else could speak, the door swung open with enough force to rattle the glass walls.

Alexander Thompson strode into the room, his presence commanding. He looked even more dashing than I'd remembered. His dark eyes did a full sweep of the room before landing on me. Recognition flashed through them.

"Well, well, so you're the mysterious Lily Rose," He said.

My heart stopped as I took in the gorgeous, infuriating man I had last seen at the Grand Palma hotel.

The same man who's caught me in my most vulnerable moment.

Who'd made me feel things I was still struggling to forget.

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.

Willis rose quickly, "Alexander, this is a private board meeting –"

"Save it, Willis. I don't give a bloody damn," He said, "I think I have every right to meet the woman who stole my inheritance,"

Stole? Good to know he was still every bit of a jerk.

My voice came out shakier than I hoped, "I did not steal anything. I was legally named..."

"Legally named by a man who lost his mind," He smirked, "Tell me, Miss Rose. How exactly do you convince an elderly man to give you his life's work?"

The accusation hit like a slap.

"I never manipulated anyone. I didn't even know your great uncle existed until five days ago,"

"Mmm. Hard to believe," He circled me like a predator. I was painfully aware of how every board member was watching this confrontation, " A complete stranger suddenly inherits billions. Tell me, what did you do? Seduce him? Promise him something that his family couldn't,"

"That's disgusting," I spat, my cheeks burning, "I never even met Richard Thompson,"

"And yet here you are, playing CEO in a world you know nothing about," He said. "Tell me, princess, do you even know what Thompson Enterprises does?"

The nickname was a confirmation of what I already knew – he recognised me.

"I'm learning,"

He laughed, mockingly, "Learning? You're going to learn how to run a billion-dollar corporation. How charmingly naive,"

"That's enough," Willis cut in but Alexander ignored him, never taking his eyes off me.

"Here's what's going to happen, Miss Rose," His voice dropped to a whisper that was meant for only my ears, "You're going to realise that you're in over your head and you're going to walk away. Because if you don't –" He leaned closer to me, " – I will make your life very, very difficult,"

I stared into the same dark eyes that had looked at me with desire just days ago.

"Are you threatening me, Mr. Thompson?" I asked, tilting my head ever so slightly.

"I'm educating you about reality. Some lessons are harder than others,"

Every instinct screamed at me to back down and just go home and choke on a bucket of ice cream or something, but I lifted my chin and met his stare head-on.

"Then I guess you'd better be prepared to be disappointed." I said, "Because I'm going nowhere,"