Chapter 4

"And one more thing," Mike said, pulling out a notebook. "Ethan registered a new company for you—you're the legal owner. You majored in design, right? You always wanted to launch your own brand but never got the chance. Now you can finally do it. Don't worry about funding, and we've reserved an entire floor in Royal Tower for you to use however you want."

Nina clutched the stack of documents, her hands shaking.

She thought of that two-million-dollar check Barton had thrown at her, and the way he looked when he said, "Take the money and leave." The whole thing felt almost laughably ironic now.

She'd signed the divorce papers for two million dollars.

And the annual rent from her own building? It easily surpassed that amount every year.

"Dad," she looked up, her eyes red, "why are you so good to me?"

Mike paused for a moment, then smiled and ruffled her hair. "Silly girl, you're my daughter. If I'm not good to you, who else would I be good to?"

That evening, the whole family gathered around the dinner table.

Mary had simmered a big pot of chicken soup and packed the table with all of Nina's favorite dishes. Ethan uncorked a bottle of red wine and poured everyone a glass.

"Alright," Mike said, raising his glass. "Here's to welcoming our heiress home."

"Welcome home!" Mary and Ethan chimed in, lifting their glasses together.

Nina held her wine glass, gazing at the three faces she knew better than anyone. Suddenly, the past three years felt like nothing but a dream. Now that she was finally home, she was thankful her family was still here, waiting for her.

"By the way, Nina," Ethan said, setting down his glass, "what are you planning to do next? Want to join the Lynn Group?"

Nina thought for a moment. "Ethan, I want to manage Royal Tower myself."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Got plans?"

"Yeah," Nina nodded. "I want to start from the ground up, work my way up. I don't want anyone thinking I'm just coasting on the family name."

Mike smiled, relieved and pleased. "That's the right attitude."

But Mary frowned. "Starting from the bottom? That's going to be so tiring. Why not just go straight to being the general manager?"

"Mom," Nina said, smiling as she linked arms with her. "Just let me try it out. If it doesn't work, I'll just take the general manager spot."

Everyone at the table laughed.

Early the next morning, Nina Lynn showed up at Royal Tower right on the dot.

She was dressed in a plain white blouse and black slacks, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail, no makeup at all. With a simple canvas bag in hand, she blended right in with the crowd of office workers coming and going.

But the receptionist spotted her instantly and shot up from her seat. "M-Ms. Lynn!"

Nina flashed a friendly smile. "Don't be nervous, just call me Nina. I'm starting work here today."

"Work here?" The receptionist was totally stunned.

"Yeah, an entry-level position," Nina said, blinking. "But keep it a secret for now, okay? Don't tell anyone who I really am."

The girl nodded eagerly, her eyes shining with excitement.

Nina took the elevator up to the 36th floor, where the HR department was located. She had already made arrangements with Ethan the day before to join as a regular applicant, taking on the role of a business development specialist.

The HR manager, Fiona Cox, was a woman in her thirties—sharp, efficient, and all business. Ethan had already given her a heads-up, just saying Nina was a new hire and to get her settled in, nothing else.

"Nina Lynn, right?" Fiona glanced at her resume. "Top school, design background, three years as a full-time housewife. So, what made you want to jump back into the job scene?"

"I want a fresh start," Nina replied.

Fiona nodded, dropping the subject. "Alright, business development's on the 32nd floor. Go check in with Sean Lee."

The business development department was massive, sprawled across half the floor. The cubicles were packed, phones ringing nonstop, and everyone was hustling.

Sean Lee was a middle-aged man in his forties, with glasses perched on his nose, and a friendly vibe about him. He asked Nina a couple of quick questions, then asked a young woman to help Nina get settled.

"Hi, I'm Sylvia Scott," the girl said, her round face lighting up with a smile that showed off two dimples. "Looks like we're desk neighbors now! If you need anything, just ask me."

Nina thanked her and, with Sylvia's help, got her workstation set up.

As she was getting settled, a head popped out from the next cubicle—a guy with bleached hair. "Hey, new here? Not bad, you're pretty good-looking."

Nina smiled. "Hi."

"I'm Frank Smith, but just call me Frank," he said, grinning. "Which school did you go to? Where'd you work before?"

"I'm from..." Nina paused, thinking. "I graduated from a local college. Haven't worked anywhere yet."

"No job?" Frank's eyes went wide. "So what have you been doing for the past three years?"

"I was at home," Nina replied.

"At home?" Frank looked even more surprised. "So you were just living off your parents?"

Sylvia smacked him on the back of the head. "Watch your mouth! She was a full-time housewife."

Frank rubbed his head, grinning awkwardly. "Oh, a full-time housewife. So why are you working now? Did you get divorced or something?"

Nina was speechless.

This guy really had no filter.

But he got it right.