er the familiar marble floors, the towering columns, the glittering chandeliers that hung like delicate diamonds above the entryway. She could almost hear the echoes of her chil
ngs that lined the walls, each one more expensive than
d that felt more real, more hers. A world that didn't revolve around the constant expectations of her family and the business empire that her fa
he letter
f the Kincaid Corporation, was gravely ill. It wasn't just the flu or a bad cold that kept him in bed. T
ehind, filled her with a mix of dread and duty. But what unsettled
to come home. Your father needs you. There is much to
e business. She had no interest in the corporate world, no desire to inherit the weight of the company her fath
was inevitable. She would have to return to the family business, at least for a while, and take
esence commanding as always. Tall and graceful, Elena was the epitome of poise and power. Her perfectly coiffed hair,
ged with a note of something less than war
ill held that same critical gaze, as if everything Rosa did was never quite enou
a asked quietly,
only for a moment. "He's hanging on. Barely.
ose words sinking in. Weeks.
pent so many hours as a child, pretending to read, pretending to care, while her parents discuss
cold. "The business needs you. Your father has already made arrangements, and yo
be moved around on a chessboard, but she knew there was no use in arguing now.
for this," Rosa said fin
It's your responsibility. The Kincaid name is built on this c
nd joy, his legacy. But it had never been her dream. She had always imagined a life free from the corpora
d, more to herself than to Elena. "I don't know an
ing. Your father's trusted advisors will guide you. You just have to be the fac
his. She had spent years building her own life, far from the expec
ce interrupted t
os
ad always been a fixture in her life, but in recent years, their paths had diverged. Alex had been part of the Kincaid world-an associate, someone
ace. The last time they had seen each other, their relationship had been distant, even stra
, his voice low. "I wanted to check
t didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine,
ing. "I understand. If you need
wn it, was about to change forever. She was going to have to step into a world she had avoided for years-a world
scape it, no matter how hard she tried. The weight of the Kincai
she wasn't sure sh