The door to Alex’s executive office was firmly closed, shutting out the faint clatter of keyboards and the low thrum of the busy office. He’d finished reviewing the report Claire handed to him just after lunch. As a ‘thank you’ for her hard work, Alex gave her the rest of the day off to destress. However, he wasn’t so lucky, as his stress level went up two notches when Amanda requested a quick meeting to discuss the fashion event’s direction. The atmosphere was thick with professional tension. Amanda stood before Alex’s large desk, her expression perfectly measured, yet radiating a cool critique that made Alex’s jaw tight.

“With all due respect, Mr. Lee,” Amanda said, tapping a polished nail against the folder outlining Claire’s hybrid show proposal. “The complexity of this new streaming partnership, particularly one championed by Ms. Moss, needs stricter oversight. I reiterate my concern about accountability. If we introduce untested variables, the perception of indiscriminate audience value is a significant risk.”

Alex leaned back, attempting to project confidence. He was aware that her 'untested variables' referred to the fact that they could not control who would have access to their live stream; despite it being accessible via a link, it was a link that could be shared.

“I have faith in Ms. Moss’s abilities, Amanda. She has presented a sound risk mitigation plan. The initial link invite list was vetted to only include reputable journalists and influencers who were otherwise unable to attend in person. If they chose to share the link, they would most likely share with people closest to them who would have similar interest in the field of fashion.”

Amanda’s eyes stared pointedly at him as she replied, “Forgive my bluntness, but I would be remiss to point out that for someone who has been with the company for less than a month, she has not earned the authority to steer such a significant direction shift in an event that was planned nearly a year prior to her arrival.”

Alex stared back with a steel gaze of his own. “We are moving forward with innovation; the process will adapt,” his response was flat and formal. He knew Amanda was scrutinizing this entire initiative, believing he was drawing his focus away from established processes out of a sense of favoritism for his old classmate.

“Adaptation is costly when untried processes fail,” Amanda countered smoothly, her grey eyes unwavering. She straightened the folder. “While we value people who can prove themselves quickly here, I don’t recall ever seeing you put your faith in any employee that fast in the four years I’ve worked under you.” Her eyes held a hint of accusation as she added, “You weigh Miss Moss’s opinions higher than those of seasoned team members.”

Just as Alex opened his mouth to deliver a dismissive response, the oak door burst open without a knock.

“Yo, Alex!” a cheerful voice boomed into the tense silence. “You ready? We need to beat cheeks for our emergency session of family feu—doh!”

Derek Kang, son of the CEO and Alex’s executive counterpart, sauntered in, oblivious to the fact that they were not alone. Derek—his cousin and the same man who gave Alex terrible grilling advice—stopped mid-stride, his mouth formed a surprised ‘O’ as he registered the presence of the formidable Amanda. “Hey Miss Amanda,” he laughed nervously, “nice to see you.”

Alex froze, his blood instantly turning to ice. Amanda had an uncanny way of sniffing out suspicious activity, which was why she was currently hyper-focused on his relationship with Claire. The last thing he needed was the CEO’s son announcing their secret family relationship in front of the most highly perceptive person in his company.

A jolt of panic caused Alex to jump to his feet, knocking his chair slightly askew. “Derek!” Alex barked as he tried to inject both a warning and a command into the name.

Derek, realizing his error, blinked, but still wore his massive grin. “Yeah, sorry to interrupt the…” he looked at Amanda’s stone-cold eyes assessing his entrance, “heavy finance talk?”

Alex grabbed his jacket and briefcase. He quickly strode around the desk, placing himself squarely between Amanda and Derek, yelling at Derek with his eyes to not say another word. “No, no, Derek, you’re right on time! Amanda and I were just finishing up.” He turned towards Amanda and forced a strained, booming laugh.

“We’re meeting up with other company executives for an informal meeting.” Alex clapped Derek awkwardly on the shoulder, steering him back towards the door.

Amanda watched the chaotic interaction with an unnervingly still expression, her mind clearly assessing every micro-gesture.

“The ‘family feud’ is an inside joke, Amanda,” Alex explained, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. “A running gag about the close and competitive nature of these meetings. They get... heated. Nothing related to, well, family business, certainly.”

Amanda’s lips pressed into a thin line, betraying her skepticism of his flustered, unprofessional behavior. “Of course, Mr. Lee. I understand,” she said, her voice betraying not understanding, but high suspicion. She picked up her folder and nodded curtly, recognizing the dismissal. “I will wait for your decision on the vendor changes when you return.”

Before Amanda could articulate any more questions, Alex grabbed Derek by the arm. “Come on, Derek! We’re late for the meeting!” He practically dragged his stunned cousin across the office and through the door, quickly closing it behind them.

They didn’t stop until they reached the executive elevator, where Alex furiously stabbed the parking level button.

“Dude, that woman scares me,” Derek whispered, rubbing his arm. “Why did it feel like I interrupted a federal investigation?”

Alex ran a hand through his carefully styled hair. “Amanda isn’t happy about my decision to go with Claire’s social media marketing angle.” He heaved a huge sigh as they reached Derek’s sleek charcoal-gray Escalade. “She thinks I’m showing unprofessional favoritism because she’s an old classmate.”

“As I recall,” Derek mused while he climbed into the driver’s seat, “Claire was something more to you than just a classmate.” A twinkle of amusement filled the corners of his eyes.

“Let’s not go there right now,” Alex growled in frustration. “What made you think it was a good idea to burst in to my office yelling hints that we’re related?”

Derek shrugged. “Oh, right. The whole ‘Alex is a self-made professional who just happens to work for a powerful family’ thing. Look, after this meeting you should be able to announce your connection to the CEO. You’ve proven yourself capable of achieving results without name dropping, and after this fashion event your position will be in the bag.”

“Your father is a hard man to please,” Alex muttered.

“I know,” Derek maintained his positive attitude. “But he isn’t unreasonable, or he wouldn’t be the current CEO of Ascend. You’ll be fine.” He glanced at the digital clock on the dash. “But we are late, and that won’t make us look good. Traffic is going to be brutal and we still need to make a stop.”

A few minutes later, Derek and Alex pulled up outside a small, unassuming bakery nestled on a side street off the main road.

“I’ll grab grandma’s favorite almond torte,” Derek hopped out of the car. “If we show up without it, there will be an actual feud.”

Alex stayed in the passenger’s seat, still trying to calm his nerves. He watched Derek return moments later, balancing a large, white pastry box with care. Just as Derek reentered the car, the back door suddenly opened.

Before either man could register what was happening, a disheveled elderly woman, whose gray cardigan was buttoned haphazardly over a stained dress, tumbled backward onto the luxury leather seat, sighing contentedly.

Quick shrieks emitted from the two grown men as they nearly jumped into each other’s arms in surprise.

“Oh, thank the Lord for a soft spot,” she mumbled, pulling a floral scarf up over her chin, seemingly settling in for a long nap.

Alex stared, aghast. “Who is that?!”

Derek whipped around, nearly dropping the fragile cake box. He peered into the back seat, his eyes wide, then narrowed them in recognition. “Wait… is that Mrs. Williams?”

Alex felt a momentary wave of relief mixed with utter confusion. “Mrs. Williams? The housekeeper from the East Wing?”

“Yeah! She wanders sometimes,” Derek said dismissively, though his voice was still pitched high from the adrenaline rush. “Mild dementia, remember? She probably mistook the SUV for the staff transport.” He looked at the woman, who was now snoring softly. “Should we…wake her?”

“No,” Alex cut him off, “No, absolutely not. If we wake her, she’ll be more confused. We’re already minutes from the compound; the gatehouse staff can handle it. Just… don’t let her near the cake.” He hastily grabbed the cake box perched precariously on Derek's knee.

Derek pulled into traffic and the rest of the drive was conducted in surreal silence, punctuated only by the housekeeper’s gentle snores from the backseat.

They finally pulled up to the imposing wrought-iron gates of the Kang family compound, Ascend Holding’s founding home. A uniformed gatekeeper, whose face looked perpetually tired, approached the car as Derek keyed in the code.

The gatekeeper’s eyes widened when he saw the sleeping figure in the back. He opened the door with an exasperated sigh. “Mrs. Williams! Not again!” He looked at Alex and Derek, shaking his head. “I apologize, Mr. Kang, Mr. Lee. She must have slipped out while Maria was cleaning the study. I’ll ensure she gets back to her room.” He gently supported the elderly woman as she was lifted out of the SUV, whispering soothingly as he escorted her away.

Alex drove slowly up the sprawling, manicured driveway to the main residence. A young valet greeted them, bowing to Derek as he exited the SUV, then taking his place in the driver’s seat to park the vehicle.

Alex and Derek walked up the steps to the grand double doors. They were greeted by the head butler and entered the vast foyer, the air cool and hushed, a stark contrast to the lively noise and chaos of the outside world. The butler quickly led them down a hallway adorned with family portraits. Very few of them exuded any familial love or happiness.

They were led into the private dining hall. Seated around a mahogany table, looking far more like a council of royalty than a family preparing for dinner, were the Ascend elite. To the left sat Alex’s grandfather and Ascend founder, Jintae Kang, and his impeccably dressed grandmother, Jisoo Kang. To the right were Alex’s parents, Yuna and Michael Lee. And seated at the head was Alex’s uncle, Jaewon Kang—the current CEO.

Alex felt the familiar, heavy weight of expectation settle on his shoulders. He was here now, exposed in the center of the power structure he tried so hard to professionally distance himself from in his day-to-day life.

Jaewon looked up, his expression unreadable, and addressed Alex with a cold authority that cut through the silence.

“Welcome, nephew.” His uncle’s cool eyes greeted Alex.