The boardroom of Liang Enterprises was a battlefield—disguised beneath polished mahogany, glass walls, and the scent of expensive cologne. Twelve men in suits sat around the long table, their expressions neutral, their thoughts anything but.
And at the head sat Leonard Xu, composed and unreadable as ever.
Alina stood beside him.
This was her first official appearance since Leonard signed the document granting her equal executive authority—a symbolic and strategic move that had sent shockwaves through the company.
The board hadn't seen it coming.
Neither had she.
"Let's begin," Leonard said, his voice cutting clean through the murmuring tension.
Alina met each gaze without flinching. Some of the men avoided her eyes. A few looked her up and down, as if trying to assess how someone like her had made it into their circle.
The presentation began—numbers, projections, strategic forecasts. Alina took the lead halfway through, explaining their expansion into Southeast Asia, projected partnerships with emerging tech startups, and the plan to restructure the lagging logistics branch.
She spoke clearly, confidently, with just enough fire to command the room without burning it.
When she finished, the silence lingered for a moment too long.
Then someone cleared his throat.
Mr. Li, the oldest member of the board, leaned forward, tapping his pen against his notepad. "You've done your homework, Mrs. Xu."
"I always do," Alina replied, calm.
"But your proposal relies on reallocating funding from the Beijing infrastructure project. That's a major gamble," he continued.
Alina nodded. "A calculated one. The current project has overrun costs by 22% with minimal yield. Redirecting resources will not only stabilize quarterly margins, but accelerate our market penetration in three untapped regions."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Mr. Li gave a short nod. "Bold."
"Necessary," Alina corrected.
Leonard watched her quietly, pride flickering in his eyes.
After the meeting, Alina lingered by the window of Leonard's office, watching the city stretch far below them. She felt drained but… fulfilled.
"I can't tell if they're impressed or threatened," she muttered.
Leonard stepped beside her. "Both. Which means you're doing something right."
She turned to him. "You've changed. A year ago, you would've shut me out of that room."
He looked thoughtful. "A year ago, I was a fool."
"Only a year ago?" she teased lightly.
He gave her a look. "You make it hard to grovel with dignity."
Alina smiled, but it faded when her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number.
She hesitated, then answered.
"Alina?"
The voice on the other end was rough. Male. Faintly familiar.
She froze. "Who is this?"
"You don't recognize your own brother?"
Her breath caught.
"…Zeke?"
"It's been a while," he said. "But I need to see you. I'm in the city."
Her mind whirled.
Zeke—her estranged older brother—had vanished five years ago, leaving behind a trail of debt and destruction. He'd gotten their mother evicted. Sold family heirlooms. Disappeared when the police started looking into him.
And now he was here?
"You don't get to just show up and ask for a meeting," she said coldly.
"I don't want your money, Alina."
"Then what do you want?"
There was a pause.
"I want to make things right."
That night, Alina met him at a diner on the edge of the city. She came alone—against her better judgment. But there were questions that only Zeke could answer.
He looked older. Thinner. More tired. His once-sharp jaw was covered with stubble, and his jacket was fraying at the seams.
"You came," he said, almost surprised.
"I came to hear why you think you deserve another chance."
He nodded slowly, sipping his coffee. "Fair."
"I trusted you. Mom trusted you. And you destroyed everything."
"I know," he said. "I screwed up. But I've been clean for three years now. I have a kid. A little girl."
Alina's heart lurched.
"She's five," he continued. "Her name's Lily. She… she deserves to know her aunt."
Alina stared at him.
"You don't get to use a child to rewrite your past."
"I'm not," he said. "I just… I thought maybe I could make up for some of it. Maybe you could see her."
She wanted to say no.
Wanted to walk away and never look back.
But the image of a five-year-old girl—alone, unaware of the legacy she carried—clawed at her resolve.
"Send me a photo," Alina said. "I'll think about it."
The next day, she told Leonard everything.
To her surprise, he listened quietly, not interrupting once.
"Do you want to meet the girl?" he asked finally.
"I don't know. Part of me thinks it's a trap. The other part… I can't stop thinking about her."
Leonard nodded. "If you want to pursue this, I'll support you. But I'll run a background check on him first. Just in case."
Alina met his eyes. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For trusting me to decide."
Later that week, Alina sat in the company café, organizing files for their Jakarta pitch, when someone slid into the seat across from her.
It was Jasper.
She stiffened.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"I heard about your presentation. Word is the board was stunned."
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you here to congratulate me or interrogate me?"
"Neither. Just… wanted to see how you're holding up. This world doesn't make room for women like you."
She tilted her head. "You mean women who don't need men like you to succeed?"
He smirked. "Exactly."
There was a pause.
"You still think Leonard will follow through?" Jasper asked. "He's your husband, but his loyalty has always been to the company."
"People change."
"Or they pretend long enough to get what they want."
Alina's gaze turned cold. "Maybe I should be asking what you want, Jasper. Because you don't stop circling unless you smell blood."
He laughed softly. "Still sharp. I miss that."
She stood, collecting her folders. "Miss it from a distance."
That evening, as Leonard prepared for a late meeting, he glanced at Alina slipping on her heels.
"Going somewhere?"
She hesitated. "I'm going to meet Lily. Zeke said he'd bring her to the park."
He paused. "Do you want me to come with you?"
She looked at him—and saw sincerity, not control.
"No," she said softly. "But thank you."
The park was quiet when she arrived. Late afternoon light filtered through the trees, casting golden shadows on the path.
Then she saw them.
Zeke, holding the hand of a little girl in a blue dress.
Lily had curly black hair and eyes that looked eerily familiar.
Alina froze.
Lily spotted her first.
"Is that Auntie?" she whispered.
Zeke nodded.
Lily ran toward her without hesitation.
And when she wrapped her tiny arms around Alina's legs, something inside Alina cracked open.
Not broken.
But healing.