LOGINEarlier this morning, when I heard today was the day of the competition, I prepared to leave the online meeting, working from Paris was taking a toll on me but I didn’t care.The screen in front of me was filled with familiar faces—old board members who had been with the company longer than some empires lasted. Their expressions were stiff, annoyed, impatient. One of them cleared his throat, another sighed loudly, and someone else muttered something under his breath about “priorities” and “professionalism.”Those old board members were already complaining, but who were they to complain directly to me.I was Vincent Markson.If I decided to end a meeting, it ended. No explanations required.I shut the laptop without waiting for another word, the sound echoing sharply in the quiet hotel suite. For a brief moment, I stood there, fingers still resting on the edge of the desk, feeling the dull ache behind my temples. Working remotely, flying between cities, chasing loose ends from six year
The second round has begun.The announcement echoed through the hall like a bell tolling fate.I quickly stood up, my chair scraping softly against the polished floor as I followed my assistant. The noise around me swelled—chairs moving, heels clicking, hushed murmurs rising as competitors prepared themselves. My heart pounded harder than I wanted it to.I turned briefly before walking away.Behind me, I heard a familiar, cold voice.“Boss, it seems that it’s time for a meeting.”“I’ll stay,” Vincent replied.I didn’t turn again.Walking back into the competition space, my shoulders felt heavier with every step. The atmosphere inside was different now—thicker, sharper. This was no longer admiration and curiosity. This was war.I climbed up alongside the other competitors, the elevated platform feeling suddenly too exposed. We sat down in our arranged chairs, each seat carefully positioned, each table aligned with military precision.I exhaled slowly.Something wasn’t right.I could f
Outside the competition room, the atmosphere buzzed with restless energy.Everyone was gossiping.Designers stood in clusters, whispering behind manicured hands, eyes darting around as they waited for the announcement of the second round. Some pretended to be calm, sipping water or scrolling through their tablets, but their stiff shoulders betrayed them. Others openly speculated, voices low yet sharp, replaying every design shown so far.I sat quietly in my seat, my posture relaxed, my expression neutral.Years ago, this kind of environment would have made my palms sweat. The pressure. The judgment. The silent comparisons. But now, I had learned how to exist in the middle of chaos without letting it swallow me.My assistant excused herself, telling me she needed to get something for me. I nodded without looking up, my mind drifting yet staying alert.From where I sat, I could clearly see Lilian.She was standing, of course.Ordering her assistant around.“Get this.”“No, not that one.
Finally…It was the day of the competition.The morning air in Paris felt heavier than usual, as though the city itself understood the weight of what today carried. I arrived at the venue earlier than most, stepping out of the car with calm steps that masked the storm swirling inside my chest.This wasn’t just a competition.This was years of sleepless nights.Years of sacrifices.Years of proving—to myself more than anyone—that I could stand on my own.The event hall was massive, elegant, and intimidating all at once. Crystal chandeliers hung high above, casting soft light over polished floors that reflected ambition and ego equally. Designers from all over the world were present, dressed in sharp silhouettes and confident smiles, each carrying the same hunger in their eyes.Throughout the past few days, Lilian had made sure her presence was impossible to ignore.She moved through the hall like she owned it—ordering coffee for everyone, snapping her fingers, giving instructions to as
That evening in Paris, the villa felt warmer than usual.Not because of the lights or the gentle hum of the city beyond the walls—but because laughter filled every corner of it.“Hide-and-seek!” I announced, clapping my hands together.My boys cheered instantly.I used to play this game with them all the time. Every night, almost religiously. But lately, work had swallowed me whole. Meetings, designs, negotiations, pressure. Tomorrow marked the beginning of the competition—the one that would decide everything I had worked for over the past years. From tomorrow until next weekend, I would barely have time to breathe.So tonight… tonight belonged to them.I turned my back dramatically, pressing my palms against my eyes.“No peeking!” Dillon shouted.“I’m not peeking,” I said with exaggerated seriousness, even though I could already hear tiny feet scampering across the marble floor.I began counting aloud.“One… two… three…”They ran.I could hear it all—their hushed giggles, the hurried
The day hadn’t ended when my schedules finally did.By the time the last meeting concluded and the final signature dried on paper, the sun had already begun its slow descent beyond the glass walls of my office. The city outside glowed with artificial light, cars moving like veins of fire beneath me. Normally, I would have stayed longer—worked later—pushed myself until exhaustion numbed everything else.But today, something tugged at me.Something restless.My assistant drove me straight to the Markston family estate.The gates opened slowly, iron bars parting as the car rolled in. The familiar gravel path crunched beneath the tires, the mansion looming ahead like an old sentinel of power and tradition. I had been here countless times, yet tonight it felt different—like I was stepping into a space that no longer fully belonged to me.The old patriarch was already outside.He sat in his garden, relaxed beneath the shade of an ancient oak tree, dressed in light-colored leisure wear, one







