Chapter 5

"Helena?" Fred stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "The weather's getting colder now. Why are you dressed so lightly?"

His gaze dropped, and he noticed she was barefoot. She didn't even have a pair of warm socks on.

"Why did Georgia suddenly take the Calming Vitality project away from me? I put in almost six months of energy and effort into that, Fred. Why would she do that? Is it because I lost my husband? Is she trying to kick me out, too?" Helena faltered on the stairs. She almost missed a step and fell.

Fred's heart sank. He strode up the stairs in a few quick steps and reached out to steady her, whose eyes were swollen from crying. "Helena, calm down."

"Fred, that project is mine. Even if… even if I borrowed some of her ideas in the beginning, I was the one who pushed it this far. It's like my own child…"

Helena lowered her gaze. Tears streamed down her face as she slowly shook her head. "Is it because he's gone that I've lost my place in the Seele family now?"

"Enough of that. Go upstairs and put on something warm first. I'll have Wanda make dinner. You can eat a little later," Fred said gently.

"I don't have any appetite." Helena turned away, gripping the banister as she headed back up. When she reached the top of the stairs, she covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking. "Please don't just ship me overseas like I'm trash, okay? I love this family. It's what I grew up with. I can't walk away from it…"

Fred watched her frail figure, his Adam's apple bobbing. At least, he said firmly, "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, you'll always be a part of the Seele family. No one can kick you out."

Helena slowly turned back to look at him. She fixed her reddened eyes on him for a second, then answered softly, "Okay."

…

The late autumn sky darkened early. After finishing up at work, Georgia drove straight back to Monarch Grove Residences. As soon as her car pulled into the driveway, she spotted a small figure sitting on the steps.

Sophie held a small bowl of cut fruit, eating while waiting for Georgia to come home. Georgia parked and strode toward her.

"Mommy!" The happiest moment in Sophie's day was when she saw her mother appear. She ran straight into Georgia's arms.

Georgia scooped her up and planted several kisses on her cheeks. The warm sweetness of her scent briefly washed away the exhaustion of the day.

The housekeeper, Shawna Colt, walked out of the living room with a smile. "Mrs. Seele, dinner's ready. Will Mr. Seele be back to eat?"

Georgia paused. After what happened at the office that day, Fred had disappeared for the rest of the afternoon. It was already 7:30 pm, so she said, "He probably won't."

"I'll call Daddy and ask," Sophie piped up. She scampered over to the couch, found her kids' smartwatch, and quickly called Fred.

"Soph." Fred's deep, warm voice came through, laced with the special tenderness he reserved for Sophie. "What's up?"

"Daddy, where are you? Are you coming home for dinner?" she asked.

"I already ate. Is Mommy home?"

"Yeah. She just got back."

"Ask her to eat with you. I'll be back a little later."

"Okay…" Sophie held up the smartwatch and walked over to Georgia. "Mommy, do you want to talk to Daddy?"

Georgia parted her lips to speak, but then she heard a woman cough lightly on the other end of the line. A moment later, Fred's voice came through. "Soph, I need to go. I'll try to come home early."

"Alright." Sophie ended the call and tugged on Georgia's fingers. "Mommy, let's go wash our hands and eat."

Georgia stood frozen in place. She already knew who those deliberately suppressed coughs were from.

Shawna had prepared a lavish dinner. Because Georgia was distracted, she forgot to put food in Sophie's bowl. The latter bumped Georgia's arm with her head. "Mommy, I want meat."

Only then did Georgia quickly pick out some pan-fried fish, carefully checking for bones before placing it in Sophie's bowl.

Time slipped by. It was already 9:30 pm. After bathing Sophie and spending some time practicing Meranian with her, Georgia tucked her in for the night. Then, she went to the study to handle a few urgent documents before finally returning to the bedroom.

As she passed the guest room, she glanced at her phone out of habit. It was already 11:00 pm.

…

The next afternoon, the company released an internal notice.

It read, "After a comprehensive review by the management team, the company has decided that Dr. Helena Linden will continue to lead the 'Enhanced Sustained-Release Delivery System for Calming Vitality Granules' project through its subsequent phases.

"Dr. Georgia Walker, who needs to focus on the Phase III 'Starmap' project review, will no longer be involved in the execution of this project."

The announcement was delivered by the vice director of the R&D division, who was merely passing down a decision from above.

The news sent ripples through the company, like a stone dropped into a still lake. Everyone knew what it meant. Helena could practically be considered a daughter of the Seele family, while Georgia was just a daughter-in-law who had married into the family. Between an outsider and one of their own, it was clear who was the more "suitable" choice.

Under the weight of sympathetic, probing, and even faintly contemptuous looks, Georgia let out a quiet breath and replied to the vice director, formally stating that she accepted the decision from upper management.

A little after 3:00 pm, a figure appeared outside the office. She wore an elegant beige suit and had a trace of post-illness pallor on her face—Helena had finally returned after being gone for days.

She walked through the orderly corridor, acknowledging the polite greetings from coworkers. When she passed the section where Georgia's office was, her steps paused almost imperceptibly. Her gaze never drifted sideways, and her posture quickly returned to its usual calm, distant warmth.

Georgia had already noticed the figure at the door, but she didn't look up. Only after Helena walked away did she lift the tea at her elbow and take a sip. The faint sweetness did nothing to wash away the bitterness stuck in her throat.

With one decision about a project, Fred had given her a loud, unmistakable answer.

The landline rang. Georgia answered it. On the other end came Fred's deep, mellow voice. "Come to my office."

When Georgia stepped into the CEO's office, the heavy wooden door shut behind her, cutting off any prying eyes from outside.

Fred sat behind the large desk, his body leaning slightly forward, radiating the cool, unquestionable authority of someone in a position of power. Because of the issue with Georgia "stealing" the project, he now had a new understanding of his seemingly gentle, obedient wife.

Georgia stopped a few paces from the desk under his assessing gaze.

Sunlight spilled in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow across the room. Even so, the air in the cool-toned office felt frozen.

"Sit," Fred said, gesturing to the chair beside her.

Georgia did as told. She straightened her back, folding her hands neatly on her knees, her composure marked by a newfound distance.

When Fred spoke, his tone was flat with businesslike indifference. "Georgia, the Calming Vitality project will stay with Helena. This matter ends here."

Georgia's lashes trembled almost imperceptibly. She sat quietly and waited for him to continue.

Fred rose to his full, imposing height, walked past her, and stood with his hands in his pockets in front of the window, looking down at the concrete jungle below. "I know you feel wronged and that you think this is unfair. But there's more to this than what you see on the surface.

"Helena… Her emotions are very unstable right now, and it doesn't help that Grandma wants her to go abroad. For a woman who treats the Seele family as her only home and emotional anchor, backing off a little and leaving her some space is better for everyone."

He paused and turned back to study Georgia's expression. She remained silent. At some point, her eyes had gone slightly unfocused.

"Felix has just passed away, and the shares are being reorganized. At a time like this, stability inside the family is crucial." His tone deepened. "You and Helena—one is my wife, and one is my sister-in-law. If things blow up between you two, it reflects badly on the family. I'm sure Grandma would want to see the family united."