Chapter 6

Georgia's lips curled slightly. Fred had considered everyone else's feelings, yet somehow, hers never seemed to count.

Fred stared at her straight back, his tone turning more serious. "I hope you'll take the initiative to talk to Helena and smooth things over. At the very least, keep things civil in public. Don't cause a scene that people in the company can laugh at."

This was exactly the Fred she knew—he liked to handle everything his way. As for other people's feelings, they barely even registered with him.

"I'm not going to her to make peace." Georgia stood up, her voice calm and steady. "All I'll do is my own job, and do it well."

She didn't spare another glance for Fred's face, which instantly darkened. She turned, opened the door with a steady hand, and walked out.

As soon as she got back to her office, her mother, Olive Rook, called.

Olive's gentle voice came through the phone. "This Saturday is your dad's birthday. We're planning to have a small dinner with some friends and family. Remember to come with Fred and Soph."

Georgia's eyes stung a little at her mother's soft voice. She forced her emotions down, afraid her mother would hear anything off as she said, "Okay. We'll be there."

"How is Helena doing? Is she holding up okay? She and Felix were very much in love. She must be devastated after the man who loved her so much died so suddenly. You two have always gotten along well, so try to comfort her more when you have time," Olive said kindly, assuming the role of an elder.

Georgia's heart felt like it was stuffed full of bitterness with nowhere to go. She said softly, "Mom, I've got a lot going on here. I'll end the call now. I'll bring Soph home early Saturday morning."

"Alright." Olive didn't keep her from her work.

Georgia glanced at her computer. In five minutes, there would be a meeting with the review team for Starmap's Phase III. She picked up a few critical data sheets and walked toward Conference Room One, her steps unhurried and steady.

"Gia!" A gentle, soft voice called out behind her.

Georgia stopped.

Helena walked up beside her, a mild, amicable smile on her face and a stainless-steel flask in hand. A faint, bitter herbal smell drifted from it.

Georgia's gaze dropped to the flask and faltered for a moment. It was the one she'd given Fred six months ago as a birthday present. He'd been pulling too many all-nighters, and his stomach had started giving him trouble. She'd used that flask to hold his herbal medicine.

Helena noticed Georgia's eyes on the flask. Her smile widened. "Oh, Fred gave this to me."

"Did you need something?" Georgia's voice chilled without her even meaning to.

Helena took a sip of the herbal medicine. The bitterness made her elegant brows pinch together, but somehow her smile only brightened as she said casually, "Nothing in particular, really. I just wanted to say… thank you for your support and understanding over what happened with the project yesterday."

Georgia's expression stiffened.

Helena reached out like she always did and gently hooked her arm through Georgia's. "Gia, you're our top talent. There'll be a lot of things I'll need your help with down the line. I just hope you won't find me a nuisance when the time comes."

Some colleagues walking past overheard that and couldn't help but secretly marvel at how easygoing Helena was. Georgia had just tried to wrestle away a project that originally belonged to her, yet she still treated Georgia like family.

By comparison, Georgia's pettiness only made her seem all the more unbearable and disgusting.

Helena sounded so open and sincere, as if she were unaware of the arguments and power struggles that had gone on. Georgia coldly watched her performance and caught a flash of a victor's probing challenge in those innocent eyes.

"Since the project is fully under your control now, of course your decisions come first. As for help…" Georgia paused. "If there are technical problems you need me to step in on, just follow protocol going forward. Bring them up by email or at the project meetings. As part of the company, that's simply my job."

The smile on Helena's face stiffened for a split second.

Very quickly, she lowered her head and took another sip of the herbal medicine. Her expression smoothed back into the same warm, approachable look. "The review work for Phase III of Starmap must be heavy. I heard you joined the team, so I guess I'll have to trouble you with that. I hope the review ends with a great result."

"Just doing my job," Georgia replied blandly. Then, she turned and walked toward the conference room.

…

Before the end of the workday, Georgia received a call from Fred. "I've picked up Soph, and we're on the way to the Seele residence. Grandma wants everyone home for dinner. You should come over later, too."

Georgia had originally planned to refuse, but since Sophie was there, she had no choice but to agree.

Night had fallen. A light rain had started, deepening the damp chill of autumn. Georgia had a beige coat thrown on as she stepped into the living room of the Seele residence.

The crystal chandelier cast light all over the stately, luxurious room. The loss of a close family member weighed on the air, making the whole space feel heavy and oppressive.

She arrived a little late. By then, the long dining table was already set with a lavish dinner.

Marie sat at the head of the table. On her right, in the seat of honor, was Fred and Sophie in his lap. Next came his mother, Evanna Underwood, and several uncles and aunts from the extended family.

Sophie sat on Fred's knee, nibbling on the special dishes prepared just for her, her big eyes curiously taking everyone in.

This was a family dinner, yet Helena was noticeably absent. Her absence felt like a silent announcement of something.

Everyone ate and made small talk, touching on company matters and then drifting to the weather.

Marie set down her spoon, dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a napkin, and spoke. "I've already had people start on Helena's paperwork to go abroad. Next Friday, I'll have the butler send her to the airport. Everything abroad has been arranged…"

The air seemed to grow even more stagnant. A few of the older relatives from the side branches looked like they wanted to speak but held their tongues.

Sophie suddenly slid off Fred's lap and ran over to Georgia's side, pouting slightly. "Mommy, I want meat."

Georgia picked up a piece of fish, carefully removed the bones, and put it into her bowl.

Fred also set down his cutlery. Instead of responding right away, he just gently swirled the wine in his glass. He lowered his gaze to the surface of the red liquid, his expression complicated.

Just as Marie took his silence as assent, he said, "Grandma, Helena can't go."

Marie's expression darkened, and clear displeasure tinged her tone. "This has already been decided, Fred. What's the point of bringing it up now?"

"I haven't agreed to it," he said, meeting her eyes. His voice was low but firm as he continued, "Felix has just passed, and his body is barely cold. Do you really want to rush his widow out of the country now? What do you think people will say? That we're heartless and ruthless, that we can't even tolerate a widow in our home?"

He didn't speak loudly, but his words landed in everyone's ears with undeniable weight.

"That's nonsense!" Marie suddenly flew into a rage. "Sending her away is for her own good. If she stays here, everything she sees will remind her of Felix. It'll be even harder for her to move on. I'm doing this for her sake."

"Grandma, you might say that, but I can't bring myself to believe it." Fred's lips curved into a humorless smile. "If you truly cared about her, you should step up as an elder, as her family, to help her through this dark time, when she needs comfort the most."

"That's enough, Fred. Don't argue with your grandmother." Evanna cut in at just the right moment.

Fred turned to her. "Mom, you're the one who has always said that Helena is like a daughter to you. Now that she's going through something like this, shouldn't you be saying something?"

"You just need to say a little less." Evanna glared at him.

Fred's expression was unreadable.

The extended relatives could see the tension but didn't dare join in. The Seele family empire had always been in the hands of the two brothers. Now that Felix had died so suddenly, Fred's voice carried the most weight in the conglomerate.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting, Fred?" Marie's authority in the household was just as unshakable. All matters of the home had always gone through her. This was the first time Fred had openly contradicted her in front of everyone, and she couldn't swallow the insult.

"Grandma, I know exactly what I'm saying." Fred didn't back down in the slightest. He even leaned forward a little, his tone growing more resolute and forceful.