Chapter 2

I calmly finished reviewing the three candidates' files before returning to my work. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

Nathaniel walked in, his usual confident posture replaced by a noticeably deferential one as he ushered an elderly woman into my office with exaggerated courtesy.

"Ms. Sutton, this is Ms. Elise Caldwell, Natalie's grandmother."

He gave me a pointed warning look before quietly closing the door behind him.

I looked up.

The woman was dressed in an elegant navy-blue dress, her silver-gray hair perfectly styled, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses resting neatly on the bridge of her nose. She was well into her 70s, yet her face was remarkably smooth, with barely a wrinkle in sight.

She had clearly taken excellent care of herself.

"Ms. Sutton."

She sat across from me with the effortless arrogance of someone who had spent her entire life accustomed to getting what she wanted.

"My granddaughter wants to intern at your firm. I'd appreciate it if you could make the necessary arrangements."

She slid a thick envelope across my desk.

My eyes fell to her hand. It was soft and well-manicured, her fingers adorned with a diamond ring. There wasn't a single sign of hard work on those hands.

They weren't the hands of the woman I remembered.

The real Elise Caldwell had spent her entire life stitching clothes by the dim light of a kerosene lamp to make a living. Her knuckles had grown thick and rough, and her fingers were so badly worn that she often had to wrap them in strips of old cloth just to keep working. Even in death, her hands had never fully straightened.

I stared at the woman's manicured fingers and felt something cold settle in my chest.

This woman had never lived that life. Yet she was sitting in front of me, wearing my grandmother's name.

I looked up at her calmly.

"The interviews are over. We've already selected the candidates, and we won't be hiring your granddaughter."

Her expression darkened. She narrowed her eyes behind her glasses and looked me over.

"Ms. Sutton, Natalie won the National Moot Court Championship. She's published six papers in major national legal journals and ranked first in her class every year. Do you really expect me to believe someone like her isn't qualified to intern at your firm?"

"The candidates have already been selected."

I pushed the envelope back across the desk.

"We've chosen someone who's a better fit for the position."

She glanced at the envelope, then back at me.

"Is that not enough? If so, name your price."

I stared at her for a moment before answering.

"I have my own principles when it comes to selecting interns. I'm sure someone with your reputation in the arts understands the importance of rules better than most. Unless…" I paused, meeting her gaze. "Unless principles, in your world, are simply something that can be bought."

Her face went cold. She folded her arms and gave a derisive laugh.

"Young lady, do you really think you're somebody?"

The contempt in her eyes was unmistakable.

"I've met plenty of young women like you. You're pretty, ambitious, and willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead. I'm sure you've spent more than a few nights in the right men's beds. And now that you've climbed your way up, you want to use my granddaughter to make yourself look respectable? Maybe you should take a good look at yourself first."

Her voice hardened as she continued.

"Natalie's parents died when she was young. Her grandfather and I have spent half our lives and everything we had raising her. You'll process her hiring paperwork immediately. Otherwise…"

She adjusted her glasses and looked at me with open contempt.

"Our family has been established in this circle for decades. The connections we've built aren't something you can earn by sleeping with a few more men. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can disrespect us and walk away without consequences."

I looked at her calmly.

And suddenly, beneath that carefully preserved face, I saw something I'd spent 50 years trying to understand.

This was who she really was.

She could steal a name. She could build a new life. She could surround herself with wealth, status, and people who admired her. But she could never erase the cruelty that had always been part of her—the way she looked at other people as though they were beneath her.

She wasn't Elise Caldwell.

The real Elise Caldwell was my grandmother. Even on her deathbed, she had clung to the memory of the husband who had abandoned her, her eyes open as she repeatedly whispered his name.

I clenched my fists beneath the desk and kept my voice cold. "Are you finished?"

I gestured toward the door. "Mrs. Collins, the interview results will not be changed. Please leave."

Her eyebrows drew together sharply. She snatched the envelope from my desk and shoved it back into her purse.

"You little bitch. You refused a polite offer, so don't blame me when I make you pay for it. Just wait and see."

She turned on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. The sharp click of her heels echoed down the hallway until the sound finally faded.

I remained still at my desk, staring at the closed door.

For 50 years, she'd lived behind someone else's name. Now, for the first time, I had seen the woman behind it.

Less than ten minutes later, Nathaniel stormed back into my office.

"Emily, are you trying to bring this firm down? I'm telling you one last time. You will hire Natalie immediately."

I stayed in my seat, completely unfazed. "Natalie didn't pass my interview. She doesn't meet the requirements."

I gestured toward the computer on my desk. "I control the firm's hiring announcement system, and I'm the only one with the password."

Nathaniel's expression changed instantly. "Emily, you've really lost your mind. Do you have any idea what will happen if we don't hire her? Her grandfather is Professor Daniel Collins. One phone call from him, and he could ruin this firm's entire future."

He slammed his hand against the desk. "Fix this immediately, or you're fired!"

I said nothing. I simply looked at him.

For three long seconds, the office was completely silent.

Then the corners of my mouth lifted. "Fine. I'll call Prof. Collins myself."

Nathaniel froze, clearly not expecting me to agree so easily. He stared at me for a moment before turning on his heel and storming out, slamming the door behind him.

Outside the window, sunlight shifted across the room, spilling over the files scattered across my desk. My eyes fell on Natalie's application, particularly the names listed under "Family Members."

Daniel Collins.

Elise Caldwell.

I stared at those two names for a long moment. One was my grandfather—the man who had abandoned his wife and daughter. The other was the woman who had stolen my grandmother's identity and taken the life that should have been hers.

My expression slowly hardened.

Then I picked up the phone and dialed the number listed for Daniel. "Prof. Collins, this is Emily Sutton from Harrington & Partners. I'd like to speak with you in person about Natalie."