Chapter 5 – First Impressions

The city woke up dressed in ambition.

Glass buildings caught the early sunlight, cars streamed endlessly through the streets, and somewhere in the middle of it all stood Stone Global Holdings—a towering symbol of power, legacy, and ruthless success.

May stood across the street from the building, heels firmly planted on the pavement, her posture calm but commanding. She wore a tailored cream suit that hugged her frame perfectly, her hair pulled back in a sleek low bun, minimal makeup highlighting her natural beauty. There was nothing loud about her appearance—yet everything about her demanded attention.

Lily adjusted her backpack beside her, eyes wide as she stared up at the skyscraper. “Sis…” she breathed out. “You’re really doing this.”

May smiled softly, placing a reassuring hand on Lily’s shoulder. “So are you.”

Lily laughed nervously. “Yeah, but my dream college doesn’t look like it eats people alive.”

May chuckled. “Trust me. They only eat the ones who don’t know their worth.”

Lily looked at her sister with admiration—the same sister who had raised a child, rebuilt her life quietly, and still walked forward with grace instead of bitterness. “They’re not ready for you in there.”

May met her gaze, eyes steady. “Neither were we ready for life. But we survived.”

A car horn sounded nearby. It was time.

They hugged tightly, the kind of hug that carried years of sacrifice, whispered fears, and unspoken gratitude.

“Go be great, future academic legend,” May teased.

“And you,” Lily said, pulling back with a grin, “go shake that company. Make them remember your name.”

May nodded once. “Always.”

Inside Stone Global Holdings, the atmosphere shifted the moment May stepped in.

Conversations slowed. Heads turned.

Some stared openly. Others pretended not to—but still looked.

She walked with quiet confidence toward the reception desk, heels clicking softly against the marble floor. There was something about her presence—elegant, composed, powerful without trying—that instantly set her apart.

“Good morning,” she said calmly. “May Austin. New senior strategy consultant.”

The receptionist blinked, then straightened quickly. “O–of course. Welcome, Miss Austin.”

As May was escorted toward the executive floor, whispers followed in her wake.

“Who is she?”

“She looks like she owns the place.”

“Is she a model or…?”

“No. I heard she rebuilt a failing firm in Europe.”

“Seriously?”

By the time she entered the conference room for the executive briefing, admiration had already begun to bloom.

Executives—men and women seasoned by boardroom battles—looked up with curiosity. Then interest. Then respect.

May introduced herself with a calm, measured voice, speaking clearly about market strategy, long-term sustainability, and innovation. She didn’t overexplain. She didn’t dominate.

She simply knew what she was doing.

By the end of the meeting, the room was silent for a brief moment—before one of the senior directors spoke.

“I must say,” he admitted, adjusting his glasses, “your perspective is… refreshing.”

Another nodded. “Confident. Grounded.”

“Impressive,” someone else added.

May smiled politely. “Thank you. I look forward to contributing meaningfully.”

Unbeknownst to her, someone had been watching through the glass walls.

Damien Stone.

He stood with his hands in his pockets, his sharp gaze fixed on the woman inside the room. He had come in late, distracted, his mind still half on Aiden and the strange pull he felt toward that little girl at the kindergarten.

But now—his attention was fully captured.

There was something familiar about her composure. The way she carried herself. The calm strength beneath elegance.

She didn’t try to impress.

And that impressed him the most.

“Who is she?” Damien asked quietly.

His assistant hesitated. “May Austin, sir. New designs director. Handpicked based on her international performance record.”

Damien’s eyes narrowed slightly. Rivers.

The name stirred nothing—but the woman did.

“She’s… striking,” his assistant added without thinking.

Damien didn’t respond. He just kept watching as May concluded the meeting with grace and left the room, unaware of his gaze.

For the first time in a long while, Damien Stone felt something unfamiliar.

Curiosity.

Across the city, Lily stood at the gates of St. Helena’s University, her dream college.

Students filled the campus, laughter echoing, dreams buzzing in the air. Lily clutched her admission letter tightly, her heart pounding with excitement and disbelief.

I made it.

She thought of late nights studying, May falling asleep at the table beside her, Aria curled between them. She thought of sacrifices. Tears. Strength.

And here she was.

A new beginning.

“First day?” a girl beside her asked with a smile.

Lily nodded. “Yeah.”

“Same. I’m Zara.”

“Lily,” she replied, smiling back.

As they walked into the campus together, Lily felt something shift inside her. She wasn’t just May’s little sister anymore.

She was building her own future.

Still, before putting her phone away, she sent one message.

Lily: Sis, I’m here. And I’m proud of you already.

Across the city, May’s phone vibrated.

She read the message quietly… and smiled.

Unaware that destiny had already placed her under the watchful eyes of the man whose life was far more intertwined with hers than either of them yet knew.