= 12 = Missed me, sweetheart?

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath as her laughter echoed in my mind. I was in an important meeting, but my thoughts were consumed by Ember. It was the first time in my life that I found myself so easily distracted by a mere girl.

"How is this contract, Ivan?" my grandpa asked, looking at me with expectant eyes.

"It's good... You should invest your money in this deal," I replied, and he chuckled.

"Why don't you call it 'our' money? After all, after my death, it will all be yours," he remarked, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"But until then, you are still the owner of it," I replied, making him giggle. His eyes conveyed a sense of pride for me, and I too felt proud of my accomplishments.

°°°

As I looked at the vast steel factory, a sense of pride filled me. This was my empire in Greece, something I had envisioned and sketched on my copy when I was just 20 years old. My maternal grandpa had admired the design and asked about my plans. Without hesitation, I shared my ambitions, a