All Chapters of The Ceo's Unexpected Choice : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

The foundation dinner was only three days away, and Zara had begun to regret agreeing to speak.Not because she didn't want to. She did.But every time she opened her draft, she found something else to change.She had shortened the introduction, removed two paragraphs and rewritten the ending so many times that she was beginning to dislike the entire document.Evelyn, who had stopped by her desk that afternoon, wasn't helping.“Read it aloud,” she suggested.“I've read it aloud.”“To yourself?”“Yes.”“That's not the same as reading it to someone who can tell you when you're sounding like a government announcement.”Zara gave her a look.Evelyn pulled up a chair. “Go on.”Zara sighed and began reading.She spoke about the importance of education, the difficulties students faced when navigating admission processes and the need for practical support beyond simply announcing scholarships.When she finished, Evelyn nodded.“That's good.”“Just good?”“Very good. But you're trying too hard

Zara woke up before her alarm.For several seconds, she lay still, staring at the ceiling. Then she remembered.Today was her first day.She sat up quickly and reached for her phone. The time was 5:42 a.m.“Of course,” she muttered.She had spent the previous night checking her documents, arranging her bag and setting three alarms. Her father had called twice to remind her about the early start, and Moridiyyah had sent a message wishing her luck before going to bed.She got out of bed and headed for the bathroom.By six-thirty, she was dressed, her documents were packed, and breakfast was on the table.She checked her bag one more time.Admission letter. Identification. Examination result. Registration documents.Everything was there.Her phone rang.“Good morning, Daddy.”“Have you left?”“Not yet. I'm about to.”“Have you eaten?”“Yes.”“Good. Don't rush. Give yourself enough time.”“I will.”He paused.“May Allah make it easy for you, my daughter.”“Ameen. Thank you, Daddy.”After

By Wednesday, Zara had learned three things about university.First, lecturers did not always repeat themselves.Second, the distance between two buildings could feel much longer when she was already running late.And third, having a timetable did not necessarily mean understanding how to follow it.She sat beneath a tree with Chloe, going through the notes from their morning lecture. A few students passed them, discussing an assignment that had already been announced.Zara looked up.“Did you hear anything about an assignment?”Chloe stopped writing. “Which assignment?”“Exactly.”Chloe pulled out her phone and checked the class group chat.“Oh. We have one.”Zara stared at her. “And you're just finding out?”“I joined the group late. Don't judge me.”“I wasn't judging you. I was preparing to panic.”Chloe laughed and turned her phone towards her.The assignment was an introductory written exercise. Nothing particularly complicated, but it required them to explain a topic discussed i

Zara's first assessment arrived sooner than she expected.On Monday morning, she sat at the dining table with her notes spread out in front of her, trying to revise one final section before leaving for campus.Moridiyyah walked past, stopped, and looked at the table.“Are you preparing for an examination or opening a bookstore?”“Keep walking.”“I was only admiring your dedication.”“You were disturbing my concentration.”Moridiyyah picked up an empty pen and examined it. “You need more pens.”“I have six.”“Seven would be better.”Zara took the pen from her. “Go and get ready for school.”Her sister laughed and disappeared.Zara checked her bag, packed her identification card and headed out.At the university, Chloe was waiting outside the lecture hall.“I revised,” Chloe announced.“Congratulations.”“I also slept late.”“Less impressive.”“I was studying.”“Of course.”They entered together.The assessment was not as difficult as Zara had feared, but it demanded careful reading. Sh

The first Knight Foundation advisory meeting was scheduled for the following Friday.Zara received the agenda on Monday morning, along with a draft proposal for the student-support initiative. She read it between lectures, making notes whenever she found a quiet moment.The proposal was ambitious, but its central idea was straightforward: provide students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds with practical guidance on educational opportunities, application processes and available support.Zara liked the idea.She was less convinced by the proposed launch plan.It focused heavily on a large public event, promotional materials and an online application portal. There was little explanation of how students would discover the programme or what would happen after they applied.She made a few notes and sent them to the programme coordinator.Zara: I've reviewed the proposal. I like the direction, but I think we should establish the student-support process before investing too much in t