bChapter /bb198 /b

OLIVIA’S POV

“I went to see a friend of mine,” I said, my voice still shaking, every syble feeling heavier than thest.

My father didn’t immediately respond. I could see his eyes narrow on the screen, his gaze sharp and probing, and for a moment, I thought he’d call bmy /bbluff outright. Then, after what felt like a small eternity, he finally spoke, his tone calm but unreadable. “I see,” he said simply.

The tension in my chest loosened just slightly, but it didn’tst.

“Anyways, before the ceremony, I’ll being to New York.” His voice dropped that line iso /icasually, but it crashed into me like a tidal wave.

My brows knitted together, my mind racing to catch up. I nced up at ra who stood silently by, her eyes wide but offering no lifeline. “Why do you want toe here… I mean, there?” I corrected myself, cursing the slip the moment it left my lips.

My father noticed. He always did. His brows rose, a quiet signal that he’d caught my mistake, but he didn’t linger on it. b“/bOlivia, this is the 21st century. No one announces a major ceremony through newspapers anymore,” he said. His tone was steady, businesslike, as if the conversation had pivoted fully bto /bstrategy now. “The best way to get investors to pay attention–to actually show up–is to announce it through television and major news outlets. And nothing will catch their eye faster than the CEO herself giving the opening speech.”

Thatst part hit me like ice water. “Wait, what?” I blurted out, my eyes blinking rapidly, unable to mask my shock.

He tilted his head, and I could see a flicker of amusement, like he was watching a child who hadn’t done her homework. “Why are you so surprised, Olivia? It’s a big ceremony. You want me to give the speech?”

I scrambled to find words, my mind a fog of panic and conflicting thoughts. “Well, yes. I mean, you have more experience than I do,” I said quickly, almost desperately.

He let out a quiet chuckle, but his expression didn’t soften. “No,” he said, and that one syble felt final. “This has nothing to do with experience. I’m no longer the CEO, and I have no right to perform a task like that. That’s your responsibility now.”

My chest tightened, my thoughts swirling around the reality of what this meant.

He continued, each word falling like a gavel. “Before we announce the ceremony, I’ll officially announce to the world that you are not just my daughter but the CEO of ke Enterprise.”

I tried to swallow the sudden dryness in my mouth. My tongue fet/heavy, my voice stuck somewhere in my throat. This couldn’t be happening now–not after years of nning, of staying in the shadows, of carefully controlling who knew what.

“But why?” I finally managed to ask, my voice quieter, softer, as though I was speaking to him not just as my father, but as the only person who knew the full story of my past.

He paused, and for the first time, I saw the weight in his eyes. The years of protecting me. The years of waiting for me to be ready. “You know the two reasons why we kept it hidden till now,” he said gently. His voice softened just slightly, reminding me of the man who used bto /bread me stories when I couldn’t sleep. “But I’ve watched you isince /iyou took over. You’ve be stronger, more confident, and more capable than you even realize. A certain you can handle yourself now.”

Crap. This wasn’t just about business anymore–this was personal. His faith in me should have felt like a blessing, but instead, it twisted in my bstomach /blike guilt.

He couldn’t know that everything I’d nned hinged on being invisible. My enemies still believed I was dead. The element of surprise was bmy greatest /bweapon, and if my father made this announcement, I’d lose it all. They’d see my face, they’d know bI /bwas alive, and then everything bI’d /bworked bfor /bbthese /bpast five years could crumble.

“I get your point Dad, but this is really serious. If they know who I am and that I’ve taken over, they would try bto /btear bus /bbapart /bbfrom /bbthe /bbinside/bb, /bfrom bour /bweakest point.” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, though my chest felt painfully tight.

“And where is that?” my dad asked, his eyebrow raised. That look of quiet challenge in his beyes /balways bmade /bbme /bbfeel /bblike /bba /bbchild /bbagain/b.

b1/3 /b

b10:08 /bbSun/bb, /bb27 /bbJul /bbG /b

“Charlie, of course,” I replied quickly, leaning a bit closer to the screen. “If you make the announcement, they might try to get him from his school

yourst name to his. People don’t know Charlie is a ke.b” /bbI /bpaused, because they’ll know he’s a ke. That’s why till now I’ve avoided adding) searching his face for any sign that he might bend.

He stayed silent for a moment, his gaze thoughtful, the small wrinkles on his forehead deepening. Then, in his calm, unwavering tone, he said, “You worry too much, Olivia. And I understand. You’re trying to keep your son safe. Your mother went off to New York alone and unprotected because of Julian, so I know how protective mothers can get. But that’s why Charlie has a special forces team with him at school and home. So there’s nothing to worry about.”

I swallowed, feeling my shoulders tense. “Dad, that’s not enough…” I started, but he gently raised a hand to stop me.

“The only thing you should worry about,” he continued, “is giving a good speech.”

I let out a slow sigh, my eyes shifting away from the screen for a moment to nce at ra. Her face was calm, but I could see the flicker of concern in her eyes. She knew, as well as I did, what making my identity public really meant.

“He’s already made up his mind,” I thought, the realization settling heavily in my chest. My father was a man who rarely changed direction once he set his

course.

“Fine then,” I finally murmured, my voice lower than I meant it to be.

“That’s it,” he said, his expression softening. “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay. Just like how I’m calm even though you’re in New York–the same city where you almost died. I’m calm because I know you can protect yourself.”

The words floated in the quiet of the room, and for a heartbeat, everything froze in my mind. “Yeah, you’re right,” I forced out, nodding slowly.

But then it hit me. Wait. What did he just say?

“Wait,” I said, blinking as the realization sank in, my heart starting to race. “Who said I was in New York?”

My father’s face remained still, but I saw a smallb, /bknowing smile tug at the corner of his lips. “Oh,e off it, Olivia,” he said, his voice almost teasing but with that familiar steel beneath it. “How long were you going to hide it from me? I just yed dumb, giving you several chances toe out, but you

didn’t.”

“But I…” I stammered, searching desperately for something, anything, that would exin it away. My mind flipped through excuses, but they all felt flimsy, breakable. Before I could finish, he gave me the look. The look that said: There’s no need to push further. You’ve been cornered.

I closed my mouth, pressing my lips into a thin line, frustration and resignation mixing in my chest. It was useless. He always knew before I even opened my mouth.

“How long have you known?” I finally asked, my voice softer now.

“From the moment you stepped off the ne,” he replied simply. “I might be an ocean away, Olivia, but never think for a second that I don’t know where my daughter is. Especially in New York.” His eyes softened, but there was an unmistakable gravity in them.

“So Damien told you?” I asked, unable to stop myself, my tone edging toward usation.

He shook his head lightly. “Damien doesn’t speak to me about you unless you ask him to. And ra is loyal to you first. Rosa? She’d rather, secrets than mine.” His gaze held mine, unwavering. I have other ways, Olivia. You know that.”

A quiet shiver ran through me, not from fear of him–but from the reminder that my father saw farther than I ever could.

ect your

“I only stayed silent,” he continued, “because I wanted to see how you’d handle it. And I must say, your handling of the auction was… impressiveb, /bbEven /bbif /byou didn’t n to draw so much attention.”

I swallowed, a tiny, involuntary smile forming despite myself. “You heard about that too, huhb?/b”

“I hear everything,” he said, his tone still gentle, but reminding me once again of who he was.

b10:08 /bSun, 27 bJul /b

“And you’re stilling here?b” /bbI /basked, my voice quieter now, the edge of defiance reced by something more like worry.

b“/bI am,” he said firmly. “And we’ll stand side by side at that ceremony. You’ve spent years hiding, Olivia. It’s time to show them who byou /breally are

I let the words sink in, the weight of them pressing on my chest. I knew arguing further was pointless. He had already decided.

“Alright,” I whispered, my gaze dropping for a moment before meeting his eyes again. “We’ll do it your way.”

And in that moment, with theptop screen glowing between us, I realized there was no turning back now.

The mask wasing off–whether I was ready or not.