Night had settled over Hatchbay by the time the Rolls-Royce glided through the towering gates of Yara Park. Soft lights stretched along the driveway and reflected off the polished body of the car as it made its way toward the family manor. A red carpet had been laid out before the brightly illuminated estate, giving the scene the feel of a grand welcome prepared for a celebrity's return. Waiting at the end of it stood a tall man bathed in warm light. Ethan Turner, the family's second son, made no effort to hide his eagerness. As soon as the car stopped, he strode forward, opened the door himself, and offered his hand with exaggerated elegance to the woman he had always considered the true princess of the family.
"Welcome home, Princess!" he called out, unable to contain his excitement.
Clara stepped out with effortless grace, the heels of her stilettos tapping softly against the red carpet. She had traded her sneakers for something more refined during the drive, and now she carried herself with the confidence of a queen returning to her rightful place. Light from the outdoor chandeliers brushed across her features and drew attention to the quiet confidence in her expression.
"Ax, you're looking well," she said with a small smile.
"I'm doing fine, but honestly, I don't think I've ever been this happy. You're finally home!" Ethan said as he pointed upward with obvious excitement. "Did you see the fireworks? That was my birthday present for you. And the best part is that it's already blowing up online!"
His excitement was written all over his face.
"I know," Clara replied as she folded her arms, amusement flickering in her eyes. "People are already calling you a wealthy guy with too much free time who's willing to do anything to show off. That's quite an image you've built for yourself, don't you think?"
She finished with a light clap and a laugh. Ethan, however, wasn't in the mood to joke. Dropping all pretenses, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. The force behind the embrace revealed just how much he had worried while she was away.
"Promise me you won't leave again, Clara..."
Clara let out a quiet sigh and gently patted his back.
"Where would I even go now? My marriage is over, and there's nothing tying me down anymore."
A trace of sadness crossed her face.
After a brief pause, she spoke again in a softer voice. "I honestly believed I could make that marriage work. I gave it everything I had... But no matter how hard I tried, it still fell apart."
Pain lingered beneath her words. Even so, she refused to let the tears gathering in her eyes spill over. The day she walked away from Tideview Manor, she promised herself she would never cry over Marcus again. A man who could betray her so easily wasn't worth a single tear.
Ethan's expression darkened, and anger flared in his voice.
"That bastard! How dare he cheat on my sister? Tomorrow, I'm having Sullivan Corporation investigated from top to bottom. And if our fourth brother finally decides to show himself, he can handle Marcus personally."
From his spot nearby, Isaiah finally opened his eyes and muttered, "Amen!"
"Ethan!"
Clara shook her head and let out a helpless laugh. "Have you forgotten that you're a prosecutor? Stop acting like some revenge-obsessed vigilante. You should learn from Ash. At least he talks about forgiveness and keeping the peace."
"Keeping the peace?" Ethan scoffed. "Our eldest brother only started acting like a saint after leaving his gangster days behind. You're asking the wrong person if you expect that from me. No matter what, I'm never letting Marcus off the hook. The Sullivans should start worrying, because they're officially on my list now."
With one brother on each side, Clara crossed the threshold of the family home. It had been years since she last walked through those doors.
Meanwhile, Walter Turner, the head of the Turner family and president of KS Group, had just received word that his daughter had returned. The news immediately brightened his face. Unable to hide his excitement, he paced around his study like a young man who couldn't sit still.
"Walter, I'm back!"
Clara's voice rang out as she entered the room with Ethan and Isaiah beside her. The moment she stepped inside, she dropped every trace of the restraint she had been forced to maintain at the Sullivan residence. Without a second thought, she flopped onto the couch, slipped off her heels, and stretched her legs out in front of her. Isaiah settled beside her and immediately began rubbing her sore feet.
"Just look at this..." Walter complained with a frown. "Is this a family gathering or some kind of public charity event?"
Despite the annoyance in his voice, his heart was anything but calm. Every reunion with Clara seemed destined to turn into an argument. He had spent years missing her, yet the moment she returned, they slipped right back into their usual bickering.
"Seriously, Dad? Has your brain already deteriorated with age?" Clara shot back, pretending to be offended. "I've been sitting like this my whole life. I didn't suddenly pick up the habit after leaving."
As her eyes wandered around the office, they eventually landed on the wall behind him. The sight made her pause.
A framed poem hung there, preserved with surprising care. She had written it more than ten years ago during the height of her rebellious teenage years. Back then, she had penned it solely to mock her father after he announced his third marriage.
"Trying to outdo a modern Henry VIII?"
"Let's hope your heart can survive it!"
"Just remember, one day you'll answer for all of this."
The words had been filled with youthful defiance when she first threw them at him. Yet after all these years, Walter had kept them.
Walter Turner, a man who had been married four times and whose personal life had fueled endless gossip throughout the city.
Back then, Clara couldn't accept his polygamous lifestyle. That disagreement eventually pushed her to leave home and join international humanitarian organizations, determined to build a life that followed a completely different path.
"Do you even realize what you're saying?" Walter snapped. "You've been gone for three years, and the moment you come back, you're cursing me and suggesting I have Alzheimers!"
"That's quite the welcome speech," Clara replied with an innocent smile.
"Dad," Isaiah said, his voice steady. "Now that Clara has returned, we need to move forward with certain plans."
The seriousness in his tone immediately drew everyone's attention.
"I've made my decision. I'm stepping down as CEO of KS Group, and I want Clara to take over my position."
The room instantly fell silent.
Clara stared at him in shock, clearly not expecting those words.
"You what?!" Walter barked, so surprised that he struggled to process what he had just heard.
Isaiah remained calm. "I only agreed to run the company for three years. That was the arrangement from the beginning, and those three years are over now. My heart was never in business. I want to return to the church and dedicate myself to becoming a pastor."
The determination in his eyes left no room for debate.
Walter's jaw tightened as he fought back his frustration.
"Fine! If you won't do it, then Ethan will!"
"Not happening!" Ethan blurted out as he quickly took a step back. "I'm a magistrate, Dad. The law doesn't allow me to get involved in running a corporation. Unless you're trying to get my career destroyed, you can forget it."
Walter felt another headache coming on. He had several children who could inherit the family business, yet not one of them seemed interested in taking it over. He was getting older, he wanted nothing more than to retire, and still the problem remained unresolved.
Clara sat up straighter, and a confident smile spread across her red lips.
"Who decided the successor has to be a son? I'll do it. I'll take over as CEO."
Walter let out a humorless laugh.
"You make it sound so easy. Running a multinational corporation isn't some game you can master overnight. You're impulsive, stubborn, and impossible to predict. The moment things don't go your way, you disappear without a word and stay gone for years. How am I supposed to trust you with the future of this family?"
His words struck a nerve. Clara lowered her gaze for a moment, unable to deny the hurt she had caused by leaving. Even now, guilt lingered in her heart.
Before she could respond, Isaiah spoke up without hesitation and defended her.
"Dad, it was Clara who pulled the company through the financial crisis four years ago. And during the acquisition of Walter Group, she worked harder than anyone. You know better than the rest of us that she has the ability, composure, and determination needed to lead."
Ethan nodded and, for once, set aside his usual joking attitude.
"You've always said talent is the most valuable asset a person can find. Well, the most capable person is already standing in front of you, and she happens to be your daughter."
Walter didn't answer right away. The room remained quiet as he considered their words. Eventually, he let out a slow breath and gave in, though it was obvious he wasn't entirely convinced.
"Fine. You want the position, Clara? Then prove you're worthy of it."
Authority filled his eyes as he continued.
"For your birthday, I'm giving you an assignment. Starting next week, you'll take charge of KS World Hotel in Savrow. You have six months to renovate it and turn it into a profitable operation. If you can accomplish that, the CEO position will be yours."
A surge of energy rushed through Clara.
She lifted her chin, and determination blazed in her eyes.
Later, after they left the study, her brothers casually slung their arms over her shoulders as they walked together.
"God tends to reserve the hardest tests for the strongest people," Isaiah said quietly.
"And as for you, you'll need to fix the mess at that hotel before you start setting your sights on anything bigger," Ethan said with a dramatic sigh.
Clara tightened her fists, and a victorious smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Pressure has never scared me," she declared. "If anything, it only pushes me to shine brighter."
Her brothers looked at each other and immediately understood what the other was thinking.
A second later, both of them laughed. Their laughter carried equal parts admiration and relief. "Then go prove it, Clara... Show us what the future looks like."
