“Who said I didn’t sign anything?” Amelia shot dirty looks at Carol Dixon, the PR director, who had been eyeing her since yesterday.

She could be Landon’s mother, Amelia thought, her brow furrowing. Please don’t let this be another case of workplace infatuation gone wrong. Though something tells me there’s more to Carol’s hostility than just the usual resentment toward a female CEO.

“Are you certain everything has been signed, Mrs. Kingsley?” Carol’s question came with a sharp look behind her oversized black glasses.

“Down to the last page,” Amelia replied with a practiced smile, mentally adding another red flag next to Carol’s name. She turned to Aaron and instructed, “Mr. Hall, please distribute the documents.”

With all the authority of a high school teacher on exam day, Aaron began calling out names and handing out packets at the door.

“Did she really sign it?” One employee looked up at Amelia in disbelief.

“Anyone can sign their name,” a senior staff member scoffed. “Don’t go around signing things recklessly, Mrs. Kingsley. You could run this company into the ground.”

The shareholders were protesting again. Everyone remembered those tense days when Gloria had shown up at the company shortly after Landon’s incident, and that memory only deepened their unease. The skepticism toward Amelia grew even more intense.

“With all due respect, Mrs. Kingsley, please don’t sign anything hastily,” urged one of the shareholders. “Maybe we should hold off on any major decisions until Mr. Kingsley recovers. There’s no need to rush this.”

After distributing the documents, Aaron spoke up, “Let’s take a moment to review these before jumping to conclusions.”

The rustling of papers filled the boardroom as everyone began reading. Then, one by one, they fell silent. The documentation was flawless—every approval was backed by solid reasoning, and each rejection was accompanied by thorough analysis and constructive feedback.

This wasn’t just corporate paperwork. This was a masterclass in executive decision-making.

“Well? Satisfied?” Amelia’s voice cut through the silence. She leaned back in her leather chair, one eyebrow slightly raised. She embodied beauty, sharp intelligence, and commanding presence—every inch the powerful female CEO.

What none of them realized was that Amelia had burned the midnight oil, meticulously orchestrating her power play. She’d spent hours poring over documents, grilling Landon on every minute detail until he practically collapsed from exhaustion. He was still passed out at home, sleeping it off.

“I have to say, Mrs. Kingsley, this is a game-changer,” one executive spoke up, setting off a chorus of enthusiastic agreement around the office. The executives and managers couldn’t help but be impressed, though the atmosphere reminded them of the intense pressure they’d felt under Landon’s leadership.

“Really?” One of the shareholders remained skeptical, snatching up a document. “Let me see that.” His skepticism turned to grudging respect as he found himself staring at a rejection letter that read like a masterpiece in constructive criticism.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” one of the shareholders muttered in disbelief.

“Pass it around,” another board member called out, their skepticism evident in their expressions.

“There’s no need for further verification, gentlemen,” the sales director interjected, giving Amelia an approving thumbs-up. “Mrs. Kingsley is every bit as capable as Mr. Kingsley.” With that, he returned to his post.

Raw talent had a way of silencing skeptics. Taking their cue from the sales director, the employees began filtering back to their desks, though a handful of board members lingered, still refusing to accept what they’d seen.

“Well done, Mrs. Kingsley,” one of the shareholders said hesitantly. “But betting your control of Kingsley Group against Henry was reckless. If you lose…”

…

“Let’s be clear here—if this goes south, it’s my husband’s assets on the line,” Amelia replied coolly.

“We’re shareholders too,” another one protested.

Amelia arched an eyebrow. “Really? And how many shares do you have? Give me the percentage.”

The shareholders exchanged glances, falling silent.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t your shares gifted to you by the Kingsleys?” Her tone was deceptively gentle. “You’ve been riding that gravy train for years, and now what? You’ve started thinking you deserve it, huh?” Amelia delivered the blow with a smile, but her eyes were arctic.

These shareholders held founding shares gifted to them by Landon’s grandfather, John Kingsley, amounting to 15 percent of Kingsley Group. In essence, while they were indeed company veterans, they hadn’t invested a single penny of their own money.

For years, everyone in the company had shown these old-timers due respect—everyone except Landon.

Landon’s notorious temper made him impossible to work with. He completely disregarded their input, running the company as his personal kingdom where no one else’s opinion mattered.

The shareholders were taken aback when Amelia, fresh-faced and new to the game, refused to let them interfere.

“Mrs. Kingsley, you’re playing with fire here. I sincerely hope you understand what you’re getting yourself into,” they threatened before storming out.

Once the door clicked shut, Aaron let out a heavy sigh of relief and then cheerfully served Amelia a cup of coffee with a bright smile. “Mrs. Kingsley, I assume these were Mr. Kingsley’s instructions?”

“Mhm.” Amelia stuck out her tongue playfully. “Truth is, I have no idea what I’m doing, but with him backing me up, I’m not worried at all.”

“Mr. Kingsley approved all of these?” Aaron asked in disbelief.

“Yes, he did,” Amelia replied with a gentle smile.

“Holy shit, this is incredible,” Aaron’s voice echoed through the office, his professional demeanor cracking with pure joy. The stack of reviewed documents on the desk represented at least three solid hours of work, during which Landon had been completely present and clear-headed.

Amelia couldn’t help but smile at his reaction. “He’s getting better. One of these days, he’ll be back to his old self.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Mrs. Kingsley.” Aaron wiped his eyes. “Mrs. Kingsley, you handled yourself brilliantly back there. Keep it up. If there’s anything you need—anything at all—just say the word.”

Amelia nodded with a sheepish smile. In her previous life, she’d never pulled rank on anyone. Today, though, she had borrowed Landon’s authority to intimidate others—and she had to admit, playing the powerful executive had been quite a thrill.

Though Amelia felt a bit guilty, she was absolutely buzzing with excitement. It was as if something had clicked into place, and suddenly, she could see her life’s purpose with perfect clarity.

Amelia decided to start her own company and become a business mogul herself. She would show both the Edwards and Foster families that she was far more than just a pretty face they had dismissed as stupid.

Though still a rookie in the field, Amelia was catching on fast. Last night’s training session with Landon had proven that—his patient mentoring and hands-on approach had given her the confidence that she’d be handling everything like a pro in no time.

In another two months, Amelia would have access to 1.5 billion dollars in startup capital. By then, she’d have both the skills and the money. The prospect of finally sitting in that corner office with “CEO” on the door didn’t feel like a pipe dream anymore.

A smile tugged at her lips as Amelia ran the numbers in her head for the hundredth time. After work, she followed her usual routine of bringing a stack of work home with her.

Landon had been drifting in and out of sleep all day, exhausted from the night before. But the sound of shuffling papers instantly snapped him awake. “Amelia, how much work did you bring home this time?” he asked.

“Not much today, just about thirty cases,” Amelia replied after counting through the stack.

Landon tried to console himself—at least it was only half of yesterday’s workload. Maybe he could get some rest earlier tonight.

His relief was short-lived. For each document, Amelia demanded a thorough explanation, firing off questions about every detail that caught her eye. At this rate—twenty minutes per file and counting—Landon would be lucky to see his pillow before sunrise.

“For Christ’s sake, Amelia, we’re getting nowhere here. Do you really need to question every single thing?” Landon finally blurted out in frustration.

“Yes, I need to learn.” Amelia shook her head firmly.

“Look, the bet was just about you helping me for a month,” Landon sighed. “You could just coast through it.”

“Not happening.” Amelia crossed her arms. “I can’t keep running to you every time something comes up. Sure, today’s rough, but once I get the hang of things, you can slack off all you want.”

Landon’s lip twitched. “Trust me. I’m already slacking off plenty.”

“But you haven’t earned the right to slack off yet,” Amelia declared confidently. “Last night you mentioned the shareholders would be upset about the performance agreement, and sure enough, they came looking for trouble today. Thanks to you coaching me on what to say, I put them in their place.”

Amelia went on and on, animatedly sharing stories about her day at the office.

For Landon, work had always been just that—work. He’d never found it particularly interesting before. But gradually, as he listened to her enthusiasm, he found himself becoming intrigued. “Amelia, do you enjoy working?” he asked.

“I love it.” Amelia nodded vigorously. “Work keeps me busy and fulfilled. It’s wild to think about how I used to just scroll through social media all day and whine about everything.”

In Amelia’s last life, her whole world had revolved around Zachary.

“Has Zachary been bothering you?” Landon asked.

“Not today. But he’s teamed up with Henry now, and I’m sure they’re plotting something,” Amelia sighed heavily.

Better to piss off a decent person than a villain, she thought grimly. Because you never know what dirty tricks a villain might pull.

The list of people who had it out for her was growing by the day. It wasn’t just one enemy she had to watch out for anymore—there was Zachary, Walter, Melissa, and that backstabber Sand…

Something suddenly clicked in her mind as she thought, Wait a—