With Charlotte’s wedding racing toward the calendar like a bright-white comet, Cecilia found her own days swallowed whole by glittering, humming errands. She examined lace and silk beneath showroom spotlights, matched earrings to veils, and signed for gifts large enough to fill an entire delivery truck.

Yet she never loosened her grip on the Jamieson Group.

She hadn’t occupied that chair for long, and the old guard could smell fresh paint on the walls. For now, they stayed obedient only because of the leverage she held—secret files her late mother had hidden away. Those documents kept the silver-haired shareholders quiet, but Cecilia knew blackmail was never a lasting weapon.

Only sharp skill would endure.

News of the upcoming wedding sparked fresh excitement in Chelsea, who treated Charlotte’s happiness as if it were her own.

“Lottie, you’re really getting married! Congratulations!” Chelsea typed, thumbs flying. “Looks like I’m the last single woman standing.”

“What are you talking about?” Charlotte replied. “Aren’t you and Jason basically glued together?”