At noon, Vesper Grayson came downstairs for lunch.
"Big Sister!"
A clear, happy voice rang out, and a small figure came running toward her with light steps. Vesper Grayson smiled and opened her arms, bending her knees slightly into a half-squat to steadily catch him in her embrace.
She easily lifted Jonathan Grayson, bouncing him lightly in her arms. Her voice was as soft as warm water. "Jonathan, you’ve gotten taller and a lot heavier, too."
When she left the Grayson Family three years ago, Jonathan had barely reached her knees. Now, he was almost up to her waist.
"Big Sister, where have you been these past few years? Why didn’t you contact me? I really missed you."
Jonathan Grayson wrapped his arms around her neck. His youthful face still held its baby fat, and his eyes, like black crystals, shone brightly with both innocence and determination. Though he and Vesper Grayson were only half-siblings, he had been unusually attached to her since childhood, and his eyes were filled with pure joy.
’This child, aside from Milton Grayson, was the second person in this family to show me genuine kindness.’
Her fingertips gently rubbed the top of his head. "I missed you too, Jonathan. But I’m back now, aren’t I?"
"Are you going to leave again, Big Sister?"
"I’m not leaving again."
"Really? Does that mean I can see you every day?"
"Mhm."
"Yay!"
Jonathan Grayson’s joy was undisguised as he swayed his little body gently in her arms.
Joyce Rivers and Gwen Grayson happened to come downstairs at that moment, walking right into this warm, intimate scene between the siblings.
"Jonathan, come down now. Don’t tire out your big sister."
Joyce Rivers’s tone was gentle, her eyes filled with adoration for her young son.
"No, I haven’t hugged Big Sister in so long. I want to hug her a little longer."
Jonathan Grayson tightened his arms, pressing his small face firmly against Vesper Grayson’s shoulder, refusing to let go in the slightest.
Gwen Grayson seethed as she watched. She strode forward and yanked Jonathan Grayson out of her arms, her tone laced with undisguised fury.
"Jonathan Grayson, I’m your real sister!"
’He’s never been this close to me, his own sister, his entire life. What kind of spell did that outsider Vesper Grayson cast on him!’
Jonathan Grayson struggled out of her grip, and his short legs scurried right back to cling tightly to Vesper Grayson’s thigh. He looked up with his innocent little face and declared his loyalty in a crisp voice.
"I like Big Sister the most."
Gwen Grayson was so angry her chest felt tight. She turned to Joyce Rivers. "Mom, look at him!"
Joyce Rivers still wore a gentle smile as she lightly patted Gwen Grayson’s back. Her words seemed placating, but they were subtly barbed.
"Vesper just got back, so it’s only natural for Jonathan to be clingy. In any case, you’re all siblings. You should get along."
The tips of Vesper Grayson’s fingers, hanging at her side, curled slightly. She understood the deeper meaning behind her words.
’Full siblings, sharing the same mother and father, have a bond of blood and affection that no one can replace.’
Joyce Rivers’s discontent ran deep, a tangled knot in her heart, yet she hid it exceptionally well. On the surface, she always maintained a proper, gentle, and gracious demeanor. Anyone who saw her would have to praise the Grayson matriarch for her virtue and poise.
At the dinner table, Milton Grayson placed a piece of braised pork rib on her plate.
"Thank you, Dad."
"I have another announcement to make. Starting today, Vesper will be the Vice President of the corporation, in charge of core business operations. Gwen, you’ve also worked hard these past two years, so you’re promoted to Project Director. From now on, you’ll work under Vesper. Learn from her and get more practice."
"Dad!" Gwen Grayson’s voice shot up, her eyes wide with disbelief. "She just got back! She doesn’t even understand the company’s situation. On what grounds is she being made Vice President? I’ve slaved away at the company for two years, and I only get promoted to Project Director?"
"When Vesper graduated, she had a master’s in business from a top university. You graduated from a third-rate university, and it took you two years at the company just to stand on your own two feet. How can you possibly compare to her?"
Joyce Rivers discreetly glanced at Vesper Grayson, who had remained silent and expressionless, and frowned slightly.
’When did she become so obedient?’
’She used to be spoiled and willful, rebellious to the bone, and hated being told what to do more than anything.’
’Back then, she didn’t hesitate to walk away from the marriage alliance with the Hawthorne Family, completely disregarding the consequences.’
"Milton, Vesper just got back. She lacks work experience and doesn’t understand the current market. Making her the Vice President right away will inevitably lead to gossip about her. Why don’t we reconsider and have her start from a junior position?"
’She didn’t want Vesper Grayson to touch the company’s core assets; those were being saved for her son, Jonathan Grayson.’
Milton Grayson mulled it over. He felt she had a point. If Vesper was to secure her position as Vice President, she had to win the sincere admiration of the company’s employees.
"Vesper, what do you think?"
Vesper Grayson smiled. "I think what Auntie says makes sense. If I’m just parachuted in as Vice President and given access to the company’s core, I’m afraid some people might be unhappy with you and refuse to follow my lead. I’m willing to start from a junior position to gain experience."
Hearing this, Joyce Rivers’s lips curved into a smile.
’Good, she knows her place. She has some self-awareness after all.’
’I’ll just let her make a few mistakes, fail to get promoted, and then she won’t be able to affect Gwen’s position in the company.’
Gwen Grayson eagerly chimed in, "Dad, since Big Sister already said so, let’s just settle it that way, right?"
’Why should Vesper Grayson get to walk all over me the moment she comes back!’
"No. Sending Vesper to a junior position would be a huge waste of talent!" Milton Grayson immediately rejected the idea. Then, as if remembering something, an idea came to him.
"Grayson Corporation is currently competing for the exclusive Greater China distribution rights for the top Italian luxury jewelry brand, Vaudin. This is the corporation’s core overseas project for the year. The brand has extremely high standards for their partner’s professionalism and high-end resource allocation, so it won’t be easy to secure. Between you and Gwen, whoever can secure these distribution rights first will get the Vice President position."
Gwen Grayson’s lips curved with confidence. "I definitely won’t disappoint you."
Vesper Grayson curved her lips into a slight smile. "I’ll do my best."
...
Stellaris Plaza.
Northolme’s most exclusive private club, featuring a golf driving range, a heated swimming pool, a high-end spa, and private cafés. It was a secret haven where the city’s elite gathered to relax.
Vesper Grayson sat in a booth by the window, her fingertips resting lightly on the cool rim of a bone china cup as her gaze swept dispassionately over the gilded scenery outside.
Shiloh Sloan strode over in her stilettos and, without a word, threw an arm around her shoulder. When her fingertips brushed against sharp, bony shoulders, her smile instantly faded, and she frowned instinctively, her tone a mix of affectionate chiding and concern.
"Woman, I haven’t seen you in three years and you’ve gotten even more elegant and sophisticated, but how did you get this thin? You’re all bones!"
Vesper Grayson’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Isn’t good bone structure all the rage now? True beauty is in the bone, not the skin."
She and Vesper Grayson had been deskmates and mortal enemies in middle school, constantly bickering and fighting. Then, in high school, her lecherous stepfather drugged her and tried to put her in another man’s bed. It was Vesper Grayson who saved her, testified on her behalf, and sent that scumbag to prison.
From then on, they became the best of friends who could talk about anything.
Three years ago, while she was studying abroad, she received a call from Vesper Grayson, who said she had found her true love, a man named Luke Lockwood. Her voice was filled with unconcealable joy and sweetness.
They had kept in touch occasionally over the years, sharing details about their lives.
Not long ago, she had told her that Luke Lockwood’s company had gone public, that she had successfully proposed to him, and that she wanted her to be the maid of honor at the wedding.
But seeing her now, Shiloh realized she hadn’t heard Vesper mention Luke Lockwood’s name at all.
"Was he... not good to you?"