THEY LAUGHED WHEN MY SISTER CALLED ME TOO STUPID FOR BUSINESS, BUT I JUST CHECKED MY WATCH—BECAUSE IN THREE MINUTES, THE PEOPLE WHO KNEW MY REAL POSITION WERE ABOUT TO WALK THROUGH THAT DOOR.

By Monday morning, the personal visit felt like a distant chapter as I stepped back into the executive suite at Harrington Towers.

Harrison Cole was already waiting at my desk, organizing a stack of quarterly reports alongside a steaming cup of dark roast coffee.

“Good morning, Madam Chair,” Harrison greeted smoothly. “You look well-rested. Did you survive the weekend family diplomacy?”

“Barely,” I replied with a wry smile, taking a seat behind my desk and flipping open the top folder. “What’s on the docket for today?”

“We’re formalizing the supplier contract restructure with our New England logistics partners,” Harrison said, pulling up a digital tablet. “And the Providence hub audit is completely cleared. The new regional director we appointed is already increasing fulfillment efficiency by fourteen percent.”

“Good,” I said, scanning the numbers. “Make sure those logistics partners are locked into fair-wage agreements. I don’t want any shortcuts in our supply chain.”

Harrison chuckled, making a quick note on his screen. “You sound less like a corporate executive and more like a benevolent monarch, Emily.”

“I sound like someone who remembers what it’s like to stand on the other side of the counter,” I replied without looking up. “When you know how the floor operates, you run the penthouse differently.”