chapter 4

Neil :~

The office was my kingdom.

Every morning, the same routine. The driver opened the car door, the tall glass doors of Kingsley Corporation swung wide, and everyone straightened as I walked past. Some nodded politely, some greeted me with stiff “Good morning, Mr. Kingsley,” but all of them carried the same look in their eyes—respect mixed with fear.

I didn’t mind. That was how it should be.

From the moment I reached my office, the day was already full. A pile of documents waited on my desk. My secretary entered, carrying more files.

“Your first meeting with the finance team is in ten minutes,” she said. “After that, a call with the Tokyo branch. Then the board strategy review at eleven. I’ve also scheduled lunch with Mr. Lee from the construction division.”

I nodded once. “Cancel the lunch. I don’t waste time eating when there’s work to do.”

She hesitated but wrote it down.

The meetings started, and the hours blurred together. Numbers, profits, losses, contracts—everything needed my attention. I gave orders, asked sharp questions, and made decisions without hesitation. That was what it meant to be a Kingsley.

My father always said: “Weakness has no place in business. Show it once, and people will eat you alive.”

So I never showed it.

Not to my employees. Not to the board. Not even to myself.

“Mr. Kingsley, here are the final figures for last quarter,” one of the finance managers said during the meeting.

I scanned the report, flipping through the pages quickly. “Cut the unnecessary expenses in marketing. We’re overspending on things that bring no results.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Double the investment in logistics,” I added. “We need faster distribution if we want to stay ahead.”

The man scribbled notes, nodding nervously.

By the time the meeting ended, I was already walking out, heading to my next call. I didn’t waste a single second. Efficiency was everything.

The rest of the day went the same way. Calls with investors. Signing agreements. Reviewing project proposals. People looking at me as if waiting for my approval to breathe.

It was exhausting, but I thrived on it. Work was the one place where I was in control.

The sun was already dipping by the time I leaned back in my chair, loosening my tie for the first time all day. The office was quieter now, most of the staff gone home. Outside the window, the city glowed with evening lights.

I checked my watch. Seven o’clock.

Right. Liza.

Father had reminded me yesterday: “Your sister returns tonight. Pick her up. Make sure she settles back properly. She has been away too long.”

It wasn’t a request—it was an order. Like always.

I closed my laptop, gathered my things, and walked out of the building. The driver opened the car door again, and I slid inside.

The ride to the airport was slow. Traffic was heavy, long lines of red taillights stretching into the distance. I sat in silence, scrolling through emails on my phone, replying to messages from the board. Work didn’t stop just because I was out of the office.

By the time I reached the airport, it was crowded. Families stood with flowers in hand, children ran toward their arriving parents, couples embraced after weeks apart. The air buzzed with voices, laughter, and the rolling of luggage wheels.

I stood by the arrival gate, hands in my pockets, scanning the crowd. My eyes were sharp, focused, not impatient but steady. I had learned long ago to wait without showing emotion.

Then, through the sliding doors, I saw her.

“Neil!”

Liza’s voice rang out, bright and clear, as she pushed her suitcase toward me. Her long hair bounced with each step, her smile wide enough to light the entire hall.

For a brief moment, my expression softened.

“Liza,” I said as she reached me.

Without hesitation, she threw her arms around me. “It’s been forever!”

I patted her back stiffly. “It’s been a year.”

She pulled back, laughing. “Still forever! You look the same. Cold, serious, and way too formal.”

I shook my head. “And you still talk too much.”

“Maybe,” she said, grinning. “But admit it—you missed me.”

I didn’t answer, but she didn’t need me to. She always read me too easily.

I took her suitcase and started walking toward the car. She followed beside me, talking nonstop.

“Neil, you wouldn’t believe the food abroad. And the weather! It was so different. But honestly, I missed home. I missed mom’s cooking. I even missed the noise of this city.”

“You’re back now,” I said simply.

“Yes, but don’t think you can escape me,” she teased. “I’ll be bothering you every day. You work too much. I’ll drag you out of that office if I have to.”

I gave her a sideways glance. “You’ll try.”

She laughed again, her voice light.

When we reached the car, the driver loaded her suitcase into the trunk. Liza slid into the back seat, sighing happily as she leaned against the leather seat.

“It feels good to be home,” she murmured.

I started the car, my hands steady on the wheel. “It is,” I said quietly.

As the city lights reflected in the windshield, I glanced at her through the mirror. She looked peaceful, her eyes half-closed.

For the first time in a long while, I felt a strange sense of calm. Different from the chaos of the office. Different from the weight of Father’s endless expectations.

Liza was back. That was enough for now.

And so, I focused only on the road ahead.

Work. Family. Duty. Nothing else mattered.

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