Chapter 4- The New CEO
The driver parked my Bugatti in front of the company, the sleek black beast gleaming under the morning sun. Before the engine had fully silenced, the door was opened for me. I stepped out, my designer heels clicking against the pavement, the sound crisp, authoritative. The moment my feet touched the ground, a surge of power coursed through me.
It was time.
Time to bring them down.
All of them.
The air around me shifted as I approached the entrance of Miller’s Corporation. My presence alone was enough to command attention. The doormen straightened, the receptionist stilled, and the security guards averted their gazes. The world inside these walls was about to change, and they could feel it.
The sound of my heels echoed through the vast marble-floored lobby as I stepped inside. Conversations faltered. Heads turned. I felt the weight of their gazes, the hushed whispers that followed me like shadows. They didn’t recognize me.
Not yet.
But they had heard of me.
Stories circulated in this company—some true, some exaggerated, all terrifying. They called me the ruthless granddaughter. The one who showed no mercy. The only people in this world worthy of my time, my attention, my smile, were my mother and my grandfather. To the rest of the world? I was cold, calculated, untouchable.
And I lived up to that reputation flawlessly.
I moved with purpose, each step deliberate, each movement controlled. Power radiated from me in invisible waves, suffocating those too weak to stand in my presence. Employees scrambled out of my way, their eyes darting toward me, searching for some indication of what was to come.
And then, I saw her.
The moment my gaze landed on the woman, I froze.
The first thing I noticed was her hair. It looked like she had rolled out of bed and barely ran a comb through it before tying it back haphazardly. My lips curled in distaste as my eyes roamed downward.
Her clothes—if one could call them that—were an atrocity. Mismatched, ill-fitting, and utterly uninspired. Her pants were so tight it was a miracle she could breathe, while her blouse looked like it had been crumpled at the bottom of a laundry basket for weeks. And then, her shoes—the most offensive part of her entire existence. Scuffed, battered, and appearing as though she had trekked through a thunderstorm and never bothered to clean them.
How did this creature find her way into my company?
She was traumatizing to look at.
“You,” I called out, my voice slicing through the hushed atmosphere.
She looked up, eyes wide with uncertainty, and pointed a hesitant finger to her own chest.
I rolled my eyes. Pathetic.
“Yes, you,” I drawled. “Get over here.”
The woman scrambled toward me, head bowed, movements frantic and uncoordinated. Watching her was painful.
“You called me, ma’am?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I tilted my head, regarding her like an insect I was considering crushing beneath my heel.
“Do you work here?” I asked slowly, as if speaking to a child.
“Yes… yes, ma’am,” she stammered.
I narrowed my eyes. “Look at me when I’m talking to you. And stand up straight.”
She flinched but obeyed, her body trembling like a leaf in a storm.
I hadn’t even done anything yet.
“If you want to keep your job,” I continued, voice smooth but laced with ice, “I suggest you change your wardrobe. This company provides a wardrobe allowance so that employees don’t walk around looking disgraceful. You are not representing Miller’s Corporation like this.” I waved a manicured hand in front of her.
“If you want to dress like someone who works for a cheap company, do it. But do it after you drop your resignation letter. Are we clear?”
“Y-Yes, ma’am! Yes, ma’am!”
“Good.” I turned on my heel, dismissing her entirely.
My attention was no longer on the woman who had no place in my world. My mind was already on the meeting ahead, the one that would shift the balance of power in this company forever.
My grandfather was waiting.
I pushed open his office door after a single knock, stepping inside the grand space. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the city skyline, the empire he had built standing tall before us. He stood before the glass, hands clasped behind his back, an air of quiet dominance surrounding him.
“Grandpa,” I called softly.
He turned, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. But beneath that warmth, there was steel.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” he asked.
I met his gaze without hesitation.
“I was ready the moment I walked into this building.”
A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest as he opened his arms. Without hesitation, I stepped into his embrace.
“I trust you,” he murmured. “I know you’ll handle this.”
A small smirk played on my lips as I pulled back.
“They won’t know what hit them.”
HARDIN'S POV
The boardroom was silent.
Every seat was filled, every executive present, waiting for the arrival of the new CEO.
I had spent the past few hours ensuring that everything was in order. The transition had to be seamless, the announcement perfect.
And yet, as I made my way toward my seat, the door swung open with an almost deafening force.
Silence.
Every breath in the room seemed to hitch. Every pair of eyes locked onto the figure stepping inside.
And there she was.
A woman with golden blonde hair that cascaded in perfect waves over her shoulders. Eyes the color of a summer sky—sharp, calculating. She moved like she owned the world, dressed in a black suit that hugged her body with precision, a delicate drop necklace resting against her collarbone. It looked simple, but I had no doubt it was worth a fortune.
Her chin was lifted, her stride effortless, confidence pouring off her like an intoxicating perfume.
I knew her.
Ariana Miller.
The arrogant granddaughter.
The woman everyone feared but no one dared to challenge.
What was she doing here?
Had she come to support her mother?
Surely, that was the only explanation. Her mother was supposed to be announced as CEO today. That had been the plan all along.
Yet… no one followed behind her.
And she wasn’t heading to just any chair.
She was walking straight to the head of the table.
A cold dread curled in my stomach.
Then, she placed her perfectly manicured hands on the table, her gaze sweeping over the room like a queen surveying her kingdom.
And with a voice filled with power, authority, and finality, she spoke.
“Hello, everyone,” she said. “I’m Ariana Miller, the new CEO of Miller’s Corporation.”
The air shifted.
The world stilled.
And my breath caught in my throat.