A shoulder to rest on

Anna walked out of his office in tears on her way out she bumped into Daniel, he was an old friend of hers and also working in the company. 

"Hey what's wrong?" Daniel asked, holding Anna's arms. 

"It's Dad… he—" Anna started, but her voice broke. She quickly wiped her eyes, swallowing back the emotions threatening to spill over. "He just changed all of a sudden since the wedding. I don't know if he's angry with me or if I did something wrong."

Daniel sighed and gently pulled her into his arms, holding her close. His warmth was reassuring, a silent promise that she wasn't alone.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Anna," he murmured, his voice calm and steady. "Something isn't right, but we'll figure it out. Just hold on, okay? Everything will be fine."

Anna wanted to believe him, but deep down, a nagging fear told her things were only going to get worse.

When Anna walked into the house, she was stunned. Everything had been renovated—Maria had changed the entire place to suit her own taste. The warm, familiar home Anna had grown up in was gone, replaced with expensive furniture and décor that felt cold and impersonal. But what hurt the most was the living room.

All the pictures of her mother—memories of the woman who had built this family alongside Mr. Williams—had been removed. In their place were portraits of Maria, smiling as if she had always belonged there. It was as if her mother had been erased completely, as if she had never existed.

Frustration boiled inside Anna, but deep down, she knew there was nothing she could do. Her father had made his choice.

She also found it increasingly difficult to even see him. The man who had once spent so much time with her, who had been her guiding force, was now distant. Days passed, and all she could do was watch as Mr. Williams poured all his energy into making Maria happy—by spoiling her children, giving them everything they wanted.

Anna sat on the edge of the office desk, her hands clenched into fists as she stared at Daniel with desperation in her eyes. The weight of everything crashing down around her was suffocating, and she could no longer hold it in.

"Dan, you're the only person I can turn to right now," she said, her voice heavy with frustration. "I need your help to fix everything that's going wrong—both in the company and at home. We have a drug addict and completely inexperienced people running things, and the losses we've suffered in just the past few days are massive. But Dad… he's too blinded by love to see that he's making a huge mistake."

Daniel leaned against the desk beside her, his expression calm but filled with concern. He had seen the changes too—how Mr. Williams had gradually lost control, letting Maria and her children take over everything. The company was bleeding money, and the household that once felt like a home now felt like a battleground.

"Don't worry, okay?" Daniel finally said, reaching for her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You know I'm always on your side. We'll figure something out."

Anna exhaled shakily, nodding, but deep down, she knew the battle wouldn't be easy.

As the days turned into weeks, Maria's grip on the company only grew stronger. She had wormed her way into the board, using charm, manipulation, and her newfound authority as the Vice President to win most of the members over. Those who once stood firmly behind Anna's leadership were now siding with Maria, either convinced by her sweet words or too afraid to oppose her.

Anna watched in disbelief as decisions that once required thorough discussions were now being pushed through without question—decisions that were clearly hurting the company. The financial reports showed decline after decline, but Maria dismissed every concern, brushing it off as mere "transitional losses."

And her father? He refused to see any of it.

Every time Anna tried to talk to him, he shut her down, unwilling to hear a single word against his wife.

One evening, after another failed attempt to make her father see reason, Anna stormed into Daniel's office, slamming the door behind her.

"It's getting worse," she said through gritted teeth, pacing back and forth. "Maria has practically turned the company into her playground, and Dad still won't listen. The board—most of them are backing her now. Do you know what she proposed today?" She scoffed bitterly. "She wants to change the company's investment strategy—completely restructure it in a way that makes no sense!"

Daniel frowned, arms crossed. "And the board is just… letting it happen?"

Anna let out a sharp laugh, void of humor. "She's convincing them, one by one. I don't know how, but she is. And Dad is just—" She stopped herself, taking a deep breath to steady her shaking hands. "I feel like I'm losing everything, Dan. First my home, now the company."

Daniel stood, closing the distance between them. His hands rested firmly on her shoulders, grounding her.

"You're not losing anything," he said, his voice steady. "We'll fight back, Anna. You've worked too hard for this. I promise you, we'll find a way to stop her."

Anna met his gaze, searching for the reassurance she so desperately needed. And in that moment, she knew—no matter how bad things got, she wasn't alone.

Anna sat in Daniel's office, her fingers gripping the armrest of her chair as she tried to push away the overwhelming frustration consuming her. 

Daniel, however, looked even more troubled than usual. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his desk, his expression grim.

"Anna, I have something to tell you," he said, his tone serious.

Anna straightened, instantly alert. "What is it?"

Daniel hesitated for a moment, then exhaled sharply. "Maria is slowly taking over the company in a way we didn't see coming. She's redirecting company funds to a shell corporation in France—one worth billions. The money is being funneled out in small transactions, just enough to avoid suspicion, but it's draining us fast. If this continues, the company is going to go bankrupt."

Anna's breath hitched. "Wait… what? A shell corporation?"

Daniel nodded, his jaw tightening. "And that's not the worst part. If the government catches wind of this, your dad will be the one held responsible. He's the CEO—his name is on every document. Maria is setting him up, Anna. I think her plan is to let the company crash, wait until the stock price plummets, then buy out the shares and take over as the majority shareholder. By the time anyone realizes what happened, she'll own everything."

Anna's head spun as she processed his words. Betrayal cut deep into her chest. After everything her father had done for Maria, after giving her and her children a home, power, and control—she still stabbed him in the back?

"She's using him," Anna whispered, her voice barely audible. "All this time… she was just playing him."

Daniel reached across the desk and took her hand, grounding her. "We can still stop her, Anna. We just have to act fast before she does more damage."

Anna lifted her head, fire burning in her eyes. The anger, the frustration, the helplessness—it all solidified into one thing: determination.

"We're not going to let her win," she declared, her voice filled with unwavering confidence. "

We will take everything back."

Daniel nodded. "Then let's get to work."