Chapter 39: A Favor from the CEO

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: A Favor from the CEO

He even threatened to have me fired if I ’stuck to my foolish beliefs’ and caused unnecessary trouble. Who’s to know that all along, he was the one responsible for all those losses, for bleeding the company dry? I’m just... I’m glad that he was finally caught and brought to justice. It’s a huge relief, honestly."

Sophia reached across the table, her eyes glistening with tears of pride, and touched his hand again, a soft, loving gesture. "I’m so incredibly proud of you, darling. You truly deserve this."

Daniel’s expression softened, his gaze meeting hers, a silent exchange of years of shared struggles and triumphs. "Thank you, my love."

Iris smiled at her father, a genuine, heartfelt warmth blooming in her chest. "I’m proud of you too, Dad. This is fantastic news. You’ve worked so hard."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Daniel hesitated for a moment, a new thought flickering in his eyes which turned mischievous. "There is another small part to this, actually, something quite unexpected..... a rather unexpected bonus, actually."

Sophia looked at him expectantly, her curiosity piqued. "What now, Daniel? More good news, I hope? Don’t tell me they gave you a yacht

"The company also gave me a full week of paid leave," he announced, a slight amusement in his voice at their likely reaction.

Iris blinked, her eyebrows shooting up. "Paid leave? A whole, entire week? Just like that?"

Sophia stared at him, her mouth agape once more. "They promoted you, gave you a substantial raise, and then they told you to stay home for a week? To take a vacation?"

"Apparently so," Daniel confirmed, shrugging with a pleased grin. "It seems to be a combination of a reward, a way to process everything, and perhaps to let things settle in the department before I officially take over."

She shook her head slowly, a wide smile now spreading across her face. "That’s almost too good to be true, Daniel. It genuinely sounds like something from a movie."

"I thought the same thing, believe me. I double-checked the email three times."

Iris laughed, a lighter sound than she’d made all day. "So, to recap: you get promoted to a huge new position, you receive a significant raise, and then they tell you to stay home and relax for a week? That’s quite the turn of events!"

Daniel shrugged again, a picture of contentedness. "Well, I’m certainly not complaining about it."

"You’d better not!" Sophia declared, a playful warning in her voice. "For once, we’re going to take full advantage of this. You can actually spend some quality, uninterrupted time with your daughter before she has to go back to school. We can do all those things we never get around to."

Daniel smiled, his gaze resting warmly on Iris. "I was planning on doing exactly that, Sophia. It’s perfect timing."

Iris looked down at her plate, a small, contented smile touching her lips. For the first time since leaving Emerald Heights, since the chaos and betrayal, she felt something close to genuine peace, a quiet, reassuring warmth spreading through her. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Her father had incredible news, her mother was beside her, the house was warm and filled with the comforting scent of home, and the familiar rhythm of family life enveloped her. For a few precious minutes, everything felt gloriously, wonderfully normal for her.

"Also," Daniel looked at Iris, his expression becoming more focused, a new plan forming in his mind. "With this new position, and the increased sway it gives me within the company, I can now definitely help you with your internship at Grant Enterprise. It would be an excellent opportunity for you, considering your business administration studies."

"Oh, baby, do you still want to do your internship at Grant Enterprise?" Sophia asked Iris, her eyes bright with enthusiasm.

"Because if you do, it’ll be a simply fantastic opportunity for you, darling, a real foot in the door. And who knows, you might even be permanently employed there after you’re done with the internship.

Your father knows the ropes inside and out now. And speaking of your friends, your other two friends...Zoey and Vanessa, right?...they can also apply there, and your father will absolutely pull some strings, use his new influence, to help secure slots for all three of you, if they’re interested."

Iris avoided eye contact with her parents at the mention of Vanessa, a familiar tightness returning to her chest, swift and unwelcome.

Yes, Vanessa was also studying the same course as she was—business administration—and they’d both been planning to do their internships at Grant Enterprise, brainstorming about it for months.

Zoey, with her computer science major, had wanted hers at one of their subsidiary software companies, a perfect fit. Now, thinking about it, the idea of working alongside Vanessa, of owing this opportunity to her, felt like a bitter pill.

She didn’t know what to do anymore, the thought a confusing knot in her stomach.

"I don’t know, Mom," she admitted, her voice a little subdued. "I’ll have to think about it, quite seriously. And also, talk it out with... with them, of course."

"Alright, honey," her dad said, sensing her slight hesitation but attributing it to the usual indecision of youth. "Just let me know the decision you all reach, collectively, and I will do everything within my power to help out. Consider it a done deal on my end, if it’s what you want."

Iris nodded, a faint smile on her face, appreciative of his earnestness. As she did, her fingers, almost unconsciously, brushed against her neck beneath the collar of her shirt, seeking out the familiar spot. And beneath her skin, faint but undeniable, she felt it—a pulse, a strange, rhythmic warmth that sent a shiver through her.

Iris froze, her hand still. Across the table, her father was still talking, his voice a low, contented murmur, and her mother was laughing, a bright, joyful sound. Neither of them noticed anything amiss, completely engrossed in their newfound happiness.

But somewhere deep inside Iris’s mind, beneath the warmth of home and the comforting embrace of her family, she could have sworn she heard it again, distant yet distinct, cutting through the pleasant chatter... That wild, sorrowful howl. And this time, she was almost terrifyingly certain it was calling her name...