Chapter 354

"It's okay. I'm here for you. Whatever you don't know, I can teach you—slowly." Stanley took Becky's hand. Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, he bent slightly, tilting his head up to meet her gaze.

"Becky, whatever you want to do, I'll support you completely."

"I only have one request… No matter what, please don't leave me. Okay?"

Stanley's eyes burned with intensity. Becky flinched as if scalded and yanked her hand back.

But the next second, he caught it again—tighter this time—giving her no chance to escape.

Preston and Gemma watched the scene unfold and both sighed. "Becky, if you want to play around, fine. But don't drag Stanley into it. Running a company isn't that easy."

Stanley had agreed so readily that Becky actually hesitated for a moment.

But the instant she heard her parents doubting her, her stubborn streak flared. "Who says I can't do it? I'll prove it to you! I'm not some useless idiot who can't do anything. Hand me the company—I can manage it just fine!"

"What am I going to do, Caroline? You're the only one who can save me now."

Caroline had just finished going over year-end bonuses with her secretary when Becky's call came through.

Hearing her best friend sighing dramatically on the other end, she dismissed the secretary and asked, "What's wrong?"

Becky immediately told her about the big promises she'd made at home.

And worse, Stanley had actually backed her up. He'd taken her straight to the company and seated her in the General Manager's office at the Powell Group.

"That sounds great. You've always felt like you had no voice at home, right? If you're the one calling the shots at the Powell Group, Stanley will be the one depending on you."

Getting parachuted into a family business as the boss without lifting a finger was the kind of opportunity people killed for. Why was Becky sighing?

"But I'm not just supposed to sit there and be the boss!"

Being General Manager wasn't about sitting in a chair all day barking orders at people.

The handover tasks, the technical jargon in all those documents—Becky couldn't make sense of any of it.

And just when she'd barely started one file, the next one was already being delivered.

"This is as painful as cramming for college finals."

"I can't do it!"

"Caroline, please help me. What am I supposed to do?"

Caroline fell silent.

"If you want the power, you have to pay the price. Even running my small company isn't easy, let alone managing the entire Powell Group. If you're serious about entering the business world and becoming a career woman, I suggest you start from scratch. Take it one step at a time."

"What? So I'd have to let other people boss me around? I don't like being managed!"

Becky's resistance was exactly what Caroline expected.

She sighed. "Then I can't help you."

Another knock sounded on Becky's end—new documents being delivered.

Becky let out a tortured groan and hung up.

Caroline couldn't do anything for her. She could only hope her friend would be okay.

She pressed the intercom to call her secretary back in so they could finalize a few more details.

But the secretary didn't come right away. Caroline glanced at her empty coffee cup and decided to step out herself. That's when she saw her secretary huddled with another employee, gossiping.

She frowned. She didn't micromanage during work hours, but ignoring a direct call was unacceptable.

Caroline walked over, ready to say something, when she heard her secretary's voice.

"That Blake guy is Ms. Hamilton's brother, right? He's so pitiful."

"Do you think Ms. Hamilton knows about this?"

Blake?

Caroline remembered him telling her a few days ago that he'd gotten an urgent gig but would try to make it back before the New Year to spend time with her.

She'd been texting him the past couple of days, but he barely replied. When she asked, he just said he was busy. The few video calls they managed showed exhaustion written all over his face.

He'd said he was filming a variety show, but what kind of show would wear someone out like that?

She'd found it odd but didn't know much about the industry, so she hadn't pressed him. Now, she was hearing his name from the mouth of her slacking secretary.

Caroline paused mid-step and listened closely.

"Tell me about it. He's an award-winning actor. I have no idea why he'd agree to a show like that. It's the dead of winter and they're making him soak in ice water. I can't even watch it without feeling sorry for him."

"Right? I saw the preview—his lips were blue. He must've been freezing. If it were me, I couldn't have handled it."

The two kept complaining, but Caroline wasn't hearing anything useful. She walked over. "What are you two talking about?"

"Ms. Hamilton! You're off the phone? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—she just came by to drop off some files and we got to chatting." The secretary looked horrified at being caught gossiping. The other woman hung her head and didn't dare say a word.

"I just finished. The Blake you mentioned is my younger brother. What happened to him?" Caroline shook her head, letting the slacking slide for now, and asked about Blake instead.

The secretary's eyes widened. "Ms. Hamilton, you don't know?"

Between the two of them, Caroline quickly pieced together the truth.

Blake had joined a variety show with rock-bottom standards. The show gained attention by assigning nearly impossible tasks and then designing sadistic punishments for failure.

Most of the people who appeared on it were no-name celebrities desperate for exposure.

Blake's participation had given the show a small boost in popularity.

But instead of easing up, they'd doubled down on him.

They made him soak in ice water in the dead of winter, sleep overnight in a tent that couldn't even block the wind, and pushed him to his limits.

His fans were devastated.

But the haters? They were thrilled, gleefully spreading the clips everywhere.

Caroline couldn't sit still. Their family wasn't hurting for money. Why would Blake agree to something like that?

"Ms. Hamilton, maybe you should talk him out of it. Even those of us who aren't his fans feel bad watching it."

"Yeah, the production team is disgusting."

Caroline nodded. "He never told me about this. I'll ask him when I get home tonight."

That's what she said, but as soon as she got back to her office, she anxiously called Blake.

Wrong timing, as usual. No one picked up.

She searched online and found the clips they'd been talking about. Her heart ached.

This was flat-out abuse. Blake was a celebrity, not a performing monkey!

"Why did he agree to this show?" Arthur came by at lunch and saw the footage still up on her screen.

"You know about it too?" Caroline turned to him.