NEW CEO

NEW CEO


Anna's POV

I sat on the edge of the couch still holding the DNA report in my hands. The numbers stared back at me. 99.9998%. My fingers trembled slightly. Everything felt unreal.

Mrs. Desmond sat beside me, her hand gently resting on mine. She hadn’t let go since the results came in. Her touch was warm, careful, like she was afraid I might break if she held too tightly.

“Anna,” she said softly, her voice full of emotion. “I know this is overwhelming. You’ve been through so much already. But… would you consider staying with us for a while?

Even just two weeks? I don’t want to rush you. I just… I want the chance to get to know you. To show you your home.”

I looked at her. Those kind eyes of hers. The way she looked at me like I was something precious. It made my chest feel tight in a way I wasn’t used to. I couldn't resist. I also wanted to be with this loving woman who is now my mother. MY VERY OWN MOTHER.

Two weeks.

I thought about my tiny apartment. The empty nights. The loneliness that had been my only constant.

“Okay,” I whispered. “Two weeks. I… I can try.”

Mrs. Desmond’s face lit up with pure joy. She squeezed my hand, tears shining in her eyes again.

“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you, my dear.”

We sat in silence for a moment. Then she spoke again, her tone gentle but excited.

“Since we’re both free today… would you like to see Lenu Jewelers? Your father and I built it together. It’s yours now too, Anna. Or… if you prefer your old job, we can wait. I don’t want to pressure you.”

The mention of my old job hit me like a slap.

Hmmn.
Old Job?

I let out a bitter laugh before I could stop myself.

I'd rather become a janitor.

“My old job?” I said, my voice sharper than I meant. “You mean working for Ethan? Fetching coffee while he treated me like trash? While he paraded Lillian around and humiliated me in front of everyone?”

The words poured out faster now. The memories flooded back, especially one from the gala, the way he ignored me like he had no idea who I was and even Lillian looked at me like I was dirt.

“I’m so thankful I left that place,” I continued, my hands clenching the sheets. “I gave that man everything. My business. My savings. My heart. And he threw me away like I was nothing. I don’t ever want to go back there. Not even for a second.”

Mrs. Desmond listened quietly, her eyes full of understanding and pain. She didn't say anything yet. She just kept listening.

“I will stay for a while. But only if Wesley stays with me,” I said and turned to him.

He smiled.

“I will my lady.” He replied. “I'll follow you even up to the gates of hell if I have you.”

“Why will you stop at the gates and leave me to go in? You're evil Wes.”

I joked and we all burst out laughing.

I took a deep breath. At first, the thoughts were soft but sad. The girl who had sacrificed everything for love. The girl who had been used and discarded. The girl who had nothing. Absolutely nothing. And now?

Something shifted in me, making anger rise in my chest.
No more.

I wasn’t that girl anymore.

And… I liked this new feeling.

I looked up at Mrs. Desmond, my voice steady and full of determination.

“Let’s go for it,” I said. “Show me Lenu Jewelers.”

I stared at the ground next because I didn't want anyone seeing the evil in my eyes nor the smirk I couldn't hide. “Show me what’s mine.”

Mrs. Desmond smiled, pride and love shining in her eyes.

“That’s my daughter,” she whispered.

I felt a strange strength settle inside me. The bruises on my body still hurt. The fear from the kidnapping still lingered. But for the first time, I wasn’t just surviving.

I was ready to claim something new.

Even if it scared me.



The drive to Lenu Jewelers felt longer than it should have.

I sat in the back of the sleek car Mrs. Desmond had arranged, staring out the window while my mind kept spinning. Two weeks. I had agreed to stay. The words still felt strange in my mouth. Like I had stepped into someone else’s life and didn’t know how to walk in it yet.

I still had a sense of unease. Mrs. Desmond noticed from the seat beside me. She reached over and squeezed my hand without saying anything. Her touch was gentle. Motherly. It made something in my chest tighten again.

Wesley sat in the front passenger seat. He kept turning around to check on me, his eyes full of worry and something deeper. Like protection. I gave him a small nod, trying to reassure him. But inside, I was a mess.

What the fuck am I even doing?

I had just found out I might have a real family. A mother, a father and a whole empire. And instead of hiding in my tiny apartment like I wanted, I was going to see the company that was apparently mine.

The car finally pulled up in front of a tall, elegant building in the heart of the city. The sign above the entrance read “Lenu Jewelers” in beautiful gold letters.

Wow. I gasped.

Even from outside, it looked expensive.
The kind of place I used to dream of working in. It was my parents’

Mrs. Desmond smiled at me as we stepped out.

“This is yours, Anna,” she said softly. “Your father and I built it from nothing. And now… it’s waiting for you.”

I swallowed hard. My legs felt weak as we walked inside.

The moment we entered, the staff turned toward us. Whispers spread quickly. Eyes widened. A few people looked shocked. Others looked curious.

I'm sure gossip spreads far and wide.

One older woman in a sharp suit stepped forward, her expression polite but cautious.

“Mrs. Desmond,” she said, then her eyes moved to me. “And… this is?”

Mrs. Desmond stood taller, pride shining in her eyes.

“This is my daughter, Anna. Juliana. She’s the new CEO of Lenu Jewelers. She's always been.” she smiled.

The silence that followed was heavy.

I felt every pair of eyes on me. My simple clothes. The way I stood was awful.
Like I didn’t belong. Not to the setting but to the position. I had never ruled. And now I own it.

I wanted to run. But I forced myself to stand straight.

One man in a tailored suit cleared his throat. “With all due respect, ma’am… we weren’t informed about any change in leadership.”

Mrs. Desmond’s voice stayed calm but firm. “You are being informed now.”

I felt Wesley’s hand brush against my lower back. A small, silent show of support. It helped. A little.

We moved through the showroom. Glass cases filled with diamonds, sapphires, and gold pieces sparkled under the lights as we walked passed..

Admiration filled my heart.

They were beautiful and surely expensive. The kind of jewelry I used to dream of having but could never afford.

I stopped in front of one display. A delicate necklace with an unusual star-cut diamond. It looked familiar. Like something I would have designed myself.

Mrs. Desmond noticed.

“You always had a gift for unusual cuts,” she said softly. “Even as a little girl, you loved playing with stones. You wore that once. You modeled for Lenu.”

I didn’t know what to say. The words felt stuck in my throat.

“You don’t have to decide anything today,” she said gently. “But this company… It's been waiting for its true heir. For you.”

I turned to her. My voice came out quieter than I wanted.

“I left my old job because it was killing me. Ethan… he used me. Humiliated me. I gave him everything and he threw me away. I don’t want to be used again.”

Mrs. Desmond’s eyes filled with understanding and anger on my behalf.

“No one will use you here,” she said firmly. “This is your legacy. Your future. You can shape it however you want. And leave that man to me. No one dear messes with my family and goes Scott free.”

I swallowed and then looked away.

Determination woke inside me.

I thought about Ethan. About Lillian. About Mr. Slade.

If this was really mine… then I could finally fight back. Not as the weak secretary they threw away. But as someone with power.

I took a deep breath.

“I’ll love to do that myself,” I said, my voice stronger now. “Let’s do this. Show me everything.”

Mrs. Desmond smiled, tears shining in her eyes again.

“Welcome home, my daughter.”

I still wasn’t sure if I believed it completely.

But for the first time, I was ready to try.