Chapter 3 Back From The Dead

Emily, flanked by senior executives, made her way to the elevator. Turning to the vice president, she inquired, "Are some still absent?"

"Yes." Caleb Reynolds, the vice president, quickly approached. His demeanor was respectful, yet his voice carried a hint of informality. "Kyson and his cohort seem inclined to challenge you."

"Is that so?" Emily's face remained impassive, her aura unmistakably cool. "Times have changed. It's baffling that my uncles refuse to acknowledge this."

In the conference room, Kyson Morris and five directors lounged in their chairs, legs crossed, leisurely enjoying their coffee. They appeared nonchalant, yet beneath the surface, tension brewed.

"Why isn't he here yet?" Kyson, occupying the chairman's seat, voiced his impatience, his features tightening. Turning to his secretary, he ordered, "Find out what's delaying him."

"Kyson, don't worry. He's bound to come sooner or later. It's typical for a new leader to assert his dominance like this," Logan Morris remarked. His special attire lent him an almost otherworldly presence.

Kyson responded with a dismissive shake of his head. "The youth today lack reliability. We'll speak our minds when the time comes. After all, the Morris Group belongs to our family, and my word is final here."

As they plotted their strategy to assert dominance over the new primary shareholder, their conversation was interrupted. A female secretary rushed in, her complexion pale with concern.

"Sir, there's been a change. The new CEO has convened the management team in a different meeting room. Their meeting is nearly concluded..." she said.

"What did you say?" The calmness of the seasoned executives shattered. Rising in indignation, they slammed the table in anger. "We've devoted years to the Morris Group, and now we're being sidelined by this new boy!"

The audacity!

The secretary, her complexion ashen, hesitated before managing to say, "Actually... The new CEO is a woman."

The revelation took Kyson and the others by surprise. "A woman?"

As Emily adjourned the meeting, Kyson and Logan, followed by their entourage, stormed into the room, visibly seething. However, their anger swiftly turned to shock upon laying eyes on Emily. "Emily? How could it be you?"

Neither Kyson nor Logan had anticipated this twist. The very person who had breathed new life into the Morris Group and secured a 51% stake turned out to be their niece!

Hadn't she been presumed dead?

Emily, the once heir of the Morris Group, had been believed to have perished three years ago in a tragic mountaineering accident, having fallen from a cliff with her body never found. In the wake of their loss, her uncles, Kyson and Logan, had mourned her at a lavish funeral, thereafter assuming control of the Morris Group and inheriting Emily's assets. The fact that she could miraculously reappear was beyond their wildest imaginations.

Emily reveled in their astonishment, comfortably sitting in her chair. She casually said, "Uncles, I've returned from the dead. Shocking, isn't it?"

Her words alone were enough to shift the atmosphere. Kyson and Logan's faces transformed with joy, and they eagerly approached to embrace her.

"Emily, it's a miracle you're alive. Your parents would be so relieved to know this..."

Backing up in her chair to avoid them, Emily's expression hardened with a frown. She met their gaze with a cool detachment. "I'm sure they would be," she replied, her voice laced with an icy calm.

Kyson and Logan, caught off guard by her cold demeanor, found themselves at a loss for words.

Emily was not there to exchange pleasantries. She addressed the assembled executives, who were watching the scene with mixed emotions. "You all have been with Morris Group for years and are familiar with my ways. I'm here to protect and elevate the legacy my parents left behind. You can count on that. Concentrate on your responsibilities. I'm not stingy. Your efforts will be acknowledged and rewarded."

Meanwhile, in Vilgate, Braiden had picked up Natalia from the hospital. On their way back home, he was on his phone, scolding, "You couldn't find any trace? What exactly have you been doing?"

The assistant on the other end of the call was noticeably anxious. Despite a thorough search of surveillance footage spanning hundreds of miles and employing numerous tactics, Emily had vanished without a trace.

He managed to say, "Emily indeed hails from a small village in Ontmore, and her parents have passed away due to illness."

Braiden, tapping his fingers rhythmically against his knee, began to relax. Perhaps he had been overthinking it.

Natalia, seated beside him, let out a thoughtful sigh. "Miss Green comes from such humble beginnings, yet she left without claiming anything. She truly is unique. Wouldn't you agree, Braiden?"

Upon hearing this, Braiden frowned. Recalling the reserved and quiet woman, he wondered if she had intended to leave an impression of uniqueness.

"Sir, I've organized a search party in Ontmore. It's possible she's returned to her roots," the assistant said.

"No need," Braiden responded, his tone indifferent. "We're divorced now. There's no reason to maintain any ties. Since she chose this path, then let it be."

"Understood. But there's one more thing— and it's about business!" Sensing his boss' growing impatience, the assistant quickly stressed the business nature of his next update.

"Go ahead," Braiden said.

"It's about the Morris family in Merden. Just a few days ago, the elusive buyer of the Morris Group made an appearance. According to reports, Emily Morris is back."

Braiden's eyebrow arched in surprise. Emily Morris? Wasn't she supposed to have died three years ago?