Chapter 40

The woman was dressed head to toe in crisp white.Her suit radiated confidence and polish, lending her an air of authority that outshone her unremarkable features.

That close embrace between the woman and Amelia caught the receptionist off guard, erasing any trace of smugness from her expression. Her face turned pale in an instant.

"M-Ms. Kirby, do you know her?" she stammered.

"Absolutely. This is Mr. Flynn's daughter."

That response left the receptionist even more baffled. If Amelia was Mr. Flynn's daughter, then who had she been seeing as Mr. Flynn's daughter all this time?

Brushing off the receptionist's confusion, Dalia Kirby reached for Amelia's hand, her eyes bright with emotion. "Why didn't you let me know you'd be coming by? Two years have passed since | saw you last. Since Katrina's death, I... Oh, I shouldn't have brought that up."

Back in college, Dalia had led an ordinary life util Katrina spotted her potential, helping her become both a shareholder and a cornerstone of the Flynn Group.

To Dalia, Katrina had been more than a mentor; she'd been a guiding force in life. Dalia, nearly fifty,had never married, and because of Katrina, she always treated Amelia as her own.

For two years, Amelia hadn't seen Dalia, aware that Ricky had made Dalia's work life miserable,constantly scheming to remove her from the company.

After a brief exchange with Dalia, Amelia approached the smug receptionist with a cold glare. "You are fired." The receptionist was shocked at first. Then, her fear hardened into defiance. "Being the CEO's daughter doesn't give you the right to fire me. You're only abusing your power by doing this."

Before another protest could rise, Amelia met her glare and asked, "Do you even recall the very first rule in the Flynn Group's handbook?"

She then recited in a gentle but unwavering tone,"Every employee must treat others with dignity and greet all visitors kindly. You broke those rules today,so you can be fired."

"Even if that's true, you don't have the right to fire me. Only management can let someone go, and you're not even part of the leadership here."

Dalia didn't know what had happened between Amelia and the receptionist, but seeing the receptionist's attitude, she quickly said, "And who told you she's not part of the Flynn Group's management team? Amelia holds the largest stake in this entire company. If anyone has the power to remove a receptionist like you, it's her. Sooner or later, even the Flynn Group will be in her hands."

Soon,security escorted the receptionist away.

Word of the incident traveled fast, reaching Ricky. He quickly asked Amelia and Dalia to come to his office.

Truthfully, Ricky had known the moment Amelia set foot in theFlynn Group. Instead of welcoming her, he had ignored her call on purpose, hoping to teach her a lesson.

Seeing Dalia standing firmly beside Amelia only deepened the bitterness in Ricky's eyes.

Almost everyone Katrina trusted had either been forced out of the company or had turned into Ricky's supporters-except for Dalia.

Reflecting on Dalia's support for Amelia, Ricky fixed his cold stare on Amelia. "Who said you could wNaltz in here? What are you doing here, flaunting your power like this?"

Dalia's temper flared instantly, and she nearly snapped, but Amelia reached out and stopped her. "Let me speak to my father alone, Dalia. You should go and focus on your work," Amelia said.

As she spoke, Amelia gently soothed Dalia with a gentle touch.

Years of experience had taught Dalia restraint, and she caught herself before acting rashly.

Watching Amelia's calm resolve, Dalia offered Ricky a smirk that bordered on taunting before she turned to leave.

Ricky, still nursing his injured back, couldn't sit for a long time. The sight of Amelia calmly sitting down only fueled his irritation.

Instead of immediately presenting the thing she had to Ricky, Amelia took her time and let her gaze drift around the office.

Not a trace remained of Katrina's influence, even though this had once been her office.

"You shouldn't be here, Amelia. You need to leave now," Ricky said. Every time he saw her, he couldn't help but think of Katrina and the sixty percent of company shares Amelia controlled.

Although Amelia couldn't control those shares,neither could he claim them as his own. As the CEO of the Flynn Group, he held only fifteen percent of the shares, and thinking about this made him furious.

Katrina's careful planning haunted him, even after her death.

"Since I'll inherit this company one day, shouldn'tI get a head start now? Or are you not planning to hand the company over to me?"

Amelia's words only deepened the scowl on Ricky's face.

He would rather die than hand the company over to her.

Still, the truth about the shares forced him to hold his tongue about his thoughts, since the board kept a tight grip on the shares. Thinking about that, Ricky tried a gentler tone."You're still young, Amelia. There's no rush to take on such burdens. Running this company is nothing like you imagine. If something goes wrong under your management, you will feel guilty towards your mother."

It was clear he had no intention of giving an inch.

Amelia had already seen through him and had spoken only to press his buttons. She was patient-she intended to reclaim the Flynn Group, no matter how long it took.

She straightened, nudging a box across the desk toward Ricky.

Seeing this, Ricky was unable to hide his curiosity."What is this?"

"If you want answers, Dad, just open the box and find out for yourself," Amelia replied.