STRENGTH

CHAPTER ONE

Throughout the day, she had been receiving the same condolences, "Sorry for your loss; accept my condolences," repeatedly.

However, she found herself unable to respond to any of them. The shock of her loss weighed heavily on her, and although some of the condolences seemed heartfelt, others came across as insincere.

She refused to accept the fact that this was happening

Her dad had just been buried, and even though he had passed away two months ago, it still shocked her to think about it. She wasn't extremely close to her dad, but she still loved him regardless and couldn't believe how cruel death could be. She looked up and saw her devastated siblings surrounding their grieving mother, drawing strength from one another. Despite needing to join them, she didn't have the strength to comfort anyone. Since the incident, she hadn't spoken to anyone and had locked herself in her room, isolating herself from everyone as she tried to come to terms with it. She still vividly remembers how she received the news.

She had just come back from the outpatient care and was extremely tired. She just sat down on the sofa when she got a call from one of her sisters

"Madam," she greeted her sister Sharon tiredly. Sobbing, Sharon called out to her sister, "Stephanie..."

The tone of her sister's voice dragged her upright in a panic. "What happened? Where are you? Why are you crying?" Her questions spilled out in a frantic rush, her heart pounding against her ribs.

"It's Dad," she continued sobbing.

"Yes, what happened to him? Is he back from his trip?" she asked, her words filled with desperate impatience

"He had an accident," she cried loudly.

"WHAT!!! Where is he? Are you with him now? Which hospital?" She asked her sister hysterically, picking up her car keys.

"He is at Star Hospital.

"On my way."

She didn't know it then, but that night, her life would forever split into "before" and "after". When she got to the hospital, she asked where her family was, and the nurse kindly showed her the way, and she quickly ran towards her mother, who was staring into space and mumbling - no doubt praying.

"Mom, what are the doctors saying? How bad is it? Sharon, say something! Why is nobody saying anything?" she asked hysterically, holding her mother's hand, who gripped it tightly

Just then, a doctor walked towards them, his face solemn like he had practiced the words he was about to say to them. She hurriedly stood up and introduced herself, and he told them that her dad was in a critical state and that they were doing all they could to help him. He also informed them that her dad had requested to meet her. She quickly followed the doctor to see her dad

There he was, her hero, a man who always seemed invincible, who had stood tall through every storm, an embodiment of strength, just lying there hopelessly. She choked back a sob and ran towards him.

"Dad," she whispered, gripping his hand as if her touch could anchor him to life. His voice, once strong, was soft now, a mere shadow of the man he had been.

"Stephanie," her dad called to her softly. "I want you to know that I am proud of you. Take care of your sisters and your mom. Always know that I love you all," he rasped out.

"Don't talk like that. It's breaking my heart. All you should do now is try and focus on getting better," she said with teary eyes. Before she could finish, her dad went into shock.

A cold, hollow ache settled in her chest as her mind returned to the present. Her cousin Sally's voice pulled her from the trance, making her look at her with concern. She pulled her into a hug and pleaded with her to let it all out.

"Please, let it all out. You need to let it go."

She sniffled, "I can't, I just can't. I need to be strong." She muttered over and over again, shaking her head

"For whom? You have to think of yourself and stop keeping your emotions inside. I hate seeing you like this," Sally said, her voice soft but firm, rubbing her back in a soothing manner

Stephanie nodded and looked over, just in time to see her Uncle Stan looking sad but she knew that was a façade, he was happy that her father was dead. He always criticized everything she did and wanted the company all to himself. She scowled at him angrily. She loathed him so much that she wished he were the one who was dead and not her father

Finally, the day had ended, the mourners trickled away, and she could breathe, though the air felt heavy and suffocating. She embraced her mother and siblings, offering them what little comfort she could muster. But inside, she felt hollow. The real weight of it all was too much to bear.

She stared at the mirror, her reflection barely recognizable. The glow that once lit up her face had faded into a dull sheen, her skin pale and tired. Her body, leaner than before, seemed to carry the weight of something far heavier than just physical exhaustion. The person staring back at her looked drained, hollow even. Deciding she needed to return to reality, she sighed deeply and made the decision to step out; she couldn't afford to get sick, not with patients depending on her. Pulling herself together, she dressed in a big shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers. She tied her hair up with a scarf and slipped on dark shades to hide the exhaustion behind her eyes.

Humming while searching the menu on what to eat, she felt the back of her hair rise not in a threatening but magnetic way, which made her curious to find out what it was.

She looked up just in time to lock eyes with a man staring in her direction. A soft gasp escaped her lips

He was... a strikingly handsome man. His imploring gaze seemed to press into her soul as if it could see through her defenses. His face, achingly handsome, looked sculpted to perfection, as though someone had handpicked the most captivating features. Dimples adorned his cheeks, a feature that happened to be her weakness. His well-kept, charmingly tousled hair framed his face, perfectly complementing his non-brooding, well-built physique. His rich, dark chocolate-colored skin added to his allure. He, he was simply perfect.

She snapped back to reality by her food being served by the waitress, a small curse slipping under her breath for staring too long, deciding to focus on her meal and not being aware of the stranger's presence.

The scraping of the chair opposite her made her look up from her meal. Dropping the cutlery gently, she leaned back in her chair, arching an eyebrow, silently questioning him

"Hi," he smiled lightly, the kind of smile that could make a woman's heart flutter. "Is this seat taken?"

She stared passively at him, her head tilted slightly. He fumbled for a second under her scrutiny, then quickly added, "Oh, I am sorry to invade your privacy. But I couldn't help but wonder why such a beautiful woman was sitting all alone," he said, smiling warmly, making her insides flutter

She smirked lightly. "Hmm," she picked up her cutlery and went back to eating. "And what is a handsome man like yourself doing alone without a date?" she implored, taking a bite of her food, her voice teasing but guarded

He smirked, waving over a waiter. "Feisty, I like," he leaned back, the arrogance in his tone matching the glint in his eyes. "Since you acknowledged that I am handsome, I came here to eat."

She rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by his arrogance. Standing up, she threw a wad of cash onto the table and grabbed her things. "Well then, enjoy your food," she remarked, coolly walking away

But before she could take one step, he gently grabbed her hand, bringing a rush to her already racing heart. She slowly turned to him, her gaze locking with his

"I didn't catch your name," he said smoothly, his eyes drawing her into his pull, making her shiver, daring her to respond

She pulled her wrist from his grasp with a cold, steely look. "Because I didn't throw it," she retorted, her voice dripping with defiance as she walked away.

But she could feel his eyes on her as she left.

CHAPTER TWO

STEPHANIE'S P.O.V

"You have to go for the reading of the will. You can't keep avoiding it," Sally whined, making me roll my eyes. "Don't you dare roll your eyes."

"And how would you know that, you can't even see me?"

"I know you so well, I can practically sense you rolling your eyes."

I let out a sigh, collapsing onto the sofa, kicking off my shoes. "A simple 'Good evening, how are you?' would have done the trick before starting this conversation".

She laughed boisterously. "See you see greeting. But babe, really, you need to get this over with."

"Fine. I'll call my mom and see if Sharon and Shelly would be available."

"Hi mama," I greeted, hugging and basking in her love, and we began weeping profusely. My sisters sniffled, and they joined in the hug, and we wept loudly, "I am sorry, Mama," I whispered repeatedly

She cleaned my tears. "It's okay. You were also dealing with your pain."

I shook my head, "But I abandoned you, and that is not right," I argued with tears dripping down my face

"It is okay, my baby. End of discussion," she said firmly

"Can we start already? I have important things to do," my uncle said rudely, sitting down and crossing his legs

"What the hell is he doing here? I thought you said family members," I shouted, my eyes blazing in anger at the lawyer, making him shrink in fear

"Well, the...the... thing is that your uncle is part of the will," he said nervously

I glared hard at him, waving my hands dismissively, "Get on with it."

Good morning, everyone. I am Barrister Zion. I am here to read Mr. Steven's will. But before that, I would like to offer my sincere condolences. This is the will of Mr. Steven Hunter, witnessed by two trusted individuals and his lawyer.

"My dear family, if you're reading this, it means I'm no longer with you, but I want you to know how much I cherished my time on earth and how much I love all of you. To my beloved wife, who has been by my side since our youth, and the mother to my three wonderful children, I leave all my properties in Zinc Enterprise, two brand new cars, and a monthly allowance of one million dollars."

At this, my mother choked out a sob. I drew her close. The barrister continued,

"To my youngest child, Shelly, I bequeath the school, a house, and a car upon her eighteenth birthday, ten percent ownership of the restaurant, and a monthly allowance of two hundred thousand dollars until she turns eighteen, which will increase to five hundred thousand dollars. To my second child, Sharon, I bequeath fifty percent of the tech company, a house and car, a five-hundred-thousand-dollar investment into your career, and a monthly allowance of six hundred thousand dollars.

To my first child, I give complete authority over all the companies I own and a monthly allowance of eight hundred thousand dollars.

Stephanie, for you to become the CEO of Steven's Construction, you will need to get married. I understand that you may be upset by this requirement, but I trust your judgment. You need to be more stable than ever for this responsibility. If you are married, your husband can support you in overseeing the affairs, but he will not become CEO. You are to start immediately after the reading of this.

To my dear brother Stan, I bequeath the complex located in the east of the country.

This is the will the lawyer finished up. I was still trying to wrap my head around this and not get upset about the clause when I heard my uncle's outburst

"I can't believe it! After everything I did for him, he dared to give his entire property to his daughters, daughters who won't even carry on the family name? This is outrageous!"

I looked at him in disbelief. "Are you sure you're not mentally deranged? What gives you the right to question my father's authority over his properties just because we are girls?"

"He is not worth the stress," my mother told me with pleading eyes

I breathed harshly. "I know, but I will not stand here and listen to him disrespect my father's last wishes. Thank you, Barrister, have a nice day."

It was my second day at the office, and I was dreading every second of it. I missed the old people's home. I checked the time and saw it was noon, which meant it was time for games at the center. I sighed for the umpteenth time, focusing on the pile of files lying before me

"Good afternoon, ma'am, I am sorry to interrupt, but there is an emergency board meeting," my assistant said

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Emergency meeting? Who authorized it?" I asked, standing up and adjusting my dress. I was wearing a yellow dress with alternating black and yellow sleeves, paired with black stilettos. I might not like it here, but I was not going to look like my problems

"Your uncle," he said, avoiding eye contact

I took deep breaths, not wanting to give a reaction. "Very well then, I believe my mother was informed of this meeting."

He shook his head negatively. "I am afraid not, but I have informed her, and she is on her way."

I gave him a grateful smile, to which he responded by smiling sadly, "Your father was a good man."

I gave him my gadgets, and we proceeded to the boardroom, where an unfortunate event was waiting for me

"Who would have thought, the new CEO," he teased

I sighed heavily, feeling irritated. "Mr. Unknown man, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't know you worked here," I greeted sarcastically

He chuckled, falling into step with me. "My name is Cole, and unfortunately, I don't work here. My company is one of the shareholders, and my grandfather insisted I come since the meeting came on short notice. I presume you wanted to make an entrance."

"Not that it is any of your business, but I didn't know about this meeting. It is just my second day, and I am trying to get acquainted with everything."

I opened the doors, and everyone was shocked to see me, and I raised my eyebrow. Smirking, "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am sorry I haven't made the introductions. I planned on doing that by the end of the work week, but since someone fixed a meeting, I guess I just have to go with the flow. As you all know, my name is Stephanie Hunter, and I am the first child and legal heir to the late Chief. Engr (Mr.) Steven Hunter, and since that is out of the way, we have to wait for my mother while we all introduce ourselves." I finished sitting and going over my unfinished work

There was silence in the room, which means that I caught them red-handed in whatever plot they were about to do.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Uncle Stan's voice sliced through the air, full of venom.

I leaned back in my chair, smirking, "Is there a problem, uncle?" I sneered, "This meeting will not start until my mother gets here. So, like I said, let the introductions continue," I said, looking at him dead in the eye, daring him to challenge me

"Good afternoon, everyone, I am sorry I am late. Thank you for waiting for me. Shall we begin?" my mom said the minute she got in, but not before kissing me on the forehead

My uncle wasted no time. "I believe that the position of CEO should be contested. Stephanie here," he eyed me condescendingly. "Doesn't have a solid foundation in construction, and I think that could jeopardize the company's future. Considering all the investments and time you have dedicated to this organization, I am the best candidate for the role, as I have been with the company through thick and thin." His voice oozed self-confidence as he threw me a sly glance.

"All those in favor, please raise your hands," he asked smugly as half of the board members raised their hands.

My mother exploded in anger, "What sort of rubbish is this!! Have you gone insane?" Her voice shook with anger at my uncle while I kept quiet, wondering what my uncle must have said to the board members who supported him. My uncle was manipulative, cunny and had been looking for an opportunity to mess me up but I was ready.

Uncle Stan didn't flinch "I don't see anything wrong in what I just said" He shrugged "I am simply telling the truth and to worsen it she is a girl," he added, his sneer turning to an ugly grin

I chuckled silently and then composed myself, reminding myself that I was in a serious meeting, hoping no one had caught me, but the universe was not in my favor because Cole looked at me weirdly

CHAPTER THREE

STEPHANIE'S P.O.V

"Wow, you really had to go there, didn't you?" I chucked darkly, my commanding presence filling the room. "Let me make something crystal clear to all of you. Not only did my mother once hold the highest shares after my father, but now I do. I own both my and my father's shares, which gives me the majority. So, let's see how you plan to kick me out of what's rightfully mine. I'd love to see you try," I paused, making sure my words hit home, narrowing my eyes at each board member and stopping at my uncle.

"You may question my experience. That's fine," I continued, my voice dangerously low. "But make no mistake, I'm not just a shareholder; I also hold an MBA in business, which means I am more than capable of running this company."

"Now," I leaned forward, locking eyes with each of them, "If anything happens to me, my family, or any of my father's businesses, you'll be dealing with me and the law. If you're uncomfortable with me being the CEO, I suggest you sell your shares. I already have a list of investors waiting to take your place and work with someone who knows what they're doing."

The room was so silent you could hear their breaths. I stood up, causing a rippling effect as everyone else rose from their chairs. "That brings us to the end of this meeting, and never again will a meeting be called without my knowledge. Have a nice day," I finished, leaving the stunned silence behind me

"That was intense," Cole said, his voice trailing behind me as he followed me to my office. I glanced at him briefly

"The meeting was... very intense. I'll admit, I thought you wouldn't be able to handle it, but you surprised me."

"I guess I should take that as a compliment. What do you think you are doing?" I asked, eyeing him as he made himself comfortable in one of the chairs

"I would like a cup of coffee," he said casually to my assistant before turning to me. "And yes, that was a compliment, though I think you should brace yourself for the worst. Your uncle gives me the creeps, and you should get used to seeing me in your office, we are business partners after all," he added with a sly grin

I rolled my eyes just in time as Barrister Zion burst into my office, looking all disheveled, making me look at him in alarm

"Good afternoon, Stephanie, sorry to barge in on you this late, but something important came up," he stuttered, clearly distressed

I stood up in panic, ushering him to a seat. "Is everything alright?"

"Unfortunately, no," he said, straightening his jacket nervously, "I just realized I didn't tell you an important part of the will."

"What??" I froze, shock shooting through me like a thunderbolt. "How can you leave out such important information?" I demanded

"What exactly are you saying?" I snapped at him, my voice laced with fury. "Don't just stand there, say something!" Every fiber of my being wanted to grab and slam his head against the nearest wall.

Ma'am," he spluttered clearly intimidated but I was too far in anger to give a damn

I glared at him, face red with anger. "Barrister Zion, a while ago, when you were spitting out rubbish from your mouth, you were confident, now all of a sudden you aren't anymore? I'll ask you one last time, what exactly are you saying?"

He swallowed hard, avoiding my eyes. "The thing... is your dad put an age limit, and if you are not married by then, your uncle has the right to contend for the position of CEO."

My blood boiled. "Why didn't you say this while reading the will?" I practically growled, my frustration crawling its way to the surface

"I didn't think your uncle was going to try and get the company this early," he muttered, obviously at a loss at the situation

I grimaced and rubbed my forehead, feeling the onset of a headache. So, this was now my reality! "So, let me get this straight," I said slowly, trying to contain the bubble of anger threatening to lash out. "You're saying I have to get married before my 27th birthday or my uncle can take everything my father has ever worked for?" I asked, my confusion evident from my deep frown and upset disposition

Barrister Zion sighed heavily, finally managing to meet my eyes. "Unfortunately, yes."

I waved dismissively. "You can go, I'll call you later."

The room went silent after he left, except for the sound of my pacing footsteps. My mind was racing, trying to make sense of this madness and find a solution immediately

"You need to calm down," Cole's voice cut through my train of thought

I stopped pacing and whipped around to face him. "Excuse me," I growled

He raised his hands in surrender. "Take it easy, tigress. You have been pacing for about thirty minutes, and it was starting to give me a headache. Pacing will not give you the solution to the problem right now," I glared at him, but obliged him

"He knew exactly why he called that meeting. Such an asshole. I honestly don't know what to do," I fumed, just thinking about the stunt my uncle pulled

Cole watched me cautiously before saying, "Get married."

I scoffed, "From where? Should I pluck the man from a tree?" I asked sarcastically

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" he asked, to which I responded negatively

"What? How can a woman like you not be in a relationship?" he exclaimed, his eyes bulging out. I cocked an eyebrow "Fine, fine I am sorry it was out of shock. I think I might have a solution. Get married to me."

I burst into a fit of laughter. "Please tell me you are joking," I looked at his face and saw that he wasn't joking, making me sober up quickly

"You cannot be serious! I don't even know you, so why would I want to marry you?"

He shrugged, "It's no different from marrying a stranger, which is what you'll end up doing anyway. Besides, I need you as much as you need me."

"How do you mean?" I asked cautiously

"I am the right heir to my company, but my grandfather wants me to get married before he relinquishes all rights to me. And since he wants to retire soon, he is threatening to hand it over to one of his trusted workers, and the guy gives me the creeps," he said, shuddering slightly

"Hmm, can I think about this?"

He stood up, smoothing out his suit. "Yep, but remember your uncle is hot on your tail. And I am here if you need any advice. I am sure this is hard for you."

As he left, I exhaled deeply. That man... I found myself thinking as I watched him go. He's definitely something.