Xiao Ting's phone buzzed sharply, piercing the silence of her room. She glared at the screen, ready to unleash her pent-up rage, only to freeze when she saw the caller ID.
Mom and Dad.
Her stomach churned. She swiped to answer, her voice coming out as a growl. "Mom! Dad! Come back home!"
Her father's calm yet anxious voice filtered through. "Ting, how are you doing?"
"I'd be doing better if you weren't halfway across the world!" she snapped, pacing the room.
Her father sighed, his tone weary. "Sorry, kid. We can't cut this trip short. The branches abroad are struggling, and the stocks are plummeting. We need to stabilize things here."
Her mother's voice cut in, smooth and no-nonsense. "Xiao Ting, listen carefully. There are some events we need you to attend on our behalf. Now that we're busy abroad, the responsibilities fall to you."
Ting groaned, flopping onto her bed, phone pressed to her ear. "You know I hate socializing. Can't you ask someone else? I'm not exactly..." She trailed off, fumbling for words.
"As much as you love locking yourself in your room," her mother continued briskly, "you'll need to step up and take charge of the company temporarily."
Ting bolted upright, her face pale as she stared at her reflection in the mirror on the wall. "What?!"
"You heard me," her father said, his tone firm but distant.
Her heart raced as her fingers gripped the phone tighter. "I've never done this before! Mom, Dad, please listen–I may have a master's degree in business, but I have zero communication skills! I don't know how to interact with people!"
She rubbed her temples, feeling the sharp edge of a stress headache building. "You're basically sending me to my own execution."
Her mother's voice sharpened, cutting through Ting's panic. "Xiao Ting! You are a 30-year-old heiress. You are brilliant, capable, and holding an empire in your hands. It's time to stop cowering behind excuses and face the world!"
Ting's chest tightened as her mother continued relentlessly, "You'll go to the company first thing this morning to familiarize yourself with operations. Then, in the evening, you'll attend the charity event as our representative for the donation bidding."
Her mother's voice softened but held a note of finality. "I may have pampered you too much because you're my only child, but it's high time you wake up."
Ting's voice cracked as she tried to object. "Mom, but–"
"No buts!" her mother interrupted. "You're not alone. Chase will assist you. He's a master at business, graduated from the best university in China, and has agreed to serve as your personal assistant and secretary."
Ting's hands trembled, her knuckles white as she clenched the phone.
"Is that understood?" her mother demanded.
Ting swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes blazing with frustration and humiliation. "Yes, Mom," she bit out, her voice trembling with barely suppressed anger.
The call ended with a curt click. Ting stood there, her chest heaving as a thousand thoughts swirled in her head.
She hurled the phone onto her bed, glaring at her reflection in the mirror. "Brilliant heiress, my ass," she muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.