"Good afternoon, sir," she said, her voice smooth, unreadable. "How may we assist you today?"
Nick smiled, straightening his tie with reflexive confidence.
"I'm here to see your boss — the CEO of Elevate Strategic Group."
The woman offered a practiced nod and tapped her tablet with manicured fingers, never once glancing toward the receptionist behind her.
"One moment, please."
Her tone remained polite, but her eyes didn't flinch — not at his name, his presence, or his status. She didn't ask him who he was. She didn't need to.
Nick waited, unaware that the conversation he had just started was about to turn his ego inside out.
"I'm sorry, sir," she said coolly. "But your name doesn't appear on today's schedule."
Nick's smile faltered slightly.
That wasn't the answer he expected. This wasn't how things usually worked for Nicholas Carter. In most companies, his name alone opened doors. Here, he was just… unlisted.
"Check again, please," he said, keeping his voice smooth. "Maybe it was a last-minute change."
He already knew it wasn't. He hadn't booked anything — but the name Carter usually meant he didn't have to.
The woman glanced up, expression unreadable. "What name, sir?"
He lifted his chin slightly. "Nicholas Carter."
She took a slow breath and ran through the listings again. After a few seconds, she looked back at him and said with professional finality, "There's no one by that name expected today."
Nick's jaw tightened.
"Maybe your system's behind. I'm Nicholas Carter — CEO of Carter Group."
"I understand that, Mr. Carter," she said without blinking. "But as I said, you don't have an appointment."
He tried to stay composed, but there was a strain in his voice now. "Do you know who I am?"
This time, she set the tablet down and met his eyes directly.
"I don't need to," she replied, her tone icier now. "You may be well-known elsewhere, but this is Elevate Strategic Group. Our CEO only meets with scheduled parties."
Nick's temper flared just beneath his expensive suit. He was used to deference — not dismissal. But this woman had authority in her voice, and worse, she seemed utterly unimpressed by him.
"I suggest," she said, "next time, you call ahead."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned sharply on her heel, her high heels clicking confidently across the polished floor. She stepped into the executive elevator, pressed the private-access button, and offered him one last look before the doors slid closed — with the faintest smirk.
Nick stood frozen.
Humiliated.
He slid on his sunglasses, even though he was indoors, trying to mask the sting. "Fucking amateur," he muttered, and stalked toward the exit.
---
Back at the mansion, the door slammed as he stepped inside. Kate turned quickly from the dining table.
"How did it go, babe?" she asked with a hopeful smile, reaching to take his coat.
Nick brushed past her without a word and dropped into the living room couch, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
Sophia came skipping in, holding a piece of paper in her hand. "Daddy! Look what I made for you!"
She climbed onto the couch beside him and proudly held up a colorful drawing — a family portrait, with stick figures and crayon hearts. Nick took it slowly, scanning it with tired eyes.
"This is lovely," he said. "Who's this one?"
"That's Ally," she said brightly. "She's beautiful. I made her the princess in the picture."
Silence fell like a blade.
Kate froze where she stood, eyes locking with Nick's. For a moment, neither spoke.
Nick forced a smile. "Sweetheart… maybe don't call her that next time."
He stood abruptly, dropped the drawing on the table, and made his way upstairs without another word.
Sophia's eyes welled with tears. "Mommy… did Daddy hate my drawing?"
Kate knelt quickly and hugged her close. "No, baby. Daddy's just very tired from work, that's all."
She kissed her daughter's forehead, helped her to her room, then climbed the stairs and pushed open the master bedroom door.
Nick was pacing, shirt unbuttoned, tension heavy in the air.
"You've said nothing since you walked in," Kate said gently. "What happened?"
"You want to know what happened?" His voice cracked with frustration. "I was humiliated."
Kate blinked. "By who?"
"Not even the CEO," he snapped. "By a damn assistant. A receptionist. She made me feel like an intern begging for a seat at the table."
He dropped into the edge of the bed. "And to make it worse, I come home, hoping to find some peace, and my daughter is drawing pictures of my ex-wife."
Kate sat beside him and tried to place a hand on his. "Nick… Ally is dead. We both saw the body. Her face was ruined in the crash. She's not coming back."
Nick turned toward her slowly, then kissed her — harder than usual. It wasn't affection. It was desperation.
A knock interrupted them.
"Come in," he said.
Chloe entered the room, tablet in hand, looking more serious than usual.
"I thought you should see this," she said, holding the screen toward him.
Nick frowned. "What is it?"
"You remember that Elevate Expansion project you mentioned this morning?" she asked. "Well, turns out… it's not just some local startup. Major players are involved."
Nick sat up straighter.
Chloe swiped through the files. "I cross-referenced investment patterns, media silence, and hidden shareholder activity. Do you want to know who's backing this?"
She scrolled one more time, then handed him the tablet.
Nick's eyes scanned the screen.
Apple. Google. Saudi Aramco. Tesla. LVMH. Mitsubishi. Tata. A global lineup of tech, finance, oil, fashion, and manufacturing giants — all funneling investment into Elevate's New York expansion.
"This is..." he paused. "This is beyond anything I expected."
"I know," Chloe said, arms folded. "And it's being run completely in the shadows. No CEO listed. No photos. No leaks. And you know what that means?"
Nick nodded slowly. "Someone's building a weapon behind glass."
Chloe smiled faintly. "And we've just been invited to a war we didn't see coming."
He looked out the window, fists clenched. Something was shifting. Power. Money. Control.
He wasn't at the top anymore — not yet. But he was going to find out who was behind this.
And they'd regret ever humiliating Nicholas Carter.