"You must be relieved after meeting my friend." I nodded, glancing at my birth Dad's grave. I never thought you would leave this early.
Nonetheless I can't change anything but after you I met a lot of people. Changes took place in my life.
Thank you, Dad.
For your guidance. "I feel light-weight after meeting my Dad. After seeing him." I whispered. Dad said nothing but walked with silence. What else could he say to his daughter who couldn't defeat the danger haunting his Father?
"Mocking world brought you to deadline deals?" I glanced at my palms and said, "A bit." It was briefly an end for the conversation. He said no word unless he halted, facing his body towards the garden,
"What are you looking at?" I said. "Larkspur," He made his cheeks rose. I only blinked in bewilderment. "The birth flower of july. Do you know that purple one indicates first love?" Crouching, he caressed the flowers gently. He looked at me with softness in his hazel eyes.
"Doesn't it remind you of your first love?" I glanced at the flower more than just for a spare one. But it doesn't remind me of anyone – not even a girl I used to love in my childhood--- Sunshine.
"No, Dad. Now, we should head back before the sun gets above our heads."
"Uh. Yeah…," He rolled his eyes and walked further away from me. Oh man! "Dad! Wait for me!"
"Chase me if you want me!"
"Naive." I whispered and giggled, chasing behind him. We shared laughter– happier.
...…
I was suddenly called to an unexpected meeting.
The tension in the C Group boardroom was so thick it felt like a wire pulled taut, threatening to snap at the slightest movement. Seated around the obsidian table were the most powerful figures in the corporation—men and women whose faces were etched into business magazines, whose words could shift stock prices. And me—Moon Fowler—tucked into the farthest seat, simply there for the meeting. Or so I thought.
The room silenced when Grandfather Chakan entered. He didn't smile, didn't greet anyone. He simply placed both hands on the table and said in that gravel-toned voice of his:
"I have chosen the next CEO of C Group."
Everyone straightened. Some exchanged glances, a few whispered bets they thought were too quiet to be heard.
He turned to me.
…Huh? Wait.
"Chao-fa Chirapaisarnsakul." WAIT!
My lungs forgot how to breathe.
There was a beat of confused silence before a collective uproar followed—chairs shifting, voices overlapping, questions flaring.
"Chao-fa?" One doubted.
"Who the hell is that?" Another roared.
"Wait, isn't that the name of his disowned son's child?" Some named in different. How disgusting!
"She was never even acknowledged—this is absurd!" A few cursed.
All eyes landed on me. I felt like I was standing under a spotlight in a room that had just caught fire.
But I didn't flinch.
Instead, I slowly stood up when Chakan eyes rose in fierceness.
My voice, when I spoke, surprised even me.
"Good afternoon, esteemed board members." My gaze scanned the room. "Yes, I am Chao-fa Chirapaisarnsakul. Known to most as Moon Fowler. I understand your confusion, and I do not expect immediate trust. What I expect—what I ask—is consideration."
Someone scoffed. Another leaned forward. "You've never held an executive title. Why should we hand you an empire?"
I nodded. "You're right. I haven't. But allow me to correct that: I've never needed a title. I've led high-stakes negotiations in black markets across Asia as an anonymous consultant. I've restructured failing startups into multi-million-dollar ventures. I've operated without recognition—but not without results."
Man, am I even in my senses?
There was a shift. A pause.
"I'm not here to demand respect through bloodline. I'm here because my experience is sharper than my surname. And because leadership isn't just inherited—it's earned. If you want my full resume, I'll print it. But what matters is this: I solve problems. I make profits. And I never run from chaos—I manage it."
One of the older board members—Ms. Thanawan—narrowed her eyes.
"You do understand C Group isn't some scrappy startup. This is a legacy. Generations of calculated business. It can't be run on bravado."
"Agreed," I replied smoothly. "Which is why my first action as interim CEO—if granted—will be to initiate a three-month strategic audit. No sweeping changes. Just observation, analysis, and transition planning. I don't pretend to know everything. But I learn fast. And unlike others, I don't fear being questioned."
A few nods. A few doubtful stares.
But it was enough.
...….
Later that day, I stood behind a podium, cameras flashing like a lightning storm. Reporters lined up like wolves ready to pounce. The backdrop bore the C Group logo and a screen that still displayed my name—Moon Fowler (Chao-fa Chirapaisarnsakul), CEO of C Group.
A journalist from BNN shoved a mic forward. "You were a ghost to the corporate world until today. How do you respond to critics saying this is just nepotism?"
I smiled calmly. "Nepotism implies I haven't earned this. But if being the granddaughter of Chakan guaranteed me anything, I would've grown up in gold-plated cribs, not run-down apartments. My upbringing wasn't privilege—it was survival. If you think I haven't fought tooth and nail to be here, then I invite you to audit my portfolio. I'm not here because of my bloodline. I'm here because, despite my bloodline, I still became someone worth choosing."
Another reporter yelled, "Why did Mr. Chakan hide your existence for so long?"
My jaw tensed, but I answered, voice steady. "Because the past is rarely clean. My father made choices—for love, for dignity—that clashed with this family's empire. He was erased. And with him, I was too. Until today."
"Why accept the position now?"
"Because I realized running from who I am was easier than owning it. But I'm done running."
"Do you even want this position?"
I hesitated—then answered honestly.
"No. I didn't. Not at first. But I want the power to shape my own story. To honor the man and woman who gave me life. And yes... to build something worth passing on."
The room went quiet.
For the first time all day, no one questioned me.
...…...
The night settled heavy on my shoulders when I found Chakan again. We were alone, back in his study, surrounded by books and a silence too dense for comfort.
"You threw me into the lion's den," I muttered, not bitter—just tired.
Chakan's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes softened.
"She wanted it."
I turned to him.
"Your mother. Before she walked away with you," He said. "She asked one thing of me. That you get the life she couldn't give you. That I give you the name your father was forced to abandon. She told me, 'Moon deserves to be more than just a shadow. She deserves a rich life too.'"
The words sank into my chest like stones in still water.
"I see," I whispered, feeling something ache inside me I hadn't let ache in years.
"She knew you'd fight it. She also knew you'd rise above it."
I let the silence wrap around us.
Maybe I didn't want the empire.
But I wanted to honor her wish.
And maybe, just maybe... I wanted to see how far a girl with chaos in her soul and a crown she never asked for could go.