The Shaw Industries building towered over the city skyline, a glittering monument to my father's success. I stared up at it from the sidewalk, my stomach in knots. People streamed past me, hurrying to their morning meetings. I needed to move, too. My appointment was in ten minutes.
"You can do this," I whispered to myself, gripping my purse tightly.
The security guards in the lobby recognized me immediately. No one stopped me as I headed for the private elevator to the executive floor. My reflection in the mirrored walls showed a composed woman in a crisp white blouse and navy blazer. Only I knew how badly my hands were trembling inside my pockets.
My father's secretary, a stern woman who'd been with him for decades, barely looked up from her computer screen. "He's expecting you. Go right in."
I paused outside the heavy oak door, took a deep breath, and knocked.
"Enter." His voice was as cold as I remembered.
