By six in the morning, the rain had stopped, leaving the city streets slick and gray.

I dressed in a tailored navy suit, the one my father had bought for me when I first joined the family foundation.

I pinned my mother’s gold brooch to my lapel.

It was time to take back what belonged to my family.

The board meeting of Hayes Enterprises was scheduled for nine o’clock at the headquarters on Park Avenue.

I arrived early, passing through the marble lobby without looking at the security guards who had known me for years.

The elevator ride to the top floor was silent.

When the doors opened, the smell of expensive coffee and polished wood filled the air.

I walked down the long hallway toward the boardroom, my heels clicking softly on the terrazzo floor.

Through the glass walls, I could see the board members already gathering.

These were men and women who had served alongside my father for decades.

They were loyal to the Hayes name, not the man who had married into it.