Chapter 1
"Congratulations, Elara! You broke your own record this year. Arcanes is the number one brand in the country now!" Anna's voice bubbled with happiness. She smiled brightly at Elara, but Elara's own smile was small, a little sad.
"Happy?" Elara repeated, a hint of something unsaid in her voice. "Not yet. I haven't reached my real goal." She gave a quick wink. "So, ready to make Arcanes number one in the universe?"
Anna laughed, but Elara was serious, her eyes already looking far beyond.
Elara Stark was a well-known businesswoman. Many people thought she was successful only because her parents were super rich. But they were wrong. Elara actually hated her parents more than anything.
Her grandparents had owned rival businesses, always fighting. To stop the war between them, they finally agreed to marry their children. Elara's parents were forced to get married, and they were never happy. Even after Elara was born, they argued all the time. Things got worse when Elara's mother's father died. Her mother took over his business, and now Elara's parents were business enemies.
They cheated on each other, even bringing other partners home to make the other angry. They didn't care about Elara's feelings. They hated each other, but they stayed together. Why? So they could learn secrets about each other's businesses. This whole situation broke Elara inside. She always wanted to run away.
She got her chance after finishing high school. She left her town for university. After studying business for a year, she realized something important: she already knew all of this. Thanks to her parents, she understood business better than anyone. So, she made a big decision. She left university without telling her parents. With the money they sent her for school, she started her own business. Since she grew up with rich people, she knew a lot about fashion. So, she started a fashion brand: Arcanes.
Her parents weren't interested in her, so they didn't know about her business for a long time. Then, one day, her father heard from another businessman that his daughter was named one of the "Best New CEOs" in the country. He was furious. He rushed to her apartment to yell at her.
"What is this, Elara? When did you leave university? Why didn't you tell us?"
Elara looked him straight in the eye. "Were you ever interested in me, Dad?"
"Come back with me, Elara. I won't let you do this. Why do you need to struggle like normal people? You have my business, your mom's business is also yours. Just take them over and come back, Elara."
She refused. "I know why you don't want me to start my own business. It's because you always wanted me to get Mom's business. And through me, you'd get your enemy's business." She looked tired but firm. "Mom is no different. She thinks the same way. But I've decided now. I don't want to be your business trick anymore."
"Elara, what are you talking about? Fine! Get out of here then! I won't give you a single penny from now on!"
"I don't need it," she said calmly. "And I was planning to leave this place anyway." She handed him an envelope. "That's all the money you gave me for university. I used it to start my business. But I don't need it anymore."
That day, Mr. Stark knew. His daughter had truly won. There was no way he could get her back.
