Lost and Found

According to the schedule, today was the internal high-level executive meeting. After outlining key focal points and delegating related tasks, just as the meeting was about to wrap up, my secretary tiptoed over to whisper:

“CEO Julian has arrived.”

Before I could react, the doors to the conference room were pushed open.

Though walking with a cane, Julian’s stride was remarkably steady.

Step by step, he advanced toward me.

A gentle smile hung across his features.

“Apologies for interrupting everyone’s meeting.”

“Not at all, we just finished.”

He naturally pulled out a chair and sat down beside me, his sharp gaze sweeping across every face in the room.

“It’s been a long time since I last saw you all. I’ve missed you.”

Julian’s gaze paused briefly on several young, unfamiliar faces before musing aloud: “ Seems a lot of new blood has joined us.”

My fingers clenched involuntarily.

Even though I now stood at the pinnacle of power, facing him still made me feel momentarily inadequate.

“They are all exceptional talents, which is why they were promoted.”

Julian’s gaze toward me remained brimming with familiar indulgence.

“Since they were chosen by you, naturally I’m at ease.”*

Senior Executive Cao was a corporate veteran and Julian’s steadfast confidant from the old days.

He chuckled with practiced diplomacy before swiftly steering the conversation to the core issue.

“Julian has nearly fully recovered now; it looks like the day of his grand return to the company isn’t far off.”

Julian smoothly pivoted the topic: “Clara has shouldered immense hardships managing the company these past few years; without her efforts, I could never have recuperated with peace of mind.”

“Naturally, CEO Clara has indeed worked tremendously hard.”

This time, the speaker belonged to my faction, hitting the nail right on the head.

“Over the past few years, CEO Clara has practically lived and breathed at the office for the sake of projects and partnerships. Her contributions and sacrifices are witnessed by all of us.”

Julian’s eyebrows arched slightly, his expression remaining neutral.

He affectionately reached out to clasp my hand: “You’ve worked hard, my wife. It’s my physical uselessness that forced you to carry such heavy burdens.”

I offered a standard, dignified smile: “We are husband and wife, there’s no need for such polite formalities between us.”

“Indeed, husband and wife share one mind; naturally, we share blessings and weather storms together.”

Another of Julian’s veteran loyalists chimed in, a kindly, affectionate expression on his face: “Come to think of it, CEO Clara’s shoulders carry an impossibly heavy load—not only must she hold down the fort here at Vance, but she also has to juggle the Song Corporation.”

I calmly and composedly replied: “How could the Song Corporation possibly compare to the vast empire of Vance? It’s merely a tiny family business where I muddle along managing minor affairs to get by.”

Julian smiled as he looked at me: “Our Clara has always been brilliantly exceptional like this.”

My expression didn’t waver, but inwardly my mind raced: What is Julian’s true objective with today’s sudden company appearance?

Senior Executive Cao was the eldest present, holding the most formidable presence.

He pressed further: “Julian, Vance is the empire founded by your ancestors; now you are the sole remaining bloodline. Clara has managed it on your behalf for so long, surely you don’t intend to keep letting your wife wear herself out like this forever, do you?”

“Naturally, that won’t do.”

I slightly lowered my gaze; his purpose in returning today had just become crystal clear.

Julian’s eyes flooded with gentleness: “I cannot let my wife shoulder everything alone. Vance is a vast enterprise, and moving forward, we will still rely on everyone’s concerted efforts.”

“As for myself… my recuperation is essentially complete.”*

The solid thud of a walking cane echoed sharply against the marble floor.

Julian shifted the tone of the meeting: “Though I plan to return, there’s no need to rush into things overnight. The specific transition details will be discussed privately with Clara later. But whether veterans or newcomers, our ultimate destination remains singular—to drive this company toward greater heights. United as one, pulling in the same direction, whether it is me or Clara, we will never treat our people unfairly.”

Julian’s remarks were watertight, leaving zero room for anyone to take offense.

Yet the underlying message was unmistakable: The true helmsman of the Vance Corporation was preparing to reclaim his throne.

Once the meeting concluded, Julian followed me back to my office, swept his gaze over the interior arrangement, and teased softly: “Why haven’t you moved back into my office yet?”

Back when I first stepped into the frontlines, I had zero mental bandwidth to fuss over spatial logistics, directly commandeering the empty office adjacent to the CEO’s suite.

Over time, I simply grew accustomed to it and grew too lazy to switch back.

“It’s not like you weren’t coming back.”

“Keeping my office vacant means you can still see things and think of me.”

Julian looked thoroughly pleased with my clever retort.

He pulled me into an embrace, pressing close with a clingy, affectionate pout.

“Why bother looking at inanimate objects when I’ve been waiting for you at home all along.”

Thinking of that troublesome pest named Vivienne, a wave of annoyance rippled through me, though instinctively I preferred keeping private grievances out of the workplace.

Since he was already here…

“When do you plan to officially resume duties? I’ll have someone clean out your office beforehand.”

Julian narrowed his eyes at me: “Don’t you want me to come back?”

“Of course not!”

I lowered my eyes and murmured: “It just feels… a bit sudden.”

“Then take your time, everything will proceed step by step.”

Julian pulled out his phone and made a single call; mere moments later, staff members filed in carrying a lavish spread of packaged gourmet dishes.

“Guessing you didn’t eat properly last night and planned to rush through lunch haphazardly upon arriving at work, I had the private chef prep these ahead of time—all your favorites.”

Recalling yesterday’s unpleasant standoff, I offered a soft response.

“Is your leg holding up?”

“I’m fine.”

He leaned in close to my ear, whispering deliberately: “Do you need to sit on top right now to test whether it affects anything?”

I pushed him away with a glare; this man was getting bolder by the day.

This rare lunch passed in relative peace, both of us tacitly avoiding work-related talk.

Yet deep down, each of us understood clearly that this was merely the calm before the storm.

After finishing, Julian casually flipped through a file resting on my desk.

“The Xingxing project was executed brilliantly; when I met their chairman recently, he couldn’t stop praising you.”

“Then I must thank Teacher Julian for teaching me well. After all, a brilliant master produces exceptional disciples.”

“You’ve always had extraordinary capability. I heard you single-handedly swallowed up old man Li’s conservative faction—as expected, my wife is always fiercely capable.”

I smiled faintly as I looked at him, though dark undercurrents churned wildly in my chest.

The equestrian partnership agreement with Xingxing was supposed to be a strictly confidential private arrangement, executed with maximum discretion—yet Julian was somehow intimately familiar with every single detail.

“Oh right, I noticed several unfamiliar faces in the office today.”

“Two of them are veteran staff who followed me over from the Song Corporation; I’m used to working with them, so I brought them along. The other three came from our marketing, sales, and PR departments—young, but exceptionally capable.”

“Why didn’t I see Leo? I heard he recently successfully bid for the Zhongguan project—that’s a heavyweight real-world achievement.”

I curved my lips into a slight smile; so the trap had been laid right here.

Leo was the childhood friend I grew up with, and historically, my father’s designated candidate for a political marriage.

Indeed, a backup option.

Though Leo was a wealthy scion, unfortunately, he lived in the shadow of an exceptionally brilliant older brother, earning him a persistent reputation for business failures.

Better than nothing—my father’s initial plan was foolproof: if I couldn’t snag a top-tier financial titan, at least the Leo family served as a reliable safety net.

Fully aware of my father’s selfish calculations, Leo and I had fought like cats and dogs before accidentally hitting it off and becoming best friends.

Especially during times of crisis, we mutually exploited each other’s utility to the utmost limit.

Leo’s capability wasn’t bad; he simply lacked the heaven-defying halo possessed by monsters like Julian.

After I assumed leadership of the Vance Corporation, he resolutely defected to my camp, swearing to carve out achievements grand enough to force the old patriarch of the Leo family to look at him with respect.

And he had never let me down.

Over the past few years, the two of us collaborated seamlessly both inside and out—resurrecting the Song Corporation and expanding Vance’s new business ventures, riding out every storm with flying colors.

The Zhongguan project Julian just brought up was precisely the stepping stone I secretly paved for Leo, using the opportunity to forcefully haul him into Vance’s upper echelons.

Now that Julian’s triumphant return was imminent, my plans naturally required immediate adjustment.

“He has always been high-strung and restless. Bringing him into the upper echelons isn’t impossible, but he still needs further tempering.”

I probed carefully: “I’m planning to assign him to manage a subsidiary; the business scope of ShengYue seems quite fitting for him.”

Julian chuckled softly: “Don’t bother. That blockhead is best left in the sales department; don’t go letting him run my subsidiary into the ground.”

My eyebrows knitted together slightly as I attempted to fight for him once more: “Leo has matured significantly over the past three years. Not only did he execute the Zhongguan project brilliantly, but his handling of the previous Zhao family case was also immaculate. After all—”

“Wife!”

Julian cut me off abruptly.

“I don’t want to hear another man’s name spoken from your lips.”*

“He’s merely my subordinate.”

“Right, he is your subordinate.”

I fell silent.

I simply couldn’t fathom Julian’s underlying motives for fixating so obsessively on Leo.

Let alone Leo, even if it were the entire Leo family combined, they probably wouldn’t even warrant a glance from him.

Could it really stem from some petty, absurd jealousy over a near-miss engagement from lifetimes ago?

Julian wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me down to peck my lips with delicate, lingering tenderness.

This was his signature tactic for appeasing me.

Julian understood every sensitive angle of my physical preferences, effortlessly reducing me to a puddle of melting surrender.

I instinctively wanted to respond, but he pulled back right on cue.

“What do you want for dinner tonight? I’ll have the chef prepare it early.”*

Just like that—he never tackled root problems, relying solely on kisses to gloss over friction.

A spark of resentment flared up in my chest, prompting me to snap back: “I’m working overtime tonight.”

A flicker of faint disappointment flashed across the depths of Julian’s eyes, though his lips still curved into a gentle smile.

“Very well, then I won’t disturb you.”

After Julian departed, the lingering unease in my chest refused to dissipate.

Truthfully, I deliberately avoided going home.

First, because that pest named Vivienne severely disrupted my peace of mind;

Second, Julian’s ambiguous, controlling attitude forced me to remain on high alert.

Now that he had officially returned to power, would I truly remain willing to step back into the shadows and return to the Song Corporation to manage that tiny family business?