Rain pattered down on the black umbrella surface, as if the sky was also whimpering for the funeral. In the cemetery, people wearing black formal dresses stood in a circle in silence, with lowered eyes and pursed lips seeming to speak of sadness. However, Serena Vos stood at the front of the crowd, her gaze cold as ice, scanning every face. She knew that there weren't many sincere mourners of her father here - more wolves, sniffing for blood and waiting to rip off the next piece of meat.
Her father, Arthur Voss, founder of the Voss Group, creator of a business empire, had died of a heart attack just three days ago.The Voss Group, a multi-billion-dollar behemoth spanning technology and real estate, had been in the family for generations. Now, the behemoth had lost its master, and those who coveted the throne had long been unable to hold on to it.
Serena looked slightly sideways at her uncle, Richard Voss, not far away. His head was bowed, the handkerchief in his hand wiping away non-existent tears, but an imperceptible smile hid in the corners of his mouth. Richard was his father's younger brother, the vice chairman of the group, ambitious but always suppressed by his father. Now, he had obviously begun to calculate how to squeeze her"niece" out of the game.
Farther away, her cousin, Oscar Worth, is talking in hushed tones with some strangers in suits. Oscar was her stepmother's son, three years younger than her, but a restless fellow. He was in charge of overseas business in the group, but lately he had been in frequent contact with outside investors, and rumor had it that he had secretly pulled together a group of shareholders. Serena sneered, this younger brother was never a saving grace.
Then there are the neutrals - a few old foxes in the board of directors, on the surface mourning the death of their father, but privately watching the wind, ready to defect to the side with the best chance of winning.The power map of the Voss Group is like a giant chessboard, and the death of their father has made every piece of the chessboard move with fervor.
The priest's prayer ended and the crowd began to disperse. Serena stood up straight, her long black trench coat outlined her tall figure, her long chestnut hair was wet with a few strands of rainwater, plastered to her pale cheeks, further accentuating her gray-green eyes that were as cold as frost. She was her father's eldest daughter, her birth mother had died shortly after her birth due to illness, and after her father remarried, she was sent to boarding school abroad and did not return home until she graduated from college. She knew that the people in her family never took her seriously - how could an"outsider girl" possibly compete with the men who were deeply entrenched in the group?
But they were wrong. Yesterday, the lawyer read out her father's will: Serena Voss, the sole heir to the Voss Group, was named CEO. The shares in her hand and the trust fund left by her father were enough to give her an absolute voice on the board. The entire family exploded when the news broke.
"Serena." A shrill voice interrupted her thoughts.
She turned around to see her stepmother, Erin Worth, standing not far away, holding a red umbrella with a false smile on her face. Irene was dressed in an expensive black gown and her makeup was too delicate to look like she had just seen off her husband. Behind her, Oscar leaned lazily against a black sedan, an unlit cigarette in his hand and his eyes looking provocatively at Serena.
"It's not good to walk back alone in this rain." Erin took a few steps closer, a bit of fake concern in her tone,"Let Oscar and I give you a ride, and talk about the company on the way. You've just returned home, so you're not familiar with the group, are you?"
Serena stopped in her tracks and smiled slightly,"Thank you for your kind offer, Erin. But I have my own car." She paused, her gaze sweeping to Oscar,"As for the company, I'm more familiar with it than you might think. After all, Father's will made that clear."
Erin's face froze for a moment, then her smile returned."A will? Oh, that's just a formality. As you know, the group isn't in the hands of one person. Those old guys in the board of directors won't easily let a maiden sit in that position."
"Is that so?" Serena stepped forward, her aura suddenly pressing over, even the sound of the rain seemed to be covered by her voice,"Then we'll see if they listen to father or you."
Oscar finally opened his mouth, his voice lazy but barbed,"Don't get too cocky, sister. The waters of the group are deep, and you can't play with them as a little girl."
Serena turned her head to look at him, a cold glint flashing under her eyes."Oscar, I advise you to light the cigarette in your mouth, at least it will cover your useless flavor."
After saying that, she stopped paying attention to the two men and turned towards her car. The black Bentley waited silently in the rain, the driver having long since pulled the door open for her. Just as she was about to get into the car, Erin's voice sounded again with a hint of gloom,"Serena, this is just the beginning. You're going to regret this."
Serena stopped in her tracks and looked back at her, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly,"Regret? I've never recognized those two words."
The moment the car door closed, the rain slammed against the window with a dull thud. Serena leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, her fingers gently tapping her knees. The first act of the power struggle had been drawn, and she, for one, would be the king of the game.