CHAPTER 4 — THE FATHER WHO WANTED TO TAKE HER HOME
CHAPTER 4 — THE FATHER WHO WANTED TO TAKE HER HOME
The boardroom door slowly closed behind the company's legal adviser.
No one spoke.
Every eye turned toward Amelia.
Just seconds earlier, she had been confidently discussing endangered languages with one of the world's greatest scholars.
Now...
The color had drained from her face.
The CEO noticed immediately.
"You don't look surprised."
Amelia lowered her eyes.
"I'm not."
Professor Novak leaned closer to the camera.
"Are you in danger?"
She hesitated.
"I don't know."
Richard Holloway frowned.
"If that's your father, why wouldn't you simply go downstairs?"
Amelia remained silent.
The silence itself became an answer.
The CEO glanced toward the legal adviser.
"What exactly did he say?"
The attorney opened his notebook.
"He identified himself as Daniel Carter."
"He demanded immediate access to his daughter."
"When security asked him to wait, he became angry."
"He said she had embarrassed the family and that he was taking her home."
Professor Novak's expression darkened.
"Embarrassed?"
The attorney nodded.
"He also insisted that she had no permission to attend today's interview."
The CEO looked back at Amelia.
"Is that true?"
She slowly nodded.
"I never told him."
"Why not?"
"Because he would've said no."
The room fell quiet again.
The CEO pulled out a chair.
"Sit down."
Amelia obeyed.
For the first time since arriving, she looked like an ordinary thirteen-year-old.
Her hands trembled slightly.
The CEO spoke gently.
"You don't have to answer anything you're uncomfortable sharing."
"But we need to understand what's happening."
She stared at the floor for several seconds.
Then she finally spoke.
"My father doesn't believe girls should study languages."
The sentence stunned the room.
"He says they're a waste of time."
"He believes I should leave school as soon as possible and help with the family business."
Professor Novak frowned.
"But you're clearly exceptional."
Amelia gave a sad smile.
"He doesn't think so."
"He says people only need one language."
Richard shifted uncomfortably.
"What about your grandfather?"
Her eyes softened.
"He was the only person who encouraged me."
"He secretly taught me every weekend."
The CEO looked surprised.
"Secretly?"
She nodded.
"My father thought Grandpa was only teaching me history."
"He never knew we spent hours speaking different languages."
Professor Novak slowly closed his eyes.
"So William kept his promise..."
"...even from inside his own family."
Amelia nodded quietly.
"Grandpa always said..."
She smiled through tears.
"'Talent isn't something you're given."
"It's something you're responsible for.'"
Several executives looked away, visibly moved.
The legal adviser interrupted carefully.
"There's something else."
The CEO looked at him.
"What?"
"He isn't alone."
The room tensed.
"There are three other people with him."
"Who are they?"
"One appears to be Amelia's mother."
"The other two are local reporters."
The boardroom erupted.
"Reporters?"
"How did they find out?"
The attorney answered.
"Apparently someone posted a short video online."
One assistant immediately opened a laptop.
Within seconds, dozens of notifications flooded the screen.
The clip had already been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
It showed Amelia speaking multiple languages inside the boardroom.
The comments were pouring in.
"Is this real?"
"She's only thirteen!"
"Someone hire her immediately."
"This has to be fake."
"Where is this company?"
The number of views climbed by the second.
The CEO sighed.
"The internet works faster than we do."
Richard looked uneasy.
"If reporters are downstairs, this could become a media circus."
Professor Novak spoke firmly.
"No."
"This is no longer just a company matter."
He looked directly at the CEO.
"That child represents something much larger."
"A gift like hers deserves protection."
Before anyone could respond, another notification appeared on the screen.
The assistant gasped.
"Oh..."
The CEO looked over.
"What now?"
"The video has been shared by several universities."
"And..."
She hesitated.
"It's also been reposted by the International Linguistics Association."
Professor Novak smiled.
"I know exactly who did that."
He reached for his phone.
"I made one call while you were speaking."
Richard looked confused.
"To whom?"
Professor Novak answered calmly.
"People who recognize genius when they see it."
Almost immediately, another executive's phone rang.
Then another.
Then another.
Emails.
Messages.
Video call requests.
Offers began arriving from around the world.
Internship invitations.
Scholarship inquiries.
Requests for interviews.
Research collaborations.
Every minute, the list grew longer.
The CEO stared in disbelief.
"This can't be happening."
Professor Novak smiled.
"It already is."
At that exact moment, the conference room doors burst open again.
A security supervisor hurried inside.
His usually calm face was tense.
"Sir..."
"The situation downstairs has changed."
"What happened?"
He took a deep breath.
"Mr. Carter is demanding custody of Amelia immediately."
"He says if we refuse..."
The room held its breath.
"...he'll accuse the company of kidnapping a minor in front of every television camera waiting outside."
Amelia slowly closed her eyes.
She had feared this moment all along.
But what none of them knew...
Was that Daniel Carter wasn't really there because of his daughter.
He had just learned about something hidden inside William Carter's will.
May you like
Something worth millions.
And Amelia was the only person who could legally claim it.
