Kawin’s luxurious car moved into the vast expanse of the estate. The enormous wrought-iron gate swung open to receive him. The car traversed the winding drive until it reached the front of the house, where he immediately stepped out and tossed the keys to the butler who had rushed out to meet him.

As he entered the house, his broad back looked majestic and charming, like a wealthy gentleman complete in every aspect. He strode in confidently while a maid, knowing her role, took his bag and suit jacket. Immediately upon entering, he was presented with a glass of cool water and a small chilled towel. Kawin drank the water thirstily, then used the cool cloth to wipe his damp neck before placing it on the maid’s waiting tray.

He then stepped into the wide hall, which was as opulent as a royal palace. The ceilings were towering, the floors were cool marble, and every piece of décor spoke of immense wealth.

He slowly climbed the high, carved marble staircase to the second floor, weary from his day’s work. At the top of the stairs, a slender woman in a long, form-fitting black dress that reached below her knees, wearing high heels, stood waiting for him. She opened her arms wide, as if ready to embrace him.

Kawin met the woman’s gaze with a slight smile, then quickly ran up the stairs to embrace the beautiful, elegant, and uncompromising woman who was his biological mother.

“How was your first day at work, my son?” she asked, lifting a hand to stroke her son’s raven black hair as he pulled away.

He met the eyes of Nareenart Pattanagooltass, the queen of the house, who remained stunningly beautiful and youthful. Nareenart was known in high society as the “Eternal Beauty,” and wherever she appeared, she was scrutinized for the secrets to her ageless charm.

However, her background was not from any noble lineage; in the past, she was merely a coordinator who lived paycheck to paycheck, with street vendor parents. She was fortunate enough to meet Pichet Pattanagooltass, the renowned millionaire, during a work assignment. Their love story unfolded like a novel, where the man who had everything was defeated by the kindness of a filial woman who struggled for her parents. They eventually married, a class-crossing romance that became front-page news for weeks. After that, Nareenart entered society and began living a luxurious life, spending money like it was scrap paper, completely forgetting where she had come from.

“It’s confining, I’ll admit,” Kawin replied in a soft, low voice. “But I’m truly not confident that I can manage everything in Father’s place.”

His face, which looked like that of a soap opera hero right now, was filled with worry. He remained deeply troubled by the sudden sequence of events that had befallen his father.

In the very instant he received the call from his mother about the news—that his father had fallen down a high staircase and suffered such a severe brain injury that he was now mentally incapacitated, believing himself to be a child—that event was the reason Kawin was forced to urgently take over, before the board members could vote for a new executive.

“I believes of you, and will do it extremely well,” Nareenart said, giving a captivating smile. She raised her hand to affectionately stroke her son’s hair.

“I didn’t graduate with a management degree. This is not my area of expertise at all. If you asked me to oversee design work, I would be much more comfortable,” Kawin stated. As a foreign-educated student with a background in arts and design, he had never shown the slightest interest in business. His life revolved around free expression and the natural world; everything was designed from imagination, completely unconcerned with money or the image of an executive.

“Be patient, Kawin. I don’t know when Father will recover. Right now, to prevent our interests from falling into the hands of those vultures and crows, you must endure,” Nareenart consoled her son, meeting his gaze with encouragement.

“I don’t know how to act. I’m still confused by everything. How could Father suddenly become like that?” Kawin began to question the strange, unforeseen events. The people surrounding him were all opportunists, ready to snatch benefits like vultures, including his father’s relatives who held a quarter of the company’s shares. He also harbored suspicion that this accident might not be a mere coincidence, as everyone assumed.

“I feels guilty that I wasn’t there to look after him that day,” Nareenart said, her expression falling sorrowful as she spoke of the past.

Kawin reached out and squeezed his mother’s trembling hand. “Mom, don’t blame yourself. Everything was beyond expectation.” He looked at Nareenart’s troubled face with understanding.

“He falling and ending up like this... it’s incredibly hard to believe. If they say dad simply tripped, I’m hesitant to believe it. But if someone intended to...” Kawin speculated, his face etched with confusion.

Nareenart quickly raised a hand to cover her son’s mouth before he could voice such an inappropriate thought. “Kawin, don’t speak of this yet. I don’t want anyone to hear.” she whispered, gazing at her son, who met her eyes as if to ask, ’You think the same, don’t you?’

“When something like this happens, I can’t help but think. mom, you must be careful too,” Kawin urged with a serious expression, his eyes sweeping around the room as if he feared being overheard.

Nareenart nodded slowly in acknowledgment.

“You must be careful too, my son,” she said in a low voice, placing her hand on her son’s shoulder, as if emphasizing a warning about the dangers surrounding him.

“Yes, Mom,” Kawin replied firmly.

“Is Dad asleep now?” The young man looked up at the large, closed bedroom door on the second floor, amidst the deep silence of the house.

Nareenart nodded. “Yes. I just came out of his room. Are you hungry, Win?”

Kawin nodded, rubbing his stomach. “I am, Mom.”

“I’ll have the maid prepare something for you,” his mother offered worriedly.

But Kawin quickly declined. “It’s alright. I actually have plans to eat out with Nicha.”

“Nicha? Pradit ’s daughter?” Nareenart repeated the name.

Pradit Tertlah was Pichet’s close friend, a pioneering shareholder, and a key board member of the company. He was considered a highly respectable and exceptionally intelligent elder. After Pichet was no longer able to manage the company, Pradit had quickly pulled Kawin back to Thailand to prepare him to deal with the power-hungry board members.

“Yes, that’s right. Nicha works in Human Resources. I ran into her and made plans to have dinner this evening.”

“Oh, alright. Drive safely, dear,” Nareenart said, gently stroking her son’s arm.

Kawin leaned down and kissed his mother on the cheek, his face holding his characteristic mix of playfulness and seriousness.

“I will, Mom.”

The restaurant was decorated with soft wood in earth tones that created a warm and natural feeling. Small green plants adorned the various corners, making the atmosphere fresh and lively. It was a fusion restaurant, bustling with people in the evening. The sound of conversation and soft background music created a relaxed setting, perfect for unwinding after a long day of work.

“Coming to eat with Nicha, I hope you’re not making your other girls jealous,” a sweet, pleasant voice chimed in as the waiter served coffee onto the table.

The slender woman in thick-rimmed glasses and a blue dress, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, turned to engage with Kawin, who winked at her with a mix of playfulness and sincerity, clearly in good spirits.

“You, Nicha, are an exception,” he said. He was referring to Nicha Tertlah, a close childhood friend who was now a department head at the same company and, critically, the daughter of Pradit, his father’s trusted friend and an elder he deeply respected.

“I bet you’re feeling completely unfamiliar with the new position, kawin,” the thin-faced woman in glasses said, pressing her thin lips together slightly, recalling his demeanor amidst the company employees the day before.

“Of course. I’m completely unaccustomed to it. But it’s a relief to have the Head of HR like you, Nic, to offer advice.”

“I suppose I must accept such a compliment,” Nicha replied with a wide smile.

However, Kawin’s smile faded as he thought of the challenges ahead. The image of the two-faced executives who spoke kindly to him in the meeting was nothing but an illusion. Behind the scenes was a rot ready to stab him in the back at any opportunity.

“But it is suffocating, having to wear a smiling mask for those selfish people. Even though I know they are ready to ambush us at any moment, I still have to speak politely to them. It feels awful, somehow.” The CEO, who cherished honesty, said, leaning back against the chair exhausted.

Nicha sighed and lifted a finger to adjust her glasses slightly.

“You must be patient, Kawin. Being the highest executive is like wearing a mask; you have to bear a heavier burden than anyone else.”

“Let me tell you, I never intended to take over Father’s work. Why should I have to do something so exhausting and out of my depth, and still have to be nice to people who never wish us well?” He had never understood two-faced businessmen. He had always tried to avoid taking over his father’s management role, but unforeseen circumstances had forced him to return and deal with dangerous vested interests and a group of people ready to unseat him at any moment.

“No one wanted that to happen to your dad. Right now, you is the only person who can take care of all of Pichet’s responsibilities. You know that if it wasn’t you, that ‘someone’ would take the position instead, and they’ve probably been waiting for this chance for a long time.” Nicha stated cautiously, knowing that her father had pulled Kawin back to Thailand to protect the company from ill-intentioned people.

“The more this happens, the more I want to beat that person. And I will expose whoever caused this mess and make them fly out of the company!” Kawin began to get frustrated, thinking of the hidden motivations of those who were waiting to profit from his father’s condition.

Nicha glanced around the restaurant before leaning closer.

“You’re thinking that your father didn’t actually suffer an accident on his own, aren’t you?” Nicha asked, lowering her voice slightly, glancing at CEO over the thick-rimmed glasses that had slipped down her nose.

Kawin nodded instantly. “I’m certain that Father is not the type of person to be careless. Someone must have wanted this to happen.”

“If that’s really the case, Kawin, you need to be careful too. It feels like something is very wrong,” the woman whispered, not wanting this matter to reach the ears of others, as ill-intentioned people might be lurking nearby.

Kawin nodded once, quickly glancing around before rapidly changing the subject. “Hey, Nic… I need your help with something.”

“Oh? What is it?” Nicha pushed her glasses up, meeting the gaze of the charming man. However, his eyes couldn’t make her heart flutter like they did for other women, as that look only held the meaning of close friendship.

“Do you have the company’s employee database?” Kawin narrowed his eyes slightly to gather his thoughts; the image of the Ganny in his mind.

“Yes, I do,” Nicha replied.

“And can I view it online?” He held up his mobile phone to show her.

“Yes, you can. I can view it right here on my phone. The data link is exclusively for department heads. This newly written program is the best in the Human Resources department,” Nicha boasted about the modern, high-security HR database system. Only department heads had online access to the information.

“Perfect. Could you look up the phone number of one employee for me?” Kawin moved forward and winked at the woman in glasses, who raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

“Who is it?” the Head of HR asked.

Kawin leaned forward, clicking his tongue playfully. He had now figured out how to collect the debt of gratitude from that young accountant. It wasn’t because he was infatuated or even interested; rather, he saw a path—he needed someone to investigate the company’s complicated affairs, and this accountant offered the perfect opportunity. He intended to make her the center of his entire plan.