The soft hum of Grace Wu's phone broke the quiet hum of her apartment. She glanced at the screen, her brows knitting slightly at the unfamiliar number.
10:42 PM.
She hesitated for a moment before swiping to answer.
"Grace Wu speaking."
A familiar, clipped voice greeted her.
"Miss Wu, this is Mr. Li's office. Li Jian would like to schedule a board meeting for tomorrow morning at 9 AM. He requests your attendance, alongside Ms. Li."
Grace straightened, pressing the phone closer to her ear. "Tomorrow? I didn't see that on Ms. Li's calendar."
"It wasn't," the assistant replied, sounding just as weary as Grace suddenly felt. "Mr. Li decided this evening. It's last minute."
Of course, it was.
Grace glanced at the clock. Lilly had left the office around seven, after a long day of back-to-back meetings. She hadn't mentioned anything about her father.
"I'll let Ms. Li know," Grace said, her tone even.
"Thank you," the assistant said briskly, already moving to hang up before Grace could ask for more details.
The call ended with a quiet click.
Grace stared at the dark screen for a long moment before setting the phone down beside her groceries.
Li Jian rarely operated on predictable timelines. But unannounced board meetings? That felt deliberate.
The next morning, Grace arrived at Li Holdings early, the office still settling into its morning routine. Emily was already at her desk, sipping from a cup of hot tea as she skimmed over emails.
Emily barely glanced up as Grace walked in, but her eyes flicked to the bag in Grace's hand.
"Board meeting?" Emily guessed, pointing lazily toward Lilly's office.
Grace raised a brow. "You knew?"
Emily let out a quiet huff of amusement, setting her tea aside.
"It's Li Jian. His assistant calls me at least twice a month with last-minute meetings. I usually try to chat with them for his schedule if I can, but half the time, even his own assistant is in the dark."
Grace took a seat beside Emily's desk, crossing her legs as she leaned back slightly. "Is it always like this between them?"
Emily's lips twisted into something between a smile and a grimace.
"Oh, it's worse. Their relationship is… complicated," Emily said with a sigh. "Li Jian loves control, and Lilly hates giving it to him. They butt heads constantly, but somehow, they make it work."
Grace filed that information away carefully.
Li Jian wasn't just Lilly's father—he was the quiet force behind Li Holdings' foundation. In the last timeline, Grace had interacted with him only a handful of times, usually during events where Rocky had dragged her along.
Back then, she'd chalked their tense dynamic up to corporate politics.
But now… she wondered.
"After these meetings, I usually bring her a coffee from the café down the street," Emily continued, stretching her arms above her head. "And a sandwich, if she's in one of her moods."
Grace smirked faintly. "Noted."
Emily cast her a sidelong glance. "You're adapting quickly."
Grace shrugged, adjusting the cuff of her blazer.
"Lilly's straightforward. It's not hard to keep up."
Emily chuckled softly. "For now. Wait until she's deep in a quarterly review. You'll be lucky if she remembers to eat at all."
Grace didn't doubt that.
Before she could respond, the door to Lilly's office opened, and Lilly herself stepped out, phone pressed to her ear as she walked briskly toward them.
Her eyes immediately landed on Grace.
"Boardroom. Five minutes," Lilly said, lowering the phone just enough to issue the instruction before returning to her call. "No, Mr. Zhang, I don't need to revisit last quarter's projections. I need solutions."
Without missing a beat, she disappeared down the hall.
Emily gave Grace a knowing smile.
"She's already in one of her moods. You're going to want that coffee after."
Grace rose, smoothing the front of her jacket.
"I'll handle it," she said lightly, following Lilly's trail down the corridor.
The boardroom was bathed in soft morning light by the time Grace arrived. Li Jian was already seated at the head of the table, his sharp eyes skimming over a set of printed documents.
Lilly stood near the window, arms crossed, her gaze fixed outside as if trying to pretend the meeting wasn't happening.
Grace slipped in quietly, taking the seat beside Lilly without interrupting the heavy silence.
"Good morning, Miss Wu," Li Jian greeted without looking up.
"Mr. Li," Grace replied smoothly.
Lilly's expression barely shifted, though Grace caught the subtle tension in her shoulders.
"What's this about, Dad?" Lilly finally asked, her voice clipped.
Li Jian set down the documents, folding his hands atop them.
"I want an update on Skybound."
Lilly arched a brow, turning from the window. "You could've just called me directly."
Li Jian's gaze sharpened. "I prefer formalities when it comes to projects of this scale."
Grace kept her expression neutral, letting the exchange play out without interjecting.
Li Jian's gaze drifted toward her briefly.
"You've been shadowing Emily, correct?"
Grace inclined her head. "Yes."
"Good," Li Jian said, his tone light but firm. "Then you'll start attending these meetings regularly. I'd like you to keep me informed on the day-to-day handling of Skybound."
Grace's eyes flickered toward Lilly, waiting for her reaction.
Lilly didn't flinch.
"Grace has her hands full managing logistics," Lilly replied smoothly. "I don't see why she needs to be involved in board matters."
Li Jian smiled faintly.
"Consider it a learning opportunity," he said lightly, though his tone left little room for argument.
Lilly met his gaze head-on. "I'll keep her informed."
The air between them shifted, subtle but charged.
Grace remained still, absorbing every unspoken word.
Li Jian's eyes lingered on his daughter for a moment longer before he rose, smoothing down his suit.
"That will be all for now," he said simply, gathering his papers.
Lilly watched him leave without a word, the boardroom settling into silence.
Grace finally exhaled, turning to Lilly.
"Coffee?" Grace offered lightly.
Lilly's lips quirked faintly.
"Make it two shots of espresso," she replied.
Grace smiled, already heading for the door.