Alina Steele was not focused on the wide gallery windows, instead her attention and her passion was directed towards the canvas with the dark gold shine. It was not too late in the afternoon, however the color she was painting in swirls was definitely reflecting her thoughts. For now, the shade of red and blue she is using symbolizes chaos and romance to her. 

She was interrupted when she felt a buzzing sensation, whereby her phone started vibrating on a table - decorated with her art supplies - beside her. At first Alina decided to ignore the buzzing, as she was trying to concentrate; normally at this hour fro. Gosh, I'm trying to concentrate here! My plans for today include relaxing with a glass. However, the buzz persisted. Feeling slightly annoyed, Alaina picked up the rag from her workbench to wipe the paint off her hands and lifted her head to the phone screen where the name Samuel Crowe displayed. He was associated with Nueva Steele Estate. 

That name had not rung a bell in her memory until now. The last time she had heard that name was around the time of the funeral of her father.

She nervously pressed the answer button with the palm of her hand, and said, "Hello?" 

"Miss Steele," started the voice, deep and clipped dry, a little too formal to be soothing, "I hope I am not interrupting you," 

"Depends," she replied, placing herself against the edge of the worktable. "This is regarding what?" 

Again the silence reappeared: the kind that involved her, but she was so sure would not be the end of her.

It was the type of silence that Alina loathed because it hinted that the next bit of information was almost always bad.

"Sam," she said. "What are trying to say? Explain your self." Samuel replied, "Let's meet tomorrow morning Antonio and I will explain everything to you. This has to do with the estate of your late father. Steele Enterprises has manufactured an order for me to provide you with inheritance details. Come to the Steele enterprises HQ tomorrow morning and get me."

"There is nothing left of Steele Enterprises. It is bankrupt," Alina said while she clutched her stomach, that was turning.

"That is… partially true, but that is not… Let me be a bit more specific. There are some debts and some possessions that we would need to attend to. It is vital that you are physically present for this," Samuel decided to reply instead, shifting the topic yet again.

"Debts?! I thought such things were dealt with many years ago, and that is not the case anymore. Then why is this being brought up now?" Alina's sharp voice echoed through the office.

"I can't handle this through a calling," Samuel said smoothly, but Alina could tell he was definitely avoiding her question. "Listen to me I don't want to miss my chance Professor Steele. It is a matter of great importance for me."

Alina was torn at this point. The gallery was barely staying afloat, her bills were piling up, and now this? She certainly did not need another problem. But the image of her father and the sense of responsibility that she had started feeling for him invoked a sense of curiosity in her.

"Alright, I will be there at 10," Alina said and hung up.

Alina was no more able to ignore Samuel and for the rest of the time, all she could think of was him.

Alina put her foot in the eye-catching Steele Enterprises premise the next morning where she was awestruck in her teenage years. The huge marble lobby of Steele Enterprises, a place she hadn't visited since she was a teenager. The grandeur of it—towering columns, polished floors, and a massive chandelier—felt like a cruel mockery of the company's reality.

Samuel Crowe was attending an important business meeting with a few investors in a conference room with glass walls on the highest floor of the building. Sitting across from him was Alina Steele, who had entered the room to meet him, accompanied by a receptionist.

His salt and pepper hair conditioned with a certain level of authority, he stood up and offered her a handshake saying: 

"Miss Steele, thank you for coming."

Alina's hand clasped his for a brief moment before she spoke, "Let's skip the pleasantries. What's going on?"

Samuel motioned for Alina to take a seat and said, "There are two things you ought to know. First, your father left behind a trust which was to come in effect once a certain legal matter closed, which happened just last week." 

Alina was taken aback, "But his assets were seized? What trust?"

A frown formed on Samuel's face as he spoke, "This is a shareholding contract with Steele Holdings and Enterprises, which I have for you right here, lets you take over Steele Enterprises." 

Her heart sank "What?" 

"Steele Enterprises has considerable debts that need to be paid off, wow then we will go into further details." 

Ignoring their exchanges, Samuel pushed forward in grabbing their attention again "However, there is an investment opportunity that came up whenever there was a partnership being offered."

Amidst the drumming in her ears, Alina struggled to grasp the notion of it, this wasn't part of the plan, was it? It was more like being set in a trap

"Wait a second," she said, holding up a hand. "I don't know the first thing about running a corporation. Why would my father leave this to me?"

Samuel's expression softened, just slightly. "Perhaps he believed in your ability to rise to the challenge. Or perhaps… he had no other choice."

Before Alina could respond, the door opened, and a man walked in.

It wasn't just the sound of his steps that caught her attention—it was the way the air in the room seemed to shift to a quiet intensity. He moved with purpose, his footsteps were easy yet deliberate, as if he owned not just the room but the entire building.

He seemed tall, with broad shoulders that looked firm and a presence that demanded attention. He was wearing a navy blue suit, that was tailored to perfection, the platinum watch on his wrist screamed wealth, the type that wasn't loud. His face was well chiseled with high cheekbones, and his lips looked firm yet dinky.

But it was his eyes that truly unnerved her. Steel-gray, cold and calculating, they scanned her with the precision of a predator assessing its prey.

Samuel cleared his throat, standing up from his chair. "Ah, Mr. Crowe. Thank you for joining us."

Alina blinked, looking confusely at both of them. "Crowe?"

The man's gaze was on her for what felt like eternity before he stretched out a hand "Damian Crowe," he said, his voice deep and unhurried, "CEO of Crowe Innovations."