Kelly Martin glanced at her phone, seeing five missed calls from her father. She stared at the screen for a moment, her thumb hovering over the “delete” button. She had no intention of calling him back—now or maybe ever. The distance between them had grown into a chasm over the years, and she couldn’t understand how two people could be so similar yet so fundamentally different. Her father, the tech titan, was a man she once admired, but now he was a ghost of the man he used to be, consumed by ambition and control.
Born in Finland as Mikael Koskinen, her father had always been the prodigy, the smartest person in any room, the one everyone predicted would change the world. After immigrating to the United States in the 90s, he met Kelly’s mother and rebranded himself as Arthur Martin. By the early 2000s, he had created a pioneering e-commerce tool that revolutionized the industry, selling it for a fortune. With that money, he founded BrightStar, a space exploration company that quickly rose to prominence, leading innovations in the field. From there, his empire only expanded—launching multiple successful ventures and accumulating vast wealth. But as his fortune grew, so did the distance between him and his family. His eccentric personality became legend, along with his insatiable drive for power and control, leaving little time for his wife or daughter. What Kelly resented most was his obsession with controlling everything around him—including her.
Now, as CEO of BrightStar, his latest fixation was on the vast, resource-rich land owned by GallU. The moment Kelly started her first academic year at the university, it became clear to her that her father’s interest in GallU wasn’t a coincidence. He wanted more than just the land—he wanted to own the institution itself. Selling GallU was never an option for the Gallanti family, but Arthur had a knack for getting what he wanted by any means necessary.
Through endless investigations, bought favors, and his vast network of influence, he’d uncovered a dark secret about Joseph Gallanti, the university’s dean. It turned out Gallanti had fathered a child outside his marriage—a fact that, if exposed, would destroy his reputation, sever his son Peter’s rightful claim to GallU, and tarnish the Gallanti legacy forever.
Armed with this information, Arthur was ready to make his move. But to execute his plan, he needed inside access—and that’s where Kelly, unknowingly, came into play.
At his office in New York, Arthur sat at his expansive desk, the city skyline stretching beyond the glass. He stared out into the distance, formulating his next steps. The intercom buzzed. “Hey, darling, come into my office whenever you can,” he said, his voice calm but calculated. A few moments later, a young woman with bright blue hair entered the room, her sharp eyes betraying her readiness for whatever mission lay ahead. “Yes, Sir? What can I do for you?” Evelyn asked, her tone professional but laced with curiosity. Arthur leaned back, his expression unreadable. “I have a very special mission for you, sweetheart.”
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