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n'Will the other men be willing to work with you?'

nThese words echoed in Yvonne's ears after her father had completed what he had to say about her dream.

nThe little girl recalled how her tutor had also said very similar words when she had stated her desire to start a business of her own.

n'Why should the other men be bothered about this? Wouldn't it be enough if they earn money through the business? What does my gender have anything to do with this?' Yvonne grumbled at their way of thinking.

nThen, pausing for a moment new complaints arose in her mind.

n'Why should I be bothered about what they might think? This is my decision to start a business so why do their opinions even matter here?' She groaned as this was her issue with the people here.

nWhy couldn't they just mind their own business instead of trying to block someone else's path just because their gender differed from their own.

nIndignation and anger for this injustice were brimming in the little girl's heart and the same emotions were noticeable on her face as her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed.

nHoward had seen many sides of his little sister.

nHer evil side, her mischievous side, her adorable side, and recently her hard-working side.

nHowever, he had never seen this side of her that was expressing her anger so openly for him to detect.

nIf the young boy could detect it, it was clear that even the father, a more experienced man, had also observed this change in her.

n'Vonna was miffed but never angry at anything before.' He speculated that she was truly angered this time.

nBut he did not know what was it that was infuriating her to the point where it was visible to them as well.

nThe little girl who was seething in anger at the people of this Kingdom who liked to meddle in the matters of other people was eerily silent.

nThere were numerous thoughts in her mind, denouncing this way of thinking that was still prevalent among the people yet there was nothing she could do to change it right now.

n'What's the use of getting mad at them when there is no way that my opinions would change how they behave?' She slumped her shoulders in dejection along with a loud sigh that left her lips.

nShe was only a child and there was not much she could do to make a difference right now.

nEven if she wished to change anything about the way the people here thought, there would be no one who would be willing to listen to her due to her young age.

nThis thought only weakened her spirit as she hung her head lower than before.

nThe father and son watched as her shoulders drooped and she seemed to be lost in thoughts.

nThey shared a look of concern for the little girl whose usual fighting spirit had suddenly disappeared.

n'Was I too harsh with my words earlier?' Rutherford wondered while thinking of how to placate his child who appeared to have lost an inner battle with her thoughts.

nOn the other hand, Howard was worried about his sister who looked dispirited right now.

nJust as the father was about to speak a few words of consolation to help cheer her up, he saw the same little girl looking up at him with her eyes sparkling with vivid energy.

nOnce again her demeanor had changed which caused them to stop and stare at her.

nA few seconds ago, Yvonne was feeling dejected that she did not have the power to change anything in this world which ran by the words of a few powerful men.

nHer existence and her words only held meaning inside the St. Claire estate because her father and other family members valued and loved her.

nHowever, the same could not be said for the people who were not included in that list.

nThey had no reason to show any preferential treatment towards her and hence there was no way that she could make them change their minds.

nHer dejection was valid and she was also feeling low that she would not be able to do anything to changete this fact.

nHowever, that changed when she recalled something from her past.

n{The river cuts through a rock not because of its strength but because of its persistence.}

nThese words her Grandpa Leo had once taught her when she was on the verge of giving up on her training after feeling that she could not do it any longer.

nIt was true that her Grandpa was ruthless when it came to training her but he was also a guiding light to her path on her dark days.

nAs she grew older, she had kept those words deep inside her heart and that was how she had managed to become the respected CEO of the St. Claire Group of Industries until her younger brother was ready to take over the reins from her.

nIt was not easy at first as she had to prove that she was the best option to the board of directors who refused to let a young lady sit on the seat of the most powerful person in the company.

nHowever, her hard work, persistence, and her excellent decisions to improve the company's status had changed their minds.

nShe proved her worth to everyone in the company and won their acceptance and even loyalty in the long run.

nThinking of her past endeavors, Yvonne was invigorated which wiped away the dejection and self-pity she had been drowning herself in until now.

n'So what if they do not accept women as business owners now?' She scoffed with her head still lowered which hid her expressions from the other two in the room who were under the impression that she was sad.

nAfter recalling her Grandpa's words, the little girl decided that she would prove to these chauvinistic men in this Kingdom that women could also run businesses if they put their minds to it.

nThey could also stand tall on their own two feet, independent and proud of being financially secure.

n'And the first step to achieve that is… I need to convince my father that I can start my own business!' This was when she finally looked up with enthusiasm clear to be seen in her eyes.

nThe knobs in her mind were whirring to figure out a solution to her current dilemma which could be the beginning of something new in the history of this entire Kingdom.

nIt did not take long for her to find what she had been looking for and when she did, her eyes glimmered and a subtle smirk appeared on her face as she looked at her father.

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"What if there was a way for me to start my business and also not let the other men know of my involvement in it?

" She muttered her thoughts out loud while rubbing her chin in further contemplation.

n'Well, that's only the temporary solution to my problems.' She reminded herself as there were a lot of aspects that she needed to consider in this plan.

nHer momentary lapse of emotions had cleared her mind, giving her the ability to look at her problems with a fresh perspective.

nWhen Rutherford heard what she had to say, he frowned as this was something out of the ordinary.

n'But then again… When has Vonna ever done something that was ordinary?' He sighed as his daughter truly was a unique one.

nRubbing his chin, the father pondered on what she had just said.

nJust like when she had helped the King with the policies all while remaining anonymous to stay away from the prying eye of the nobles, if she could achieve this then he would not have a problem with supporting her ideas.

nHe could not deny that her mind worked in ways that his mind did not.

nShe had such new and innovative ideas that often shocked him and also made him proud that she was his child.

nHowever, this was not enough to appease the worried father in him who feared for his children's safety.

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"How so?

" He inquired as he needed a proper explanation before he could accept her idea.

nYvonne nodded her head as she had already thought of an answer to this query.

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"A stand-in.

" She disclosed what she had planned a while ago.

nHoward and Rutherford looked at her with confusion laced in their eyes, wanting to hear more about how she would defend her case.

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