Rain needled the sea of black umbrellas crowding the cemetery, a perfect, gloomy mirror for the day. Elena stood beside Lucas, feeling the pressure of the press cameras like a physical weight. He was delivering his eulogy his voice steady, posture perfect the polished heir. Her gaze drifted through the crowd, past the grim faces of the board members, and caught on a single splash of wrongness. Arthur Blackwood's adopted daughter, Evelyn, stood apart from others at the funeral. Her head was bent, not in grief, but over her phone.
The screen's light painted her smiling face in the afternoon gloom. She was different from all the other family members, from her smile to her behaviour. ' But why do I feel like I have seen her before,' she thought. Her eyes stuck on Evelyn, trying to solve the confusion in her own head. Lucas ends his eulogy and heads to answer a few questions from the press, his hands trembling as he gets closer to the press, Elena senses fear and moves forward to comfort him. 'When will you be publicly announced as the successor of Blackwood Global,' asked the reporter. ' 'It would be made known after the will reading', Lucas says. Elena grabs Lucas and heads for the tinted black BMW which they entered.
'You did well out there,' Elena said, squeezing his cold hand. 'Only because you were with me,' Lucas murmured, his breath warm against her cheek as he leaned in. Elena placed a gentle finger on his lips. 'The driver,' she whispered. The privacy glass was up, but old habits and Blackwood rules died hard. Lucas relaxes back, frees up his tie, pulls out his phone, scrolls through the Blackwood's media platform. His face ice cold, despite the cool air coming from the air con, drops of sweat fall from his face as he saw a bold article heading,
†Who is the successor of Arthur Blackwood's empire †.
Images of Evelyn pops almost immediately. Face red hot, his blood boiling,'I won't let this happen, No!,' he thought. Elena confused by his sudden uneasy behaviour, 'what's wrong, Lucas,' she asked. He ignored her question, his eyes glued to the phone screen, fist clenched. For a moment, She could see the man underneath the polished heir, she sensed his anger. Her hands touched his clenched fist saying, ' let's talk at home before the will reading,' she said.
★★★★Blackwood's mansion★★★★
The Blackwood's mansion is filled with thick wall hiding secrets of everyone who leaves in it, the atmosphere of the house is strange, cleaners and workers have no expression on their faces. It reflects power money and no real connection between family members, Arthur was ruthless, cared more about loyalty than blood. He goals were money and striking deals than building family bonds which caused problems with his wife leading to a divorce. After the divorce, Arthur sent fourteen year old Lucas to a boarding school not caring about him emotionally, When Lucas finally graduate college, he comes back home with Elena hoping to impress his father just to find his father with a daughter he claims to adopt.
★
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
The Blackwood library smelled of old leather, well polished wood and rains licked stone. The silence was a living thing and watchful. Lucas stood at at the floor to ceiling window, his back to the room watching the storm lash out on the manicured garden his dad had cultivated with more love than his family. Elena walks in closing the heavy oak door behind her, soft click of the door sounding like a gunshot in the quiet.
'Lucas', she said her voice gentle and calm.
He didn't turn just staring at the rain drops slipping down the vast window. She crosses over the soft but elegant rug and the well polished table, 'what's going on in your head,' she asks as she places her left hand on his shoulder, rubbing her palm on his black classy black suit. He turns bowing head, 'Have the board member arrived', Elena struggles to understand the man in front of her. 'Lucas!'
She says this time sharp and demanding.
Still faced down, ' I can feel them watching me, Elena,' Lucas shivering.
Elena for the first time saw a different side in Lucas, a fourteen year old, abandoned, scared and lonely. He takes a step forward leaning his head on her shoulder, 'The old man has been playing me mentally even after his death', he says uneasy pulling Elena closer to him, wrapping his hand around her.
'I'm with you, forever,' she whispers to his ear. She continues, 'you matter, with or without Blackwood Global, I will have your back no matter what', Elena says rubbing her palm on his back, Lucas takes a deep breath, letting go of all his worries.
The mask of Lucas Blackwood, heir and predator slides back into place as he calmly let's go Elena, ' let's go take what's mine, love,' he says grabbing on to her warm hands.
Meanwhile, downstairs the board members were seated on pure leather chairs, silence spoke calmly, Victor who heads the board, a tall, calm man around his early 60s, legs jitter, clicks ball pen often, his mind were not in the Blackwood's Mansion but on cloud nine. 'Lucas will be the successor, of course Arthur can't possibly jump his biological son and give it to.....', disrupted by a laughter that brought shiver to his spine.
Evelyn skipping through the hallway, her eyes beams and her smile naive, she stops and walks into the living room drawing the attention of everyone. 'can I take a picture with you all', she says looking straight into victors eyes. She was sending a message to his thoughts, for a moment Victor sensed danger, 'she's taking it all', he thought staring at his worst nightmare. Maxwell, another member, around the Same age with Victor smiles at Evelyn, he felt Arthur's presence just by looking at the smile on her face. 'Not an appropriate time for a picture, don't you think, he said looking at her in disbelief, 'she took all of Arthur's trait, is a shame she won't inherit anything', he thought. 'Bummer, see you later, oldies', Evelyn says heading upstairs as her naive smile slowing leaves her face.
Lucas and Evelyn heads downstairs holding hands, Evelyn pulls up her phone, 'click' she took a selfie, 'You two look good together, #Blackwood's dream couple', she said smiling at the picture as she leaves. Elena eyes gazed on Evelyn smile, a sudden remembrance of the smile she had Earlier that day. 'Elena is too pretty for you, Lucas', Evelyn says heading upstairs.
Lucas ignore Evelyn statement focusing all his attention on the board members, 'shall we head upstairs', he says letting go of Elena grip. As they all head upstairs, Marcus Thorn, Arthur most trusted friend and lawyer, walks into the mansion with nothing but a black corporate folder, He smiles quietly as he heads upstairs knowing fully well his about to detonate a bomb.
The library becomes dead silent, shadows of the big oak tree reflects through the vast window, Lucas lips curled, anxious for the content of the will. Elena seated next him pats him gently, Marcus finally decides to open the folder when Evelyn walks right in, wearing a black fitted suit and her hair tied into a bun,
'Looks like everyone forgot I existed,' she says with a serious face, 'Of course, I am not needed, my name would not be mentioned in the will', she says heading out of the library. 'Be seated Evelyn, Am sure Arthur would want you present today', Marcus says pointing at the chair close to Elena, 'yay! I almost felt betrayed by my homies', she said heading for the chair, Elena gaze made Evelyn pause, flashes of light, spinning wheel, her head aches the more she tried to stop it the more the imagery appears. 'Don't let go!!!!,' the voices in her head echoes. Evelyn! Evelyn!! Evelyn!!!, Lucas yells, 'stop!!', she yells breathing heavily, her brain stopped spinning, she could see everyone clearly, 'Are you okay?', Elena asked with a calm voice, Evelyn inhales, smiles and then says, ' I'm good, caught a little cold,' she says sitting down, controlling her shaking arm, 'begin the will reading, My bed's calling me,' Evelyn sliding her naive face back in. 'No amount of pain will stop me from ruling the top and underworlds', she said looking straight into Marcus eyes, it was a signal, drop the bomb.
' Now that everyone is here, I shall read the will,'I, Arthur Donovan Blackwood, being of sound mind, do hereby bequeath the entirety of my controlling interest in Blackwood Global, all subsidiary holdings, and my majority seat on the board of directors....'
To my daughter Evelyn.
Silence swept in, lightning struck, Lucas faced turned red hot, 'how could that thing take my place, what did he see in her', he said jumping up from his chair. ' I am his blood for goodness sake', he voice broken.
Elena gets up, confused grabs Lucas by the arm, Lucas frees himself, 'she not even of age or the dad loose his fucking mi...', he was interrupted. 'Enough!!!! You don't talk about the deceased like that, Lucas', Evelyn says getting up from her chair, shivering , the headaches are becoming unbearable. 'Marcus something must be wrong with that will, I can't be his successor, that's crazy,' she says. 'Nothing is wrong with the content of the will, you will take the chair as his successor making you break the world record,#youngest chairlady, Arthur's words.
He says shutting the folder, 'you will be publicly made known two days from now, I trust the board members will prepare you for it', he says looking at the board members nod their head in disbelief.
Lucas walks out angry, shattered, Elena runs after him, 'Lucas! Lucas!!, she yells.
'Don't follow me, I not in the mood to listen to you',he says grabbing his car keys from a well polished table, 'where are you going, Lucas?', Elena asked disturb but he gave no reply but a cold gesture pushing her away.
The board members heads home, leaving Marcus and Evelyn alone in the library, the oddly shaped oak tree reflects through the vast window covering part of Evelyn face.
'Phase one complete,'she says switching on her tablet. 'Lucas, most be heartbroken, crying his eyes out in bar', she says scrolling through social media, her eyes set on the heading article, †who will be the successor of Arthur Blackwood empire †. A calm but disturbing smile slides onto Evelyn face, ' All I had to do was start a little fire, and watch some people burn', she clicks a few times on her screen. 'Uploaded', she says handing over the tablet to Marcus, who reads the headline, †Arthur's adopted daughter takes it all †
'Nicely done, Evelyn or should I say my queen', he says bowing his head, 'Poor Lucas,' she giggles.
★★★★★later that night★★★★★.
The library dark, calm and silence, Elena walks right in wearing her pink night gown, shutting the heavy oak door behind her. ' I wonder why my head's spinning, worst of all Lucas is not still home', she says switching on the chandelier, 'The weather is getting worst', she says looking through the vast window.
Evelyn walks right in scrolling through her tablet, 'I really can't wait for this to make the headlines, Ma.....', she spots Elena by the floor to ceiling window. 'M.....Margret, can't wait for my tiktok video to go viral', She says with a naive little voice. Elena turns her back and sees Evelyn, 'well bye, now', Evelyn says as she hangs the call. She pulls down her headset, ' Hey Elena', Evelyn says sitting on the well polished leather chair scrolling through her phone. Elena smiles and heads to the chair close to her and sits, 'you are not the type to be up so late', Elena says staring at her face. 'Is that so, so you been watching my every move,' Evelyn says with a rather harsh tone still scrolling through her tablet,
'Is good to see you have my back,' Evelyn she says dropping her tablet besides her smiling.
Elena smiles back, ' you couldn't sleep either?', she asked. 'Likee, the weather is so annoying, and the lightning noises are even more annoying,' Evelyn says put at the storm through the window, 'you?' Evelyn asked.
'I... What?' Elena asked confused. 'Seriously... I mean why can't you sleep?', Evelyn asked. ' The storm is really loud and scary plus Lucas is not back home yet,' she says playing with her bracelet. 'OMG, the fool ain't back....I mean where at thou Lucas, she says rubbing her two palms together innocently. ' he will be back home soon', Evelyn says trying to comfort her. 'In the mean time you have me!!', she says jumping up from the chair, 'let's go to my room', Evelyn says grabbing Elena by the arm.
' Calm down Evelyn, you might fa.....allll!!,' Elena yells as Evelyn runs pulling her by the arm.
'Here we are, my own hidden walls', Evelyn says as she pushes the door open. The room decorated beautifully, dazzle posters were hung up, the book shelves were filled with personality building books, motivational books and arts of Entrepreneurship books. Elena walks right in observing the room, 'Nothing out of the ordinary,' she thought. She walks down to the book shelves going through the books, 'looks like you love mind building books', Elena says. Evelyn ignores the question and walks right in to her closet, changes into her night wear, while Evelyn scans the room of the girl she finds interesting, her bed, reading table and the book shelves, 'Everything is normal', she thought to her self when she notice a shift in the painting of Arthur in the room. She heads towards it when Evelyn walks out of the closet, ' sorry I took too long,' Evelyn says heading to her bed when she noticed the odd way the painting was slanting and she adjusts it, ' I really get tired of this painting slanting out of position,' she says smiling.
'Time for some girls talk', Evelyn says grabbing Elena to her bed, 'what should we talk about?', Elena asked. 'You', Evelyn replies as if waiting for the question to be asked. 'Okay, My name Elena,' she says smiling, looking into Evelyn eyes, 'she has the same pretty eyes as her', Elena thought to her self.
'Everyone knows that, what's your full name,do you have any siblings, how did you and that fo....brother of mine meet', Evelyn says relaxing her back interested in hearing the answers. 'Hmmm.....were should I begin, my name is Elena Bridges, I had a little sister but she dead in a car accident and the last question is for any day', Elena says relaxing her back on the bed, both facing the ceiling.
' Come on, I was really rooting for the last question,' Evelyn says disappointed. 'What was your sister's name', she asked.
'Anne', she says looking at Evelyn, 'you sometimes remind me of her,' Elena continues. 'Oh really, then we can be sisters, I always wanted an elder sister', she says sitting up and looking at Elena. 'Sure thing, love', she says rubbing Evelyn hair.
'Now, can I ask you are question?', Elena asked. 'Of course!' Evelyn says.
'Can you show me who you really are,' Elena asks, Evelyn shock with the question, ' I don't understand the question', she says smiling. ' I am Evelyn Blackwood', she continues. Elena smiles expecting the reaction she got, 'I know, love, she says rubbing her hair. ' Its getting late, try to get some rest, Elena says as she gets up from the bed and heads out.