Ellis shrugged casually. "I said, if you refuse to do your duty and marry the girl, I believe you should surrender your inheritance. It’s only fair. We can use it as compensation for when the stock price of the company plummets by the time your scandal leaks."George barked out a caustic laugh. "My inheritance? Since when did you become an expert on legacy and responsibility?"Ellis gave an exaggerated sigh. "Father has spent decades sacrificing for this business. Building it from the ground up takes integrity, respect for others, and accountable leadership. If you lack those qualities because you can't deal with an accidental pregnancy, frankly you don't deserve an inheritance from the empire he created."George clenched his fists, his father's presence the only thing stopping him from throttling the impertinent whelp."Integrity? This coming from you?" He spat. "Please don't make me puke. You, a non-entity that was picked up from the slum? You want to talk? What the fuck do you know
George stormed down the marble corridor, his shoes clicking sharply in time with his racing pulse. Rage like he had never known before burned through him. How dare his father dismiss him so quickly? Nobody was above mistakes, so they had no right to berate him for his own shortcomings. He refused to acknowledge the fact that he had caused a lot of problems over the years, he didn’t want to admit any fault or blame to himself. He wanted to continue playing the victim when the fact was that their words hurt more because they were speaking the truth. Still, he wasn’t ready to become a father. Reaching an imposing set of double doors, he threw them open without ceremony."Marcus. Amira." he called out, bursting into the stately sitting room on the first floor. This was the part of the house where they usually spent time after dinner. His elder siblings glanced up in surprise from their adjacent antique divans, where they had been quietly sitting. "My goodness George, what's got you in s
“Kill him? Are you crazy? You want to commit murder?” Amira asked with widened eyes.“That would make sure he was out of our way once and for all. Just think about it. Right now, even if we implicated Ellis in some crimes, father may not believe it. He loves his new son, you said it yourself, George. We can’t take the risk of this plan not working out and father becoming even more close with Ellis. That would make everything worse for us.” Marcus explained but Amira was already shaking her head.Deep down, even while they had been planning to frame Ellis for a crime he didn’t commit, she had wondered if this was this proper. If it was ethical or even worth it. She asked herself if she could live with herself if they intentionally brought Ellis crashing down. But she didn’t voice her thoughts so they wouldn’t see her as weak. But Murder? Her answer was no. "We can't do this!" She blurted out loudly from her thoughts. Marcus and George turned to look at her. Where was this coming from
Emily gazed at her reflection as she carefully applied her lipstick. She had spent the last hour getting ready, painstakingly doing her hair and makeup. Her new emerald dress hugged her curves perfectly. Tonight had to be the night she got Ellis back. Ellis belonged with her, and she was going to remind him of the passion they once shared. She had been stalking him on social media for the past weeks because he was ignoring her at school and there was nothing she could do about that. She just let him be and made him think that she had given up on him, meanwhile, she was busy making plans behind the scenes.The past three weeks had been a complete makeover process for Emily. She put herself on a strict diet and exercise regimen. She scoured boutiques to update her wardrobe. She went to the salon and got her hair done in loose, tumbling waves instead of her usual practical ponytail. Emily even started wearing more makeup than her usual tinted moisturizer and lip gloss. Each morning she c
The next week was quite peaceful in the Royale family. All was well, and the hate that the Royale children held for Ellis was a tad bit minimal. Well, this was because the Royale sons had carried out a machination to eliminate Ellis. So, they were watching silently, how the event would unfold. They knew that being openly hostile to Ellis would make them immediate suspects so they decided to pretend to be amicable for the time being.As for the situation with Lisa, George had been postponing bringing Lisa to meet his father so they could draft out a marriage contract and finalise the process. He told Lisa that his father was busy and could only put them on his appointment list after two months. Then every time his father asked about Lisa, George would lie that they were both trying to have a relationship, and trying to get to know each other better in preparation for the marriage. He gave the impression that he was trying to be more responsible, just so his father would be more lenien
Soon enough, the staff arrived with Mr Cyrus's phone. Looking at his daughter, Mr Cyrus made another demand. "Call Dr. Hendricks at the family hospital. Maurine’s body is being moved there. Instruct him to perform a full tox screen* and autopsy on the deceased. I want answers as soon as possible regarding this whole situation. We need to know if poison is what killed her, or she dies from another unknown cause like a stroke or heart attack."Amira nodded mutely, taking his phone from the servant to follow his instructions. Mr Cyrus gestured curtly to the kitchen staff still lined up along the wall. "As for the rest of you, remember that no one is to leave the premises until given express consent. I shall need to interview each of you soon regarding anything you might have witnessed tonight."The staff members shifted uneasily but nodded their understanding. Mr Cyrus glanced back down at the unfinished plate, brow furrowed. After a moment he strode forward, using a handkerchief to d
Alone again, Mr Cyrus began formulating his next steps strategically. Clearly someone was attempting to impede his progress by destroying vital evidence. This supported his growing suspicion that Maurine’s killer remained inside these very walls, desperately covering their tracks. Just as he had ordered, the Royale children met with their father in the living room. Mr Cyrus began a speech, updating them on the happenings of the situation. "I would like for you all to know that the report for Maurine's autopsy is out," he began. "A lethal poison found in the food was the cause of her death.”“Who would have wanted to poison the poor girl? It had to be one of her co workers. We need to find out if she had any quarrels with any of the other staff members before now.” Marcus said.“The poison wasn’t meant for her. That plate of food she ate from wasn’t a new plate. It was Ellis’ unfinished meal. The leftovers are supposed to be packaged and sent to the guard house so the dogs can be fed.
“Father, do you really think that the poison was meant for me?” Elli asked as they both walked into Mr Cyrus’ study.“I don’t think so, Ellis. I’m almost completely sure of it. There is no other explanation. Why else would someone take a risk to use poison in my household? You must have been the main target for this failed plan. It makes more sense. Maurine is just a maid, but you are my heir. Taking you out would have a devastating effect on my empire.”“But if I was truly the target, how am I still alive? I ate almost everything on that plate. Maurine just took a bite according to the story we were told by the other staff member, and that was what killed her.” Ellis said with a perplexed expression.“This is the confusing part of the whole situation, but I think I know what happened. You’ve been meditating everyday, right?” He asked.“Yes, father. Every day at dawn, I meditate for at least thirty minutes. Some days, I can go on for as long as an hour, especially the weekends. I can’