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’
The bell above the door jingled merrily as Ellis pushed it open, cradling his newborn son Derek in his arms. Zoey watched them both, her face glowing with joy and fatigue after the difficult labor. After the tumultuous path that had led him here - the battles with rivals, the crushing workload, the periods of self-doubt - he had truly found peace at last. His company was thriving, his beautiful wife was by his side, and now they had brought new life into the world. As he gazed down at Derek's tiny, scrunched-up face, Ellis felt a surge of fierce, protective love unlike anything he had experienced before. "Welcome, little man," Ellis murmured, leaning down to kiss his son's head. The click of stiletto heels on hardwood announced the arrival of Amelia, Ellis's indispensable executive assistant. Her usual brisk demeanor melted into a warm smile as she caught sight of the family. "Congratulations, you two," she said, placing a gentle hand on Derek's back. "He's absolutely precious." Zo
Emily nodded, finally finding her voice after reining in her tears. "Thank you, truly. I don't even know what to say beyond how grateful I am that you're both willing to start taking steps toward forgiveness," She paused, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat."I hurt you both in such an unfair, selfish way and I'll regret that forever. You didn't deserve that at all," Emily went on, her eyes glistening with sincerity. "But I hope I can show you both through my sustained actions and personal growth that I'm not that toxic, jealous person anymore who let obsession cloud my judgment so severely."Zoey gave her a sad smile, her eyes still holding remnants of past hurt. "It's going to take time, Emily. A lot of time. You have to understand how profoundly your lies and manipulation destabilized my relationship with Ellis.""I know," Emily replied solemnly. "And I don't expect your forgiveness or renewed trust to come easily at all. I'll need to prove myself over and over again. I'
As she drove away, Emily couldn't help but let the tears flow freely. She cried for the hurt she had caused and the potential permanent damage she may have done to their relationship. She cried at the thought of Ellis's disappointed look when he realized she had tried to take advantage of him and his vulnerability during his close breakup with Zoey. And she cried over the self-loathing and remorse she felt for letting herself become such an ugly, selfish person for a period of time due to her unhealthy jealousy.Deep down, Emily realized she may have permanently burned the bridge of friendship with Ellis and her based on her actions. While she desperately hoped she could prove herself changing through therapy and personal growth, the possibility that their close bond of trust could never be salvaged was very real. And she would have to live with that heavy burden knowing she had brought it all upon herself. Over the next several weeks, the silence and distance from Ellis and Zoey was
Emily paced back and forth nervously in her living room. Tomorrow was Ellis and Zoey's first anniversary and she had finally decided it was time to come clean and apologize for the lies and manipulation she had put them through around the time of their dating some time ago. She knew that they may not listen to her, but she had found love with someone, and she was trying to turn a new leaf for him. She wanted him to see that she was serious about changing her spiteful character, and hoped to show her love for him that way. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. This was the right thing to do, regardless of how awkward or uncomfortable it might be. Ellis and Zoey deserved the truth and a sincere apology from her after everything that had happened.Emily thought back to how it had all started over a year earlier. She had been harboring feelings for Ellis, long before he had started dating Zoey. But thinkingback, she knew that she never truly loved Ellis. She had just been aft
Meanwhile, in Ellis’ mind, he was in a chamber he didn’t recognise, standing alone. He looked around but he couldn’t find a way out of the place. There were no walls, no windows, no lower basement entrance. He tried touching the walls to see if there was a secret passage, but nothing happened. He called out several times, but got no response. He didn’t know what to do, and though he vaguely knew that it was a dream, he still felt a little weird, like it was actually happening. After several failed attempts to escape the weird chamber, he sat on the floor and began to meditate.He tried to reach for his aura deep within him, to see if it could somehow lead him out of there. He could feel the Qi, but it was not obeying his command. It was like it was locked down somehow. But he didn’t give up, he remained in a meditative pose, and calmed himself down till his heart rate slowed considerably. While in that state, he heard a voice. “Congratulations, you passed the test. I made the right c
For their honeymoon, Zoey was ecstatic when Ellis took her to the Maldives. She had always wanted to visit there. And not just that, Ellis had also purchased a private island in Zoey’s name, so she could always come there at any time. He planned to have a beach villa built there later so they could use it as a vacation spot, but for the time being, just a log cabin had been erected. The log cabin had modern amenities, like a hot tub, kitchen with up to date appliances, running water, a standby generator, etc. But it also had rustic features like a real fireplace with a chimney, an outdoor grill pit, a cleared out campsite, and a small lake instead of a swimming pool.The place was beautiful. They spent their first night there in bed all day, then they slept till afternoon. After waking, their meal had already been prepared by the local chef Ellis had hired. He didn’t want Zoey stressed out during the honeymoon, she would only cook if she chose to. Hehad so many activities planned for
As the months ticked by, everything slowly started falling into place. Zoey's dress was altered to perfection. The venue was booked and the menu tasting was complete — they selected a seasonal tasting menu with locally-sourced ingredients. The cake was a delicious vanilla sponge with tart lemon curd filling and a Swiss meringue buttercream frosting. One of Zoey's favorite touches was Gemma's idea to have a "coffee bar" at the reception with gourmet coffee drinks, flavored syrups and delicious accompaniments like biscotti and cannoli. She knew their guests would appreciate a delicious caffeinated pick-me-up after dancing the night away.In the last few weeks leading up to the wedding, Zoey was a bundle of nervous excitement. She tried her best to get enough rest and stay hydrated, knowing she needed to be in top form for the biggest day of her life. Ellis, on the other hand, seemed to take everything in stride. His calm, steady presence was invaluable for keeping Zoey grounded when she
Ellis took a deep breath as he looked across the candlelit table at Zoey. Her eyes sparkled in the flickering light and her dark hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders. After so much time together, he knew this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Zoey, we've been through so much together these past several months. You've supported me every step of the way as I took on the challenging role of CEO at Royale Company. You're my partner, my best friend, my everything. I know some people may find it too soon, or some may say that you’re after my money. But I know in my heart that what we have is real. " He paused, his heart pounding in his chest as he got on one knee, and brought out a custom made diamond ring that cost a hundred million dollars. Zoey gasped. "I don't want to imagine my life without you by my side. Zoey, will you marry me?"Zoey's eyes went wide and she brought her hands up to cover her mou
George, for his part, saw his gilded life come crashing down in what felt like an incomprehensible nightmare. Gone were the bravado, the vainglorious sense of entitlement, the belief that he could indulge in whatever impulse struck him without consequence. His charmed existence had been brutally ripped away, replaced by the sullen, emasculating confines of a jail cell and the prospect of an incarceration looming ahead. Just like his brother, Marcus. Stripped of his identity, his wealth, and the support system that enabled his wanton ways, all George was left with was to reckon with his shattered sense of self. None of his party friends even visited, or tried to help him. He thought they would have his back, but now his eyes had cleared.His thoughts often drifted to Lisa, the wife whose unconditional love he had so wantonly discarded in pursuit of shallow gratification. Was it truly worth sacrificing everything — his marriage, his family, his father's pride and the staggering family f