CHAPTER 2

Tension hung heavy in the air, magnified by the echoing creak of the floorboards as Sam, the family head driver, made his entrance. Every step he took reverberated through the cavernous space, drawing all eyes to his purposeful stride toward Dorothy. With an unmistakable air of formality, he presented her with a sealed envelope, his urgency palpable in the way he delivered it.

"The documents from Mr. Grin, ma'am," he announced, his voice solemn and measured. Dorothy, the respected leader of the family, swiftly retrieved the envelope and skillfully broke the seal. As she examined the documents inside, a subtle smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing the astuteness hidden beneath her calm facade.

Dorothy's voice carried a hint of satisfaction as she instructed Sam to convey her gratitude to Mr. Grin, her gaze never leaving the spread of papers before her. Sam acknowledged her instruction with a subtle nod, turned on his heel, and made his exit from the hall, leaving behind a palpable tension that lingered in the air like an unspoken challenge.

"I'm the only signatory to all the Wallace accounts now," Dorothy declared to Lana, who sat beside her, their bond evident in their shared gaze. Lana's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she absorbed her mother's words, a sense of pride evident in her posture.

"Now making you the CEO of Wallace Investment and Properties," Lana interjected with a confident smile, her words ringing with assurance and a hint of excitement at the prospect of stepping into a position of leadership within the family business.

Rachel's curiosity was piqued, and she extended her hand toward the envelope with a curious glint in her eyes. "May I see the documents, Dorothy?" she asked, her tone laced with a hint of inquiry.

Dorothy's response was swift and unequivocal, her expression devoid of any trace of amusement. "I don't understand your interest in the document, sister," she remarked coolly, her tone carrying a subtle edge of skepticism. "Who else will be the signatory if not me?"

The tension between the sisters hung in the air, a silent reminder of the complexities that often accompanied family dynamics. As Dorothy held the envelope close to her chest, the weight of responsibility settled upon her shoulders, a testament to the delicate balance of power that governed their familial relationships.

Lana made sure to remind her mother that she would be catching the first flight out tomorrow morning to return to her school. She is currently pursuing a master's degree program abroad and has come back home to attend her father's burial ceremony. 

Jake's disgust simmered beneath the surface as he listened to Dorothy and Lana discuss the rearrangement of company matters with an unsettling nonchalance. The knowledge that they had altered the company's signatory before the scheduled family meeting day, a decision made without regard for transparency or familial consensus, only served to deepen his unease.

With each passing moment, Jake's suspicions about his stepmother's ulterior motives grew more pronounced. It was evident to him that Dorothy's hunger for power and control knew no bounds, her ambitions unchecked by the moral compass that guided most.

As the conversation continued to unfold, Jake found himself unable to stomach another moment in the presence of such calculated indifference. Pushing back his chair with a sharp scrape against the polished floor, he rose abruptly from the table, his movements driven by a visceral need to distance himself from the toxicity that permeated the room.

The weight of the stares that bore down upon him as he made his exit did little to deter him. If anything, they served as a silent affirmation of his conviction to stand apart from the deceit and manipulation that had come to define his family's dynamic. With each step he took away from the grand dining hall, Jake carried with him a newfound resolve to forge his path, untainted by the shadows of greed and betrayal that threatened to consume those around him