Chapter 6
1048 Words
Ray sat at the head of a grand mahogany table inside the Lechester Estate’s council chamber. The chandelier overhead cast golden light across the polished floors, making the opulence of his new world all the more suffocating.
Around him sat the key figures of the Lechester Empire, advisors, shareholders, and family representatives. They studied him with unreadable expressions, waiting for him to speak.
“So… our new heir has finally accepted his birthright.” The voice belonged to an older man, Harrison Vance, a senior advisor who had served Ray’s grandmother for decades. His salt-and-pepper beard barely concealed the skepticism in his eyes. “A man who spent his life as a penniless, ridiculed son-in-law now sits where a Lechester should.”
A murmur of disapproval spread through the room. ‘They don’t see me as one of them,’’ Ray realized. ‘They expect me to fail.’
He clenched his fists under the table. “I may not have grown up as a Lechester, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand power. If I wasn’t meant to sit here, my grandmother wouldn’t have named me her heir.”
Some of the council members nodded at his confidence, but Harrison merely smirked. “We shall see.”
The meeting continued with discussions of business expansions and financial reports, but one thing was clear… Someone in the room wanted him gone.
~~~~
Meanwhile, at the Jenson estate.
“You are no longer part of this family,” her grandmother declared coldly.
Ava stood before her grandmother and Sarah, feeling as if the walls were closing in on her.
Ava remained still, though her hands trembled. “I expected as much.”
“You’re a fool, Ava. You could’ve had everything. Now you have nothing. No shares. No inheritance. No family.” Sarah sneered.
“I don’t need your wealth. Unlike you, I don’t define myself by how much money I have.” Ava lifted her chin.
“That self-righteous attitude will get you nowhere. But perhaps there is a way to fix this.” Her grandmother scoffed.
“What are you talking about?” Ava frowned.
A shadow moved at the edge of the room, and a man in a sleek black suit stepped forward. He had a refined air about him, but something in his eyes made Ava feel uneasy.
“I represent an organization interested in young women of intelligence and ambition,” the man said smoothly. “You were once a respected figure in the Jenson company. I can help you regain that status.”
“At what cost?” Ava crossed her arms.
“A simple request, leave Ray Thane.” The man smiled.
“You want me to abandon my husband?” Ava frowned.
“Not abandon. Simply distance yourself. For your safety. For your future.”
Ava knew this was a warning disguised as an opportunity. She wasn’t just facing her family’s betrayal to her this was bigger. The crime syndicate was watching.
“I won’t betray Ray.”
The man sighed as if disappointed, then reached into his pocket and placed a sleek black card on the table. “Take this. If you change your mind… call me.”
Ava didn’t touch the card. As the man turned to leave, he met her eyes one last time. His gaze seemed to hold words like; if she stayed with Ray, she’d suffer the consequences.
~~~
Back at the Lechester Estate, Ray stood on the balcony, lost in thought. He’d claimed his birthright, but was it worth the cost?
“No. Now isn’t the time to doubt. I have to protect Ava.” He exhaled slowly.
Just then, his phone vibrated. Unknown number.
He hesitated before answering. “Who is this?”
“Your inheritance won’t protect you. Leave Emberhaven… or die.” A voice which seemed to be distorted by a voice changer said and Immediately the call ended.
Ray clenched his jaw. So it begins.
Moments later, a shattering noise erupted from the main hall.
Ray turned to see masked men flooding into the estate, moving with military precision. They were armed, fast and they looked deadly.
The guards stationed at the entrance were already engaged in battle, but they weren’t prepared for a full-on ambush.
Ray sprinted inside. He wasn’t the same useless son-in-law anymore. He wasn’t powerless.
The first attacker lunged at him with a knife. Ray dodged, grabbed the man’s wrist, and twisted, snapping it with a sickening c***k. The knife clattered to the ground, and he kicked it into another attacker’s chest.
Another assailant fired a silenced pistol. Ray ducked, rolling across the marble floor before disarming the man in a swift motion.
Dave, the butler, appeared, holding a hidden pistol of his own. “Young Master, we must get you out of here!”
Ray shook his head. “No. If I run now, I’ll always be on the defensive. We will end this tonight.” He knew that if he ran away he'd lose whatever respect he had.
The attackers were retreating, but not before one of them left a b****y message on the wall.
"You are not the true heir. The Lechester throne belongs to another.”
Ray’s stomach turned. So it wasn’t just the syndicate? Someone inside the family wanted him dead.
Hours later, Ray stood in the Lechester’s underground security chamber, reviewing footage of the attack.
Dave stood beside him. “We found something.”
The screen zoomed in on a shadowy figure sneaking out of the estate minutes before the attack began.
Ray’s blood ran cold. It was one of the council members.
Harrison Vance.
The very man who had questioned Ray’s legitimacy earlier.
“So it was him…” Ray murmured.
“What do you want to do, Young Master?” Dave asked.
“I want him to believe he’s won. Then, when the time is right… I’ll destroy him.” Ray’s eyes darkened.
~~~~
Back at the Jenson estate, Ava sat in her dimly lit bedroom, staring at the untouched black card on the nightstand.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden crash from outside.
She rushed to the window. Her car was on fire.
A chill ran down her spine. They weren’t just making threats, they were coming for her.
- Writer
