Reclaimed by the CEO

It was just past 7pm in the Jonathan’s mansion, one of the wealthy businesmen in Georgia city and most importantly, it was the night of truth, maybe tragedy too. The room was lit and the chandeliers shone brightly, casting bright lights across the room. Guests trooped in, ladies dazzling in their silk gowns and men in tuxedos sipped champagne, discussing whatever seems to be their business, or gossips of secrets the room held. Tonight was supposed to be perfect for her. It was supposed to be her night. Mira walked into the room, straight to the center with her chin lifted slightly, forcing a smile even though her heart beats loudly in her chest. The red gown she wore speaks simplicity and elegance, glorifying her figure and the diamond ring on her finger shone bright enough to catch the eye of anyone who cares to take a glance. Cameras flashed here and there, reporters filled the entrance waiting to satisfy their curiosity and get answers to questions tonight. “That’s the heiress?” one woman murmured behind her. “She looks ordinary to me. I heard she isn’t the real daughter at all.” She continued. Mira clenched her fingers angrily. She had to bear the weight of those rumors all her life,more than the tiara she wore tonight , she has walked on eggshells and pondered on her identity so many times despite knowing whom she was but tonight was meant to silence them, to bring an end to everything. Her engagement to Richard Wilson, the only man she believed has ever stood by her, was supposed to prove she belonged here. Afterall, no one would dare say that the almighty Wilson’s family gave their heir to a fake heiress of the Jonathans. Richard found her almost immediately and walked straight to her, eyes shining brightly, enough to lighten up her dark nights, his smile and lush hair totally captivated Mira who couldn’t help but admire his beauty as he approaches. He held her by the waist, gave her a glass and raised another, smiling proudly then took to the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out tonight to celebrate the engagement of myself and Mira…” He began then paused briefly, waiting for the crowd to rain their applause over his statement but the room only met with a deafening silence. Mira’s grip tightened around the glass she held, her breath got heavier and her palms got sweaty from the sudden fear of the unknown. Yet,she told herself this was the moment. Soon, everyone would have to accept her. After her mother died and she had to grow up in an orphanage before finding her father, she has been accused severally of being a fake daughter because her father never got a DNA test done. He didn’t see a need to do it since he found her mother’s necklace around her neck when he saw her at the charity programme sponsored by his company for the orphanage. The necklace was his mother’s and he gave it to his lover, Alice, as a proof of love. It was a generational gift of love in his family and he knew it was real at first sight. However, her stepmother(Lisa) and her daughter, Selina have been bitter since she was brought home, especially when she turned out to be better than Selina in every way and most importantly, was the eldest daughter. “I will like to also announce that…”, Richard continued but was interrupted by the loud noise across the room. “Stop this nonsense!” The doors to the room were swung open and in came Selina, her stepsister, dressed in a white gown that made her look all innocent, pure and holy, except that this was the direct opposite of her true self. The visitors began to murmur and everyone looked on as the drama unfolds. Selina walked right into the center of the room, accompanied by her two friends, Mara and Lilian, standing behind her like some bloodthirsty bodyguards waiting for an opportunity to fire at anyone that dares to be in their face. She snatched the microphone from Richard, faced everyone in the room and said… “Mira here is a fraud who took advantage of the fact that my father was looking for his long lost daughter to get into our family. She is a lowlife who just wants to dine with the rich. She is not my sister. She is a fake heiress!” Selina declared, pointing her fingers at Mira The crowd murmur even more and began to nod, as Selina finally confirms their rumours. “Selina, please stop this. Not tonight and definitely not here. You know mom and dad are not here to join the party since their flight got delayed. We can’t afford to let things get beyond our control here. We shouldn’t be doing this. You shouldn’t do this to me,I mean to us. Richard and I deserve a happy night. Please” Mira begged as she looks at Selina with tears in her eyes. “Oh shut up! You imposter!” Mara retorted “Look at her acting all innocent like she’s being framed. What an actress you are”, Lilian also added while looking at Mira scornfully. Selina went ahead to throw an envelope at Mira’s feets. At the same time, everyone in the room got a notification on their phones, all the blogs and websites already spread the information of Mira being a fake heiress who came to steal what belonged to Selina. The Wilson and Jonathan families had agreed to betrothe their heir and heiress to each other to strengthen the business years back but all that changed when Mira was found two years ago and became the heiress, which meant that Selina could no longer have Richard. “That’s the proof you all wanted. The DNA results father refused to do all these while. She is not my father’s daughter. She knew father won’t do a test once she had the fake necklace on. She has been deceiving us all along.” The visitors gasped as they stayed glued to their screens, scrolling endlessly, many began to whisper and their whispers finally turned into a mocking laughter. Some took out their phones and began to record Mira as she stood there in shame. Richard slowly raised his head from his phone and let go of Mira’s waist. She looked at him with fear, as her last hope began to fade away. She expected him to hold on to her, lock fingers with her and defend her. She wanted him to claim her, to say he loved her and that she was his. Instead, he turned to her, his eyes glaring with disgust. “So it’s true Mira?” His voice was cold this time. “All this time… you tricked me? You tricked us? Is my family a joke to you? You expect me to marry a fake heiress?” And that was when it dawned on Mira that it was just business to him all along. All the dates they went on meant nothing to him and she was the only one who was in love. “No! Richard, you know me. You know I—”, tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to explain to him, hoping it would miraculously change his mind. “Enough.” He shouted at her and angrily took off the ring from her finger. “I will never marry a liar and a thief when a real daughter is here. You disgust me,Mira. If you don’t leave here this minute,I’ll have you arrested for trying to defraud my family. You’re lucky the truth came out before the marriage. When your father is back, my family will decide what to do with you and an appropriate punishment for the disgrace you’ve put my family through tonight” The words cut deep into her skin, slicing through the layers. Her throat dried up and she swallowed all the words she thought she had, including the tears, she thought “not here, not in front of them”. Guests kept laughing and recording her humiliating moment as she ran out of the room. The long hallways looked even longer as her legs tried to carry her as fast as they could until she finally got into her room. Back in the ballroom, Richard slowly walked toward Selina and got on a knee to ask her to marry him in order to continue the legacy of their fathers. Selina smirked victoriously, said yes and slid her arm through his as if the two had been meant to be all along. Her friends also beamed with excitement, enjoying the night as the music started playing again while Richard and Selina had a dance. And then, from the corner of the ballroom, a pair of cold eyes watched everything unfold. Khalid, the young, ruthless CEO who had built his empire from nothing, leaned back against his chair, his expression lacking warmth and absolutely unreadable. To him, Mira indeed passed for every other desperate woman who chased wealth,especially when she had nothing and no one to defend her. Yet, he felt something in the way she stood at first, how she begged, the look of betrayal after Richard scorned her,that shows a woman who only wanted love and trust, not money as it was supposed seem. She looked broken, yet unyielding despite walking away in tears. Mira sat alone in her bed, crying her heart out and her chest tight. She kept crying till her head began to ache. “One day,” she said, her eyes blazing through the tears, “you’ll all regret this.” The night that was meant to crown her as a queen had instead shattered her entire world. She had everything taken from her in a moment, the dignity, respect and wealth were all gone. But in the broken pieces, something far more dangerous was born. Her hunger for revenge.