Chapter 4: To Burn Down A Dynasty
925 Words
The Ping! of a notification at 6:00 AM felt like a lightning strike. Gabby fumbled for her phone, her heart hammering against her ribs as she read the glowing screen.
CONGRATULATIONS. You are expected at the Hargreeves Manor today at 9:00 AM for orientation. Please use the staff entrance at the rear.
"Megan! Wake up!" Gabby shook her sister’s shoulder, her eyes wide with a mix of triumph and terror. "I’m in. I’m actually in."
Megan sat up, rubbing her eyes as the gravity of the situation settled over her. Her expression darkened instantly. "This is it, then. You’re stepping into the lion’s den. Just remember, Gab—if you play with fire in that house, don’t let the smoke reach Grace."
"I know," Gabby whispered, glancing at the sleeping six-year-old. "She’ll never even know I was there. I'm a ghost, Meg. A ghost he's about to be haunted by."
Before she could storm to the manor, there was one last bridge to burn. Gabby walked into The Grind at 8:15 AM. Mr. Henderson was already mid-rant, pointing an accusing finger at a stack of unwashed mugs.
"Oh, look who decided to grace us with her presence—"
Slap. Gabby slammed a white envelope onto the counter, right in the center of a puddle of spilled espresso.
"My resignation," she said, her voice dripping with delicious spite. "Effective immediately."
Henderson gawked, his mouth hanging open. "You can't resign! I was going to fire you! You’re a single mother with no prospects, Carter! You'll be begging for this job back in a week!"
"I’m a woman who’s tired of your breath smelling like stale beans and ego," Gabby countered, leaning in with a sharp, predatory smile. "Good luck finding someone else to work double shifts for pennies. I’m moving on to bigger things, Henderson. Much, much bigger."
She walked out, the chime of the door bell sounding like a victory parade behind her.
The Hargreeves Manor felt even more imposing from the inside. The air was chilled to a precise, sterile temperature, smelling of fresh lilies and old, suffocating money.
Evelyn Hargreeves, Lucas’s mother, stood at the base of a sweeping marble staircase. She was the picture of icy elegance, her pearls perfectly matched to her cold, assessing gaze.
"Welcome," Evelyn said to the small group of new hires. "You are here because you are the best. Or, at least, because your backgrounds were the least offensive. You will not speak unless spoken to. You will not enter the West Wing. And above all, you will be invisible."
She began a tour that felt more like a military briefing than an orientation. "We are preparing for my son Lucas’s homecoming gala. It must be flawless. He has been... stressed lately, so the atmosphere must be serene. Any mistake will be met with immediate termination."
Suddenly, the heavy oak doors swung open. Andre, the younger brother Gabby recognized from the news, hurried in. He looked frantic, his face pale and his tie loosened. He leaned into Evelyn’s ear, whispering urgently.
Evelyn’s composure didn't break, but her hand tightened on her silk scarf until her knuckles were white.
"That will be all for today," she snapped at the new maids, her voice trembling with suppressed tension. "The head housekeeper will show you to your quarters. Dismissed!"
As the group was ushered away, Gabby slowed her pace, catching a fragment of Andre’s hushed, panicked voice: "It's Grandma. Her vitals are dropping. The doctors say she might not last the night."
Gabby saw a flash of genuine fear in Evelyn's eyes before the doors closed. The dynasty was shaking, and she hadn't even struck her first match yet.
In the maid’s quarters—a cramped but clean room hidden in the back of the house—Gabby immediately dialed Megan.
"I’m in, Meg. Lucas’s mom is as scary as the rumors say, but the house is in chaos. Something is happening with the grandmother."
“Epic, I guess?” Megan said.
“What of Grace?” She asked.
"She’s fine, Gab, just missing you," Megan said, her voice sounding somehow distracted. "Just... stay invisible, okay? Don't let them see you."
"Invisible is my specialty. Bye." Gabby replied, hanging up.
Late that night, tucked away in the shadows of her narrow bed, Gabby sat in the dark. The manor was silent, save for the distant, rhythmic hum of the high-tech security system. She pulled out the burner phone she’d bought weeks ago.
Her fingers flew across the screen. She didn't need to tell the whole truth yet—just enough to make him bleed. She hit "Send" on an encrypted message to the city’s most ruthless gossip columnist.
By midnight, the internet didn't just light up; it exploded.
THE TITAN’S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET?
Is Lucas Hargreeves as "Golden" as he looks?
"The Golden Boy’s perfect image is falling apart. Sources whisper of a 'Night of No Return' six years ago that left behind more than just broken promises. One massive mistake didn't just ruin his name—it created a secret child he has kept hidden in the shadows of his wealth. As the Hargreeves matriarch fights for her life, a hidden heir waits in the wings. Is the empire built on a lie?"
Gabby watched the view count climb into the millions, the blue light of the phone reflecting in her cold, unyielding eyes.
"Happy homecoming, Lucas," she whispered into the dark, a chill smile touching her lips. "I hope you like what I’ve done with the place.”
- Writer
