Later that day, when Lucien returned at night, the first thing he noticed was how quiet and ghost-like the house’s surrounding.
He couldn’t quite place a finger on what felt out of place at first, but the moment his eyes landed on the divorce documents sprawled out across the table, it all clicked.
A certain person was absent.
Strolling over, he picked up the document and gazed at it, an unexplained feeling he couldn’t quite describe played around in his heart, causing the redhead to blink his eyes in confusion.
‘She signed it?’ Lucien thought and looked around the living area, confirming her departure, but yet the scent of her usual lavender perfume still wafted through the air, making him feel her presence even though the female herself was nowhere to be seen.
Lucien finally placed away the documents, a sigh escaping his lips as his fingers reached up and undid his tie.
This was what he wanted, but why…?His train of thought dwindled as his eyes caught sight of a shiny gift box. Lucien popped open the lid, surprised when he spotted a watch lying inside.
It was a rare and custom made Patek Philippe watch. And what was even rarer were the characteristics engraved on the bottom side.
L & A.
Inside the gift box, beside the watch, laid a white piece of paper. The handwriting on the paper was smooth and well worked as if it had been done by an expert.
“Every year with you has been a blessing in its own way. Happy fifth anniversary, Lucien!” The words sank in as if Ariadne herself was the one saying it, and some thoughts started dancing in his mind.
Ariadne had never been one to shop extravagantly, so Lucien never really cared about her expenditure; he never really cared about her in general.
And as he knew, Ariadne was just an orphan kept by his mother.
Also, the butler had never reported any use of high funds.
So, where had she gotten such an amount of money without his knowledge?
Lucien’s gaze darkened and summoned Lucas, his special assistant.
“Place someone to Ariadne and get me her current location.” He commanded in a deep voice, and suddenly added before the assistant nodded about to leave. “And have someone bring me background data of her.”
As Lucas rushed off, Lucien stared at the gift box in his hand again.
Had Ariadne concealed something from him?
If yes, what was it?
***
Somewhere in the western part of Seattle, a shareholder’s meeting was ensuing in the conference room of the Grey Enterprise
Voices bounced around the four walls of the room, growing louder by each passing second as each person wanted their opinion to overpower the other.
“The company’s profit and revenue has been dwindling far too much as of recently, what we need is someone of stable power to control the company..." Ash Williams, a shareholder with eight percent of the company voiced, "...and Benjamin is best suited for that.”
However, right after his suggestion, raised an against voice from a female called Cory Rossi, another shareholder with twelve percent.
“Leave the company to that old geezer? Are you trying to ignore the last will of Miguel Grey, the real founder of the company?”
“So what do you suggest, give the right to run the company to the dead? Wake up, Mrs. Rossi!" Ash mocked her loudly, "Alexandra is already dead, the ownership of Grey Enterprise has to move on, or the company crumbles.”
Cory clenched her palm underneath the table. She hated the way people spoke about the poor girl. Even though the police were still searching, those wicked people already took her death as certain.
God! Please bless her return as soon as possible, otherwise all the hard work of her parents would be stolen by those bloody sucking worms.
At the moment Cory was about to speak up, the door to the conference room bounced open and in walked a figure.
Shock filled the room and voices rose higher than before.
“Alexandra! It’s Alexandra!” Ash Williams pointed out as he nearly fell out of his chair, unbelieving of his eyes.
Liam Gold was in utter confusion, his mouth hung open like a dead fish, staring at the blonde in front of them. Never could he believe that the dead could rise again. So the one standing before them now could only be alive.
The real heiress of the Grey Enterprise had returned!
Cory, the most overjoyed one out of all, just kept silent as tears slid down her cheek.
After viewing the reactions of each one, the blonde strode towards her rightful seat. With her every pace, her heels clicked on the floor rhythmically. Falling in some ears, it was a delightful melody; while for the others, it was an alarm of danger.
Once seated, the blonde leaned back to rest in her chair, and a devilish yet charming smile adorning her beautiful plump pink lips.
“Is it so surprising to see me alive?”
No one would dare to speak, and the room remained silent.
Being satisfied with their expressions that no one would dare to go against, she announced with a serious look.
“As the only rightful heir of my father Miguel Grey, I, Ari-” She instantly corrected herself, inwardly reminding herself that she no longer went by that pitiful name.
"I, Alexandra Grey, am back to take the Grey Enterprise from today."