Chapter 13: Beaten At The Same Game
1185 Words
The Blackwood’s Estate.
Kate walked beside her parents as they stepped into the blackwoods’ estate, her heels tapping softly against the marble floor. Their presence was already announced to the family.
Nathan rose first with a stiff smile on his face as he welcomed them in. Maxwell and Sienna sat at the center of the room while Arabella sat nearby dressed in a crimson silk dress, eyes fixed on Kate with hostility.
“Harry, always a pleasure,” Maxwell greeted Harry warmly while exchanging a handshake before glancing towards Kate’s direction. “And Kate, how rare to see you at a business function. We were beginning to believe that you preferred staying at home.”
Everyone laughs lightly but the jab is obvious. Kate faked a smile before responding.
“I did prefer staying at home but not anymore. If I do stay at home and not integrate into society , who knows I might be blindsided by it. And I have learnt the hard way, that what you don’t pay attention to can destroy you.”
“Still, a young lady should avoid matters too heavy for her shoulders. Otherwise people might misunderstand her place,” Sienna said with a light chuckle.
“That’s true. But silence only invites people to underestimate you. Sometimes it’s better to remind them you have a voice,” Kate responds, smoothly.
“Hmph, trying to act up,” Arabella scoffed.
Maxwell shot her a look, while her mother jabbed her elbow. Kate looked at them coldly, remembering how awful they had treated her in the past and her eyes darkened.
One time she had made Kate wash her feet claiming that she just had her nails done and couldn’t ruin it by doing dirty work. While Kate washed her feet, she and her friends made fun of her by making videos of it and posting it on their social media.
Other times, Sienna had forced Kate to drink an odd, smelly soup claiming it increases fertility. Turns out the soup contained dead cockroaches and rat faeces which made her suffer from diarrhea for a long amount of time and Arabella had just watched on.
Maxwell had made the servants leave all the work to her. She went hungry for three days just trying to please him and Nathan? He just watched.
“Alright. That’s okay now, we should leave all discussions for now,” Nathan said, trying to clear the tensed air.
As tea is being served, Maxwell clears his throat and says, “Mr Obsidian, it’s been a while since you called to talk about the wedding plans. I was thinking your family had already forgotten about us.”
Harry let out an awkward laugh and turned to look at Kate who avoided it, sipping her tea.
“Uhm, we have just been busy. Kate resumed work in the company just recently so we have to let her adjust to things first before continuing with the wedding plans,” Tessa, Kate’s mom replied.
The Blackwoods were shocked.
“Kate, you have started working at your father’s company?” Nathan asked, not containing his shock. “And you couldn’t care to let me know.”
Kate calmly replied, “I didn’t think it was appropriate to tell you everything about my plans. We are just engaged, not married yet,” she smiled.
Nathan was taken aback by her sharp tone. Seeing this, Arabella leaned towards Nathan and whispers just loud enough for Kate to hear.
“If she keeps this up, brother, she will most likely embarrass you before the wedding. You don’t even know much about your so-called fiancée anymore.”
Kate re-sips her tea, smiling faintly. “Don’t worry. I’d never dream of embarrassing Nathan… at least, not before the right audience.”
The room falls into an uneasy silence, the Blackwoods’ smiles stiffening. Maxwell clears his throat and says, “Arabella was only joking. No need to take it too seriously, my dear Kate.”
He turned to glance at Nathan who nodded back.
“Mr Obsidian,” Nathan began. “I think it’s better I start calling you father from now henceforth after all I will be getting married to your daughter pretty and we will become a family so it’s much better that way.”
“Indeed,” Harry nodded. “I have taken you as a son already.”
Nathan smiled politely, folding his hands on the table. “So, Father-in-law, I would like to ask for your help. Our family is facing a little financial setback, and I believe with your support we can overcome it. There’s a project I have in mind that requires immediate funding. If you could extend, say, fifty million dollars, we could move forward at once.”
Harry’s brows furrowed. He glanced at Nathan, then at the silent Maxwell and Sienna, who pretended not to notice his hesitation.
Kate let out a soft chuckle. The sound made Nathan glance at her, irritated. “Something amusing, Kate?”
She met his eyes, her tone sweet but sharp. “I was just remembering something. In fact, this feels familiar.”
Memories from her past life resurfaced. Nathan had asked her father for a large sum of money for a project which yielded a lot of profit but he never paid back as he had promised which led to a major setback in her father’s company and when Harry had looked up to Nathan for help, he had turned him down with countless excuses.
Seems she had gotten a chance to turn things around this time as well!
Harry looked at her curiously. “What do you mean?”
Kate leaned forward, her gaze steady on Nathan. “If the Obsidian Group is to provide the capital, then naturally, it should also hold the lion’s share of the returns. 70% of the profits sounds reasonable, don’t you think, Nathan? After all, without Father’s investment, your project won’t exist at all.”
The air in the room stiffened. Maxwell’s smile faded, his hand tightening around his glass.
He tried to force a laugh. “I’m shocked to know that you have a little knowledge about business but, 70%? That’s far too high since we are aiming at a partnership here, Kate.”
Kate’s smile widened. “A partnership built on fairness. Since your family brings only the idea while ours supplies all the capital, it’s only natural we hold the greater share. Unless, of course, the Blackwoods prefer not to proceed?”
Harry hid his surprise, glancing at his daughter with something close to pride. Nathan and his father, on the other hand, flushed with barely contained anger.
After a short while, Nathan responded, “Alright then, fine. 70% it is.”
“Okay, we will have to sign a contract saying that you have agreed to this today,” Kate said with a smirk.
“A contract?!” Nathan sounded. “You are going too far! Uncle, you can’t possibly make us draft out a contract besides we are family already, do you think we would cheat you!?”
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