CHAPTER SEVEN
1043 Words
"Arghh!" Devan screamed, smashing the glass of wine he was holding against the wall in his home study, enraged by the incident at work earlier today.
His guard, Alex, who was standing behind him silently watching his boss, pulled out a white handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit and presented it to him.
"An illegitimate child," he mocked, taking Alex's handkerchief, wiping wine droplets off his face.
"I have lost every single thing I have ever wanted because I am under the umbrella of being an illegitimate child. Maybe it is high I completely turn away from the family and build an empire of my own."
"I told you accepting your father's request to work in the company was a bad idea" Alex said calmly.
"I had no other option than to honour his request. It was a wish he made on his death bed, and I thought..."
"And you thought it was a way he wanted to use to reconcile you back with the family, right?" Alex inquired, cutting in sharply.
"How could I have known his plan was for me to be ruled by Leo for the rest of my life? He acted as if he cared about me," Devan responded.
"He never had your interest at heart, it was all a trap." Alex hesitated before continuing to search Devan's face.
"What your father did was simply bring his enemy closer so that the enemy would not see himself as an enemy and remain loyal. He understands that if he pushes you too far away, you'll become tired of it and try to fight back."
"He actually clipped my wings by putting me under his, and that of his favorite son", Devan went on to say.
Alex walked over to the bar and took a clean glass cup and a wine that was in a fancy transparent bottle. "Leo isn't like your father, James Walton; he doesn't see through the lines," Alex stated as he poured him a drink from the wine bottle.
"Why did you say that?" Devan asked, taking the cup from Alex when he finished pouring the drink for him.
"He underestimates you, that is why he isn't consciously guiding the empire, but his father never underestimated you. For once, he saw you as a threat. That is also the same reason why he kept you closer so he could monitor you", Alex said.
"Uhm... Why do you think he is not consciously guiding the empire?" Devan inquired further.
Alex took a long breath before responding to Devan's question. "Because he was not wise enough to know that taking another thing that belonged to you aside the empire may start a cold war that he shouldn't dare get himself into."
"Hmm...I see," Devan replied, lightly tapping his fingers on the glass cup he was holding, causing it to click. "He was bold to do such a thing because he knows I won't sting back" he added.
"What are you planning on doing now?" Alex questioned as he walked back to the bar to return the bottle of wine he had taken from there.
"Revenge!" Devan exclaimed slowly, a sweet smile on his lips. "But a lot of things have to be put in place first," he added, sipping from his glass of wine.
"You also need to make a plan," Alex remarked.
"Leo wouldn't see me coming," Devan said, smiling again at the prospect.
"Please book a flight to New York for me; I'd like to leave first thing tomorrow morning." Devan stated. Alex slightly bowed his head in response before walking out.
POV ETHAN GRAYSON'S HOUSE
Ethan was standing in front of a black board in his dark basement, with the only light coming from a small yellow bulb hung at the top of the black board.
Several photos were pinned to the board in a systematic manner, with a thin red rope linking each of the pictures. A red marker was used to put an X sign on the picture of James Walton, which was placed at the top of the board. Underneath James Walton's photo was his wife, Andrie Walton, and his concubine, Ava Hunter, both of whom had a red X drawn on them. Following the images of his wife and concubine, the images of the sons they both bore him were pinned. There was no X sign on them.
His father, Mark Grayson, and mother, Lilly, who was carrying a little baby in the photograph, were both pinned to the far end of the board. He ran his fingers softly and mumbled something barely audible to himself, "It'll all be over in no time." He paused for a long moment, staring at his parents, before picking up a picture of someone from the table the board was resting on and pinning it to the board, under Leo's picture. The person in the photograph was none other than Everly Carter.
The light bulb went off as Ethan dragged a rope extending out from the back of the board. The doorbell rang as he made his way out of the basement. He swiftly emerged from the basement, properly locked the door, and placed the key into the back pocket of the trousers he was wearing.
As the doorbell continued to ring, Ethan walked briskly to his front door. He hastily drew his face back and arranged his chestnut brown hair with his fingers as he peered through the hole in the door.
"Hello, Cleo," he said as he opened the door, a warm smile on his face.
"What took you so long to open the door?" With a grimace on her face, she inquired.
"I was putting things in the right order, including myself, to give a befitting welcome to an angel" he replied in a flirtatious way as Cleo pushed her way into the house.
"What are you preparing?" she said, sniffing the delectable aroma that hung in the air inside the house as she threw her luggage on the couch in the living room.
"Go to the kitchen and see for yourself," Ethan murmured, following her behind as she headed for the kitchen.
"Grilled chicken, yummy!" As she opened the oven, she exclaimed.
"Your favorite, I know", Ethan said, smiling sheepishly.
- Writer
