Confused

Episode3

It took two long, torturous weeks for the autopsy results to come out. Two weeks of sleepless nights, of staring at my mother’s empty chair, of imagining her voice calling my name in the dead of night.

When the results finally came, the detective’s suspicion was confirmed—she had been poisoned. Or possibly drugged. Either way, someone had orchestrated her death.

I clenched my fists around the report until the paper crumpled.

“Detective,” I said over the phone, my voice low but steady. “Keep this between us. At the burial, I’ll tell the press it was a heart attack. No one else needs to know the truth—not yet.”

“Understood, Miss Jordan,” he replied, though I could hear the hesitation in his tone.

But silence wasn’t easy to maintain. Over the past two weeks, the press had been relentless. Every morning, their cameras and questions swarmed my gates like flies to blood.

“Miss Jordan, is it true the CEO was murdered?”

“Who inherits Starline Entertainment?”

“Did a family dispute lead to her death?”

Every single time, my answer was the same.

“We will make a statement during the burial. Until then, no comments.”

But they didn’t stop. I was forced to hire bodyguards for my home—something I had always hated. My mom believed security made you look weak. She never had guards posted around her house. But she also never had someone threatening to kill her daughter next.

The burial was set for Saturday. There would be no delays—my mother’s position demanded nothing less. Invitations had gone out to key stakeholders, business partners, and, of course, the ever-hungry press.

After this, maybe they’ll finally leave us in peace, I thought. Rest now, Mom. I’ll protect what’s left of you.

The venue overflowed with sleek black cars and mourners dressed in somber designer attire. I recognized many of the faces—CEOs, investors, rivals—all gathered not just to mourn but to watch, to gossip, to plan their next moves.

Brian and Henry flanked me like sentinels as I walked. Brian’s arm was firm under mine, grounding me when my knees threatened to buckle.

I wore a simple black gown, my mother’s favorite pearl earrings glinting faintly in the light. Brian was immaculate in a black suit and shirt, his usual warmth replaced by stoic silence.

Pitying eyes followed me as I walked to my seat. I straightened my back, raised my chin, and sat down with quiet confidence. I couldn’t afford to look weak—not here.

“Stacy, have you seen the program order?” Henry whispered, handing me a folded paper.

“Thanks, Henry. You’re always on top of things,” I murmured, giving him a faint smile.

He returned to his seat.

The MC’s voice rang out over the hushed murmurs.

“Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Today, we mourn the loss of a remarkable woman—Mrs. Alice Jordan. A trailblazer in the entertainment industry, a mother to her employees, and a pillar of integrity. Her passing, so soon after her birthday, is a tragedy we’ll carry in our hearts forever.”

I clenched my hands in my lap, fighting to hold back tears.

When it was time for family to say their goodbyes, I approached the casket with slow, deliberate steps.

“Mom…” My voice cracked. I gripped the casket’s edge like it could anchor me. “You worked so hard. You gave up everything for me. Why now? Why did they take you from me?”

Tears blurred my vision as I whispered, “I’ll miss you, Mom. Rest peacefully.”

The atmosphere shifted the moment the lawyer stood. Papers rustled as he unfolded the document. The room seemed to hold its breath.

“If you are hearing this, I am no longer with you,” he began solemnly. “I know many of you are gathered here with questions about the future of Starline Entertainment. Therefore, I leave all my properties, assets, and my title as CEO… to Stacy Jordan.”

A stunned silence fell over the hall. All eyes turned to me—some warm, most calculating, a few outright hostile.

Then it happened.

“NO!”

A piercing scream cut through the air. Heads turned as Sarah Maxwell, CEO of The Swan , staggered forward.

“NO, NO, NO!” she wailed, her voice cracking. She collapsed to her knees, clutching at her dress. Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

When people tried to console her, she shoved them away violently.

“DON’T TOUCH ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!” she shrieked.

Then her head snapped up, eyes burning with rage as she pointed directly at me.

“YOU! So this was your plan all along! Poison your own mother to steal her throne?!”

The accusation hit the room like a bomb. Gasps echoed. Eyes darted between us.

I remained seated, my expression unreadable.

Her lips curled into a bitter smile as she let out a chilling laugh.

“Hahaha! You couldn’t wait for her to retire, could you? Was your greed that strong?”

The room buzzed with whispered speculation.

I stood slowly, my chair scraping the floor with a sharp screech. My hands slammed onto the table as I met her glare head-on.

Not a word left my mouth. I didn’t need to speak—my silence was louder than any defense.

Brian stepped forward, his hand lightly brushing my arm. “Stacy…”

I took a deep breath and sat back down, my composure unbroken. But my heart burned with fury. How dare she?

The lawyer cleared his throat nervously. “Now, we will have a speech from the new CEO.”

A speech. Now. Perfect.

Brian gave me a reassuring nod. Henry whispered, “You’ve got this.”

I rose, my heels clicking against the marble as I walked to the podium. I gripped the microphone, steadying my breath.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” I began, my voice firm. “I never asked for this position. I never wanted it this way. But my mother trusted me with Starline’s future, and I will honor her wish.”

I scanned the crowd, letting my gaze linger on Sarah.

“Let me be clear: I did not kill my mother. She was taken from us by someone who still walks free, but the police are investigating, and justice will come.”

Sarah’s smirk faltered as I continued.

“To those who doubt me—I’ll prove I was worthy of my mother’s trust. Starline will rise again.”

The hall erupted into cautious applause. I bowed my he

ad and stepped down.

As my mother’s casket was lowered into the ground, I whispered under my breath:

“I’ll find whoever did this, Mom. And I swear—I’ll make them pay.”