THE EMPIRE

The taxi ride was long. Three hours from Great-Grandma's broken house to Blackwood Forest. The road was dark. Rain had stopped but the sky was still rumbling. Inside the taxi, everyone was squeezed together, cold and tired. Great-Grandma was sleeping on Claire's shoulder. She is 97 but tonight she looked even more tired. Amanda held Lily's hand. Lily was still wearing Noah's heavy warm sweater. It was too big for her, but it kept her warm. She hadn't returned it yet. She didn't want to. Sophie whispered to Lily, "Are you cold?" Lily shook her head. "No. I'm okay." Sophie glanced at Noah sitting opposite them and giggled. "Because of the sweater?" Lily blushed red and looked out the window. Collins who was sitting in front turned back. *"Aunt Claire, are you sure your mother-in-law knows we are coming? You didn't call her."* Claire frowned, holding her phone. "I called her three times. She didn't pick. But it's fine. She never sleeps early. And she told me last year, if we ever have emergency, we can come." James added, "My dad said Mrs. Estella likes quiet. She might not like ten people at once." "Who is Estella?" Ember asked quietly. "My husband's mother," Claire said. "She is 93 years old. Very rich. Very private. She owns this whole forest side. She lives alone in that mansion with just maids and guards." Amanda was shocked. "93? Same age as Mama? And she lives alone in a mansion?" Claire nodded. "Yes. She doesn't like people. But she loves Sofia." Sofia sat up immediately. "Yes! Grandma Estella loves me! I went there when I was 8 years old. Mommy, remember? Her house is not a house. It's like a palace! You will see!" The taxi driver suddenly said, "We are close. Blackwood entrance." Everyone looked out. In front of them, in the middle of the dark forest, was a huge black iron gate. Very tall. With golden letters on it: *E.M.* The gate opened by itself. Slowly. Sofia screamed, "I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU IT'S AN EMPIRE!" The taxi drove inside. The road inside was not a normal road. It was a long private road lined with small yellow lights on both sides, leading deep into the forest. Tall pine trees everywhere. Lily whispered, "Oh my God..." Amanda held her mouth. "Claire... this is your mother-in-law's house? This road alone is like 10 minutes drive!" Claire smiled proudly. "I told you. She is different." After five minutes driving inside, they saw it. The mansion. Everyone in the taxi went silent. It was not a farmhouse like Great-Grandma's. It was a white castle. Three floors, glass windows shining with warm yellow light, big fountain in front with a statue, guards standing by the door, cars parked. It looked like a luxury empire hidden inside the forest. The taxi stopped. Sofia jumped out first. "WE ARE HERE! GRANDMA ESTELLA! WE ARE HERE!" Slowly, the big front door opened. A woman came out. She was old, 93 years old, but she didn't look weak like Great-Grandma. She wore a long silk robe, white hair tied up neatly, face very elegant but very cold. She walked straight, like a queen. Behind her were two maids. This was Estella. Estella looked at the ten people standing with bags in front of her fountain. Her eyes narrowed. "Claire," she said, voice calm but cold. "What is this?" Claire quickly went forward. "Mama... sorry for coming late. Great-Grandma's roof broke today. The oak tree fell. Carpenter said we cannot sleep there for one week. I had no choice." Estella looked at Great-Grandma, who was being helped by Amanda. "My friend..." Estella said, her voice softer when she saw Great-Grandma. "What happened to your house?" Great-Grandma sighed. "Tree fell, Estella. Old tree." Estella looked around at everyone again. "You brought ten people to my house without telling me, Claire?" Estella said. Everyone froze. The air became tense. Amanda whispered to Claire, "She looks angry." Lily held her bag tight, scared. She was still wearing Noah's sweater. Then Sofia ran forward and hugged Estella's waist. "Grandma Estella! It's me, Sofia! You remember me? I was 8 years old! You gave me chocolate and told me I can come anytime!" Estella's cold face changed instantly. She looked down at Sofia and her eyes became soft. "Sofia?" Estella touched her hair. "My little Sofia... you have grown so big." Sofia giggled. "Yes! And this is my twin Sophie! And this is Lily, my cousin! She is very nice!" Estella looked at Lily. Lily was standing shyly behind Amanda, in Noah's big sweater, hair damp. Estella stared at her for a long time. Lily looked down. Then Estella said, "Alright. You can stay for one week. Until the roof is fixed. But my house has rules. No noise after 10pm. No entering my library without permission. And no boys and girls sharing rooms." Everyone nodded quickly. "Yes, ma." Estella turned to her maid. "Martha, prepare rooms." Martha said, "Ma, we have only five guest rooms free. One room upstairs has only one bed." Estella looked at them. "Who will take the single room?" No one spoke. Estella pointed at Lily. "You. The quiet girl in the big sweater. You take the single room upstairs. You look like you need rest." Lily was shocked. "Me?" Amanda pushed her gently. "Go, my baby." Martha carried Lily's bag upstairs. Lily's room was beautiful. Big white bed with four curtains, warm fireplace burning, balcony with glass doors looking straight into the dark Blackwood Forest. She took off Noah's sweater and placed it neatly on the bed. Suddenly, through the glass balcony door, she saw movement. On the next balcony, one meter away, was Noah. He was also looking into the forest. Black shirt, hair still damp. Lily's heart beat fast. Noah turned and saw her. Again. No communication. Just eyes. Lily quickly blushed and tried to close her curtain. But Noah didn't look away. Lily gathered courage and opened the glass door a little. Cold forest air came in. Noah also opened his door a little. They were standing on two balconies, one meter apart. Lily whispered, shyly, "Thank you... for the sweater..." Noah nodded. His first words to her ever, voice low and deep. "You were cold." Lily's cheeks turned completely red. She nodded. "Yes... I'm... I'm Lily." Noah looked at her for a second and said, "I know." Then he went back inside his room and closed his door gently. Lily stood on her balcony for a long time, holding her chest, heart beating like crazy. She went inside, smiling to herself, and hugged his sweater. Downstairs, everyone else was settling. Sophie and Sofia were shouting about the mansion being too big. Collins and James were talking about guards. Ember was scared of the forest. Amanda and Claire were with the two old grandmas — Great-Grandma (97) and Estella (93) — sitting in the living room, drinking tea and talking about old times. Great-Grandma said, "Estella, you still live in this big house alone at 93?" Estella sipped tea. "I like quiet, old friend. Quiet keeps me alive." Later that night, Amanda told Estella and Great-Grandma everything that happened in Seattle — about Jennifer, the toilet video, the party where they dragged Lily, the rug lie, how Jennifer's mother Vanessa came to their house to insult them and ask for rug money. Amanda cried while telling it. Great-Grandma held Lily and cried too. Estella didn't cry. Her face became very hard. Very cold. Her eyes became like ice. She stood up slowly. At 93, but her back was straight like a soldier. "Nobody..." Estella said, voice shaking with anger, "...nobody insults my family member, disgraces my family member, and goes free. Nobody." Amanda looked up. "Mama Estella..." Estella walked away to her library. She closed the door. At midnight, thunder came again. Rain started pouring on the mansion roof. Lily couldn't sleep. The forest wind was loud. The mansion was too big and too quiet. She went downstairs to get water from the kitchen. As she passed the big library, she heard a voice inside. The library door was half open. Light was on. It was Estella. On the phone, back to the door, whispering in a very powerful, angry voice — not like a 93-year-old. Like a boss. Lily stopped. Estella said on phone: _"Listen to me. I want you to find out where that woman Vanessa works. Jennifer's mother. That woman who came to insult my family. I want her fired. She should be fired tomorrow morning. Do you hear me? And that small girl Jennifer — that bully influencer — I want her expelled from that university. If the school does not expel her, tell them I will bring down the school. I will close that school. Nobody disgraces my granddaughter Lily and goes free. My family is not a toy! I have money. I have power. Use it. I want that mother jobless and that daughter expelled by tomorrow! Let them feel pain!"_ Lily froze. The glass of water shook in her hand. Someone was fighting FOR her. Not against her. Then — in the dark hallway behind her — a hand touched her shoulder. Lily jumped and gasped, almost dropping the glass. She turned. It was Noah. Standing in the dark hallway, in his black shirt, looking down at her with worried eyes. He had heard everything too. He didn't say a word. He just looked at Lily, then at the library where Estella was still on phone. Lily was shaking, tears in her eyes. Noah slowly reached out and gently took the glass of water from her hand before she dropped it. Their fingers touched. Lily looked up at him, whispering, "Did you hear... she... she wants to fight for me..." Noah nodded, his eyes soft. He whispered so low only she could hear: "Come with me." He walked ahead slowly, so she could follow. Lily followed him up the stairs, past her room, up another small staircase that led to the rooftop of the mansion. The rooftop was open. Big and flat. Cold night air. Stars above. You could see the whole Blackwood Forest from up there, dark and endless. The mansion lights made the rooftop warm. Lily was still wearing Noah's heavy sweater over her pajamas. They sat on the edge, legs hanging, looking at the forest. For a while, no one talked. Just wind. Then Noah said softly, without looking at her, "You want to talk?" Lily looked down. Tears filled her eyes. "I... I just wanted friends," she whispered. Noah turned to look at her. Lily started talking, voice shaking. "Jennifer and I were in same school since we were six years old. I thought she was my friend. I followed her everywhere. Because I wanted to belong. She has many followers. She is popular. I am not." She wiped her tears. "Then she started making videos of me. First small jokes. Then... then she pushed me in the university bathroom. Dirty toilet water all over me. She recorded it and put it on t****k. 50,000 people watched me like that. They laughed. They commented 'pig'... 'dirty girl'..." Lily cried harder. "And yesterday... her party... she told me to come, said sorry. I thought she finally wanted to be my friend. But she and her friends held me down... dragged me... made me clean her spill with my dress... while she was live. Everyone watched. I went home barefoot. My knees were bleeding." She covered her face. "I am so embarrassed. My mom had to see me like that. I shouted at my mom because I was angry. I am a bad daughter." Noah didn't say anything at first. He just sat close, listening. Then he said, calm but firm, "You are not a bad daughter. You are not dirty. You are not what they said." Lily looked at him through tears. Noah continued, "Jennifer is the dirty one. Not you. She needs to hurt people to feel big. You don't need to follow people like that to belong. You belong already. With your mom. With your cousins. With... me." Lily's heart beat fast when he said "with me." She whispered, "You really think I belong?" Noah nodded once. "Yes." Lily cried small, quietly. Just tears falling on Noah's sweater. Noah let her cry. He just sat there, like a protector. After some while, there was quietness. Only wind and crickets. Noah brought out his phone to check time. He opened t****k — because earlier that day, James had sent him the link of Jennifer's video. He clicked on it. *VIDEO REMOVED.* He frowned. He searched "Lily toilet video Seattle University." *THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO COMMUNITY GUIDELINES AND LEGAL REQUEST.* He searched again "Lily party spill live Jennifer" — *CONTENT NOT AVAILABLE.* He searched "Lily dirty girl" — nothing. All gone. Every single video about Lily had disappeared. Noah's eyes widened. He scrolled down and saw a new warning posted on Jennifer's t****k page, pinned by t****k itself: *"⚠️ WARNING: All videos harassing Lily A. have been removed. Any account that posts, shares, or re-uploads any video of Lily will be permanently banned and will face legal action from E.M. Legal Team. Harassment of minors will not be tolerated."* Noah showed the phone to Lily. "Lily. Look." Lily took the phone with shaking hands. She read the warning. She checked the videos — all gone. All the videos that made her want to die — all brought down within just a few hours. Her mouth opened. "Estella..." she whispered. "Grandma Estella... she did it..." Tears came again, but this time happy tears. She cried out small, covering her mouth. "She really fought for me... she brought down everything... nobody will see me like that again..." She looked at Noah, eyes full of tears and smile at same time. "Noah... she fought for me... she threatened them... anybody who posts or shares again will get in trouble..." Noah smiled small, first real smile she had seen from him. "Yes," he said. "At 93, she is more powerful than TikTok." Lily laughed through tears. She cried and laughed at same time, holding his sweater tight. Noah comforted her. He said softly, "See? You have family now that doesn't let anyone mess with you. You are safe. You don't need to be scared of internet again." Lily nodded, wiping her eyes small. "I am happy... I am so happy... I thought nobody cared..." Noah looked at her for a long time. Then he stood up. "It's cold. You should go to bed." Lily stood up too. She was still wearing his sweater. They walked down from the rooftop together, quiet, side by side.