"Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes the reading of the will," Sir Austin announced, neatly packing the files into his bag. He addressed Madam Madeline, "May I be excused? I have some matters to attend to."
"Very well, Mr. Bush. Thank you for your service today. You may leave," Madam Madeline replied graciously.
For a fleeting moment, silence enveloped the room as each person absorbed the weight of the final letter's words. The wives, their hearts filled with sorrow, understood that they would witness their children pitted against each other in a bitter struggle for inheritance.
Then suddenly, a voice shattered the heavy silence, "Well then, brothers and sisters, dear old dad has given us his blessing - let us go and destroy one another in the most fashionable way possible," declared Michael as he rose from his seat.
"Dear mothers, you've just lost a husband, and I'm sure you want to mourn, so I won't hold you any longer," he added with a nod of respect towards the wives.
Turning to his siblings, Michael continued, "As for you guys, I'll see you all on the battlefield. We're all armed already." With a dramatic flourish, he tossed his document into the air before striding out of the drawing room. Within moments, the roar of a sports car engine echoed outside, fading into the distance.
Elijah remarked, "Someone's motivated, it seems." He then turned towards where the wives sat and spoke gently, "I would like to stay and mourn with you, mothers. However, as my younger brother stated, I myself have some business to take care of. I'll visit some other time."
"Alright, dear," replied Madam Madeline, while Bertha added, "Elijah, play nice with your siblings."
"I will," Elijah assured them as he began to walk out of the drawing room. As he approached the entrance, his eyes met Aurora's. Despite the tension in the room, Aurora stared him down without showing any fear as he passed by and left the room.
"Everyone is in such a hurry. Since clearly this is a race, I won't let them gain too much distance," Athena remarked as she stood up. She nodded slightly at the wives before swiftly leaving the room.
"Finally, I can go eat," Meleta said as she stood up and walked in the direction of the kitchen. "I hope the maids cooked something nice," she mused aloud as she made her way there.
"I think that's our cue to get out of here," Alexander remarked.
"Yeah, we should go," Aurora replied.
"Miss Graysons, we'll be taking our leave," Alexander announced, but his words were met with utter silence.
The two walked out of the manor, their steps slow and contemplative.
"So, how was it?" Alexander asked.
Aurora crossed her arms, reflecting, "It was interesting for sure. I thought I'd choke under the pressure, but I made it out alive somehow."
"Yeah, I get you," Alexander nodded knowingly. "The Graysons have a special way of making you feel unwelcomed and out of place."
"Still, now I know exactly what I'm dealing with," Aurora replied thoughtfully.
"Oh really? What have you learned?" Alexander inquired.
"They're dangerous - every last one of them. They're like savages," Aurora stated with a serious expression.
"Well, rich people are quite different from us. They process things a little differently as well," Alexander mused.
"Their father just died, and not even one of them was bothered by it. Even the wives - there's not a shred of sadness in any of them. Do they have no regard for human life?" Aurora wondered aloud.
"Honestly, I wish I had an obvious answer to your questions, but I don't. I'm just glad you're aware of what you have to deal with," Alexander replied sincerely.
"I'll be careful," Aurora affirmed.
"So, that document is pretty much your inheritance huh," Alexander observed.
"Yeah, I guess. I'll read it when I get to my place. Right now, I'm still trying to calm myself and get out of this mood," Aurora admitted.
"That's understandable. That was quite the overwhelming experience for you," Alexander acknowledged.
"Enough about me. So, you get to be a partner in a firm, huh?" Aurora changed the subject.
"It's been a childhood dream of mine, I guess. So, just achieved it," Alexander replied modestly.
"Well, that's great news, isn't it? You don't seem too enthusiastic about it," Aurora observed.
"Like you, I guess I'm still overwhelmed. I'll process it when I get to my place," Alexander said with a hint of introspection.
"Yeah, I get you," Aurora replied. "I'm sure your mother will be pleased about the good news."
"We've had it rough for far too long, so this is a big break for us. It'll help change a lot of things," Aurora continued.
"I'm happy for you," Alexander said sincerely.
"Well, thanks for... you know, everything. I'll probably keep bothering you till I get the hang of things," Aurora chuckled.
"Don't worry about it. I'm happy to help," Alexander assured her.
"So, look, I gotta go. My landlady said I was needed urgently, so I should probably get going," Aurora said, starting to move.
"I'll give you a ride," said Alexander.
"I'd appreciate that a lot," Aurora nodded.
"So, is your ride one of these?" Aurora asked, gesturing toward the convoy of expensive cars parked nearby.
"I wish," Alexander sighed. "They don't like it when outsiders park inside the manor, so I park in the garage reserved for guests," he explained.
"Oh, I see," Aurora nodded as they continued walking. They got in the car and Alexander drove her home.
As they pulled up, Alexander smoothly parked outside 103 Marlin Street. Aurora thanked him as she got out of the car. "Thanks for the ride," she said appreciatively.
"No problem. I'll see you around," Alexander replied, driving off smoothly into the distance.
"Okay then, so apparently my so called boyfriend is waiting for me inside," Aurora muttered sarcastically to herself. She felt a twinge of annoyance at the thought of neighbors gossiping about her being dropped off by an expensive car. "As if that isn't enough trouble," she thought, shaking her head.
She opened the gate, closed it behind her, and walked up to the main door, unlocking it with her key. "Who is this guy really?" she wondered aloud, stepping inside.
As Aurora walked, she encountered Miss Carol holding a cup of tea.
"Thank goodness you're here, dear. I know a gentleman is supposed to wait for a lady, but you really shouldn't make him wait that long," Miss Carol remarked.
"I didn't have much of a choice, Miss Carol. I was held up," Aurora explained impatiently. "So where is this man who claims to be my boyfriend?" she asked, growing anxious.
"You took too long, and the man said he had a busy day. He asked if there was anywhere he could lay his head and rest a bit. So, I opened your apartment for him," Miss Carol replied casually.
"You what?!" Aurora exclaimed in disbelief. "How could you let someone into my apartment without my permission?" she added, her frustration mounting.
"But I thought it would be fine since he was your boyfriend," Miss Carol reasoned, but Aurora had already stormed off, leaving Miss Carol standing there.
"That young lady is ungrateful. With a fine man like that, she should be grateful I didn't invite him to my room instead," Miss Carol muttered to herself as she continued on with her day.
Aurora hurried to her apartment, her thoughts racing with frustration.
"This damn landlady, how could she be so stupid? What if the man is a scammer or a thief, and he did all that to get in and steal my stuff? Why does this always happen to me? Even when good things happen, there's always something to piss me off," she fumed inwardly, her anxiety increasing with each step towards her door.
Aurora quickly inserted her key and turned the lock, muttering to herself, "She didn't even lock the door." Pushing it open, she stepped inside and immediately scanned the room.
Her eyes locked onto his light reddish eyes, and he uttered softly, "I've been waiting for you, Aurora."
"This is not possible," she muttered, shaking her head. "What the hell am I seeing?"
Aurora's pulse quickened even more. "No, no, this can't be real," she whispered, pacing anxiously. "I... I must be hallucinating. How are you here... I saw you die right in front of me..." Her voice trailed off as she struggled to comprehend the situation.
The man stood up slowly, causing Aurora to recoil.
"Please, stop pretending like I'm not here," he said, taking a step closer.
Aurora panicked. "Stay back, ghost!" she exclaimed, her voice rising. "Or I'll... I'll start praying! I have holy water! Come any closer and I'll exorcise you. "
The man ducked as she began throwing things at him in a frenzy. "Stop that!" he shouted over her screams, covering his ears. "I'm trying to talk to you!"
Aurora suddenly paused, a realization dawning on her. "Wait... if you were a ghost, why didn't the stuff go through you?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"I'm not a ghost!" the man insisted, frustration evident in his tone. "Please, just calm down so I can explain myself."
"Stay back!" Aurora warned, retreating towards the kitchen counter. "You might not be a ghost, but you could be... a vampire! Yes, with those unnatural reddish eyes that would make sense..."
The man sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "I'm not a vampire, Aurora," he said firmly, trying to reason with her. "You're jumping to conclusions."
"You came for revenge, didn't you?" Aurora continued, her grip tightening on a knife she had retrieved from a drawer. "Because I was there when you died... a vengeful spirit turned you into a vampire to suck my blood!"
Aurora remained wary, holding the knife defensively. "I'll fight you off with everything I have Dracula," she declared, her fear visible.
The man took a step forward, then suddenly staggered. "I feel... light-headed," he murmured, his movements becoming unsteady.
"Stay back!" Aurora warned again, her voice shaking as she pointed the knife at him.
The man touched his stomach section and felt a wet substance. "Oh no... I must've been stabbed earlier at the alley," he realized, dropping to his knees. "The adrenaline wore off - I feel cold..."
Aurora watched in shock as he collapsed onto the floor.