Shellie Stillburg, the younger child and the only daughter of the Stillburg family, was always filled with mischief. Ever since her days in kindergarten, Shellie had a gleam in her eye that suggested she was destined for more than just simple pranks. She was never malicious—at least, not intentionally—but the chaos that followed in her wake was hard to ignore. At first, her playful antics were laughed off by her teachers, who dismissed them as the innocent exuberance of a bright and energetic child. But as the years passed, Shellie's mischief grew more sophisticated, more audacious, and much harder to tolerate.
By the time she reached high school, her reputation had preceded her. Saint Isaac High School, a prestigious institution known for its rigorous academics and strict code of conduct, was ill-prepared for the whirlwind that was Shellie Stillburg. She had an uncanny ability to push the boundaries just enough to evade serious punishment. No professor dared raise a complaint against her to her parents, the powerful Stillburgs. The Stillburg family's donations were the lifeblood of the school, and Saint Isaac's staff knew all too well that their survival hinged on remaining in the family's good graces. William and Jennifer Stillburg, owners of Stillburg Group of Textiles, had built an empire that spanned the globe, with their headquarters in Germany. Their wealth, estimated at over 8000 million USD, was backed not just by their businesses, but by the powerful connections they had forged over the years. Politicians, businessmen, and even legal authorities seemed to orbit the Stillburgs, creating a protective bubble that made them nearly untouchable.
It was rumored that the Stillburgs had been involved in at least 156 illegal business deals, but they always managed to escape with a clean slate. Bribes and influence flowed as freely as champagne at their exclusive parties, ensuring that they stayed one step ahead of the law. Should the tax officers ever investigate without succumbing to bribery, they would uncover a staggering debt of 5000 million USD. But such scrutiny was rare in their world, a world where money and power insulated them from consequences.
Shellie, in her own way, was a product of this environment. Her pranks and mischief weren't just the actions of a bored teenager—they were the expressions of someone who had grown up knowing that rules didn't apply to her. After all, why should they? Her parents had spent their lives bending and breaking them with impunity. But while Shellie's antics might have seemed harmless on the surface, there was an undercurrent of danger, an unchecked boldness that concerned more than a few of her teachers. Among those concerned was Professor Ruso, the Dean of Saint Isaac High School.
Ruso was an anomaly in the world of Saint Isaac. He wasn't easily intimidated, and while he respected the Stillburgs' power, he didn't fear it. More than anything, he was concerned about the long-term effects Shellie's behavior might have, not just on the school but on Shellie herself. Would she grow up to follow in her parents' footsteps, manipulating the system for her own gain? Or could she be guided onto a better path, one where her potential was channeled into something positive? Ruso wasn't sure, but he knew that something had to be done.
Summoning his courage, Professor Ruso decided to take the matter directly to Shellie's parents. He knew the risks. William Stillburg could easily have him fired, or worse—he could cripple the school financially with a single stroke of his pen. But Ruso believed in doing the right thing, and in this case, the right thing was addressing Shellie's behavior before it escalated further. When he sat down with William and Jennifer Stillburg in their grandiose living room, the tension in the air was palpable. William listened intently as Ruso outlined Shellie's growing list of infractions, his face inscrutable behind his neatly trimmed beard. Jennifer, perched elegantly beside her husband, sipped her wine and said little, but her sharp eyes betrayed her curiosity.
To Ruso's surprise, the reaction wasn't one of anger or defensiveness. In fact, William didn't seem particularly surprised by the news. After a few moments of silence, he leaned back in his chair and said, "Take her name off the list."
Ruso blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Unlist her from the school," William repeated calmly. "I'll handle the rest."
The decision shocked Ruso, who had expected resistance or, at the very least, an argument. Saint Isaac's High School owed much of its success to the Stillburgs' patronage, and yet here William was, removing his daughter from the very institution they helped support. It didn't make sense. He could have had Ruso fired, or he could have swept Shellie's behavior under the rug. But instead, he chose to pull her out of school entirely.
As Ruso walked back to his office, his mind churned with questions. Why would William make such a drastic move? It wasn't as if the Stillburgs had ever cared much for appearances. Surely they could have shielded Shellie from any consequences, as they always had. "Something's fishy," Ruso muttered to himself. But there was little he could do now. Shellie was gone from Saint Isaac's, and the rest of the students and staff were relieved to see her go. For a time, at least, peace had returned to the school. Yet Ruso couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the end of the story.
Meanwhile, across town at Stillburg Manor, the family's troubles were far from over. Shellie may have been wild, but the Stillburgs' elder son, Johnny, was something else entirely. Calm, introverted, and almost painfully shy, Johnny was everything Shellie wasn't. While his sister reveled in chaos, Johnny found solace in the quiet of his room, where he would spend hours sketching intricate designs and characters, lost in his own world. In many ways, Johnny was an enigma. His classmates at university often mocked him for his demeanor, questioning whether he was truly a Stillburg. "You don't act like a millionaire's son," they'd jeer. "Are you sure you're not adopted?"
Johnny would only smile faintly and retreat further into his work. He had no interest in the family business, much to his parents' chagrin. William had long hoped that Johnny would take over the Stillburg empire one day, but the prospect seemed less likely with each passing year. Unlike Shellie, who at least carried the Stillburg fire in her, Johnny seemed to be from a different mold entirely. He was a believer in truth, in simplicity, in art for its own sake. He had little desire to be caught up in the world of backroom deals and corporate politics that defined his family's legacy.
And that, in its own way, was a source of constant tension for the Stillburgs. On one hand, they had a son who refused to embrace the future they had built for him. On the other hand, they had a daughter whose reckless behavior threatened to bring down everything they had worked so hard to protect. It was a pressure cooker waiting to explode, and explode it did one fateful night.
It was around 2:47 AM when Shellie and Johnny were woken by the sound of their parents arguing downstairs. This wasn't unusual—William and Jennifer had always had a volatile relationship, their tempers often flaring over the smallest disagreements. But tonight, the argument seemed especially heated.
"What the hell are we going to do about them, Willie?" Jennifer's voice rang through the house, laced with frustration. "One of them refuses to take on the business, and the other is running wild! We're losing control!"
"You think I don't know that?" William snapped back. "But yelling about it isn't going to fix anything!"
Upstairs, Johnny and Shellie exchanged glances. It wasn't the first time they'd overheard their parents fighting, but this time felt different. There was an edge to their voices, a desperation that hadn't been there before.
"What happened, Mum?" Shellie called down the stairs. "Is everything okay?"
There was a brief pause before Jennifer's voice floated up to them, suddenly calm and measured. "Everything's fine, sweetie. Just a little argument over who's winning the Big Mania Super League."
"Yeah," William added gruffly. "Go back to bed, both of you. You don't want to be punished for staying up this late."
Shellie grinned mischievously. "Punishment? That sounds like fun!" she teased, heading back to her room with a bounce in her step. Johnny, ever the quiet one, merely glanced at his parents before retreating to his own room.
As the house settled into an uneasy silence, William and Jennifer went to bed, their argument unresolved but momentarily forgotten. But the tension in the air remained, thick and suffocating.
At precisely 3:34 AM, the doorbell rang.
"Ding! Dong!"
In the stillness of the night, the sound was deafening. William shot up in bed, his heart racing. Jennifer stirred beside him, groggy and confused.