Elena stood at the mansion's gate with a playful grin, thinking of her uncle's sour expressions at her late arrival.
As she stepped inside the door, the memories of laughter and heartache flooded back into her mind, as this place reminded her of the bittersweet past.
It has been many years since she saw this place again.
The last thing she remembered about this place was when the aliens bombarded it, leaving this area desolated. She sighs, lost in thought.
She was interrupted by her cousin Vivian, who greeted her with an insincere smile and said.
"You're finally here, Sis Ele, I miss you so much."
Luh, Ele my as*! Who's your sister? Stop acting so much, Elena mused, suppressing her irritation.
Instead, she replied cheerfully, determined to outmaneuver Vivian in this familiar game of family dynamics.
"So glad to see you also, Vivi!" Elena chirped, her voice laced with a playful sweetness.
She tilted her head, feigning innocence as she scanned the room.
"Where's Uncle and Aunt? I can't wait to see them!"
"They're waiting for you in the living area."
Of course, they're waiting to snatch my shares, Elena thought, rolling her eyes at Vivian's smug grin.
"What happened to you? You look a little haggard." Vivian asked.
Her words were full of concern, but Elena could sense the underlying thrill in Vivian's eyes as if she savored every moment of her disheveled appearance.
Look at you, at least hide the delight on your face. A smirk tugged at her lips.
"It's just that I'm not used to sleeping in a new house. Don't worry, I'm totally fine," Elena said weakly, forcing a smile.
"Let's hurry up; let's not keep Uncle and Aunt waiting any longer."
******
The family members anxiously waited for her arrival in the cozy living room.
As she stepped inside, all eyes turned to her.
Her aunt stood up, concern etched on her face, but a cunning spark flickered beneath her facade.
She nearly choked at her aunt's performance.
Elena turned to her uncle and wondered, What kind of look is that?
Her uncle looked at her with a predatory gaze as if she were a tender piece of meat.
Grrr, She wanted to slap and kick this old man. Hmph! Calm down, Elena!
She took a deep breath, trying to keep her sanity intact amidst the chaos in her mind.
As Elena watched her aunt come closer to her, past memories surged back into her.
Despite the betrayal of being tricked into signing away her shares, she had tried to let go.
However, everything changed when natural disasters descended, and her unprepared and desperate uncle showed up at her door.
At the time, Ethan was bedridden and vulnerable from injuries on his last mission, after knowing this, her uncle orchestrated a cruel scheme, hiring thugs to rob them and nearly endangering their lives.
Fortunately, Ethan's comrade intervened quickly, exposing her uncle's scheme and saving them.
She was furious and wanted to take revenge, but her uncle already left the city.
She then vowed to cut her uncle out of her life for good.
As Elena reminisced about the past, she suddenly felt her aunt's warm hands clasping hers. The gentle touch pulled her back to the present.
"Oh, dear, you've suffered so much! Come back and live with us," Mrs Smith urged, her voice dripping with false concern.
For what? To manipulate me again? No, thanks, Elena murmured to herself.
"Auntie, thank you, but I prefer to live with my husband," she said sweetly, a gentle smile on her face as she gracefully walked around the sofa.
"Auntie, come sit next to me," Elena said, her tone bright as she subtly adjusted her posture, attempting to conceal the rehearsed flair of her acting skills behind a charming smile.
"Okay, dear," Mrs. Smith replied, smiling as she settled beside Elena.
Despite her niece's haggard appearance, an unexpected lightness in her demeanor puzzled Mrs. Smith.
She had expected tears and complaints about Ethan and grief over her grandfather's death, yet here was Elena, almost serene, leaving Mrs Smith feeling both unease and bewildered.
William stared at the opposite sofa, puzzled by his niece's strange behavior.
Instead of being sad or upset, Elena was acting cheerful and light-hearted.
He remembered how she had shared her worries about Ethan's neglect at the last family gathering. Now, she seemed to be hiding her true feelings.
What's going on with her? he thought, sensing something was off.
"Niece, you're late for 2 hours. Has something happened?" Willian asked, as he masked his frustration and wanted to probe her,
"I'm sorry, Uncle. I overslept because I've been worrying about my husband. It's been two weeks since he's gone, and I'm really concerned. Can we talk later? We need to start reading the will, we've already lost enough time," Elena said, trying to show her vulnerability.
And whose fault is this? You're the one wasting our time, William thought grudgingly.
"Don't worry too much, you know we'll always be here for you," William said, calming himself.
"Atty. Kai, let's begin the reading." As he spoke, a sly smile crept across his face.
His niece did seem genuinely down; perhaps this was the perfect opportunity for his plan to unfold, he thought, his eyes glimmering with mischief.
Atty. Kai stood up, holding the envelope that contained the will.
With a steady voice, he began to read aloud. "If Elena does not marry Ethan, this will become invalid. Everything I owned, including the property and the company, will be donated to charity. The family will only receive dividends each year." A hush fell over the room as they knew some of the content.
This is also why William did not object to Elena's marriage to Ethan, even though he knew Ethan was not easy to deal with.
"However, if Elena does marry Ethan, all properties, including the houses in the west and east of City A, as well as the antiques and jades, will be divided equally between my granddaughter Elena and my son William. But a special note: this mansion will be handed to Elena alone."
William felt that his father was too biased.
What could he do? Ah, so frustrating.
"The company will be handed to his granddaughter Elena, who will receive 60% of the shares, while his son William and granddaughter Vivian will have 10% each." Atty. Kai delivered the news with a heavy tone.
William felt a surge of frustration and disbelief wash over him. Despite his hard work and dedication, his father believed Elena was the better choice to lead the business.
If Elena knew her uncle's thoughts, she would definitely smock him; what dedication? You only know how to gamble and please others.
This left William questioning his role and future in the family legacy, but he calmed himself down.
Soon, it will be mine. He smiled slyly and said, "Of course it should be. Elena is alone and needs financial security. Don't worry, niece, we're family, and we'll help as much as we can."
Elena glanced at her uncle, who looked as if he had been robbed, trying hard to hide his frustration.
She hadn't noticed it before, but seeing his expression made her feel foolish for trusting him in the past.