“Who are you? Why are you doing this to me!” a woman in a white L*SPACE Barcelona dress screamed, just as she was about to be slashed by a figure immersed in darkness, with a menacing smile covering its face.
“This is not personal, my dearest Marilyn.” The figure said as it slowly approaches her.
Just as the figure completely emerged from the darkness, despair slowly covered Marilyn’s face as what she saw, rather who she saw, brought her into a state of complete shock as despair distorted and covered her face, rendering her speechless.
With each step the figure made the air thickened and Marilyn gasps for breath faster. Just as Marilyn was about to snap back to her senses, the ominous figure slashed her again and she stepped backward and tripped and fell to the ground as she blurted out an anear-piercing shriek, “Haaaaa!”
Marilyn had twisted her ankle and fell on her rear, as the blood from both the wounds on her stomach and arm started to gush out profusely. The pain shot up her feet, stomach, and arm. As she cringed, the pain exploded in her head with blinding whiteness. It made her dizzy. She was in so much pain, but she refused to take her eyes off the figure shrouded in darkness as she did not know what its true intention was or if she was going to make it through the rest of the night alive.
…...
Earlier that day, the entire Montague family gathered at the Montague mansion deep in the hills of Mandeville, Manchester. The family hasn’t been together like this in many years, as many of the family members were of bad blood in recent times because the heir to the family’s most valuable treasure can only be one person.
“It nice to see you again, Maggie” Marilyn greeted another family member.
“I know Marilyn. It has been several years since you last visited the country from the United States.” the woman replied as a smirk slowly formed on her face.
“Hubby, this is my sister Marilyn.” A woman with long and slender legs said as she slowly approached Marilyn with a bald Caucasian man walking next to her.
“Marilyn, this is my husband, Kevin Klaus.” The woman quickly introduces her husband to her Marilyn.
“Nice to meet you, Kevin,” Marilyn happily greeted Kevin with a broad smile on her face. “Sonequa has told me so much about you.”
Maggie watched as the siblings greeted each other. Maggie thought that Sonequa was just showing off because her husband is Italian and he has a nice accent.
In total there were about ten persons who had gathered together at the Montague family mansion. They were all called together because the family elders were retiring from being the head of the family business and they decided to choose their successor among the seven direct family members who they had directly send as summon too. Three of the persons who had also gathered were invited by someone among the seven persons who were summoned by the family elders. Kevin Klaus was one of those people.
While the people gathered at the mansion were outside conversing with each other, a tiring voice came from the mansion’s intercom system, “Are we all done talking now.”
“Get inside!” the voice was demanding.
Everyone quickly got in as they all were aware of whose indifferent voice it was over the intercom and they didn’t want to anger him. The voice belonged to the family’s elder Richard.
The mansion was truly amazing, as it was completely automated. From the door to the toaster is operated by the house's computer system. The Montague family was truly well off.
Each person was greeted politely by the manager of the family estate as they entered the mansion.
“Please to meet all of you. My name is Colin. I am the manager of the Montague Estate.” Everyone knew who Colin was because he’s been managing the family’s estate for over ten years. However, he greeted them like that because he was advised to do so by the family elders and also because there were persons among the family who did not know who he was.
A few hours had passed since everyone arrived at the family estate and they were all settled in their rooms. In the event, the elders had already scheduled for everyone to meet and have dinner with them. They all want to discuss the proceedings of the family business successor. In total there were five elders.
While everyone was at the table the waiter served several bottles of wine. All the wine that was severed was Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grand Cru. Kevin took notice of the wine because he once tried to get a bottle of it when he was in Italy, but he was unable to get it because only a few people could own it. It is referred to as a wine fit for kings because only they could afford to drink it. It was the most expensive wine in France.
They were also served various dishes, such as the fourth lobster, lobster frittata, posh pie, and the most expensive seafood in Japan the bluefin tuna. The aroma coming from the dishes was mouth-watering. Everyone was eager to taste the dishes as they did not want any of the dishes to run out on them, even though enough was served for every to get seconds or even thirds.
“Let us all celebrate our retirement and the ascension of the new head of the Montague business empire.” One of the elders raised his glass and said.
Everyone at the table was dumbfounded and a stern look covered each family member's face as no one knew who was chosen to lead the family business empire.
“Why so serious? We haven’t chosen anyone as yet. That’s why you are all here.” The elder raised his glass said as he slowly looks everyone at the table in their face and gently smiled.
“Father, I’ve been managing our San Francisco branch successfully for the past five years now. Surely I am most fit to lead the company.” A young man in a grey suit blurted out. He looked so young. He was about twenty-six.
“Donovan! Shut up! You’re the youngest at the table. Why would father leave such responsibility in your hands?” another man said as he took large gulps of the wine one after another.
Donovan shrugged at the comment and said, “Sure Nathan, you don’t expect the elders to leave the company in your hands? Everyone is aware of your drinking problems. Surely you will drink the company to the ground!”
“Enough!” a woman shouted. She was the eldest of all the persons who were summoned to the mansion by the elders. “We are here to hear the good news from our elders. Not to bicker and fight amongst ourselves.”
“Maxine is right,” Maggie said softly while trying to hide the hate in her eyes.
“We will discuss how we will choose our successor later. But now we eat!” Another elder said abruptly. This else was Donna-Marie, both Marilyn and Sonequa's stepmother.
Marilyn and Sonequa’s mother has passed away due to rare cancer when they were young. After many years of being reluctant to find another wife, their father met the gracious Donna-Marie Simpson. She was good a mother to both girls as if they were her children. The two girls loved her with all their hearts, especially when she married their father and made him extremely happy.
After the meal had ended, everyone went into the large living room. It was so spacious that it normally takes up to six hours to be clean daily by a pair of maids.
“As you all know we have gathered you here to see who among you is fit to lead the family business to the era,” Rosinante said as he glanced at all the prospective candidates who want to be in charge of the family business.
“Unfortunately, we have decided not to select our successor tonight, instead of in the morning,” Richard said sharply.
Everyone knew Richard's temper so no one dared to question his decision. Even though they were all desperate to know who will be selected to lead the family. Everyone believes that they should be leading the family as they all have shown tremendous results in managing different branches of the family business all over the world. It was because of this that they were all summoned to the family mansion.
Because the elders did not wish to disclose who they were going to make the head of the company everyone in the room was disappointed and all they were left with were persons who they did not wish to converse with.
Some left the room shortly after Richard made his announcement.
“Surely, these elders don’t intend to leave these fools in charge of the family business.” Colin the property manager silently said to himself as he felt disheartened.
The young masters of the family were behaving out of character and Colin did not believe that they deserve to run the family business as they would only run the company into the ground.
“Maggie, I will be damned if the elders leave the family business to that naïve girl,” Nathan said as he looks at Marilyn disheartened as he feels that she doesn’t have the will and tolerance to run a company of this stature.
“You are right Nathan. We cannot let her lead this company no matter what!” Maggie sneered as she got up from the table and left for her room.
…
Everyone at the table was frightened after they heard several loud sounds coming from another section of the mansion, “Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!” it sounds as if something was knocked over to the ground.
“What was that?” Sonequa shouted out as she was so frightened.
Everyone rushed to see what was happening only to find Richard lying on the ground lifeless.
“Ahhhhh! Father!” Maxine shouted as she felt lost.
“What a mess!” Rosinante said.
“What should we do?” Donna-Marie asked as everyone looked puzzled and trying to get an understanding of what was happening.