➵ Two ➵

THE VAN DALENS WERE A BRITISH-German family, having as it's matriarch, Abelona Van Dalen. They are also the owners of the biggest conglomerate of business in Europe with an enormous influence worldwide, owning from hospitals to labels of beauty products and fashion, from construction companies to showbusiness cooperations. All under the Van Dalen name.

They are a wide clan that was found by Isaak and Emma Van Dalen, twin siblings with the same dream, overcoming their poverty.

While Emma, the youngest twin, had nine children with her husband Simon Hersch, and died at 51 to cancer; Isaak, the oldest sibling who took over the role of patriarch of House Van Dalen, had sixteen children, ten with his first wife, and six with on his second marriage. So, when he stepped down from his position as head of the family, also leading his nephews and nieces, he gave each of them a high position on the area they wanted.

Thus expanding their influence even more.

Isaak's eldest daughter was Abelona Van Dalen, the one who took over the role of matriarch after her dad retired, and to her relief, none of her siblings or cousins opposed her, since none of them wanted to deal with the pressure of leading their house. But she took it proudly and with responsability. It was all she wanted her entire life, and she prepared herself for it.

She married Aldrich Coleman, a famous and talented architect, the second son of a traditional rich family on Yorkshire. And with him, she had five children, two girls and three boys. Valentin, Hanna, Gustav, Emmerich, and Abby.

They were all amazing children, except for Abby who threw her entire family aside to be with a nobody. Which hurt everyone, especially her parents and siblings.

She began dating him on high school, around the time Abelona and her cousin, Amalia, had decided to move into a ridiculous condo with around twenty different mansions with all their family, and began recording a reality show, so everyone could get to know them better. And they would both gain more fame and money.

But Abby refused to be part of it, and demanded to be kept a secret, because she didn't want to draw attention to her. And so, when the reality show began years ago, the people watching didn't knew anything about her, but the fact that she existed.

Then it all got worse when Abby cut contact with them and moved out, all because of the parasite she was with.

Someone that all of her family hated to the core. But the only reason why they never did anything to hurt the guy, was because of Abby. They knew that if something happened, she would never forgive them.

So, when they were all reunited on Abby's parents mansion, in a live for their reality show, and Abby called, after months in extreme silence, they all freaked up and turned the live off to help her. And when she arrived, both emotionally and physically hurt, almost fainting, they wanted to kill Hendrick.

Abby was set on her old wing, and they put the few thing she brought with her there.

And the internet was in uproar curious by the mysterious youngest daughter of Abelona Van Dalen.

Later when they tried to know what happened, she stayed silent. She stayed like that for seven months, without uttering a single word, only eating books and studying to get into Oxford. Refusing anyone's help, she avoided everything, especially when they were broadcasting something.

Although they were all agonizing to know what had happened between her and the asshole, they were relieved that she had finally come back to her senses. But little did they know the anger she was bottling up inside. And how she had promised to never trust anyone like that again.

On the eighth month, she finally talked to them. "I go into it," she spoke casually while walking into the garden where they were all gathered, dumbfounded by hearing her speak something again. "They sent me a letter, I got accepted into Oxford," she said, neither excited, nor bothered.

Then she sat down on the grass, refusing to sit on the empty chair, as all of her siblings, parents, aunties, uncles, and cousins stared at her as if she was an alien. Laying down, she looked up at the sky.

"You were right," she whispered and heard an shared gasp. "I shouldn't have gone against you and moved out to be with Hendrick," Abby had been practicing this for months, and finally was able to say it without crying. "He's a bloody asshole," she cursed clenching her jaw.

"What did he," she stopped her mother midway.

"The first semester will start in a month, so I'll be moving to the city in a week. I used all the money I had on my bank account to pay all of my tuition until the end of the business course, and I bought an apartment close to the campus as well," she paused to see if anyone would say something, but the only sound she heard was the wind passing through us.

Sighing, she sat down and turned to them. As expected, they were too stunned to say a word.

"I know none of you must be enjoying my decision, but I promise I'll come back right when I'm done with it. And I'll assume all the duties I have as the future head of the family, if you still want me on that position," since her sister Hanna is an model and influencer, Valentin is a writer, Gustav in a fashion designer, and Emmerich is both an actor and a singer, which meant none of them wanted to be next head of the family.

She got up, trying to keep it together.

"I'll even be part of the reality show of yours if you want to. I just need time for myself now!"

"More?" Her sister exclaimed exasperated.

She gulped. "Hanna, if you didn't notice, I'm trying my best to keep my shit together and not bother any of you with it. All that happened still hurt as if it was fresh. And if you forgot, I didn't went to college like all of you. I need to focus all I'm feeling on my studies now." Abby took a deep breath. "I'm not able to talk about anything that happened right now, sister. I'm not able to ignore everything. I'm not like any of you, I never wanted this fame our surname possess. But I'm tired of running away of my responsibilities as a daughter of the lead branch of the Van Dalen!"

"But, darling," her mom began, her voice shaken. "We'll have to stay four years away from you!"

Sigh. "I promise I'll come home on all the holidays and vacation, is that good for you?"

"You promise?" Her dad asked.

"Yes, dad!"

Then her cousin, her aunt Amalia's youngest daughter out of four, who's two years older than her, came closer, "Don't leave us hanging again, Abby. We are family. We love you. We are here for you, okay? Don't forget that. You will lead all for us in the future, so we have to take care of you!"

That made her tear up, "I know, Cecile. I regret not listening to any of you before. But I know better now," she assured them "And when I'm ready, I'll tell you all that happened!"

They all nodded, staring at her with worried eyes, as the 21 year old girl walked back inside the mansion, heading to her room.

"I'm sure he cheated on her," Emmerich, her brother, exclaimed disgusted. "I'm going to kill him if that's true! I'll kill him."

"How could he cheat on her?" Their cousin Viktor exclaimed annoyed. "She even ran away and cut link with us to be with him. How dare he?"

Abelona coughed, "Let's not jump into conclusions. We'll know when Abby tells us. When she decides to do it, she won't lie!" They all turned to her. "The only mistake Abby ever committed was getting involved with that piece of shit. She was always one to hold grudge, you all know that, since, when she was a kid she would always get back to all of you. So, whatever he did to my daughter, she'll certainly make him pay tenfold!"

"And we'll help," Abelona's husband exclaimed grinning.

"Without her knowing," Hanna added cautious.

"He has no idea how deep in shit he is right now," Abelona's cousin, Amalia, exclaimed and they all had a mutual agreement.