A deep seated grudge

Dawn fiddled the steering wheel cover with her fingers as she clicked her tongue in contemplation and glanced out the tinted window, her eyes reflecting uncertainty. 

"Something doesn't add up. He's not just aiming for the estate; there's a bigger picture. I can feel it."

Intrigued, Addilyn leaned forward, "So what do you have in mind?"

Dawn's lips curved into a sly smile as she chuckled, "How about we play a different game? Something that even Kozlov won't see coming." 

Addilyn paused, lost in thought. She didn't quite understand what her friend meant. In fact, from the very beginning, she didn't want to be pulled into the push and pull of the business world.

However, her uncle and aunt from the second branch sold off Valentina Estates, the most successful business that the Valentina family had been doing for decades in the most humiliating way possible.

Dawn's smirk deepened as she noticed Addilyn's contemplative silence. "We don't have to play by their rules, Addie. Sometimes, the unexpected move is the winning move."

Addilyn nodded slowly, her thoughts churning. "You're right. But I need a plan that doesn't draw attention. Something discreet."

Her primary goal was to get Valentina Estates back without her family's knowledge as that would place her on the front lines of the war going on between the first and second branches of the Valentina family.

And it was not because she was afraid of trouble but because she didn't feel powerful enough yet to take on her cunning uncles and aunties who were currently fighting to be the next leader of Valentina family to death.

Dawn's gaze met Addilyn's, an impish glint in her eyes. "Stealth is my specialty, remember? We'll make our move quietly, like shadows."

Addilyn let out a small laugh, the tension easing slightly. "Shadows it is then. Let's play their game but by our rules." 

Nodding affirmatively, Dawn revved the engine up and turned the car out of the alley, beginning their journey back into the deepening night of the city.

Addilyn leaned back in the car seat, her mind swirling with emotions, "You know I have nothing to hold against Daniel Kozlov, right? It's just that Valentina Estates is not just a business to me. It represents our family's legacy, our history, and everything we stand for. Losing it in such a manner…it's a blow to our heritage, it's like losing a piece of our identity and I just can't let that be our story."

She spoke softly, more to herself than to Dawn, her gaze fixed on the passing streetlights, "It's our history. It's where my grandparents built something from nothing. It's where my parents found success. I can't stand by and watch it slip away from us, I have to fight for it. even if it means butting heads with Daniel Kozlov."

Dawn nodded in agreement, lost in her thoughts.

For Addilyn, reclaiming Valentina Estates was about more than financial gain; it was about protecting her family's legacy and ensuring that their story didn't end in defeat.

But for her, this was a deep-seated personal grudge she had with Daniel Kozlov and there could only be one winner.

Diadyn City,

The horizon slowly blushed with soft hues of a gentle blend of pink and orange in the blue sky. The air is crisp, carrying the scent of dew-kissed flowers and freshly made coffee and pastries adding to the cozy and comforting ambiance of the fresh new day.

At least that was what Emma felt as she sat on the balcony of her house gazing at the world below her. 

Ever since she moved here and rediscovered her love for art, one of her favorite things to do was to wake up as early as 4 am and watch the sunrise. Her apartment came with a spacious balcony that provided her with the luxury of appreciating nature's gift.

Everything seemed so peaceful, a stark contrast to the life she lived during the time of her marriage.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as memories she longed to erase flooded her mind. Without a second thought, she instinctively reached up, deftly plucking the pencil nestled within the coils of her hair, and with a swift motion, the strands that had been artfully pinned up cascaded down past her shoulders like a curtain.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance and brushed her hair over her right shoulder with her fingers, "I keep forgetting to take care of my hair properly. If Mum saw me like this, she'd be so mad."

Ever since Emma finalized her divorce with Daniel, she had not gone for a haircut, not even once so her hair was practically at the length of her lower back. 

'A woman's hair is her crown, her glory. You must care for it.' Her mother would say while she diligently applied oils and gently brushed Emma's hair.

Those words practically stuck to her like glue while growing up but alas a few weeks without her mother, she was back to her old habits.

Smiling with fond memories, she brushed her hair to the side and picked up the pencil she had dropped on the glass table earlier.

Emma pulled her sketchbook closer, its pages fluttering in the morning breeze, and started drawing with light strokes, the pencil gliding effortlessly over the paper.

In a matter of minutes, a dainty blossom bracelet emerged gracefully on the white canvas of the sketchbook, its intricate details taking shape in black and white with each stroke of the pencil.

Emma released a contented breath, a faint smile gracing her lips as she admired her sketch with a sense of fulfillment. At that precise moment, she lifted her gaze, capturing the sun's emergence from behind the clouds, its golden beams casting a gentle warmth upon her face and everything around her.

"If only my life could be like this every day. Peaceful, calm, and beautiful." She whispered, squinting at the clouds that seemed to want to keep the sun to themselves some more.

Emma's peaceful time was, however, interrupted by the dull vibration of her phone resting beside her sketchbook.

Casting a swift glance at the device's screen, she caught sight of a notification that had appeared. 

[Congratulations! Your investment in Cake Inc. stocks has hit a milestone & you've earned $700,000 in returns! Time to celebrate your successful investment journey! Keep up the great work!]

Startled, Emma sprang to her feet, knocking her thigh against the table, then stifling her squeal upon realizing she was still out on her balcony. 

Heart pounding, she grabbed her phone and rushed indoors with a throbbing thigh, repeatedly reading the text, letting the words sink in.

When she first moved to Diadyn City, one of the very first things she tried her hands on was investing. 

She had heard Daniel and his secretary Lucas discuss stock market dynamics like a hen eating rice almost every day and that was how she learned about certain stocks expected to rise for a few months

She trusted Daniel's insights as although he was a terrible husband, he was a genius when it came to doing business.

So when she got her apartment secured and her designing tools set, she was inspired to take a portion of her savings and made a few investments accordingly.

However, weeks and months passed with no update from the stock website hence she was disheartened and felt she had lost her savings.

"At first, I brushed it off and focused all my energy on jewelry design because I thought it was all gone but this…this text message is…is…surreal!" Emma excitedly exclaimed as she paced about her living room, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Then she paused, her eyebrows scrunched, "But what if it's a scam?" She asked out loud, uncertainty laced in her voice, calming the erratic beat of her heart.

However, barely a few seconds after she held that thought, her phone vibrated in her hands as she received another notification on her phone and because the phone was practically in her face she was able to read the text immediately.

[Your investment returns of $700,000 have been credited to your linked bank account. Enjoy your well-earned success!]

Before she could fathom the truth of the message, her banking app chimed simultaneously, confirming the colossal deposit making Emma let out a scream of disbelief and joy, her elation reverberating through the walls of her apartment.

"Ahhh! My God! Thank you! I love you! Muahh!" 

Emma screamed, twirled, laughed, jumped, danced on her couch without any music, and screamed some more for about 30 minutes since she got the alert.

Her neighbors were quite shocked and confused as her apartment was usually quiet and they could hardly guess if there was anyone living there most of the time.

"I wonder what got into the pretty neighbor." One of the tenants said as she walked past Emma's front door.

"She probably won a lottery!" A younger man who was tending to his flowers replied.

"And how do you know that?" The older woman asked.

The man's eyes glimmered the instant the woman posed her question as if he was waiting for her to do so. "You see, excited voices convey different frequencies depending on the cause. Our neighbor's voice resonates with a distinct clarity and rhythm, indicating... Hey, wait! Where are you going?!" His explanation halted abruptly as he noticed the woman briskly turning away, departing without hesitation. 

Exasperation etched across her face, the woman rolled her eyes, her strides unwavering as she continued forward. "Forget it! My mistake for asking, I suppose?" Her voice carried back, laden with frustration, as she quickened her pace.

"Sheesh! Me and my big mouth! Why did I have to ask know-it-all Noah? Now, I've poked my nose where it doesn't belong and missed my early morning bus!" Muttering to herself in annoyance, she hastened her steps, leaving the bemused neighbor behind.

Meanwhile, after Emma's jubilant celebration subsided, she sank onto the couch she had playfully assaulted with her feet. Without delay, she dialed the first person that crossed her mind.

"Mum! You won't believe what just happened to me!"