022 Breakfast With The Marshalls (1)

They were all right. Eden was the best person to run the company and Lily had screwed up their only chance of regaining their market share.

Fredrick tried pushing those thoughts away as he sat in his office, the large clock ticked away with each second reminding him he only had a limited period of time to think up a new toy to save the company.

Eden was brimming with ideas but now she seemed to be holding them back for whatever reasons. All because he said a few harsh words.

"That stupid girl needs to grow a thicker skin, is this how she treats her family over a few harsh words? So much for her loyalty,"

If he needed to take out a loan in her name he would.

All of a sudden he pulled out his drawer, picking through documents, looking for Eden's details. The drawer was filled to the brim with papers, deeds, and miscellaneous papers. Fredrick grew cold, he focused his attention on the drawers.

"Where is it?" He whispered, searching through his papers for all the things he would need to take out a loan in Eden's name. Her personal documents were gone, birth certificate, identification, and even school grades and certificates.

He growled, and in one fell swoop swiped everything off his table in rage.

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Eden heard a bunch of things clatter to the ground and shrugged in her bed as she went back to lying down and thinking about her next course of actions.

She needed to hire a renting vehicle although that was covered when Rose paid for her apartment at Kairos, she didn't have a lot of things but she would need to carry her tools with her as she left the house to her father and sister.

Eden would need to say good bye to Gertrude, William, Agnes and the four maids who worked for the estate.

Eden yawned.

"So I know I want to do custom toys but there has to be a point where I mass produce these designs, for now I think I need to invest in more supplies," Eden said thinking. "I saw some fun fair flyers around right? I wonder if I could rent a table and sell some toys,"

She planned and planned until she fell asleep, writing it all down in the same journal that contained her vision for her new company.

"I need a name though, I can't just call it Eden's toys and fun galore," she stuck her tongue out and laughed. "Defiantly not that!"

She giggled, shoving the book under the bed and rolling over to look up at the ceiling.

"Tomorrow is really the first step huh? I'm moving out of this house," Eden said.

It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep, she rested her head on her pillow dreaming her plan for the new company.

In her dream, Eden reigned supreme over all the toy companies in Korvania. She dominated with her fanciful designs and regaled her audience with advertising.

Eden smiled in her sleep, the pleasant dream was just a manifestation of her future. It would only be a matter of time before she would be the lead toy company in the country.

She would dominate like the empress she was.

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A knock resounded on her door the next morning, prompting Eden who was in the process of getting ready to rush to the door and open it.

It was Gertrude.

"Oh good morning Gertrude," Eden said with a smile, "I didn't get to see you after I was pretty much gone all day," Eden scratched her cheek sheepishly.

The old woman hadn't said anything. Eden observed the woman's sad expression with curiosity, hoping she hadn't done anything to upset the maid that was just like a mother to her.

"Oh Gertrude, I'm really sorry if you had something to talk to me about-"

"Ben told me everything," Gertrude said with a sad smile. The woman looked into Eden's eyes and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Are you upset?" Eden asked in a low voice. It would be hard to move out but it was something she needed to do, not just to start her company, but to grow as a person.

Gertrude understood that, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.

"I...I always knew this day would come," Gertrude said. "I only hoped it was a bit farther into the future my dear," the old maid touched Eden's face gently, placing a loving kiss on her forehead. She rubbed her thumb against Eden's face and stared on solemnly.

"You must learn to spread your wings, my girl,"

"I know, Gertrude," Eden said placing a reassuring hand on Gertrude's wrist. "A bird does not soar with closed wings,"

"Good, you still remember," Gertrude said. "Now, your father is calling you to have breakfast with your sister,"

Eden threw her head back groaning loudly at the announcement.

"What does he want, he already tried to talk to me about this yesterday," Eden said. Gertrude laughed.

"If it's one thing I would say about Fredrick Marshall, it's that he doesn't give up, whether or not he can help it, is another matter entirely,"

"He can't and I can't help him, he's unwilling to change," Eden said.

She turned around and headed towards the stairs where she would descend to enter the dining room and speak to her family.

Fredrick and Lily were waiting for her when she entered, each seated with varying expressions of stress painted on their faces. They had already been served their breakfast by the maid but the food remained neglected as the two busied themselves with distractions.

Lily was on her phone, scrolling through a social media page, whilst her father rubbed his eyes tiredly as he read the newspaper.

"Are you going to just keep standing there?" Fredrick's annoyed voice said to her as she observed.

"I'm just wondering why you're putting on the charade of a happy family, there are no cameras here Dad," Eden said, sitting at her designated spot.

"I just want us to eat breakfast as a family from now on," Fredrick said.

"Why?"

"Because we are a family," Frederick replied with a painful smile.