007 The Retirement Party (3)

"What?!" Eden said before she could stop herself, it was so loud the entire room stopped to face her. Her father had stopped talking and now watched her with a smirk. Eden looked at his face then at Lily's who mirrored her the smirk her father wore.

Eden was smart enough to put two and two together. She balled her fists, willing herself not to cry and make even more of a spectacle. All eyes were on her now.

Fredrick had never fully promised Eden the company, only waiting around in hopes that Lily would change her mind. Right then and there the brunette must have spoken to him, charmed him like she did with everyone around her.

And now, Marshall Toys belonged to Lily Marshall.

"Something you want to say, Eden?" Frederick said, looking down at her. Lily stood beside their father sipping champagne from a crystal glass. As Eden took in the scene, everyone waited for her to speak, to say something, to prove the points they had made about her in their mind.

Eden balled her fists, realizing if she wanted something of her own, she would have to build it from scratch, she would have to do as her Great Grandfather did before her and build from the ground up. And this time they would be her ideas, with her approval and her approach.

She didn't need her father's company and she didn't need them.

Eden snagged the nearest glass off the tray, startling the maid, and lifted her hand in a toast. Her lips trembled as she had to stop herself from crying. Over and over again, Lily was always picked even when she didn't care about it.

Lily never cared about Marshall Toys so why? Why would her father do this to her?

"Lily I know we haven't always been the best siblings, but I am so happy for you, so proud of you. You've wanted this...well forever," Eden said.

Around her, people began to murmur again. It was common knowledge that Eden had been promised the toy company, and many of the guests had been taken aback, it led them to wonder, with confusion, if Eden had done something that had taken her out of Frederick's good graces.

Eden quickly realized that by doing this, her father had not only crushed her dreams, he had tried to ruin her reputation.

She continued.

"I don't want to take away from your spotlight, I look forward to seeing your vision for the company, and remember if you ever need anything, your big sister is always here,"

Some of the people in the crowd aww'ed, finding the toast to be sweet and endearing, Lily and Fredrick gazed at Eden in absolute confusion.

They thought she would cry, scream, and beg for her place at the company. Instead, they were met with a sweet toast and an offer of aid.

Frederick's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as he watched his eldest daughter sip champagne and receive words of admiration from some of the guests at her kind words towards her sister.

Lily fumed, gritting her teeth at the fact that Eden had somehow managed to turn things around. She thought the company meant everything to Eden and by taking it she would have finally won over her cow of a sister.

'This isn't fair, this isn't fair, this isn't fair,' the thoughts ran through Lily's mind, anger coursing through her like lighting. Eden's nonchalance burned her as if she had been scalded by a hot flame.

Meanwhile, Eden ran calculations in her mind as she sipped the champagne. There was no way she was going to let them get the satisfaction of embarrassing her. Eden scoffed.

Lily couldn't run Marshall Toy the company would fold before they knew it. She had no business sense, no research sense and she hated the target demographic!

How did her father think it was such a good idea to give his favorite brat control of the livelihoods of thousands? Marshall toys would sink but that didn't mean Earnest Marshall's legacy had to die with it. She would bring ruin to the company but that didn't have to be Eden's problem anymore.

"Babe...Eden, are you okay?" Daniel said after finding his way to her side. The man could see she was crushed, even if she kept up a fake, pleasing smile she used on all the guests, Eden was crushed.

She had lost the one thing that kept her going but in her eyes he saw a spark. Flames of passion renew. Eden usually got like this when she had a new idea for a toy or a new business model to try.

"Oh...Daniel, I'm fine my love I'm just...wow. Talk about a punch to the gut huh?" she said trying to play it off with humor.

Daniel rested his hand on her shoulder, staring into her eyes. He radiated concern for her, squeezing her shoulders reassuringly.

"It'll be okay Daniel," Eden said noticing his heartbroken face. "We still have each other right?"

Daniel gave her a brief smile, he pulled his hand away and then pulled Eden into a quick hug. He patted her back for a moment then released her.

"I have to go and find my mom," he said.

Eden narrowed her eyes in confusion, why would he need to find his mother instead of staying there to console his fiancee? Daniel gave her a sheepish smile and stepped backward until she lost sight of him.

Eden turned around and watched the guests go around congratulating her sister who sat by her father, Lily barely held her persona together with each hand she shook, her face came closer and closer to displaying a bored, annoyed expression.

For once Eden didn't think that should have been her. She shook her head, laughing to herself and finding humor in the irony. It was almost irrational how much her father would drive himself to ruin for his favorite child.

They would see, they would all see what a mistake they had made. It wouldn't be now, it might not even come for a few years but Eden would see to it that she rose as well.

It would be an insult to herself to take this lying down.