"What? Natalie offered a mocking smile, her eyes gleaming with wickedness. "Were you expecting me to say that if I fail, I’ll give up all my inheritance in the family?"
Sephina was caught off guard as this was what always worked on Natalie- Challenge her, push her to fail, and then take control over her.
Seeing her grandma shocked, memories flashed before Natalie’s eyes, memories of past manipulations that had shaped her into the woman she was now.
"Grandma, if I win this competition, will you let me pursue it? I love making perfumes," a younger Natalie had once pleaded.
"Alright, but what if you fail?" Sephina had asked.
"I will give up on it," Natalie had promised, only to have that dream crushed when she inevitably failed or most precisely she was pushed to fail.
"Grandma, my teacher said I’m skilled at piano, and I can win this competition."
"What if you fail?"
"I won’t play again."
So many such incidents happened where she failed and in the end all she got to hear was- "You were meant to fail. Briena is the one who deserves it."
Evil smirk painted on Natalie’s lips, at those bitter experiences. "After living with vultures like you, no one can be so naive to bet like this, and I certainly am not."
Natalie was sure she won’t fail but she didn’t want to give her grandma a satisfaction of making a bet with her.
"Natalie, how can you talk to Grandma like this?" Briena suddenly intervened, stepping forward as if she was ready to defend Sephina.
Natalie gave her a bored look, raising an eyebrow. "Like this—from this mouth. Got your answer? Next time, try changing your question so I won’t be bored to answer," and raised her hand in the air.
Briena flinched, instinctively raising her hands to protect her face, as if expecting a blow.
Natalie scoffed, amused at how easily frightened Briena was. Natalie moved that hand through her own hair and said, "Don’t worry, I am not going to give you another footage to record so you go on telling people how I beat you. I can’t afford it when I am going to take over this company."
Then she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a low, menacing whisper in Briena’s ear. "But if you really want to get beaten up to knock some sense into that nasty brain of yours, come to my home. I’ll happily fulfill your wish. I’m an expert at giving a good beating in secret rather than in public. I promise it’ll be the best beating you’ll ever receive."
Briena shrank back, as if the devil himself had whispered in her ear. She turned to Sephina, her voice trembling. "Grandma, she..."
"Aren’t you ashamed to seek our grandma all the time like a little kid?" Natalie interrupted her and turned to Sephian, "This is the heir you’ve chosen, Grandma—someone who cries at just a little teasing from me. I must say, it’s a good decision; it’ll be easier for me to take down this fool."
Sephina glared at Briena to which she immediately stopped acting pitiful.
Natalie turned to leave but paused as she grabbed the file she had just signed. "Oh, I’m taking this file with me. I’ll need it when I step into that company’s office, considering how you people have completely ruined my image. It’ll be handy when I have to slap some sense into people who doubt my authority."
Natalie walked out with her head held high, leaving the other three fuming at her smugness.
"Mother, you have to do something to break her arrogance," Clara said, as she gritted her teeth.
Sephina’s eyes narrowed, her anger directed more at Clara than at Natalie. "First, teach your daughter to be more like her. If Briena were even half as sharp as Natalie, we wouldn’t be in this position."
Briena, stung by the criticism, quickly moved to Sephina’s side and clung to her hand like a child seeking comfort. "I’m sorry, Grandma, for disappointing you. You know I can’t be cunning like her, but I’ll try my best."
"You’d better try, or it won’t be long before she snatches this company away from you," Sephian warned but her voice softened as she cared for Briena from her heart.
Briena hesitated, then asked, "Grandma, what if Natalie actually manages to make that company successful?"
A cold, calculating glint appeared in Sephina’s eyes as she replied, "She won’t. That company is nothing more than an empty shell. It will only bring her more trouble and humiliation." With that, Sephina picked up her cellphone and made a quick call. "Natalie will be there soon. Take care of her," she instructed before hanging up.
Briena and Clara exchanged knowing glances, relieved. As long as Sephina was alive, they wouldn’t have to confront Natalie directly. This old woman had been making Natalie’s life a living hell for years, and they knew she would continue to do so with ruthless efficiency.
-----
Inside Justin’s study.
He had been changed into his expensive clothes from those ordinary ones and had busied himself in work.
"Mr Harper, I had followed your instructions about the bed. It will be delivered by the evening as no one is at Ms Natalie’s home.
"Where has she gone?" he asked, while flipping through the file.
"The Ford corporate building," Noah replied, "You were in the meeting so I am yet to tell you the news." With that Noah showed him video of Sephina’s press conference.
Once finished, Noah spoke, "It seems unfair to Ms Natalie. Shall we help her."
"Just sit back and enjoy the show," Justin commented casually. "As far as I know her now, she won’t sit back and do nothing. We can take it as testing her if she is capable enough to handle Harper empire once I take her back home."
"Understood, Mr Harper."
"Just keep me updating about her whereabouts and situations she is in. Make sure John is always with her."
"Yes, Mr Harper."