SOLUTION

CHAPTER 2:

After her discussion with her uncle,Kate sat frozen on the floor, the phone still lying beside her. The words of the police officer kept repeating in her head.

"There were no survivors."

Her parents were dead.

The world around her blurred. She could hear the cook calling her name, shaking her shoulders, but her mind refused to calculate anything. A sharp pain squeezed her chest as reality hit her.

No more hugs from her father.No more late-night talks with her mother.No more laughter at the dinner table.

Tears poured down her face as she gripped her chest. “No... it’s a mistake,” she whispered, shaking her head violently. “They can’t be gone.”

The cook, Aunt Mariam, wrapped her arms around her. “Kate, my dear, you need to breathe,” she said, her voice filled with concern. “Let’s go inside. You need to rest.”

She pulled away from Aunt Mariam and struggled to her feet. She needed to see for herself. She needed proof.

With shaky legs, she rushed out of the kitchen, ignoring the calls behind her. The house suddenly felt suffocating, the walls closing in on her. As she stepped into the living room, she saw her uncle, Mr. Carlos, standing by the entrance, his expression unreadable.

Kate stopped, her breath hitched. “Uncle… tell me it’s not true.”

Mr. Carlos sighed deeply. “Kate, you need to be strong.”

Her knees tremble. She grabbed onto the wall for support. “No… no…”

He walked towards her and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. “Listen to me, Kate. Your parents are gone, and there’s nothing we can do to change that.” His voice was cold, lacking sympathy.

She looked up at him, searching for warmth, for comfort, but finds none. Her uncle had never been a kind man, but at this moment, she needed him to at least pretend to care.

“Come with me,” he said. “We have a lot to discuss.”

Kate shook her head. “I don’t care about any discussion. I just want my parents back.”

His grip on her shoulder tightened. “You think life stops because you’re in pain? Wake up, Kate! The world keeps moving, with or without you.”

His words cut through her heart like a knife.

Few days ago, she was a carefree young woman with dreams. Now, she was an orphan.

And it seemed like her uncle was more concerned about something else,than her pain.

The next few hours, Reporters filled outside their gate, family members arriving with fake sympathy, and phone calls.

Kate felt like a stranger in her own home. People whispered behind her back, nodding in her direction as if she wasn’t there.

She sat in the large living room, her fingers gripping the armrest of the chair. Every minutes and seconds, someone would come to tell her how sorry they were. But all their words sounded void.

She wanted them all to leave,She wanted to be alone.

But just as she was about to stand up, she heard her uncle speaking in a low tone to a few other family members.

“She’s too young,” he said. “She can’t handle the company.”

Kate frowned. She wasn’t stupid. She knew what this was about. Her parents’ wealth, their company, everything they had worked hard for,some people wanted to take it away from her.

She swallowed spit in her throat and stood up. “What are you talking about?”

The room went silent. Everyone turned to look at her.

Her uncle smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Kate, my dear, we were just discussing the best way to handle things now that your parents are gone.”

“Handle what?” She crossed her arms, her voice stronger than she expected. “My father left the company to me, didn’t he?”

Mr. Carlos cleared his throat. “Yes, but you don’t have any experience. It’s a big company, Kate. It needs a strong leader.”

Anger bubbled inside her. “And you think I can’t be that leader?”

A woman sitting beside her uncle chuckled. “Let’s be realistic, Kate. You’ve never run a business before.”

Kate clenched her fists. “I may not have experience, but it’s my parents’ legacy. I won’t let anyone take it from me.”

Her uncle sighed, rubbing his temples. “No one is trying to take anything from you, Kate. We’re just saying you need guidance.”

She didn’t trust them,She needed to be smart.

Later that night, she sat in her father’s study, running her fingers over the polished wooden desk. It still smelled of his cologne. She closed her eyes, trying to hold back the tears.

Her father had believed in her. He had told her once before, “One day, you’ll take over, and I know you’ll do great things.”

She wasn’t going to let anyone steal that from her.

But she also knew her uncle wouldn’t back down easily.

A knock on the door made her sit up straight. “Come in.”

The door opened, and Mr. Carlos walked in. His face was calm, but Kate wasn’t fooled.

“I came to check on you,” he said, sitting opposite from her.

Kate said nothing.

After a moment, he sighed. “Kate, you’re alone now.”

Her heart crossed at his words. He didn’t say it out of concern.

He leaned forward. “If you want to keep this company, if you want to keep your family’s name untarnished, you need to make a choice.”

Kate swallowed. “What choice?”

Mr. Carlos sat back, watching her carefully. “Marriage.”

Her blood turned cold. “What?”

“To William Dray.”

She stared at him, waiting for him to say it was a joke. But he didn’t.

“You’re insane,” she whispered.

Her uncle chuckled. “No, my dear. I’m practical. William Dray has already invested billions in this company. He’s powerful, influential, and if you marry him, you’ll secure everything.”

Kate stood up from her chair. “I’m not marrying a man I don’t even know!”

Mr. Carlos remained seated, calm as ever. “You don’t have a choice.”

Her stomach twisted. “Yes, I do.”

Her uncle stood up slowly. “No, Kate. You don’t. If you refuse, the board will vote you out. You’ll lose everything your parents built. Is that what you want?”

Her breath hitched.

He was right. If the board sided with him, they could strip her of her inheritance.

She clenched her fists. “Why are you doing this?”

Mr. Carlos smirked. “Because power belongs to those who are willing to do whatever it takes.”

Tears burned in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.