Inheritance

Anika just stared at him as he explained, then, to back up all of his points, he paused, opened the black bag he'd been carrying, and brought out a neat brown envelope.

She frowned but collected it from him to open it. This was his proof after all.

NOTICE OF INHERITANCE.

To Ms. Anika Delacroix

This document certifies that, pursuant to the Last Will and Testament of Mr. and Mrs. Delacroix, dated March 10, 2000, you have been named the sole beneficiary of the following assets:

And then her eyes scanned the list on and on. Truly, the giant Delacroix empire was hers, along with an estate in the luxurious part of the city and bank accounts with personal investments. Everything was hers now.

She looked at Carlos, then back at the document again. Signatories ended the statement—powerful signatories.

"They took... they took me away? Stole everything and hid me from you?" Even as she said those words, it didn't feel real. A bitter smile stained her lips.

"That is correct, young mistress. Wait, let me show you something." He reached into his bag again and brought out some pictures, a small album with glimpses of Anika's memories in there.

The very first one she sighted was that of a little girl with deep brown hair so long it made her jealous. "This was me," she said slowly.

The next slide was the same replica of that little girl, only a more mature woman. That smile on her face was the prettiest thing Anika had ever seen.

She hurriedly kept searching till she saw a handsome man with a neatly trimmed mustache and a smile that would make her mother jealous. "And this was Mr. Delacroix..."

Suddenly, the small album dropped from her hands to the table as she screamed out in pain, holding her head tight. Carlos did not panic; he simply grabbed a glass of water and gently fed it to her.

"Let us get you to the hospital, young mistress. Are you alright?"

Anika winced in pain, but she realized something right there. "Please, call me Anika. We don't want people giving me those side-eyes." He paused for a while, saying nothing, then nodded.

"You are just like your mother. She never wanted any unnecessary attention," he said at last.

That pain stung again, but instead of her head, it sharpened in her chest. Her eyes stained with bitter tears, but they did not fall. "Until now, I never remembered what they looked like," she said.

The Delacroix family had always been rumored to have a surviving heir, but never in Anika's life did she think it would be her!

To make matters worse, the Golds used to be ordinary house-helps for her family. But after the terrible accident that occurred when her family was wiped out overnight by mysterious killers, Desiree quickly took all of Anika's fortune and pretended she had saved her. She claimed it all, making Anika a slave?

Anika felt her blood boiling now. "How could they? Did they not feel any remorse at all?" She muttered a curse under her breath. Why did this man have to come now instead of a few days ago when Aunt Mary needed financial help...

She shrugged it off. Well, the past had happened, and there was nothing she could do to change it.

Both of them sat in silence, sipping from the cups of tea in front of them. Finally, she heard Carlos's voice. "You're rich now. What do you want to do first?"

Anika paused, giving it a brief thought. "I want to host a proper burial for Aunt Mary. I know just what she'd like." A painful memory flashed through her mind as she remembered her and Mary's conversations when she was still healthy.

She chuckled slightly. "That woman, she would want an elegant funeral, a very luxurious coffin. She's old money, that woman." She began picturing the perfect setting and outfit Mary would love. Something elegant... it'd be like she was throwing her a birthday party.

One of the reasons Anika had wanted to kill herself was due to the realization that she would never be able to give her the befitting burial.

"Youn-uh, Anika?" Carlos called her, looking into her eyes. "What happened... please don't ever think like that again. Promise me."

This made her smile brightly. "Are you for real? Why would I commit suicide? I'm rich now!" She hadn't meant to scream too loudly. Now? What was next was to make everyone who had ever mistreated her pay dearly.

"I can't die now, Carlos. Never. From now on, I'm going to help people," she said to him. She would never mistreat poor people the way she was treated. Everyone failed her, including that son of a bitch doctor.

"Alright then, miss. Can I at least call you that?" he asked quietly. Anika laughed. For the first time in a while, this was genuine laughter. Her heart was no longer heavy and sad. She would miss Mary, but she would make her proud.

"We have to prepare for the burial then. I will reach out to the best team in the country."

"Wonderful. Thank you, Carlos. You're a godsend."

"You can take your time, but we need to prepare for the world to know that Anika Delacroix is back in the world." Carlos was saying this to her on their way home. He'd insisted on giving her a ride home. He was in the back seat with her as they talked.

Anika shook her head. "We can't act rashly yet. Whoever plotted against my family might still be alive now. What happens when he feels threatened by my return?"

Carlos's face was hard, but it was always like that. The man could not reveal a soft emotion to save his life. "You are absolutely right. For now, we lay low. However, you still have to stretch your hands into the Delacroix world. A lot has been happening without the presence of the heiress."

"Let us discuss all of this soon," he told her.

Soon, but not right now. Now, she had a burial to plan.

At the entrance of the house, she found Desiree just arriving as well, and reality hit her. She was still living in this nightmare with the Golds. She heaved a deep sigh and stepped down from the car. "You should leave now. Desiree might recognize you," she said to Carlos. He nodded, bid her goodbye, and told the driver to head out.

Desiree could not contain the expression on her face. "Anika? I thought it was you," she said, but her neck was stretching like a tortoise, observing the sleek luxurious car that had just driven off. "Who in the world was that? Where are you coming from?"

Anika did not have the strength to exchange words with this woman. She stared at her up and down, anger stirring inside her. Desiree kept talking, but the words did not stay in her ears long enough for her to listen, so she just saw the woman's lips moving fast and heard nothing.

One step forward with a million thoughts coursing through her head on how to destroy Desiree for what she had done to her... and...

Slap!