CHAPTER TWO (ELARA'S POV)

“Ivy will be the new heir to the Beckett legacy.” her father said.

 “What?” Elara whispered, voice barely audible as her heart sank.

 The past few days had been a blur of tears and pain. She has locked herself in her room unable to face the world and see the pitiful looks on their faces after witnessing her public humiliation.

 Now, her father had just landed the final blow. He had called for a family dinner and announced Ivy as his sole heir.

 “I have made my decision and it is final.” He said.

 Elara couldn't believe her ears. The man before her was a cold and cruel man, not her warm loving father that had raised her.

 Ivy sat next to him with a smug smile on her face.

 Her father looked at her, gaze unyielding. “I have come to realize that Aiden was right, you have always lacked the skills necessary to lead. Ivy on the other hand has proven herself to be more capable so she's a better choice to carry on the family name.”

 The room spun around her as her world tilted. Her father's betrayal cut deeper than Aiden's.  “You’re choosing her over me?” she asked, her voice breaking.

 “I’m choosing what’s best for the company,” he said, his tone detached and sharp leaving no room for arguments.

 Ivy leaned back in her chair, her smile widening. “Don’t take it personally, Elara. It’s just business.”

 Elara pushed back her chair and shot to her feet, hands trembling as anger surged through her. “You’ve made your decision,” she started,her voice cold and steady. “But don’t think for a second that I’m going to sit back and let you destroy everything my mother built.”

 With that, she turned and walked out, her heart heavy but her resolve stronger than ever before. They had successfully taken everything away from her—her love, her dignity, her legacy. But she would rise from the ashes, and when she did, they would regret ever underestimating her.

 Because this time, Elara Beckett was playing to win.

 ****

 She felt empty as she sat beside her suitcase in the cab. She had made up her mind to leave everything behind.

 She felt hollow inside.

 Her best friend, Lila Morgan, had come through for her and offered her a place to stay in New York. She was the only person Elara had now.

 ****

 The first year was the hardest. She lived in Lia's tiny apartment and worked three jobs to make ends meet. She decided to pursue her life long dream in the fashion industry, she poured every ounce of energy she had into it. Taking night classes after work, networking with anyone who would give her a listening ear.

 By the second year, she had managed to land an internship at a small designing firm. She worked hard and relentlessly and this caught the CEO’s attention and made him out her directly under his wing.

 By the third year, she launched her first clothing line. The line was so successful that it sold out in weeks and brought the spotlight on her. The fourth year flew by in a blur.

 By the fifth year, Elara Beckett was an unrecognizable woman. Her name spoke volumes— luxury, wealth and power. She owned a multi million dollar fashion empire and her designs have gone global.

 But despite her huge success, the pain of her father's betrayal remained. She has worked tirelessly to build her empire and prove them wrong— her father, Ivy, Aiden and the rest of the world. But she still has unanswered questions that are at her everyday.

 Why did her father actually give it all to Ivy? That wasn't like him. Why did he discard her so easily?

 One night, she was sitting on a couch in her penthouse sipping on a glass of wine when her phone buzzed with a notification. It was a text from the private investigator she had hired to look into her father and Ivy.

 I found something big. Call me.

 But despite her success, the pain of her father’s Found something. It’s big. We need to talk.

 Her heart raced as she wasted no time in dialing his number. “What did you find?” she demanded as soon as he answered.

 “There's a connection between your father and Ivy that you're not going to like.” He said.

 “What kind of connection?”

 “Your father's decision to make Ivy the heir wasn't because of business. It was because he wanted to keep a secret buried— a secret that could destroy him if it found its way to light “

 Elara's grip on her phone tightened. “What secret?”

 “I’ll send you the files now,” he said. “But be careful, Elara. If this gets out, it could change everything.”

 He cut the call letting his words hang in the air.

  What could her father possibly be hiding that was worth destroying her life?

 Her phone buzzed again as she received the files. She downloaded them then stared at the file for a moment. Now, she was faced with the truth and she was going to uncover it even if it shattered everything she thought she knew.

 She clicked on it and spent the rest of the night taking in its contents.

 ****

 The news sent shockwaves through Elara. She stared at the headline on her screen, unblinking. The words blurred together the more the states at them and her throat tightened.

 “Lucian Beckett dies at 64. Beckett Industries is now officially under a new leadership.”

 Her father was dead.

 She continued to read the article and saw that Ivy had wasted no time in taking over with Aiden by her side, he was now her fiancé and business partner.

 A picture of their smiling faces stared back at her from the screen, a picture of triumph and power. It made Elara's stomach churn.

 She felt a sharp pain in her chest. She hadn’t spoken to her father in five years, and now she would never get the chance to. She has lost the opportunity to get closure.

 She rose from her desk in anger. “They had something to do with this.” She began to pace. “I know they did.”

 Her blood boiled as her resolve hardened. She had been away for too long.

 It was time for her to go back.