LOGINThe dinner table had quietly become something else entirely, the mood in the room had changed. The girls had been asked to go out while only the men remained, along with their wives, with business taking the place of food.Gerald sat at the head of the table with his hands folded in front of him. He looked at his sons, his grandsons and his son in law. The people he had chosen to carry what he had spent his whole life putting together.Richard spoke first. He managed the banking side of the Carrington empire and he knew his numbers well.“The bank had a strong quarter,” Richard said. “Deposits are up. We approved three major loan portfolios and all three are doing well. No defaults.”Gerald nodded once. “Keep a close eye on those loans. Approving them is the easy part.”“Yes Father.”Tobias sat with his arms folded, back straight as always. He and his son Aiden managed the company that supplied weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the armed forces.“We secured two new govern
The table had gone completely still.Gerald had drawn a breath and opened his mouth to speak when Damien’s voice came in ahead of him. Calm and clear, leaving no space for interruption.“This is my wife.”He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. He looked around the table slowly, letting his eyes land on his mother first and then on his grandfather.“Her name is Elena. And everyone at this table will give her the respect she deserves.” He paused. “I am not asking for permission. I am not asking for acceptance. I am telling you how things are going to be.”Nobody spoke.That was the thing about Damien. He had always been that way. Even as a boy he had carried an aura around him that was different. It was the aura of someone who was choosing not to speak, which was far more unsettling than someone who simply had nothing to say. When he did speak, people listened. Not because they always agreed with him but because something in his voice told you that he had already decided and the
Gerald’s eyes moved down the table one more time and stopped at the far end where Patricia and Victoria sat.He picked up his wine glass, took one slow sip and set it down.“I must say Olivia,” he began, his voice carrying a massive tone of authority , “you have never once disappointed me in all the years you have been part of this family.”Olivia looked up. Something close to relief started to show on her face.Gerald was not finished.“But it seems this year you have managed to do exactly that. In more ways than one.”The relief vanished. Olivia leaned forward. “Father I can expl ….”“I know I am getting old,” Gerald said, cutting her off calmly, “but the last time I checked this was a family dinner.” His eyes moved briefly to the far end of the table. “So why do we have strangers sitting at my family’s table?”Olivia folded her hands in front of her. When she spoke her voice was careful and much softer than usual. Gerald Carrington was one of the very few people who could do that t
Luca had barely settled into his seat when Olivia stood up from her chair.She tapped her cutlery gently against her wine glass. The sound rang out clean and the room went quiet straight away. That was the effect Olivia had on people. She never needed to raise her voice. She just needed to stand.“Father and Mother will be arriving a little late tonight,” she said, looking around the table. “I know some of you have questions and I believe I have already answered them.”There was a quiet murmur around the table. Someone reached for the bread.Then Emilia spoke.“You know Olivia,” she began, turning her wine glass slowly by the stem, “you really are something when it comes to organising these dinners.” She paused just long enough. “But I have been meaning to ask. Why are there three empty seats at the end of the table?”Olivia turned. She looked directly at Elena.“Oh, I forgot to mention.” Her voice was smooth and sweet, the kind of sweet that had something else sitting underneath it.
That same night, in a modern luxury mansion, soft RnB music drifted through the air.The sound came from a vintage record player spinning slowly in the corner of a large, dimly lit bedroom. The room itself spoke of wealth, dark marble floors, high ceilings, and a king sized bed dressed in expensive sheets.Inside the master bedroom, the floor told its own story.A man’s clothing was scattered across the carpet. Dark trousers twisted near the foot of the bed. A white dress shirt hung half off the armchair in the corner. A pair of leather shoes had been kicked in two different directions. A woman’s red dress lay crumpled near the door like it had been peeled off in a hurry and dropped without a second thought. A thin gold chain and a pair of earrings sat on the edge of the bedside table, removed just as carelessly.On the bed was a woman stripped down to a set of thin, red lace panties and a matching bra that looked like it was struggling to hold her big breasts.“Yes, that’s exactly wh
The reception hall had been transformed.It had always been a grand space but tonight it was something else. The ceilings were high, lined with cream moulding that caught the light from the chandeliers above. Three chandeliers hung from the ceiling, each one dripping with crystal, filling the whole room with a warm golden glow. The walls were dressed with tall ivory drapes that touched the floor, and between each drape hung a framed Carrington family portrait going back three generations.At the centre of the room was the table.It was long and dark and beautiful. A mahogany dining table that could seat fifty people comfortably and had done so many times before. Tonight it was covered in white linen that fell cleanly to the edges, ivory candles ran down the middle, each one burning steadily. The plates were gold rimmed china. The cutlery was polished gold. The glasses were crystal and caught the candle light. Fresh white roses sat in low arrangements between the candles. The whole ro
Damien knew he was attractive but after his wife passed away, he had not felt the same way for another woman. He had learnt to ignore advances with practiced ease."Good morning, Dr. Mitchell," he replied briefly , his tone making it clear he was here for business, nothing more.Dr. Mitchell turned
Patricia stood up abruptly, her chair scraping loudly. "This is ridiculous! You can't just walk in here after years of absence and start making demands! The board has a financial responsibility….""The board has a responsibility to the shareholders," Elena interrupted, her voice sharp. "And I am t
The news Patricia heard stunned her.Patricia froze. "What? When?""She took them," George continued nervously. "All of them."Patricia clenched her fists, gripping the edge of George's desk. "What is that bitch up to? She's looking for something.""Did she say what?" George's voice was shaking sli
As Damien's car approached the Blackwood family, passing through the familiar tree-lined drive of his childhood.The mansion loomed ahead, and Damien steeled himself for the confrontation to come. His mother would want answers. His father would demand explanations. Amira would probably make inappro







