Chapter 11- The Aftermath

Genevieve left the Holloway Estate. For a moment, she kept driving, hands steady on the wheel, eyes fixed on the road ahead. Only when the estate had disappeared from her view did she finally realize the weight of what had just happened.

She didn’t just inherit the Holloway Group. She inherited enemies.

The realization came with a clarity that made her fingers tighten around the wheel of the car. The Holloway Estate. The company. The power. None of it existed in isolation. Every decision Charles had made in that will carried consequences—people who felt entitled to what she now owned, people who would never forgive her for being chosen by him. She wondered why Charles chose her and not his mother or any of his cousins. She didn't have a child for him, she was not a Holloway by blood, and she was never deeply involved in the affairs of the company. She only helped Charles review some documents and gave him some business advice when he was still alive. The fact that he chose her was still a shock to her, but she knew very well that he never did anything without a reason, and she wondered what his reason for choosing her was.

Genevieve remembered her first Holloway family dinner. She was quiet, smiling, and nodding at everything Viola said. Her hands folded neatly in her lap. That woman from the dinner felt like a stranger now. This new version of her sat taller in the car. There was power in her spine and confidence in the way she held herself. But beneath it all, there was something raw and exposed.

Power made you visible, and visibility made you vulnerable. She was now vulnerable to many things.

She exhaled slowly. She had crossed a line today at the will reading. There was no going back.

When Genevieve got home, her staff congratulated her immediately as she stepped into the mansion. Her phone had already begun to buzz—missed calls from unknown numbers and polite messages from acquaintances she hadn’t spoken to in years. Congratulatory messages poured in. She immediately knew that the news of her becoming the new CEO of the Holloway Group had leaked to the media. She wondered who leaked the news to the media, but that was the least of her problems.  

She opened the internet on her phone, and several news articles appeared, all talking about her role at the Holloway Group. She opened the comment section, and most of the comments were not in her favor.

'He left everything to her? She didn't even have a child for him; why would he do that?'

'She probably manipulated him to leave everything to her.'

'I need to take lessons on manipulation from her; my husband needs to leave everything to me when he dies.'

'There's more to this. She should be taken to court, and the will should be contended.'

'No man in his right senses will do what Charles did; he was definitely manipulated.'

Genevieve ignored the comments and most of the notifications she had received and was still receiving. She understood what this meant. She was now vulnerable to these people, and most of the elites will try to get into her good books now.

-----

Delilah met her later that afternoon at the Holloway Mansion. She didn’t waste time on pleasantries.

“Congratulations, CEO of Holloway Group, but they’ll fight you,” Delilah said calmly, tablet resting on her knee. “Not in court but socially and quietly.”

Genevieve didn’t flinch. “I know. And I'm ready for them.”

“Good.” Delilah’s gaze sharpened. “Because Viola Holloway will make it personal. She’ll poison rooms you haven’t even entered yet, especially rooms in the Holloway Group.”

Genevieve leaned back. “Let her try.”

Delilah studied her for a long moment. “The Club is pleased with how you've handled Dominic so far. But pleased doesn’t mean patient,” Delilah continued. “They need you to get into his world completely and infiltrate it. They want you to use every method available at your disposal.”

Genevieve exhaled. “Of course they do.”

“This power you have now makes you more useful to Dominic and has also created more opportunities for you to infiltrate his world,” Delilah said evenly. “Which means expectations will increase.”

Genevieve nodded slowly. “I understand.”

“Good,” Delilah replied. “The next club meeting is in 2 days; I already sent the meeting details to your email. Celeste expects that you will give her something good to work with in comparison to all the reports that you have sent to her.”

Genevieve nodded slowly. Saturday was in 2 days; she only had 48 hours to try to establish contact with Dominic. She thought about calling him, but she decided against it.

-----

Dominic Rourke listened in silence as Benedict finished his report.

“The will reading is confirmed,” Benedict said. “Charles left the estate and the Holloway Group to Genevieve.”

Dominic’s expression was unreadable.

Benedict hesitated. “This makes her far more dangerous than we anticipated.”

“Yes,” Dominic agreed quietly. “It does. She has so much power at her disposal now.”

Dominic knew that Charles was a meticulous man. He was always strategic, even in the smallest business decisions. He didn’t make decisions based on his emotions, which meant that leaving the company and estate to Genevieve had been intentional. 

“Charles was hiding something,” Dominic finally said. “And he has trusted her with it even if she doesn't know yet.”

Benedict frowned. “Or he trusted her to survive whatever comes with these secrets.”

Dominic’s gaze darkened slightly. “Either way, it's still the same thing. It’s time.”

“Time for what?”

“To test her and play the same game she started,” Dominic replied. 

----

The next day, Genevieve decided to leave the Holloway Mansion in the evening to get her favorite ice cream. She wanted to forget the club, the Holloway Group, and the drama surrounding her complicated life for at least an hour. She knew that the coming weeks were going to be very busy for her, and she wasn't sure if she was ready yet.

She drove for nearly 20 minutes before she got to the underground parking lot of a high-end shopping mall.  The mall was busy but not overwhelming. Soft music played in the background; the air was filled with the smell of perfume and roasted nuts. Genevieve walked slowly. People glanced at her, some recognizing her from the news, others simply admiring her.  She ignored them all and made a mental note to disguise herself next time she was visiting a busy mall.

At the ice cream shop, she ordered vanilla flavor with caramel toppings. She took her cup and sat at a small table near the store front, letting herself breathe for the first time since the will reading. She lifted a spoonful of the ice cream into her mouth, the cold sweetness hitting her, then a familiar voice stopped her mid-movement as she was about to take the second spoon.

“Mrs. Holloway.”

Her hand froze, and she looked up immediately.

Dominic Rourke stood a feet away from her, dressed in dark blue jeans and a brown sweater, sleeves pushed up casually, his hair in a loose hairstyle. Beside him stood Olandria, holding a pink cup nearly as big as her hands. For a second, Genevieve almost forgot how to breathe. He looked… different. Genevieve had never seen him in anything except suits. He looked too handsome; his looks was almost tempting her. 

Dominic’s gaze flickered over her, it was quick, but something unreadable passed through his eyes before his expression settled. He noticed that she was dressed just as casually as he was—jeans trousers, a light sweater blue in color, and her hair was packed back loosely.

“Well,” he said lightly, “this is unexpected.”

Genevieve stood, adjusting her sweater instinctively. “I could say the same.”

Olandria didn’t wait for them to finish exchanging formalities. She practically bounced toward Genevieve. “Miss Genevieve! It's you!”

Genevieve smiled lightly. “Yes, it’s me.”

“I told Daddy that I met you, and he said he was going to let me play with you if I did well in my piano lessons,” Olandria said. 

“So have you been doing well in your piano lessons?” Genevieve asked, the smile still evident in her face.

“Yes, I have,” Olandria announced proudly.

"That's good."

Dominic cleared his throat, and Genevieve's attention shifted towards him. For a moment, they both stood staring at each other as if waiting for one person to speak first.  He looked at her again, this time slower, almost as if he was taking her in. The tension between them seemed to increase.

He finally spoke. “Ice cream therapy?”

She nodded. “It's been a long week…”

“I saw the news,” he said. “Congratulations, by the way. CEO of the Holloway Group is not a small thing.”

“Thank you,” she replied. “It wasn’t exactly a role I was prepared for.”

“No one ever plans for power,” Dominic said. “It finds you and chooses you.”

They became quiet again. This time it was Olandria who interrupted by settling herself into the chair beside Genevieve. “You should’ve gotten chocolate flavor,” she said seriously. “Chocolate makes people happier.”

Genevieve smiled at her. “I’ll remember that next time.”

Olandria tilted her head towards her. “Can we hang out this weekend?”

Genevieve didn't know how to answer the question. Her gaze shifted to Dominic, careful. “That depends on if your father is okay with it.” She said gently.

Dominic watched the exchange closely, something unreadable settled over his features. Olandria turned to him immediately, eyes wide and hopeful.

“Daddy, please, can I hang out with Miss Genevieve this weekend?”

He hesitated for a second. “Yes, you can,” he replied. “As long as it’s supervised.”

"Thank you daddy", Olandria turned to Genevieve smiling. “We have a date!”

Genevieve felt something in her chest, something she had not felt in a while; it was warm. “Yes, we do,” she replied.

Genevieve and Olandria talked briefly—about ice cream flavors and about her piano lessons. Genevieve noticed the way Dominic watched Olandria, the way his attention softened whenever she spoke. She also noticed how his gaze kept returning to her when he thought she wasn’t looking.

Eventually, Dominic glanced at his watch. “We should go.”

Olandria groaned. “Adults ruin everything.”

Genevieve laughed. "See you tomorrow, Olly."

Olandria hugged her quickly without warning. “See you tomorrow, Miss Genevieve.”

As they walked away, Dominic turned back briefly. “Take care, Mrs. Holloway.”

She nodded at him. “You too, Mr. Dominic.”

When they disappeared into the crowd, Genevieve sat down slowly and exhaled. She closed her eyes briefly.

'You are playing a game, and games have rules' she reminded herself. She would not let how dangerously good Dominic Rourke looked make her forget that.

'He is just a tool in this game.' She told herself as she left the mall.