HER RESOLVE

Vanya's POV 

As the taxi pulled up in front of the large gothic mansion, I knew that I was ready for a change. I stepped out of the car after paying the cab. I had nothing on me, just my phone and a little cash.

The huge metallic gates loomed in front of me. The same gate that I had walked out from five years ago. Five years ago, I had run away from this fortress of cold and ice. I had chosen the "Blackwood" family name, instead of 'West'. I had given up everything because I needed a new life.

It was drizzling. I stood in the rain letting it soak gradually into my skin. I was a prodigal daughter at that moment and I deserved more than just the punishment of the rain.

"Vanya."

My head snapped up immediately. That voice.

"Grand..Grandpa." 

A lot had changed in five years. In five years, I had finished my degree and abandoned my chosen career and settled down to be a housewife to a man who doesn't care less.

My grandfather still hadn't aged a bit. It felt as though I had just left yesterday.

"Vanya?" He was in doubt.

He stood at the top of the marble stairs, leaning on his obsidian cane. His eyes were different. They looked sharp, broken and unforgiving. I swallowed hard as I trodden looking like a drenched chicken.

"Grandfather." I whispered again. I climbed the stairs. My legs were trembling as I stood before him. I was expecting a pat on the back, or a scolding embrace or just anything, but instead, his eyes were focused on my swollen eyes and hollow cheeks.

"You look like a beggar, Vanya. This can't be you." His voice slashed something inside of me.

"Is this the outside world you went to see? Or is this the bed of roses you were sleeping on with Dario Blackwood?" 

"Grandfather.. I.." 

He turned around and walked inside the house. Grandpa Mario was never the type to get angry easily but what I had done was unforgivable.

"He gave me a ten million dollar tip for my services and kicked me out because his old lover was back." I sobbed. I needed his compassion and pity more than anything at this moment.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me.

"And you took it?"

I shook my head.

"I know my worth grandpa, I know that..."

"You didn't know that worth when you left us?" 

I hung my head in shame. No act of mine would ever be enough to atone for my foolishness.

Grandpa Mario watched me for a little while. I avoided his gaze. His expression was unreadable.

"At least you have not forgotten how to growl." He said finally. That brought a smile to my face.

"Don't smile." I nodded trying to force the smile back in. "Oh my God, you look disgusting. Come inside and stop wetting my floors." 

The warmth of Grandpa's study engulfed me as I stepped in. I had quickly changed and gone there as he had instructed.

"Nothing much has changed here." I commented on taking in the carefully arranged shelves with stacked old books.

"And what's the use of a revolving palette?"

I was expecting it to be the two of us, until...

"Well well, look what the rain washed in." 

I stiffened as a figure emerged from behind the shelves with some books in hand. Uncle Marcus, my dad's elder brother and that uncle you will never grow to love.

"I heard that the prodigal daughter is back." Someone said from the door. Bianca, Marcus's daughter, looked so radiant in a dress that probably cost more than my wedding ring does.

"Yeah she is back." Marcus sneered, his eyes raking over my disheveled state. "I heard the news on the socialite blogs, Vanya. 'CEO Dario Blackwood Spotted with First Love at Anniversary Gala.' It was quite the scandal. You’ve made our family a laughingstock."

"I was his wife, Uncle Marcus." As if I needed to remind him. I was trembling, with fear, shame, hate and disgust.

You were a placeholder," Bianca corrected, her voice dripping with artificial sympathy. She walked over, sniffing the air. "Is that... Seraphina’s perfume I smell on you? Oh, that’s right. She moved into your bedroom before your side of the bed was even cold. How embarrassing for you."

They both laughed. The sound of their laughter felt like a stab. It made my stomach churn. I held my abdomen slightly.

"Don't tell me you're going to faint now," Marcus rolled his eyes. "We don't have time for your drama, Elara. The board is already discussing how to distance the West name from your failure."

"Enough!" Grandpa roared from his desk.

The room went silent. "You two out. I need to talk to my granddaughter." 

They didn't take that well, Bianca hissed before matching off. And that was when I realised, I was not fighting against Dario alone. I had family ghosts, family demons and all that I needed to deal with.

I watched the door close behind Marcus and Bianca. They thought I was a failure. Dario thought I was a beggar who would crawl back in two days. They were all wrong.

"Don't tell me you don't have any payback plan, cause that's what I want to hear."

I looked at my grandfather. "I need your help grandpa me. I need something to do. I won't just survive. I’ll make sure that in five years, the only thing Dario Blackwood has left is the memory of the woman he was too stupid to keep."

-----

DARIO

"Send the list to Fiona once you are done." He said to someone on the phone before hanging up. He sat in his swivelling chair turning in his office. 

He had gotten rid of Vanya, he was sick of seeing her face. Bearing her for three years was already enough, he couldn't do it again.

The door opened and he looked up. Seraphina walked in, her heels clicking on the floor noisily as she approached him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" He called out affectionately.

"I'm here to see how my baby is doing, or did I do anything wrong?" 

"No, not at all. Come here."

She walked over and sat on his lap, pecking him lightly on the lips.

"How is it going?"

"Very well."

"Have you heard of anything about her?" She queried.

"No, but I bet you that she will be back soon. She has no family. She is an orphan and she didn't take any clothes or money with her. How do you think she is going to survive?"

"Are you sure about that? She was looking quite confident when she rejected the money." 

"Doesn't matter. I'm giving her just two days, and she will be back crawling and begging for the money so she can survive."

"But what if she doesn't?" Seraphina doubted again.

"Enough talking about her, I was thinking of what to do, and since you are here, I might as well do you."

Seraphina giggled. "Dario,.you..."

He claimed her lips before she could finish and soon, their clothes were on the floor.