Time passed as the court proceedings went by. Audrey's lawyer kept me in awe with his work. When it was time for Grandma to walk into the witness box, she hesitated. I felt her hand trembling in mine. "Calm down, Grandma. I'm right here with you." I smiled at her and led her to the witness box. Vanessa's eyes trolled me as I walked, her sharp gaze piercing my skin. I turned to meet her gaze, the anger in her eyes exciting me. Oh, sweetheart, we are just getting started. I have a lot in store for you and your dearest mother. My lips curved into a smirk, a sign of immense satisfaction. Her frustration gladdened me. I walked back to my seat and could almost smell my victory. The beginning of my revenge. "Did you invite the media as I asked you to?" I whispered to Audrey. "Yes, I did. Stop worrying, it's a clear case. Eric is pretty impressive; it will be over in no time," Audrey said, smiling at me. "I'm not worrying. I don't get nervous," I said, avoiding his gaze. He chuckled and turned to the other side. It was time for the judge to give his verdict. I could hear my heart beating so much that I feared it was audible to others. I swallowed hard, trying not to show my anxiety. Sweat rolled down my back, and my jean jacket now seemed too tight. The air was stiff, and the room felt suffocating.....
Laura's POV
I sit anxiously in my Mercedes, the type of luxury for which I have worked so hard. But right now, what interests me the most is the cool air coming from the car's rolled-down window. It tickles my skin, flickers my lashes, and brushes my eyebrows. This is how I like it; it kind of prepares me for what I am about to do.
What am I about to do? I am about to intrude on a coronation party and steal the queen's crown. Vanessa, my step-sister, the queen, is going to be the CEO of the company. Her crown is now mine, and I am going to claim it.
"Did you, as I requested, pay the paparazzi?" I say to my assistant sitting beside me.
"Absolutely, ma'am. I gave them instructions and also called the media. The inauguration ceremony will be just how you want it," she responds, her face buried in her iPad.
I brace myself for what's about to happen. This is the moment I had been waiting for my entire life. The look on their faces is so gonna make my day. I am going to relish every second of it.
I hear the buzzing sound emanating from the building as the car comes to a sudden stop. Lifting my head, I see the name in big bold letters: "Whitehood Enterprise." My spine tingles at the name. I signal to the driver, and he gets down to open the door.
"Thanks, Austin," I say to him, patting his shoulder. As I take a step down and straighten my silk dress, numerous paparazzi start to focus on me. Whoa, this will be entertaining.
I catwalk into the building holding a microphone. As I enter the hall, I make my way straight to the stage.
"Madam, ma'am, who are you? You were not supposed to be here," I hear the security personnel muttering under their breath. "Hey, do not stop there!" another security staff protests. He makes no effort to stop me. Monica did an excellent job. She had greased their palms before now. They practised a little protest and resistance.
I see Vanessa standing there, giving her speech, holding a bunch of flowers in her arms. Oh, how I want to swipe her face with it. As soon as she notices me, her face is filled with confusion. Her puzzled look is soon replaced with a frightened one. Looks like she knew who I was. I am a step away from her now, and she is shaking with terror. It is as if she saw a ghost or met death. My demeanour alone is enough to raise her blood pressure.
"I will take it from here," I say to her in a low tone. I take over the podium, pushing her nub figure to the side.
"Good day, everyone. Sorry for the minor commotion over here, but I need to convey some critical information. My name is Laura Whitehood, the daughter of Leonard Whitehood. I'm indeed the first daughter and the heiress to the Whitehood firm and enterprise," I say and give a pause, loving the disgust on Lucy's face. "My apologies for the sudden disruption, but I must bring to your notice that I'm the legal benefactor of this great firm. As the first daughter of the Whitehood clan, my grandmother and the legal owner of these properties willed them to me. I have been met by unfair treatment given to me by my father, stepmother, and sister. I only seek that this matter will be reinvestigated and the rightful heiress given the inheritance. I will take legal action against whoever tried to deprive me of my well-deserving rights." I say the last words loudly. I smile as the continuous buzzing from the crowd seems to serenade me. I notice an obvious cheer from my grandma. Right now, she seems to be the only person who has my back.
"What the fuck do you think you are doing, Laura? I dare you to ruin this for me," Vanessa snaps, causing the smirk on my face to expand.
"Shush, baby sis, see you in court," I snap back at her as I grab the bouquet from her arm. I walk down the stage feeling like Beyonce. The paparazzi and media staff flock around me, hitting my face with the flashes of light from their cameras.
"Ma'am, are you really a Whitehood? Where have you been all this while? Why did the family keep you hidden?" The paparazzi throw questions at me, not giving me a chance to reply. I keep a stern face and say loudly, "I'm the first daughter of Leonard Whitehood and the legal benefactor to his properties. I was kept hidden because I'm his illegitimate daughter." The crowd's loud chatter turns into whispers. I motion to my bodyguard, Pablo, and he paves the way. Walking past the crowd, I run into him. The man that started it all, Leonard Whitehood.
"Laura, I..." he says and stops midway, noticing my already agitated face.
"I'm sorry things have to be like this. I'm sorry you and your sister aren't seeing eye to eye. But this is not the way to go about it, Laura. What will the media and people say?"
I kiss my teeth as he speaks, thinking of ways to make him feel the same pain he put my mother through.
"You don't dictate how I act, Mr. Leonard. I'm not like you. I have never really cared about what people say. I mean, they're always going to talk. I just gave them something fun to talk about," I say, trying to curtail my anger. He tries to reach for my arm, and I move a step back.
"Why are you trying so hard? Is it because of Lucy and her daughter? Save your strength; I'm gonna make sure they get nothing," I snarl, looking straight into his eyes. I walk right past him and head towards my car.
I step into my car and breathe out in relief.
"Where to, ma'am?" Austin asks, looking at me from the rearview mirror.
"The Whitehood mansion. There's someone I need to see," I say as I place a warm towel on my neck.
Chapter 1 The Reveal
18/07/2024
Chapter 2 Building Alliances
18/07/2024
Chapter 3 The Hearing
18/07/2024
Chapter 4 First Victory
18/07/2024
Chapter 5 Who Killed Amber
18/07/2024
Chapter 6 The Plan For Laura's Mother's Killer
18/07/2024
Chapter 7 Justice!
18/07/2024
Chapter 8 The Big Plan
18/07/2024
Chapter 9 The Takeover
18/07/2024
Chapter 10 I Need Your Help
18/07/2024
Chapter 11 Follow Every Lead
21/07/2024
Chapter 12 What Did You Find
21/07/2024
Chapter 13 Checkmate Laura
23/07/2024
Chapter 14 Judge Markham
23/07/2024
Chapter 15 Elusive Breakthrough
23/07/2024
Chapter 16 Reclaim What Was Stolen
23/07/2024
Chapter 17 Leonard Whitehood Big Plan
25/07/2024
Chapter 18 Leonard Whitehood Big Plan (2)
25/07/2024
Chapter 19 Drop The Egos
26/07/2024
Chapter 20 Final Showdown
26/07/2024
Chapter 21 Seeds Of Vengeance
28/07/2024
Chapter 22 Unravelling The Threads
28/07/2024
Chapter 23 Why Are You Helping Me
29/07/2024
Chapter 24 One Misstep And Everything Could Unravel
30/07/2024
Chapter 25 Fabrications
31/07/2024
Chapter 26 Audrey Comes Clean
02/08/2024
Chapter 27 Through To The End
02/08/2024
Chapter 28 Leonard's First Move
03/08/2024
Chapter 29 Who Should I Trust
03/08/2024
Chapter 30 What Has Happened To Emily
04/08/2024
Chapter 31 Leonard's Trial
05/08/2024
Chapter 32 Same Pattern
06/08/2024
Chapter 33 Vanessa is Back
07/08/2024
Chapter 34 Oh, Laura. Still So Naive
07/08/2024
Chapter 35 A Little Distraction
08/08/2024
Chapter 36 Navigating My Problems
09/08/2024
Chapter 37 Leonard's Inivitation
10/08/2024
Chapter 38 Family Dinner
11/08/2024
Chapter 39 Family Dinner Drama
12/08/2024
Chapter 40 Major Shift
02/09/2024