The sound of my phone buzzing was the only thing I could hear after hours of silence. I didn’t even look up at first. I was buried in so much work, I had so many plans to review and sign, all the tedious things that came with holding the company steady. But the second I saw the name flashing across the screen, my lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. "Speak," I said coolly, sliding the call to my ear. The person calling was the Black family’s butler. Grandpa has been away for a reunion with his friends. So, the butler must have something urgent that he needed to report. "Sir..." The voice on the other end was shaky and nervous. "It’s about Lady Celeste... she.. she was pushed down the staircase by Madam Sameen." he reported while stuttering. When he was done talking, the line went silent, like he was waiting for me to say something. Then I leaned back in my chair and let out a laugh. Not a shocked one or even a furious one. it was the kind of laugh that echoed coldly in the room, dripping with dark amusement. "Of course it was her," I muttered, smirking. "The two of them will rip each other apart naturally" I said in amusement, picking up the glass on the table. I swirled the whiskey in my hand, watching the amber liquid catch the light. "Let them fight," I said flatly into the receiver. "Do not disturb my grandfather with such trivial matters, just focus on taking care of the house and managing the staff" I said to him with a stern tone. The man on the line was silent, probably confused at my reaction, but I didn’t care. I ended the call without another word and set the phone back down. For the first time that day, I felt truly entertained and all my stress vanished instantly. Not ten minutes later, the phone rang again. But this time, it wasn’t the butler or a servant, it was the call I couldn’t ignore. My chest tightened, not in fear, but in sharp awareness. He never calls me unless it is absolutely impossible . Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦·𝘯𝘦𝘵 "Kendrick." His voice was as stern and authoritative as usual. "Come to the villa in the north, now," he instructed. "Yes, Grandfather." I replied and he immediately hung up. The driver barely had time to open the door before I was sliding into the backseat, the city lights streaking past the tinted glass as we drove towards the private villa. It must be very important for grandpa to send his personal driver to pick me up. On arrival, I quickly got out of the car and made my way into the villa. I didn’t need any directions on where to find him as I was sure he would definitely be in his study as usual. And I was right, he was waiting in his study, the same study he had ruled from for decades. Heavy curtains, shelves of leather-bound books, the faint scent of cigar smoke embedded in every corner. He didn’t look frail, even at his age. He sat like a king, straight-backed in his chair, sharp eyes pinning me the second I entered. "Sit," he ordered, gesturing to the chair across from him. I obeyed, keeping my posture just as controlled, he hates any sign of weakness. For a moment, silence reigned as he studied me like he was measuring my growth since our last meeting.Then, slowly, his lips slowly curved into a rare smile. "You’ve done well," he said at last, his voice low but steady. My brows arched slightly. "In what way, Grandfather?" I asked him. "In every way that matters." He leaned forward, hands braced on the desk. "This company was crumbling Betrayals and scandals, enemies clawing at every side... but you held it together. You stood firm, you handled the issues professionally, and you stabilized the empire. You carried the Black name on your shoulders, Kendrick, and you did not falter." he said with a nod of approval. The words... they sank into me, heavier than any gold. Praise from him was rare and almost unheard of. I dipped my head respectfully, but my lips curved into a faint smirk. "It’s what I was raised for." I said with a respectful voice. "Exactly." His eyes gleamed. "And it is why you are ready to hear the truth." he said with a sigh. "What truth?" I asked carefully. He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached for the cigar on the table, lighting it with slow precision before exhaling a cloud of smoke into the room. His eyes drifted to the fire burning in the hearth, as though he was watching ghosts. Then he slowly parted his lips with a heavy expression. "Our family and the Lancaster family have been enemies for decades," he began. "But it wasn’t always that way. Once, I thought there could be peace, that was before your mother." he paused. My head snapped slightly at that. "Mother?" I asked him with a frown. I only knew there was a huge issue between both families but I never knew what caused it. "You’ve asked before, and I denied you the full truth. But you’re no longer a boy and you deserve to know." he said with a deep sigh. I sat straighter, my heart pounding harder in my chest. "When your mother was young," he continued, "she was... consumed and totally obsessed with one man." he said as his voice hardened. "Ethan Lancaster." he said. The name hit me like ice water. My mother was obsessed with Mason and Christy’s father? "He was everything she wanted," Grandfather went on. "Handsome, charismatic and respected but he never wanted her and never spared her a second glance" he said as he took another puff of the cigar. The cigar smoke curled upward as he stared into the flames. "He only had eyes for one woman, your friend, Mason’s mother. That was what broke your mother. She could not accept rejection from him, so she tried to destroy what he loved most." he sighed. I felt my jaw clench. "What do you mean?" I asked him, hesitantly. "She tormented the girl," he said bluntly. "Relentlessly, with cruel words and cruel schemes. She used the Black family name like a weapon, dragging it through the mud just to make that poor woman’s life a misery. The Lancaster elders came to hate her for it. And no matter what she tried, seduction, manipulation and even humiliation, Ethan never once turned his gaze from the woman he loves. He married her, lived happily with her... while your mother became the laughingstock of the city." he said with his fist clenched. I was too shocked to react and just stared in disbelief. My mother, who is so proud and beautiful, was reduced to a fool by unrequited love. I could hear the whispers of the city and the cruel laughter, as I imagined it. "She was shattered," Grandfather said quietly. "So shattered that she tried to end her own life." "She would have succeeded," he admitted, his eyes dark. "But I found her just in time and saved her. It was from that day forward, I swore the Black family would never bow to humiliation again. We would rule and she would never be broken by that man or his family again." he said fiercely. Silence fell heavy in the room. I didn’t know what to feel. All I knew was that the rivalry with the Lancasters was never about any business but it was blood and old scars. I leaned back slowly, exhaling. "So that’s why you allowed me to befriend Mason...?" I asked him with a frown. "Yes. I did not want to hold on to the past forever. I thought, if your mother was gone, then perhaps peace was possible. That’s why I let you stay close to him. But don’t mistake it, Kendrick, the past does not die easily. The pain your mother carried, the disgrace she suffered... it runs through our bloodline." he said aggressively. My fists clenched in my lap. It took me a while to understand why he was telling me all this. Christy is Ethan’s daughter, he is indirectly telling me to let her go because of what happened in the past. And suddenly, it all connected. Grandfather’s voice cut into my thoughts again. "You must marry her," he said firmly and I frowned. "Celeste is not that bad, you will live a good life with her, you will give this family a legitimate heir, and you will bury the shame of the past once and for all" he advised. A sharp, bitter laugh slipped from my throat before I could stop it. "My child?" I repeated. "Yes," he said with certainty. "I know you are a responsible person and her family background is good as well," he added. I lifted my gaze to his, my lips curling coldly. "Grandfather," I said softly with a sigh. "I think it’s time you heard the truth too." I said. His brows furrowed, smoke curling around his stern face. I leaned forward slowly while observing his every expression. "That child.. isn’t mine." I revealed. The silence that followed was deadly. Grandfather’s eyes narrowed, his cigar frozen halfway to his lips.