The night air felt heavier than usual,it was thick with the weight of everything I had just gone through. Driving alone down the dimly lit road, the silence inside the car wasn’t peaceful and I felt suffocated. My hands tightened around the steering wheel as Christy’s tears replayed in my head, my mother’s voice echoing repeatedly in my head. "She will destroy you... just like all Lancasters destroy everything they touch." The hatred in her tone had been too real and personal. Just for something rooted in a past my mother refused to let go of. My jaw clenched as I pressed harder on the accelerator. The city lights blurred past me, but inside, I was stuck. Stuck between the warmth of Christy’s trembling hand in mine, and the cold emptiness that had always lived in my chest since I was a child. That emptiness came from one man, my father. I hated him and I hated the way he smiled while tearing our family apart piece by piece, how he had paraded women through the mansion like trophies, never once caring about the wreckage he left behind. Everything would have never turned out this way if he wasn’t so greedy and wanted to lay his hands on the Martinez family properties and connections. Then there is my mother, who wouldn’t let go of her painful past and now, Christy, is pregnant with my child, and is also caught in the crossfire of a war she never started. I slammed my palm against the steering wheel, the sound echoing in the car. "Damn you," I muttered under my breath, my mind flashing to my father’s face. "Damn you for making me grow up ." My chest tightened with rage. How many nights had I laid awake, staring at the ceiling, wishing for something as simple as his presence? Wishing he would come into my room, put a hand on my shoulder, and tell me I mattered? But instead, I was forced to grow up fast, forced to bury my pain while watching him destroy everything in sight and now, my mother is back and she thinks she has the audacity to demand loyalty, to tell me I had to choose between her and Christy, when all along, the real betrayal had started with him. I wouldn’t be in this mess if the both of them have not made lots of impulsive decisions. They play victim every time things do not work in their favor. I had to watch Curtis and Raina as they were showered with so much love and affection by their mother while I could only wish for mine and now, I finally found her and she is hell bent on ruining my happiness. By the time I pulled into the driveway of the Black estate, my entire body was buzzing with suppressed rage. I parked the car roughly, the tires screeching against the pavement. I didn’t care as I pushed the door open and stepped out, my fists clenched in fury as I walked into the house, the sound of muffled voices greeted me. I stepped into the sitting room, and I saw Sameen sitting there with her swollen eyes while clutching a tissue in her hand. Her daughter, Raina, sat beside her, her face twisted with fury. Sameen looked up when I entered, her mascara smeared, her lips trembling as though she had been crying for hours. My lips curved into a cold smirk. "Well, well... if it isn’t the mighty queen of the house," I mocked, my voice laced with sarcasm. "Tell me, Sameen, how does it feel? Knowing that soon, you’ll be thrown out like yesterday’s trash? That my father has already found a new plaything and you.. " I paused deliberately, letting my gaze sweep over her with disgust. "You are expired." I continued with a smirk. I felt really satisfied seeing her in her current condition. Who would have ever thought that such a day would come. Her face crumpled further, her hands trembling as she tried to hold back a sob. But before she could say anything, Raina shot to her feet, her eyes blazing with fury. "Don’t you dare speak to my mother like that!" she shouted, her voice shaking with rage. I turned my head slowly, meeting her glare with a lazy smirk. "Oh, Raina. Always so eager to play the hero. Maybe you should focus all that energy on your boyfriend instead." I said and her body stiffened instantly. Confusion flashed across her face. "What did you just say?" she demanded. I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice just enough to make it sting. "You heard me, maybe you should worry less about me, and more about the little secrets your boyfriend is keeping." I said with a smirk. Her eyes widened as she stared at me in confusion. "What do you mean by that?" she asked sharply, but I only chuckled darkly and straightened to my full height. "Figure it out yourself," I muttered before turning my back on her. I didn’t give her the satisfaction of an explanation. Let her stew in it and wonder as I had bigger battles to fight tonight. Content orıginally comes from 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲·𝗻𝗲𝘁 My footsteps echoed through the halls as I made my way to my grandfather’s study. My heart pounded with a mix of dread and determination. If there was anyone who could shift the weight of this war, it was him but I already knew where he stood. I pushed open the heavy oak door without knocking. The familiar smell of old books and cigar smoke hit me instantly. My grandfather sat behind his massive desk, his sharp eyes lifting to meet mine as I entered. "Kendrick," he said slowly, his voice heavy with authority. "You’re late." he said but I ignored his attempt at control, closing the door behind me with a click. "We need to talk," I said flatly and his brows furrowed. "About what?" He asked me with a frown. "Christy," I replied with a firm tone. The air between us thickened instantly and his expression hardened, his lips pressing into a thin line. "I hoped this foolishness was temporary," he muttered, shaking his head. "But it seems you’re serious." He said coldly and my chest tightened, but I didn’t look away. "I love her," I said, my tone low but steady. "And she’s carrying my child. This isn’t some game, Grandfather, this is my life." I said with a serious tone. His eyes narrowed as his fingers drummed against the desk. "Your life? Do you even hear yourself? Do you know what you’re risking? The honor of your mother, the disgrace of this family, the destruction of everything we’ve built? Do you want people to mock your mother?" he asked me angrily. His words hit me like blows, but I stood firm. "Everything we’ve built?" I repeated bitterly. "You mean everything my father destroyed? Don’t stand there and lecture me about legacy when all I have ever seen in this house is betrayal, lies, and broken promises." I said and his eyes flashed dangerously. "Careful, boy." he warned angrily but I was past caring. The dam inside me broke, and the words spilled out like larva, I had kept them bottled up for too long. "No, you should be careful! You talk about legacy, about family honor, but where was the honor when my father brought Sameen and her children into this family? Where was the honor when he got Celeste pregnant while you kept watching everything? Where was the honor when I needed him the most and he was nowhere to be found?" My voice cracked and my chest was heaving. "You think I should let go of Christy? Of the only person who has ever made me feel alive? You think I should just give her up because my mother hates her, because you are afraid of seeing your only daughter depressed? No...I won’t, I won’t sacrifice my happiness for your grudges, not anymore." I said to him angrily. I was done being the matured one and doing what makes him happy and upholding the Black family name. His face darkened as his jaw tightened with disapproval. "Kendrick, you don’t understand.. " he began while giving me a disappointed gaze. "I understand perfectly," I cut him off. "You want me to be just like you, cold and detached. Willing to throw away anyone and anything for the family name. But I’m not you and will never be like you. Because unlike you , I refuse to abandon the people I love." I said angrily. It has always been since I was young. He always wants me to act and do exactly as he pleases. I had to leave for three years to find a solution to my problem and also get away from him. The silence that followed was deafening. My grandfather’s eyes bore into mine, sharp and unyielding, but I didn’t flinch. My heart thundered in my chest and my fists were clenched at my sides. Finally, he leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "So you’ve made your choice," he said, his tone low and dangerous. "Yes. I’ve made my choice. Christy is carrying my child and I will burn this family to the ground before I let anyone take her from me." I swore with a newly found determination His gaze lingered on me but I didn’t wait for his response. I turned sharply, pushing the door open and stepping into the hallway. My pulse was still racing while my body trembled with the force of everything I had unleashed. For once, I didn’t care about the consequences, I didn’t care about my father’s shadow, my mother’s hatred, or my grandfather’s disappointment. All I cared about was Christy. Her smile, her tears and our child. As I walked away, I knew one thing with absolute certainty. I was ready for whatever scheme or trick they were planning on using.