THE BILLIONAIRE'S CRYBABY
Chapter 169: LAST THREAD

Chapter 169: LAST THREAD

The matriarch was seated in her office when someone knocked on the door.

She heard the door swing open, and by its movement, she knew who it was.

Looking up from her desk, she saw her first daughter Celine Atticus, walking over. She gently pushed the documents she was working on to the side, and sat up in anticipation.

Celine dragged out a chair across the matriarch’s desk, and sat down.

"Why are you here Celine?" She asked when her daughter remained silent.

She wasn’t used to seeing her in her office. Out of all her children, she was the one that stayed away the most. There had to be an important reason she was present, and she was curious to know that reason.

"Why’d you go to Grant’s house?"

If she was troubled by that question, the matriarch didn’t show it. She only adjusted her body on her seat, because she knew it was about to be a long, and complicated session.

"Why do you ask? And how do you know I went to see Grant?" she questioned, keeping a cautious eye on her.

Celine could smell the bullshit from a mile away. She knew the matriarch would try to manipulate her way out of the trap she planned to set. But she was her mother’s daughter, and as one, she couldn’t be easily manipulated.

"I followed you, of course. You never just visit Spades. When I heard you dropped by Ace’s office, I knew something was wrong."

The matriarch was briefly stunned by how casually she had admitted to stalking her. It was very worrying, how easy it was for her to commit crimes.

Her hypocrisy slapped her face for a second there, resetting her brain.

If she could threaten Grant to tell her the truth about Ace’s marriage to Fay, she had no right to question her children’s way of handling situations.

They saw she could get whatever she wanted, anytime she wanted, and they never looked back.

She couldn’t blame anyone else for their shortcomings, except herself.

"If you followed me, then I’m guessing you know why I was there already. I don’t think you would have left without finding out."

"Oh mother, believe it or not, but Grant was a hard nut to crack. He’s so far up Ace’s ass, his brain has been intoxicated."

"So he didn’t tell you?" She lifted a quizzical brow, finding it incredibly difficult to believe her.

"Who said he didn’t? I only said he was a hard nut to crack." She shrugged haughtily.

"Yeah, let me guess, you threatened his family?"

"I would only be following in the footsteps of the best, wouldn’t I?" She threw her a challenging gaze.

"Fair enough." The matriarch relaxed her tensed shoulders.

She didn’t want to join in this war of words. She wouldn’t win against Celine, and she was self aware enough to admit that.

The daughter had surpassed the mother in craftiness. It was pathetic to easily concede defeat, but much easier than playing the fool.

"You’re trying to meddle into Ace’s marriage, why?" She continued her investigation in a less harsher tone.

The matriarch felt less burdened to put on a performative act of toughness after admitting defeat when it came to certain areas Celine excelled in.

What she absolutely refused to do was let Celine dictate the way this was all going to unfold. Knowing her, she wanted everything to burn out of spite. She couldn’t allow that to happen.

It was that conviction that prompted a response from her. Otherwise, she would have simply walked her out.

"You’ve done that yourself, before. Where’s this new sense of faux moral righteousness coming from?"

"I just want my nephew to be happy. If his wife doesn’t make him happy, he’s well within his rights to leave her."

The matriarch chortled in amusement. "One would think you really care about him, or his happiness. We both know the truth, Celine. You don’t care about anyone that isn’t yourself."

"If that’s what you choose to believe, I have no intention in changing your mind. All I want to know is why you’re meddling."

"Because I want him to stay married to Fay. She’s good for him. If you weren’t so selfish, you would also see this," she said in an irritated tone.

Her nose wriggled, because she was unable to hide her disgust over this low quality discussion.

She would much rather bang her head over and over again on a door, than have this conversation. But trust Celine not to ever respect boundaries.

"He doesn’t want that. He found out the truth about her. Are you questioning his truth?"

The matriarch’s gaze narrowed suspiciously on her. She stared at her that way for a few seconds, before her lips parted, and words came out.

"You’re in cahoots with Reign," she said directly, without mincing words.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. What I know is that you’re trying to stop a young man who is seeking out his happiness by leaving a liar."

"Oh stop the bullshit, Celine. Fay is no liar. You know this very well, because I trust you’re smart enough to have done your research on her. And if you have, you’d see reasons why she’s better off as our friend, than our enemy."

A mischievous glint appeared in Celine’s eyes. She had the matriarch exactly where she wanted her. All along, she had waited patiently for the hook to find the prey’s neck. Well, it looked like she had succeeded.

"I did a research or two," she admitted, her feet tapping a rhythm that spelled danger ahead, on the Arabian carpet that graced the ground of the office. "Despite the facts, I don’t want her around. This time, you’re going to give me what I want."

"And why would I do that?" She asked, spotting the mischief in her eyes.

She was up to something sinister, and she knew it had to do with her wanting Spades. She just didn’t know how she planned on doing that this time around.

Celine rose to her feet, and began to pace. The ball was in her court now. She could do whatever she wanted with it, and she planned on doing a lot.

"Ace’s anger isn’t going to be satiated anytime soon. The boy has the ego of a million men. If he thinks Fay was playing a game with him and his precious family," she air quoted. "He would do everything in his power to humiliate her. That is what I want to happen."

"So he doesn’t get his inheritance in the one year stipulated time?"

"It was a dumb clause to put in place. If daddy wanted so desperately to hand over the Atticus legacy to him, he should have done it once, and be done with it. Now I can capitalise on the clause for my own gain. Isn’t that just wonderful?" She paused to smile like a maniac.

The matriarch studied her carefully. This was a full on psychopathic display from her. Over the years, she had hoped this madness would stop when it became abundantly clear to her she was never in the race for the inheritance.

But as the days flew by, she got even worse with the delusion of grandeur.

"You’re not going to get Spades. Spades belongs to Ace. His father ensured that by being the first born child of your father and I. If you were that desperate for it, you should have come out first then." She shot her with the cold truth, because she was done walking on eggshells around her.

Celine whirled so she was directly facing her. "What did you just say?" She asked, a cold deadly expression raging in her eyes.

"You heard me Celine. Even if you manage to put an end to Ace’s marriage with Fay, he can just marry another woman. What are you going to do then? Kill him like you—" she stopped herself just before the words could slip out of her mouth.

Celine’s eyes grew even colder. "What were you going to say, mother? It sounded very much like a lethal accusation."

"I didn’t say anything, Celine. I just need you to know you cannot own Spade’s."

"But why?!" She banged the surface closest to her, with her fist. It happened to be a wall, and it cut a piece of her flesh.

She didn’t mind the blood. What was more important was passing her point across.

"I was the one who studied every by-laws of a business, including Spades. Whilst your precious first son painted, I stayed up all night learning the business. It was me! I did the work too. Why can’t I run Spades when I’ve proven beyond reasonable doubt, I am more qualified than anyone who has ever had a seat at that fucking table?!" She beat her chest, thick veins filling up the sides of her contorted face.

The matriarch flinched internally. Because she knew that by the end of this session, the last standing thread holding what was left of their relationship together, would be completely shredded.