(A/N) Copyright © TURTUREL, 2021.
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Victoria Black, the only daughter of old master Black, had been groomed since young to become the president of the Black consortium, the one who was to lead the gigantic conglomerate with an iron fist. Old master Black never had the smallest intention other than to pass his seat to his daughter.
To ensure the leadership would be only for Victoria, the old master had even selected a calm and quiet husband for the then young woman, with the former taking on his wife's name, and essentially marrying in the Black family. In this way, Victoria's last name would still be Black, leaving no one the opportunity to voice an opinion of their own against her.
Not that the distant relatives that were scattered around, still trying to claim a close connection with the main family, could utter an opposition.
Victoria Black was the sternest and most somber leader the Black's family had ever had. She was even firmer in her actions and stricter with the ones under her hire than her father had been. It goes without saying that Zane, her son, received the same discipline. Widowed at a young age, coupled with the death of her mother at an even younger age, and that of her father at a short while after marriage, she emphasized even more on ensuring the best education for Zane.
But at the same time, she was also a just and fair person. One who knew and recognized the help her family had received from others throughout the past generations. And had maintained a sincere cordiality with them, allowing their shares to be passed from parents to their children, without ever using various means to retrieve them back.
Considering the consortium's growth had reached an all-time high during her leadership and it was still growing at the same rate even now during her son's period, the shares gifted by the Black's family had their value increased by folds from their initial assessment... it wouldn't have been blamable, if she really would had done such a thing.
Nonetheless, Victoria did not, she maintained everything like how her father, grandfather and great-grandfather had left them. This principle she applied to the friendship her family held for the Langdon family and others as well.
Perhaps the only thing that could make Victoria Black disregard the matters set by her ancestors was her family. Mistakes bigger or smaller made by others with intention or without could be forgiven, although not forgotten... but her family was off limits.
This was also the case with Davis, who she was making sure was on an absolute downhill slope, adding even more obstacles for him than her son had done. The former arrogant man was left with no way out as no one in the industry was now willing to work with him, because of her. Even for a small discussion that could lead up to a business deal, Davis was refused by everyone without even as much as a word said about an investment.
He was even directly told to his very face that he had messed with the wrong person and that Victoria Black had called them up for a favor. Of course, no one would offend her, and risk getting on her bad side. Even more to get a call for a favor from her was quite a gain in itself. So naturally they all happily complied.
Those who would think that she had lost all of her influence in the business world when her son took over, would be gravely mistaken. Her power hadn't dented in the slightest. So pretty much everyone in the industry still feared Victoria Black, and respected her even more.
Zane, as her son, of course knew his mother's traits and her way of dealing with things that went past her bottom line. He had known she would take attitude against Davis, since he had talked with Malcom the last time in the hospital. In fact this was why he had eased up his methods to block Davis's path. It was unnecessary for the two of them to use the same methods, after all.
But though Zane knew his mother was fierce to outsiders in matters that concerned him, a fact proven by her unconditional trust in his decision to cut ties with Davis, and her consequent actions. He wasn't sure about how she would react in private with Aria. He feared her bluntness and somber nature might scare his petite wife.
Though he was disregarding the fact that he was also just like his mother in this department, being ice cold and truly uncaring towards Aria from the first moment she had woken, up until two weeks had passed since then, so as far as his mother's personality was concerned, Zane might have really had a point on this assumption.
Victoria was one who protected her family in public, maintaining Aria's honor as a daughter in law of the Black family, because she was not one who washed her dirty laundry in public. But in private, his mother might really say something that could hurt Aria, even though Victoria was made aware of her lost memory.
After all, his mother and Aria hadn't discussed much with one another in the past. In fact, he couldn't even remember when they had a proper conversation with one another, if they ever had.
One should not think that if she had allowed the marriage between Aria and Zane it meant that she approved of Aria as his wife, because in all honesty she never had. If she had approved of Aria, she wouldn't have kept quiet about Zane's and Aria's separate living arrangements. And though her personality was usually quite cold, she would have still cared about Aria more than she had, especially since she knew of her accident. She wouldn't have only asked about the state of the twins in her womb when she had called at that time, or ordered a paternity test either, for that matter.
In reality Victoria only allowed the marriage because she respected too much old master Langdon, the friend of her father, and at the same time the father of her best friend, Eliza Langdon. If she had promised the old master Langdon she would accept Aria in her family then she would certainly fulfill it, even without the presence of the elder.
As such, Zane was quite worried as he was urgently climbing the stairs of the mansion. His speed did not decline at all, up until he was standing in front of the opened living room's door, and could see with his own eyes the two women.
'No, I am alright and there is also no visible problem with the pregnancy. The doctor says that they are both healthy, though they are a bit smaller than they should be at this time of the pregnancy.' Aria replied slowly, with a small smile adorning her face as she was talking about her pregnancy.
No matter what worries took most of her heart, no matter what sad emotions reflected on her face, while speaking of the two boys her face was still bright enough. You could clearly feel the tenderness of an expectant mother. It was not a complete happiness like before, but it was still distinguishable amongst the more evident melancholic features of her expression.
'That's to be expected. With the coma, it's already a miracle they are both still well.' Victoria remarked as expressionless as ever, then feeling a pair of eyes on her, directed her gaze towards the mahogany double door that led to the hallway.
'Shouldn't you be working at this hour? What are you doing home?' She continued as calm as before, not visibly surprised to see Zane's figure present in the mansion.
'I heard you returned home. I haven't seen you in months. Shouldn't I come and meet you?' Zane asked casually, and moved to sit on the couch in the space between Aria and his mother.
At his answer, Victoria was a bit taken aback. This brat had never been so thoughtful to come welcome her whenever she would arrive home from a trip before. Even in the evening when he would return home on the day of her arrival, he would only greet her and have a quiet dinner together, with the small talk predominantly covering work related issues, if there even existed a small talk.
This particular thoughtfulness from his part and the fact that he sat next to his wife, in a protective stance... how could Victoria not notice something had changed between the two?
Aileen had called her a few days ago, just when she was thinking of whether to return home or prolong for a few more days her trip, telling her that she had seen Aria and Zane at the office at the beginning of the week. For some reason the girl thought they were different than in the past.
Although Victoria was not one to blindly believe just anyone, moreover listen to a girl she was at most acquaintances with, and even though said girl hadn't explained clearly what she thought was different between the two, Victoria still decided to come home without prolonging more her trip. Anyway, all that she had wanted to accomplish in that city was already completed.
She just couldn't find it in herself to return home, to return to a bitter reality, where all her hopes would finally come to an end. So Aileen's phone call had only been the catalyst to her final decision, not the main reason.
'Ok. I'll pretend you meant it.' Victoria spoke dismissively, concealing her true thoughts. Because either way, the surprise she had gotten from Zane's protectiveness towards a wife he hadn't bothered with for the last three years was dampened by another bigger shock. It's just that the two people in front of her wouldn't be able to tell, after all she was better at hiding her true thoughts than Zane was.
'So what were the two of you talking about?' Zane changed the subject, not at all trying to contradict his mother. There was no point to, because she knew him too well.
'I was only asking about the pregnancy. Or what do you think, I will eat your wife?' The older woman teased sarcastically, while Aria nodded her head to confirm Victoria's words.
Zane's mother had really not said anything that would upset her...
With an already shaken mood because of her worsening condition in the last few days, meeting Victoria was the last thing she needed. But it hadn't been as frightening as she had expected it would be since she found out from the maids and the butler that Victoria had returned.
Flashback, an hour ago
Aria barely returned to the mansion after almost two weeks of absence, when the butler had notified her that Victoria Black had returned from her trip. Luckily for her, the woman was still sleeping, and would most likely continue to sleep for some time more.
To know that Zane's mother was present in the house made her heart rate spike up, as she did not know what to expect from the encounter. Though the butler did indirectly assure her that Zane resembled his mother, so although she was not a talkative or too friendly of a person, she was not a sharp or mean person also, if she was not provoked or irked in any way. These were not his exact words, but the meaning of the butler was easy to understand.
Hearing Victoria was similar to Zane did ease up her heart a bit, but she was still anxious to meet the older woman. She was also afraid of what Victoria would think of her manners and different personality. As such, she remained seated on the couch in the living room, waiting patiently for the latter to wake up. She didn't even budge in the slightest when Anne wanted to convince her to rest for a bit in her room, to soothe her already strained back, the different interior design of the mansion and total opposite feeling of it barely gaining any acknowledgement on her part.
As time passed, Aria's worry to meet Victoria was diminished more, but unfortunately not for the right reasons... Her thoughts and anxiety about her manners and proper conduct in front of a noble cultured lady had changed into fears of another episode of blankness occurring.
The strange phenomenon was getting worse by the day, having happened two times more on Wednesday, four times more on Thursday, and in the current day it had happened three times already, and it was just barely passed the midday. Aria hated to keep track of it, but she couldn't help noticing the time between the episodes dwindling...
Would there come a time when she would remain frozen in time completely? Would the body enter another coma? If so, would her heart remain trapped with the body also in the immobile state or would it vanish forever?
Immersed in thoughts of an immeasurable sorrow at the children she would perhaps not meet, feeling her heart ache at the thoughts of the handsome face of the man she loved fading away into oblivion, she didn't notice Victoria enter the room or her tears stained face for that matter.
Seeing a flower embroidered handkerchief in front of her, her first thought was that Anne had returned with the tea she had offered to make for her, but moving her eyes upwards, she was startled to see the foreign presence.
It took some seconds for her to realize who it was and some more seconds to realize how rude she was to still be sitting and not greet the beautiful older woman.
Struggling to the best of her abilities to raise on her feet, Aria felt a hand on her shoulder that pressed a bit with a force strong enough to keep her seated but not strong enough to harm her.
'Don't get up. It's difficult enough for you to suffer because of pregnancy with twins. What kind of a mother in law would I be, if I also forced you to greet me while you stood on your feet?' Victoria asked rhetorically and sat on the same couch as Aria at the other end of it, not too close but not to far also.
'N-no, I am alright. The pregnancy has not caused me any suffering.' Aria immediately assured, trying not to stutter.
'It's enough politeness from your part to know your intentions.' Victoria continued speaking with her characteristic usual tone, then looking again towards Aria and as though noticing her still tear stained face offered the handkerchief again.
'Please use this.' Victoria said as she extended her hand towards Aria.
'N-no, it's alright. I will dirty your handkerchief.' Aria stated, and hurriedly tried to wipe her cheeks with the back of her hand, embarrassed at being caught crying. The flowery pattern on the soft pure white material looked too beautiful to be stained by her.
'I insist. Take it.' The stern voice left no room for other refusals, as Aria felt she could only accept the gesture.
The butler was right, Victoria was just like Zane. Although she was unbending, it was not out of shrewdness or arrogance.
'Okay. Thank you.' Aria finally replied and took the handkerchief.
Bringing it close to her face, a faint delicate flowery fragrance could be felt.
'Why were you crying? Is there a problem with the pregnancy, or are you uncomfortable because of a different reason?'
End of flashback, present time
Which brings us back to the words Zane had found them saying to each other, the talk of Aria's pregnancy. So as a matter of fact, Aria had just begun talking with Zane's mother a few moments ago.
Thus with a few words exchanged between the two, and with Zane's mother showing a polite and thoughtful attitude towards her, Aria really meant it when she had nodded her head to signify to Zane that there hadn't been any problems.
If anything, the matter was with Aria. She was too afraid and nervous, thinking she would freeze again while she talked with Victoria, causing the latter anger as the older woman might think she was disrespectful towards her, to be able to allow herself to also feel nervous in the presence of a new person. She was so worried that she was even withholding her breath, the fact that the new person was Zane's mother worsening her anxiety.
'Our boys are alright, they are a bit smaller, but it's not unordinary for twins. The doctor is checking them regularly. We visit the hospital once a week to make sure of it. Tomorrow it will be our next appointment as a matter of fact.' Zane began speaking on behalf of Aria, making Victoria get the feeling as though he was the one who was pregnant, not his wife.
'Yes I had already gotten my answer from Aria.' Victoria stated the obvious, not maintaining the appearances her son was trying to keep up. She had only asked because of how she found Aria, and the girl had already replied when Zane had just arrived, there was no need for him to answer again. Zane was a man of few words usually, but today it really didn't seem like it.
'Alright. That's good. Aria shouldn't you be resting at this time? Your back must already be hurting because of the upright position. Let me take you upstairs.' Zane affirmed, not denying his mother's words again, then he quickly rose on his feet.
He had noticed Aria's red rimmed eyes and the usual fatigued gaze she showed these days. And although his mother hadn't most likely said something upsetting to her yet, he still wanted to discuss with his mother first in private, before the two women talked more. Out of respect for his mother, and because of Aria's possible awkwardness, he couldn't explain to her how Aria was currently and how one should talk to her with Aria present.
Plus for some reason, although Victoria appeared her normal expressionless self, the gaze she was showing towards Aria was a bit off. It was not a gaze of distaste, not a gaze of hating her or any such negative feeling, but it was a look of uncertainty. Was it because Aria appeared too different than before? Or was it something else? Either way it was better to talk separately first.
As for how Aria felt about the suggestion, well because she feared another episode of stillness happening, she did not refuse at all Zane's suggestion, and allowed him to help her to a room up the stairs. But not before she nodded with a small smile towards Victoria in greeting, who also nodded her head back in reply.
Once he safely tucked Aria in bed, and only after he asked her once more if there really wasn't anything that had upset her, did Zane exit the bedroom and went downstairs with the intention of seeking his mother for a talk.
'How was your trip?' He asked, finding Victoria not in the living room where he had left her, but in the office next to the music room, on the second floor.
With some documents in front of her and her laptop opened, it was clear that the older woman was about to work on something. But regardless, she should still be available to have a small chat, Zane thought. Especially since Aria and Victoria would be meeting again during dinner.
'You're still about acting polite. Don't. There's no need to, it's just the two of us here. Ask what you want, or better said tell what you want to inform me of.' The older woman stated still looking at the files on her desk.
'Mom, I am really asking for real. You wouldn't tell me what your trip was about, but seeing your altered state, it must have been something important. I am your son, is it a problem if I know why you went away for months?' Zane asked calm while he slumped on the seat in front of her desk.
'That observation, I could say the same to you. You've really changed.' Victoria observed while she removed the pair of reading glasses she had put on previously and massaged her nose bridge.
'Mom, I asked first. Tell me about your trip, and then I will talk about me.' He reasoned while crossing his arms in a convincing manner.
'I don't want to talk about my trip. There's no point to it already anymore. No point at all.' Sighing in a defeated way, Victoria let go of the documents and leaned her back on the chair, while she moved her eyes to her son's direction.
It looked as though Zane was not thinking of asking her more, but his direct gaze and calm look in fact made her feel the opposite. The conversation wouldn't move forward at all until she answered truthfully.
'The person I searched for is dead, dead and buried for good. What's there to speak about more? What's there to tell more? I couldn't find her in time, I couldn't see that girl alive... I could only visit a lonely deserted unkept grave.' Victoria stated bitterly, as moist surrounded her eyes, threatening the appearance of a tear should she speak more of the subject. She had thought that this trip could help fulfill what she had hoped for after so many years, but she was too late. Just like before... she was always too late. She had tarried in helping that person and now it was the same for her daughter as well.
'Is this about Eliza Langdon? About Aria's mother?' Zane frowned seeing his mother's emotional state.
It might have seemed random for someone who was watching the discussion from outside, why Zane had brought Eliza's name in their discussion, a person who was already missing for many years, but Zane knew his mother well. Apart from his father and himself... there was one more person who could easily sway the emotions of the sternest leader the Black family ever had, that person was Eliza Langdon.
Although Victoria was not close to the branch family, and only maintained a polite ordinary stance as they were already separated from the main family, towards Eliza Langdon, the daughter of the main family, such a courteous politeness was unnecessary. Eliza Langdon could be perhaps counted as the only person to whom Victoria Black could show her real emotions, doubts and worries... Eliza Langdon was Victoria Black's true friend and sister.
So it was no wonder Zane had brought up her name, and judging by Victoria's face, it looked as though he was right. This trip this time had surely been about Eliza.
Victoria widened her eyes a bit surprised, she hadn't expected Zane to realize this fact. Well, he was her son, so to be keen about her matters should be expected. Overcoming her initial startle, she stayed a bit silent before slowly starting to reply.
'Zane, do you know... there was only one person to whom I could talk comfortably in the past, when I was studying to become the leader of the Black family. There was only one who could completely understand what I as a woman entering the men's business world was going through, that person was Eliza. She was the person who was going through the same as me, as she was also going to inherit the Langdon's fortune.
But that person she disappeared one day when I did not try to understand her thoughts. She vanished when the old master fought with her, and I agreed with his opinion, and so didn't help her convince him of her wishes. She thought I had betrayed her and she went away forever. Never to be found by me or her father ever in this lifetime.' Victoria recounted nostalgic, indirectly confirming for Zane what he had asked about.
'So the grave you were talking about, it was hers? You searched for her, but she had already died?' Zane continued asking, not understanding the matters from the past quite clearly.
Though the Blacks and the Langdons had been friends for generations, Zane himself was quite far removed from the relationship. He only knew that at some point in the past, Eliza Langdon had disappeared, and that a few years after that the Langdon old man was raising her daughter, Aria...
Wait... Zane stopped his thoughts about the past as he realized something he hadn't tried to understand before. If Eliza Langdon had disappeared and no one knew where she was... then how did the old master find Aria and raised her? He never cared about Aria in the past, so naturally such a question never entered his mind, but his mother just said Eliza Langdon was never seen again.
'No. It wasn't her grave. Eliza died many years ago, in a small town with nothing to her name. She died in a poor small hospital because of a disease which she could have easily been cured of, were she to do her yearly checkups like she had done in the past.
Even though I yearned with all my heart to be wrong , even though I wished with everything I had for the old master Langdon to be wrong, even though her father wanted to be wrong as well... we sadly weren't.
We told her the man she was seeing was a good for nothing, we explained to her that he only wanted her for her money, but she didn't listen to us at that time. She ran away from us to be with a creep who deserted her as soon as her money ran out, a poor excuse of a human being who left her to die alone.' Victoria hoarsely spoke of the bitter past.
These were matters she rarely spoke of, at this moment in time in fact her assistant remained the only person alive to know of them. But perhaps because she couldn't bring herself to speak and overcome the grief of losing her sister for so many years already, or perhaps because she regretted even more now than ever before that she hadn't acted more carefully in the past to ensure that Eliza wouldn't leave them, that she was now talking more of the issues she had tried to conceal.
'Then whose grave are you talking about. I don't understand.' Confusion was becoming more evident in Zane's expression with every word Victoria spoke. It was clear there were many emotions hiding under her seemingly normal face.
'I am talking about Aria Langdon's grave, Eliza's daughter, a girl who was left in an orphanage by a rotten father. I'm talking about the one who was truly the owner of the promise between our two families... the girl that should have really been your wife.' A single tear fell from Victoria's eyed at remembering the photo of a frail sickly girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to her mother. A frail hazel eyed beauty who spent most of her childhood moving from a rundown orphanage to an equally rundown hospital. A girl she missed to find alive in time by a thread's width.
'My wife? What do you mean... Aria is sleeping in the next room.' Zane massaged his temple as his brows scrunched up together in bewilderment.
'The current Aria Langdon was adopted by the old master Langdon in grief, in remembrance of the true granddaughter he never got a chance to meet.' She stated closing her eyes, as her heart ached thinking of the earlier Jillian Monroe who she hadn't looked at carefully in the past like she had just now. Remembering the few photographs the orphanage had given her, of a small delicate frame that sat upright in front of an old barely functioning piano happy pushing the dusty claps, and the current adopted Aria Langdon... How would the old master Langdon feel if he had seen his real granddaughter?
'Zane...' Victoria continued as Zane kept silent perhaps due to the new found information, he only appeared to be listening to his mother.
'... do you know how ironic it is to come home and see someone looking exactly like the real Aria... I do not know what to think and feel anymore.'