Chapter 13 Shadow
\-Lilith-
Great. Another evening where everything somehow centered on Celeste.
We were seated in the living room, Mom, Dad, me, and Grandmother, whose blood pressure was through the roof. The doctor tried to calm her down, warn her to watch her health, but of course, all she could think about was dear Celeste.
It was exasperating.
"It's because of that girl!" Gran snapped. "Someone call her, tell her she's the reason I'm headed to an early grave."
I rolled my eyes. Dramatic much?
"Mother," Mom began, her voice soft, as if she could never hurt a fly. "We've all tried to reach her, and yet, she's not answering."
I scoffed. That false sweetness? Not fooling me.
If anyone wanted Celeste gone as badly as I did, it was Mom. Everything revolved around her, and now that she was voluntarily gone, I could finally breathe.
"It's been a week. An entire week! I froze her account, tried to shut down that pathetic shop, and yet... she hasn't crawled back to me! Why?" Grandmother demanded.
How was anyone supposed to answer that?
"Lilith," she snapped, turning in my direction, "call your sister. Apologize. After all, it's your fault we're in this mess."
My fault? Hell no. It wasn't my fault when Colin decided my fucking body was better than hers.
Quietly, I grabbed my phone because no one was allowed to disrespect Patricia Ashford-and dialed the princess's number. Straight to voicemail.
"Of course," I murmured as I hung up, sharp with irritation.
Gran's eyes narrowed. "Text her then. Don't let her ignore you."
I typed quickly: Call me.
I hit send and stared at the ceiling, hands itching to throw the phone across the room.
My father cleared his throat. "Lilith, maybe-"
He was about to tell me to go see her and beg for forgiveness. Typical. All he ever wanted was a quiet, easy peace, like he had nothing else to do but sit back and let everyone else run the world. A figurehead that was all he'd ever be. Nothing more, nothing less. Gran and Mom always handled everything.
"No," Mom interrupted, sharply, as if she had read his mind too. "She'll answer eventually. And Lilith will apologize."
I muttered under my breath. "Yeah, sure. When pigs fly."
"Celeste doesn't realize what she's done, does she?" Gran resumed as soon as the doctor walked out of the room, like all the warnings he had just given weren't for her use. "This is bigger than me, bigger than any of us... Do you know what Reginald Blackwell can do to us?" She ranted like it was the end of the world.
Wait... what?
"If it's that serious, why can't I marry Colin instead? I'm an Ashford just as much as she is," I shot back. For the first time, I felt my voice mattered. But then she did the unimaginable.
She laughed. Hard. She turned to Mom and laughed, a sound so cruel I wished her chest would cave in so that her ribs would stab her lungs.
"Vanessa, tell me, have you been feeding her that nonsense?" Gran sneered, as if I were a babbling fool. "What makes you think that, Lilith? Mr. Blackwell specifically said he wanted his grandson married to Celeste. If your relationship with Colin were a real option, we would have considered it by now."
Real option? What was I really to this family, useless? Just the thought of it made my blood boil.
"Why? Why isn't Colin and I an option-"
"Lilith! How dare you question your grandmother like that?! The choices she makes are for you to obey, and not question!" Mom barked.
There it was again-ass-kissing Mom, acting like she wouldn't drive a knife into Gran's back if she had the chance.
"It's alright, Vanessa," Gran said, her tone ice-cold but controlled. "It's been clear from the start that you don't know how to raise the girl." She leaned forward, eyes sharp, words piercing. Quietly, she turned to me.
"Listen carefully, child. I would rather die than have you marry Colin Blackwell."
My heart skipped.
"The Blackwell family don't just run a law firm. They control the playing field. Every deal, every secret, every misstep, they know it all. They don't wait for mistakes. They anticipate them, and they use them."
I frowned, trying to keep up.
"They know what we have done, what we've hidden, what we've tried to manipulate. Your father? Weak. Helpless. One snap of Reginald's fingers, and every advantage he's claimed disappears." She said, barely holding back.
She gestured at Mom. "And your mother? Every scheme, every arrangement she's crafted... he's already accounted for it. Not because he's cruel. Because he's smart. And when someone's smarter than you, Lilith, you adjust. You don't fight blindly."
Gran's gaze cut into me. "You may think you have power, money, influence, or charm, but in the Blackwells' world, those things mean nothing without leverage. They own leverage. They own people. They own opportunities. Until you understand that, you will always be a step behind."
"They are not monsters, Lilith. They are careful and strategic. They have built an empire by anticipating every action and every reaction. As long as we follow their rules, we survive and even thrive. Break the rhythm and you are finished."
It finally clicked. This was a game, and I hadn't even realized I was playing. The Blackwells held all the cards, but that didn't mean I couldn't find a way in. Their secrets, their weaknesses, I would find them.
Colin would be my way in. His access, his trust, the pieces of his life he couldn't hide, I would use them. And when I did, Gran would finally see me for what I really was. She would smile at me that knowing way she did when she recognized cleverness, when she realized, I wasn't just a shadow, the other Ashford, I was her granddaughter, a worthy heir.
I smiled to myself, rising to my feet. I gently kissed her cheeks, "Thank you for making me see the light, Grandmother." She looked at me in a daze, "Now, if you'd excuse me for a moment, I need to make a call."
I turned and walked off, feeling almost triumphant. Just as suddenly, my phone buzzed in my hand. I looked down at the screen and a small smile curled up my lips.
Shocking.
"Well," I whispered, a thrill running through me, "the game has just begun."