Chapter 67 Insecurities
Chapter Sixty-Eight
At those words, Aria raised an eyebrow at her father.
“My mother’s empire?” She asked in disbelief.
“Yes, that’s right, Aria,” Chairman Graves uttered, nodding thoughtfully, “As much as the Beaumont family should pay for what they had done today, we cannot overlook what you’ve done so far for us.”
“The Beaumont Empire was built by your mom with her own sweat. It needs the support from the Graves family,” Madam Graves concurred, “It is still your legacy, Aria.”
At those words, George, Clara and Selena bristled with anger, but not a word escaped them.
Clara was beside herself with rage.
She had fought so hard, did all she could to ensure that Aria never came into her inheritance.
She had fought so hard to ensure that the Beaumont Empire would go to her own daughter, but here was the Graves family trying to ruin her plans.
“Nosey bitches,” Clara muttered under her breath, “But I won’t let you interfere with my plan. The Beaumont Empire belongs to my daughter and only she will rule it!”
Aria had been rendered speechless for a minute, then she gave a slow laugh of disbelief.
She had previously had her eyes on the Beaumont Empire because she believed that it was Aria’s birthright as the eldest daughter, but who would have thought it was actually her legacy passed down to her by her mother?
She glanced at the Beaumont family and could see their disgruntled looks of displeasure.
She was sure they were not happy with the Graves family interfering in this matter because obviously, the Graves family would fight for Isabella’s Empire to be given to Aria.
Aria was sure Clara was about to explode internally. She must have been eyeing the Empire to pass it down to Selena, an outsider!
How outrageous.
Aria smirked, her thoughts becoming darker and darker.
“Well, they will not have to worry about the Graves family only,” she uttered, “But now they will also worry about also Elara Vaughn.”
She was going to get that Empire for Aria. As compensation for using her body all these while.
She gave a huge sigh, then nodded slowly, “Well then, Mother, if that’s the case, I think we should just forget about this incident for now,” As she spoke she looked at her father, her eyes gleaming with a mocking light, “My mother’s empire must be protected. It is after all, my birthright.”
George looked like he would explode as his face turned beetroot red. It was as though he had a moment of Deja vu that was unsettling as Aria was speaking.
Aria had looked so much like Isabella at that moment and he’d felt all his insecurities and cowardice come rushing back to him.
When he’d met Isabella, he had loved her but he was very much consumed by his low self esteem and detested the fact that Isabella was rich and successful.
He always thought she looked down on him, especially when she refused to use his name on the ownership papers of Beaumont Empire.
“The Empire would be passed down to our child,” Isabella had said back then, pleading with him, “Don’t you want them to have something to fall back on when they are ready to step out into the world?”
George had not cared about that back then. He had only thought he’d seen derision in Isabella’s eyes, and thought she was mocking his inability to be successful.
His affection for her had dwindled and he’d found solace in Isabella’s friend, Clara. Clara had pampered and cherished him and made him feel like a man worthy to be worshipped.
He would do anything for her.
Even abandoning his wife and daughter and taking her in as his own wife.
Or getting rid of Isabella’s will and taking over the Empire, at Clara’s direction.
And now, here was Aria looking at him with that same derision. It made him want to grab her by the throat and choke her to death.
But she had the Graves family behind her. A strong, powerful husband and a powerful family which had been in power for generations.
He could not do anything to her.
A fearful thought hit him so hard that he forgot to breathe. What if they took away the Beaumont Empire which was his only source of pride in this life?
He had always thought the Beaumont Empire was his and he was damn right.
It was always meant to be his, and no one had the right to take it away from him.
He would protect it at all cost, even if it meant going against the Graves family.
But when he opened his mouth to say something in that regard, he could feel his confidence shrivel up at once.
There was nothing he could say or do to change the situation now.
Aria Beaumont was now more powerful than he is, and he could not even send her to the countryside once more.
Seeing that the Beaumont family had no other objections, the Graves family turned to leave.
Aria hooked an arm in her husband’s arm and curtsied to her family in a mocking way.
“We will be taking our leave now,” she uttered with a sweet smile, “But remember, we only let you guys off the hook this time because of Mother’s legacy. You know what will happen if you ever decide to go against it.”
With that, the Graves family turned away from them and headed out of the Beaumont home, leaving the others stewing in their rage and defeat.
Once outside in the courtyard, they stood and waited for their cars to be brought round to them by the valets.
Aria inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the sweet smell of victory.
Getting back at the Beaumont family felt so good, she wondered how amazing it would feel to get back at Kurt Eugene and Vera.
“That will be simply earth shattering,” she thought, her eyes darkening with an evil light.
At that moment, a thought came to her and her lips curved further into another mischievous smile.
She turned to Madam Graves.
“Mother, there’s something important that we have left to discuss, don’t you think?”