Tommy had been living a rather hectic life lately.
During the day, he accompanied Thea on her runs around Starling City. At night, he devoted himself to intense workouts with Laurel. Bars and nightclubs simply couldn't keep up with his new routine.
Laurel's situation was complicated. She might have gotten involved with her own brother while Oliver was still dating her, and perhaps, out of resentment, she'd drawn closer to Tommy without giving much thought to the consequences.
Tommy, meanwhile, seemed to have found his own way of coping with grief. He still mourned Oliver's death, but that didn't stop him from getting involved with his late friend's former girlfriend. Apparently, the moral complications of the situation didn't bother him all that much.
And Laurel had an astonishing amount of energy. She was like a wild bird that never seemed to tire, while Tommy was beginning to look like someone desperately in need of a vacation. After only a few intense days, he'd even managed to lose weight.
Thea had probably figured out what was going on between them. However, she couldn't bring herself to care much about Tommy's romantic choices. If he wanted to spend his nights with Oliver's former girlfriend, that was his problem.
Still, she wasn't about to let him completely wear himself out.
So she began dragging him to every corner of Starling City, keeping him busy during the day and, more importantly, making sure Malcolm heard about their outings. After all, in a city like that, eyes and ears were everywhere.
That day, Thea had traded her usual business attire for a sleeveless vest. The weather was getting hotter, and there was nothing wrong with showing a little skin.
She glanced down at her chest and sighed in relief. Everything was still relatively modest. Even if she developed a little more over the next few years, it shouldn't cause any serious problems. At least it wouldn't interfere with her martial arts training.
Of course, if things became excessive, she might have to reconsider her plans.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone was at the door.
Thea opened it without thinking. The moment she saw the middle-aged man standing on the other side, she froze for a fraction of a second.
— "Thea. It seems you're recovering well!"
Despite the seriousness of his voice, the man offered her a smile.
Finally! The big boss has decided to show up!
Thea was already tired of keeping up with Tommy's exhausting schedule over the past few days, all while waiting for Malcolm to make a move. Until now, there had been no sign that her efforts had attracted his attention. Sometimes, she'd even wondered whether Malcolm was secretly watching her house without her knowledge.
She had rehearsed this encounter countless times.
Keeping her expression calm, she greeted him politely.
— "Good morning, Uncle Merlyn."
It was a perfectly reasonable greeting, considering the relationship between their families.
Malcolm simply smiled and nodded. Thea stepped aside to let him in.
The plan she'd been working on for days was finally about to unfold.
Pretending to be absorbed in the television, Thea watched her mother enter the room. She picked up a cup of tea and, as soon as she realized the two were about to have a private conversation, discreetly moved to a spot near the entrance where she could listen without being seen.
She still had no clear idea how skilled the fighters in this world truly were, much less how much Malcolm had learned during his training with the mysterious master who had shaped him. She certainly had no intention of taking unnecessary risks.
So she slipped off her shoes and followed her mother's movements silently, careful not to make a sound.
— "Moira, you look stunning today," Malcolm remarked.
He seemed to be in an unusually good mood. Since his wife's death, he had rarely shown any genuine happiness, making such an unsolicited compliment almost remarkable.
Moira, however, wasn't impressed.
— "Mr. Merlyn, what do you want?"
Her tone was firm. Whenever the two met, they usually chose somewhere private, often at the top of the hill. A casual visit to the Queen residence was unusual, to say the least.
Malcolm chuckled softly and poured himself a glass of wine.
— "You know, Moira, aside from my wife, you're one of the few women who still make me feel truly appreciated. There was a time when I thought about marrying you, but..."
He paused, then laughed.
— "Well, I've recently discovered something rather interesting!"
Moira ignored his comment about marriage and fixed her gaze on him.
— "What are you talking about? Our agreement has already come to an end. You have no right to interfere in my life anymore!"
— "What do you think of Tommy and Thea?" Malcolm asked, sounding almost amused. "Isn't it an interesting coincidence? You have a daughter, and I have a son. There's nothing stopping our families from becoming even closer. The Merlyn Group and Queen Consolidated could benefit greatly from such a union."
Outside the room, Thea immediately understood.
He really doesn't know.
Malcolm believed Thea was Robert's daughter. To him, she was simply the Queen heiress, a girl who could become a valuable connection between their families through a marriage to Tommy.
Moira had kept the secret all these years and, apparently, had never told him the truth.
Thea couldn't help being impressed. Her mother was clearly much better at keeping secrets than she'd imagined. Even someone as calculating as Malcolm had been kept in the dark.
Inside the room, Malcolm's suggestion made Moira visibly tense.
— "No. Absolutely not!"
Her answer was immediate.
Malcolm looked genuinely surprised.
He was accustomed to being feared. Since becoming one of the most dangerous men in the city, he'd rarely encountered anyone willing to speak to him so directly. The only person who could consistently leave him unsettled was the man who had trained him.
For a moment, his expression darkened.
If he'd been holding his bow, he might have been tempted to express his displeasure in a far less civilized manner.
Moira realized she'd answered more sharply than intended, but refused to back down.
— "I said no. I don't agree to this."
Malcolm narrowed his eyes.
— "My proposal isn't something you can simply refuse, Moira Queen."
Outside, Thea raised her teacup, a small smile forming on her lips.
What a classic soap opera scene!
This was exactly the kind of moment when the truth should be revealed. Ideally, the teacup would hit the floor at just the right moment, producing a dramatic crash that would make everyone turn around.
She wondered whether television dramas in other countries had scenes like this, too.
Unfortunately, the floor was wooden. The sound wouldn't be nearly as impressive as she'd hoped.
Still, she'd do her best.
Inside the room, Moira hesitated.
— "I... I can explain."
Malcolm immediately sensed that something was wrong.
His years of training had taught him to recognize the smallest changes in a person's behavior. The tension in Moira's voice, her hesitation, and the way she avoided his gaze all suggested there was much more to the story than she was willing to admit.
Rather than press her immediately, he stepped back and sat down.
— "I'm listening."
Moira fell silent.
Only two people had known the truth for years. After Robert's death, the secret had become a burden she carried alone. She had spent so long trying to protect it that the thought of finally revealing it was almost frightening.
But there was no point in hiding it anymore.
Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke.
— "Thea... is your daughter."
For a few seconds, Malcolm didn't respond.
The words seemed impossible to understand. He stared at Moira, waiting for her to explain, to say he'd misunderstood, or to reveal that this was some kind of cruel joke.
But Moira didn't take it back.
She closed her eyes and sank into the couch, as though she'd finally put down a burden she'd been carrying for far too long.
Outside, Thea heard every word.
Finally.
There was no turning back now. The secret her mother had kept for so many years had finally been revealed.
She looked down at the teacup in her hand.
This was her cue.
Following the plan, she deliberately let it slip from her fingers.
Plop.
The cup hit the wooden floor with a disappointingly dull sound.
Damn it! That was supposed to be much more dramatic!
Even so, the noise was enough to catch Malcolm's attention.
His trained reflexes kicked in before he'd even finished processing the revelation. In an instant, he stood up, crossed the room, and flung the door open.
And there stood Thea.
For a few seconds, Malcolm simply stared at her.
His eyes traveled across the girl's face, searching for some feature that might confirm what he'd just heard. The resemblance that he might once have overlooked now seemed impossible to ignore.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
The man who was usually so calculating and composed seemed to have completely lost the ability to react.
Thea met his gaze with a perfectly calm expression.
Inside, however, her reaction was very different.
Oh, this is priceless.
She desperately wanted to take a picture of his expression.
Unfortunately, she'd have to settle for committing the moment to memory.