The Steele mansion was drowning in silence, the kind that carried both despair and arrogance depending on which corner of the house you stood in. Robert Steele sat slouched in his velvet chair at the head of the dining table, a glass of brandy trembling in his hand. His once commanding presence had eroded into the gaunt shadow of a man who had spent sleepless nights watching his empire collapse. The news of Marlowe Corporation's downfall still rang in his ears—another domino in a chain of disasters. The city of Serelis whispered about his ruin as if it were entertainment.
For Robert, the humiliation cut deeper than the financial wounds. He had spent his life building an image of power, a ruthless patriarch untouchable by circumstance. But now, investors abandoned him, allies turned their backs, and every headline reminded him of his failure.
Then, like a perfectly timed apparition, the sound of deliberate heels echoed through the hall. Maria Steele entered with calculated grace, her silk dress flowing around her like armor. She carried herself as though untouched by the storm ravaging her family name.
"Father," Maria's voice was smooth, laced with self-assurance. She paused at the threshold, letting her presence sink into the room before continuing, "I might have the solution to your… predicament."
Robert looked up sharply. His bloodshot eyes narrowed, suspicion and desperate hope flickering together. "What nonsense could you possibly offer that my advisors haven't already failed me with?"
Maria smiled faintly, the curve of her lips both taunting and confident. "Because unlike your advisors, I don't chase scraps. I build connections. Real ones." She stepped closer, each word deliberate. "Everyone knows the Barones are the only salvation left for you. And unlike the rest of Serelis, I know someone within their circle. Someone who can open doors."
The glass slipped slightly in Robert's grip, amber liquid sloshing dangerously near the rim. He stared at her, struggling to believe. The Barones were legends—phantoms of power who did not entertain desperate men like him. Their empire was vast, faceless, and merciless. No one simply knew the Barones.
And yet Maria spoke with unshakable confidence.
"Maria," he said slowly, rising from his chair, "do you understand what you're saying? The Barones… they don't meet people. They destroy them."
Her chin lifted, eyes sparkling with smug certainty. "And yet, Father, I can arrange it. While everyone else trembles, I've already made inroads. This family doesn't have to die with Marlowe Corporation. We can rise again—but only if you trust me."
For the first time in weeks, Robert's heart surged with a dangerous, intoxicating hope. He stepped forward and gripped her shoulders with trembling hands. "You—Maria—you are my salvation. My brilliant daughter. While everyone else falters, you stand unshaken. Perhaps I still have a legacy to pass on after all."
Maria's lips curled into a victorious smile. She had waited her entire life for this—his recognition, his desperate reliance.
But Robert's admiration quickly twisted into venom. His joy could not exist without someone to trample, and his mind instinctively dragged Lilith into the pit.
"Not like that weakling Lilith," he spat, his voice gaining strength as bitterness fueled him. "Always whining, running to hospitals, costing me money. She's nothing but a leech. A disgrace. A daughter in name only."
Maria tilted her head slightly, savoring the moment. She stroked her father's ego with a perfectly placed barb. "Some daughters are born to shine, Father. Others exist only to be forgotten. Let Lilith wallow in her mediocrity. I'll be the one to raise this family back to its rightful place."
Robert let out a bitter laugh, almost manic in its relief. "Yes. You're right. From this day, Maria Steele is the daughter who carries my name forward. When the Barones see you beside me, they will know the Steeles are still a force."
The declaration was more than praise; it was a coronation. In that moment, Maria claimed the crown as Robert's "true daughter," while Lilith's name was cast into shadow, branded as failure and shame.
Maria leaned in close, her perfume sharp and suffocating. "Then it's decided. Forget Lilith. Let me handle the Barones, Father. You'll see—I was always the daughter who deserved your faith."
Robert raised his glass in shaky triumph, his voice hardening into determination. "So be it. From now on, Maria Steele is my weapon. Lilith… is nothing."
The words echoed through the mansion like a curse, sealing Lilith's fate in absentia while Maria basked in the glow of her father's poisoned love.
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