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In the corner of my eye, I caught the slight grimace on Chloe’s face. She didn't want to study business any more than I did, but we'd both work to excel. We had to. Neither of us was going to hand the position of head of the family over without a fight.
Neither would give the other an advantage of any kind. We were competitive by nature, but the situation Dad put us in made us even more so. We were both equally determined to best the other.
Still, I would have preferred to learn the family business directly from my father. Chloe was the older twin by minutes, but I had what it took to run it. I never hesitated at the things that made her hesitate. Never flinched at things that made her flinch. No one would ever doubt my commitment.
Chloe, on the other hand, would have preferred to take up painting, or playing an instrument, or studying history. Something Dad would definitely not consider to be a worthwhile occupation. A hobby, certainly, but nothing to make a lifelong commitment to.
He'd instilled that in us from a very young age. He wanted us to be well-rounded, but realistic. Useful to the family.
"Something to say?" Dad asked her.
"No," she said quickly. She sat up straighter in her chair. "Nothing."
He cocked his head very slightly. "Good. I don't need to remind you there's a place you can go if you need to think for a while."
She paled. "No, I haven't forgotten," she said quickly.
I had to work to contain a shudder. We both knew what he was referring to.
When he bought this house before we were born, he made rooms underneath it. Several of them. All soundproof, cold and, if he wanted them to be, completely devoid of light.
Built to torture his enemies, both of us spent time in those rooms. So we understood what they were like, he'd explained.
What they were like was a living nightmare. Which was exactly the point. If we put a toenail out of line, the best we could hope for was to only be in there for an hour or two.
Chloe and I did everything we could to avoid going in there at all, but one of his favourite pastimes was sending us down there to give food and water to anyone presently housed there. Thank fuck that didn't happen too often, especially lately. The whole place gave me the creeps.
Dad nodded. "Good. I prefer not to have to put you in those rooms. It gives me no pleasure."
Only the idea of him putting me there made me hold back a snort. He was a Bell. Putting people down in the basement gave him at leastsomepleasure. Even if it was my sister and me.
He liked to cover it with a pleasant smile, and well-dressed exterior, but he had a sadistic streak at least as big as my own. Why else would he have those rooms in the first place? He could just as easily have his enemies killed. He did that too, but the basement was his special, peculiar pleasure.
I lifted my chin. "We'll make you proud. By the time the trials come at the end of the year, everyone will know who is worthy of becoming head of the family. To take your place. In the distant future, of course."
He was harsh, but he was still my father and I loved him. He and I were a lot alike. Ruthless, sadistic and more than a little bit fucked up.
Chloe was all of those things too, but by the time I was done, she'd be begging me to step into our father's shoes.
Dad smirked. "Of course. What you're competing for, may well be for your children to take over from me. I intend to be around for a long time yet."
I smiled, but at the same time I was thinking,I hope not.
I didn't want him to die, but I wasn't going to have this opportunity pass me by and go straight to my future children.
No, by the time I was done, I wanted him to know he could retire and leave everything to me. I’d expand the empire he started. I wanted to take the family business global. I wanted to control governments all over the world.
Chloe, on the other hand, would probably want to legitimise the business. As far as I was concerned, that was bullshit. We'd lose millions by doing that. Billions. Who cared about obeying the fucking law? Living and operating outside the law was much more profitable and a fuck load more fun.
"We will definitely make you proud," Chloe said. "The legacy we'll pass on to our children will last for generations."
She didn't mean her children and mine, she meant hers and whoever she got to fuck her pregnant.
I slipped that thought into the back of my mind for later.
"It will definitely be one hell of a legacy," I agreed. "Nothing will stand in our way."
"What are you staring at?" Chloe's voice snapped me back to the present.
