Under The Veil of Night

"Not really," Kanae replied unhurriedly. When Laura got close, she peered to have better look on her. Seeing the expression on the girl’s face, she knew for sure what the result was. But still, it would do no good if she didn’t ask.

"How’s your feeling, Laura?"

"Pretty good," Laura grinned smugly. Her mind drifted back to the scene when the result was tallied.

’85% people pick Laura as their future successor.’

The smile on Sheila’s face faded. She was looking towards the result with wide eyes full of disbelief. That.... that was impossible. She had clearly told them the connection she had, so they should be picking her. Why would they pick a young lady with no experience like this brat?

Laura was smiling from ear to ear. The result was extremely satisfying. She was glad that they picked her. Hours of learning about Nali Family’s history under Kanae’s teaching didn’t become a waste. Thankfully, Kanae loved learning history, so that girl excelled the most in this lesson while she barely paid attention in the past.

"There must be a mistake! I can’t possibly lose!" Sheila blurted out in desperation. She had spent months and uncountable amount of money to bring the branches family to her side. How was it possible for her to lose this miserably?

One of the elders looked towards Sheila coldly. "Mrs. Sheila, can you accept defeat?"

"I... I can. But I don’t understand. Why did I lose?" Sheila replied. Her tone was showing her anxiety. If the result was close, she might think that her effort was not enough. However, the difference was more than 35%, that was too much!

The elders laughed. "Why don’t you ask the little lady?"

Sheila frowned and shot a dagger towards the smiling Laura. Upon realizing the stare, Laura quickly wiped the foolish grin from her face. It would be embarrassing to be seen in that state for a long time.

"Year 00XX, Nali Family experience a crisis in the internal family because there’s an incident that makes them lose their core family member. The only one left from the core family is the wife of their family head who belongs to an outside family."

Sheila frown intensified. Why in the world are you starting history lesson?

"The wife becomes the family head, but in less than 5 years, their business experience large loss because that woman marry someone else from another big family. Her new husband takes everything from the Nali Family to build his own large family," Laura simplified her story as she looked back at Sheila. "Don’t you think it’s similar with someone?"

PAK!

Sheila felt that her head was smacked by someone else extremely hard right now. She never knew that the Nali Family had a past like this. No wonder that her parents in law let her be when she decided that she would marry someone from the Aida Family. They must have known about this. As she thought about it, a cold smile appeared on her face.

"So you know that I’ll lose?" Sheila asked coldly.

Laura raised one of her eyebrows. "Don’t you think it’s already a given because of your own action?"

"Good, very good, I must be like a clown in your eyes," Sheila sneered. She turned her body around. "Listen to me, Laura. This is not over!"

Seeing Sheila walked off full of rage, Laura felt rather satisfied. The feeling of winning this time was much larger because she always hated how Sheila acted around her from the past.

"Now, that you’re already chosen, we hope that you can learn seriously, Lady Laura."

"I...I’ll do my best," Laura answered sheepishly. Under the penetrating gaze from the elders, she could only answer like that.

Kanae looked towards the foolish grin on Laura’s face amusedly. She could guess that her sister must be having fun at the end to make this kind of face. It was relieving to hear that her sister didn’t have to face the same humiliation and pressure as she had experienced in her past.

This time, the tide was in her sister’s favor. They chose her over that annoying woman because of the family’s history.

"Let’s celebrate your victory."

"They’re going to hold a party for me too after the clan battle ends," Laura informed. "Uncle Frank has to attend too."

"He’s not inside before?"

"No," Laura shook her head. "I’m not sure why, but they say that Uncle Frank is not feeling well."

Kanae frowned. She didn’t know why, but her uncle disappearance from an important meeting like this gave her bad feeling. Not wanting to destroy the mood, she pushed the matter to the back of her mind.

"Let me treat you today."

"As long as it’s not your cooking, I’m up for anything."

"How rude, I already improved."

"Why do I feel that sentence is untrustworthy?"

...

Sheila’s Mansion

Still enraged by her lost, Sheila walked home full of hatred. She was tempted to destroy everything that existed in this mansion to vent off her anger, but she didn’t feel like doing that anymore. Looking at her drunken husband on the bed, she shook him off.

"Hmm...? What are you doing waking me up so early? Do you want to have a go during the day?" Jon asked lazily.

Sheila’s face darkened. This man’s thoughts were always that. "No! Night is already good enough. I want to ask for a favor from you."

"What favor?" Jon sat down as he messed up his hair.

"You’re the original successor of the Aida Family, right? Can’t you do anything to take the right back from Vena and give it to me?"

If Sheila asked this to him a few weeks ago, Jon would ignore her. However, he did have something that can make Vena lost her right to be the one to take care of the family.

"You want to take care of the businesses?"

"Yes!" Sheila answered with determination. She wanted to be the one in control and not relied on someone else.

"It’s possible," Jon chuckled. It was very easy for him to convince his father to make Vena lost the right. However, he was never interested to be the one taking care of the matter of the family. If he could live well even without dealing with them all, why should he bother? His sister was already capable enough.

"Really?" Sheila’s eyes were brimming with anxiousness. Since she already lost the chance to take control of the Nali Family, she could only set her eyes on the Aida Family. Her husband was the one who supposedly had the control of the family, there should be an easy shortcut for her.

Jon nodded his head. "Of course, but I won’t give it for free."

"What do you want?"

"Come here," Jon beckoned for her to come closer as he pointed to the bed.

Alright, she understood what he wanted. A sweet smile appeared on her lips, it was really easy to take advantage of a man like him.

---

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