Heir Of The Blackwood Legacy

Chapter 2

Mark's phone rings again, and he hesitates before answering. This time as he picked up the call, he knew the voice just when he said,

“Hey, Brother-in-law.”

It was his brother-in-law, Edward Feathering, Felicia’s brother, on the line. Mark's heart sank, knowing that Edward took great pleasure in mocking him.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the poor little orphan," Edward sneered. "What has it been, Mark? A year since you married our precious Felicia Feathering? And still, you can't even provide for her properly. I’ve heard the news, she’s pregnant."

Mark clenched his jaw, biting back a retort. He knew Edward was only trying to provoke him. This was becoming a norm and he couldn’t keep up with it.

"You're a disgrace to our family, Mark. And if Felicia, my sister is still married to you by tomorrow, she and her baby will be disowned for good. You hear me? Our family will cut them off completely."

It had been that when Felicia tried to connect with Mark about her pregnancy and he didn’t respond, she was overwhelmed with joy that she had to inform her family about the new development, not waiting for Mark to return home with a reply.

“You’re her brother.” Mark's grip on the phone tightened. "What are you talking about, Edward? Felicia Feathering is your sister, and she's carrying your family's heir. You can't just disown her. Don’t you have a little sympathy?"

“Sympathy!” Edward chuckled. "Funny how it sounds, I don’t know what sympathy feels like again. As for disowning her, we can. And we will. Unless you disappear from her life, Mark. You're not worthy of our family's name or our wealth. And as for your job hunting... let's just say it's not a coincidence that no company has hired you. Mother made sure of it."

Mark's eyes widened as the truth hit him like a ton of bricks. Victoria had been secretly sabotaging his job prospects all along, using her influence to ensure he remained unemployed and dependent on her family's charity. Even when she strictly asked him to live up to her reputation.

Why?

"How can you and your family be this bad? You're a cruel man, Edward," Mark said, his voice low and even.

"I'm just keeping it real, Mark. You're not good enough for our family. And soon, you'll be out of our lives for good. How does that sound?"

“You…”

Mark wanted to swear but the line went dead, and Mark stood there, seething with anger and frustration. He knew he had to act fast, not just for himself, but for Felicia and their unborn child.

What could be done now? He hadn’t even found a job yet. Knowing that Felicia’s mother was behind all the rejections…there was no hope for him.

Mark stood by the road, lost in thought, trying to process the events of the day. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice the sleek Lincoln limousine pulling over beside him.

Before he could react, a group of burly men jumped out of the car and pounced on him. Restricting him before he could even react to the encounter.

Mark struggled, but they were too strong. They dragged him into the car, pulled a black bag over his head, and sped away to a distance.

In the vehicle, Mark's mind raced as he tried to make sense of what was happening. He thought to himself,

"Who would bother kidnapping me? I'm a nobody, a poor orphan who's not even good enough for my wife's family."

“Who is behind this? What do they want from me?”

As the car sped through the streets, Mark's thoughts turned to Felicia Laura and their unborn child. He worried about their safety, wondering if they were in danger too. He had to just hope they were okay and fine.

The limousine eventually came to a stop, and Mark was dragged out of the car, still blindfolded.

He was pushed as they walked along into a building.

Before he knew it, he was thrown into a chair, and the bag was finally removed from his head.

Mark blinked in the bright light, taking in his surroundings. He was at a different location, far from where he was before.

He found himself in a luxurious office, with a massive mahogany desk in the center of the room. A figure sat behind the desk, shrouded in the shadow.

“Where in me?”

“Who are you people?”

“What do you want from me?”

“I have nothing, please spare me!”

Mark kept pleading. The man in the shadow suddenly moves, making Mark shudder back.

“How pathetic can you be, Mark?” The voice sounded hoarse. This time, Mark swallowed the saliva in his throat as a bead of sweat slowly ran down his face.

Mark's eyes adjusted to the light, and he saw the figure of an old man storming towards him, his face red with rage. Mark immediately closed his eyes, expecting to be hit, instead,

The old man's eyes blazed with fury as he shouted, "How dare you treat our young master this way?"

Mark was taken aback, confused. His eyes went open.

"Young master?" he thought to himself. "Who are they talking about?"

The old man reached Mark's side and helped him up from the chair, brushing off his clothes.

"I am Butler Thompson, and you, sir, are a guest in our household."

Mark's mind raced as he tried to piece together what was happening. What was this old man spilling? Who was he referring to? Or was he dreaming?

"Household? What household? And who is this young master you're talking about?"

Butler Thompson's expression turned stern.

"You will find out soon enough. Please, follow me."

Mark hesitated for a moment but decided to play along. He followed Butler Thompson through the fancy mansion, his eyes scanning the lavish decorations and priceless artwork. They eventually arrived at a grand study, where a figure sat behind a massive desk.

The figure looked up, and Mark's eyes widened in shock as he could recognize the figure right in front of him.

“Brother.” The voice called to Mark and he felt his legs go weak a bit. He thought his whole family had been wiped out. Who knew that one day he was going to meet his younger brother?

The resemblance was unspeakable.

“How long did it take to get you here?” His brother rushed to give him a tight hug.