Obsidian Heir

CHAPTER 5: SUGAR MUMMY

"Young Lord," she said, her voice a clear, ringing bell that shattered the silence. "You summoned me. Is there a problem with the acquisition?"

The manager’s heart stopped. He felt it sink down to his stomach with a sull thud.

Zachary looked down at the manager, his eyes burning with a cold, predatory light.

"He thinks the card is a fake," Zachary said softly. "Why don't you explain it to him?”

She cocked her head to the side, eyes going dark, " Did he now?” Her words were hushed, almost whispered but they hung in the air, thick with menace. 

The manager, still reeling from the shock of her arrival, stammered, "CEO Knowles? W-what can we do for you? I'm so very sorry we allowed you to stand in the presence of this buffoon!"

Instead of answering, Seraphina's hand shot out, a swift, decisive motion that left a red imprint of her hand blooming on the manager's cheek. 

The sound of the slap echoed through the silent store.

"Insolent fool," Seraphina hissed, her eyes blazing with fury. "Do you have any idea who you're speaking to?"

The manager, clutching his stinging cheek, was utterly bewildered. 

He had assumed, based on Zachary's unassuming appearance, that he was nothing more than a lowly thief.

"I… I apologize, Madam," he stammered, bowing low. "I didn't realize… I thought he was just… a…a nobody!" He tried to save face but if anything he made it worse.

Seraphina's eyes narrowed, her anger intensifying. "A nobody? You dare to treat the Young Lord as a common peasant?" Her voice dripped with venom.

 "Your ignorance is astounding."

Just then, a new figure rushed into the store, his face a mask of panic. 

It was Mr. Vena, the owner of "Gems of the Orient," and he had clearly heard the commotion.

"Madam!" he exclaimed, bowing deeply. "What an unexpected honor! I am so sorry for any… inconvenience you may have experienced."

His eyes darted nervously between Seraphina and Zachary, trying to decipher the situation. 

He had seen everything in the CCTV monitors and when Seraphina Knowles had actually stepped into his boutique his heart had leaped into his throat.

Seraphina turned her icy gaze on Mr. Vena. "Your manager and your clerk have displayed an unacceptable level of disrespect towards the Young Lord. Their behavior is a disgrace to your establishment."

Mr. Vena's face drained of color. 

He understood the gravity of the situation immediately. 

Offending Seraphina Knowles was akin to signing his own death warrant.

"I… I am deeply ashamed, Madam," he stammered. "Their actions are entirely their own, and I take full responsibility. Please, allow me to rectify this immediately."

Without hesitation, he turned to the manager and the clerk, his face contorted with rage. "You two! You're fired! Get out of my store! Now! You're lucky I don't call the police for your behavior!"

The manager and the clerk stood there, stunned and speechless, their faces a mixture of shock and terror. 

They had no idea who this young Lord was, but they understood that they had just lost everything because of him.

Meanwhile, Elise's mother and sister, who had been watching the scene unfold with growing confusion, were growing impatient. 

The fact that some big shot like Seraphina Knowles actually knew Zachary and was helping him could only mean one thing.

Zachary was clearly sleeping with her.

"Honestly, Zachary," Martha said, her voice dripping with disdain. "You really have no shame, do you? Parading your new… conquest around like this? It's pathetic."

"Yeah," Chloe chimed in, her voice shrill. "You're just using her for her money, aren't you? Just like you tried to use Elise!"

Mr. Vena's eyes widened in horror. 

He couldn't believe these women were continuing to insult Seraphina and Zachary, even after witnessing the scene that had just unfolded. 

He knew he had to get them out of the store before they made the situation even worse.

"I am so sorry, Madam, Young Lord," he stammered. "Please, allow me to escort these… guests out of the store. They are clearly causing a disturbance."

Before Elise's mother and sister could protest, Mr. Vena grabbed them by the arms and dragged them towards the exit. "Out! Out! Both of you! You are no longer welcome in my establishment!"

He shoved them out onto the street, slamming the door behind them. 

He then turned back to Seraphina, his face a mask of desperation.

"CEO Knowles, Young Lord, I sincerely apologize for the behavior of those… individuals. I assure you, such a thing will never happen again. Please, tell me, is there anything I can do to appease your anger?"

Seraphina regarded him with a cold, calculating gaze. "See to it that the Young Lord receives the Celestial Harmony Crystal, free of charge, as compensation for the disrespect he has endured. And ensure that this… misunderstanding is never repeated."

Mr. Vena bowed deeply. "Of course, General Manager Knowles! It will be done immediately!"

Meanwhile, Elise's mother and sister stood on the sidewalk, utterly stunned. They couldn't believe they had been thrown out of the store like common criminals.

"What just happened?" The younger blonde wailed. "Why was that woman defending Zachary?"

"I don't know," Martha said, her face contorted with anger. "But I'm sure she's just another one of his sugar mummies. He's probably latched onto her for her money."

"That little…" Chloe spat, her face red with fury. "He's going to pay for this! He thinks he can just waltz back into our lives and steal what's rightfully ours? We'll show him!"

Martha nodded grimly. "We need to tell Elise. She needs to know what Zachary is up to. And we need to get that crystal back. It's essential for my son in law's plan."

She pulled out her phone and dialed Elise's number. "Elise, darling, you won't believe what just happened…"

She proceeded to recount the events of the past few minutes, embellishing the story with her own biased interpretations.

She told Elise about the Celestial Harmony Crystal, about Zachary's new "sugar mummy," and about how he had stolen the crystal that they had planned to gift to the new Chairman of the Prism Dragon Group.

Elise listened in stunned silence, her mind reeling. She couldn't believe that Zachary had not only survived but had apparently found another wealthy woman to support him. 

The thought of him

living a life of luxury while she struggled to maintain her own status filled her with a burning rage.