The Lost Heir: Trials of an Empire Reclaimed

Chapter 003

Lilian sat at the head of the table, her long, elegant fingers curled around the stem of a wine glass.

Across from her sat Damien—a well-dressed, confident man who leaned in just a bit too close.

Plates of half-eaten food cluttered the table, accompanied by an expensive bottle of red wine Silas didn’t recall opening.

For a moment, the world seemed to stop.

“Lilian?” Silas’s voice trembled as he stepped forward.

She turned, startled at first, but her expression quickly hardened. “What are you doing out here?” she snapped.

Silas held up the box, his voice breaking. “I… I bought you this.”

Damien raised an eyebrow, amused, leaning back in his chair as though savoring the unfolding drama.

Lilian stood, crossing her arms. “You think you can fix this with a gift? It’s too late, Silas. I’m done.”

The box slipped from his hands, landing with a soft thud. Silas stared at her, his eyes filled with disbelief and pain. “After everything… after all we’ve been through, you’re just done?”

Lilian rolled her eyes and sighed impatiently. “Don’t make a scene. You’re only embarrassing yourself.”

“Please, Lilian,” Silas said, his voice soft but pleading. “We can fix this. Don’t throw it all away.”

She let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Fix this? Fix what, Silas? You’ve been a burden since the day we married. Why should I fix anything?”

Silas’s lips trembled. “Because I love you,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I’ve always loved you.”

Damien chuckled, swirling the wine in his glass. “You hear that, Lilian? The poor guy still thinks love will save him.”

Silas’s fists tightened, but he forced himself to stay calm. “Lilian, please,” he said, his tone steadier now. “Whatever this is, we can work through it.”

Lilian stepped closer, her voice rising. “I don’t care about your love, Silas! You’re pathetic. A nobody. Look at you—groveling in front of my guest. Do you have no dignity? How can you expect someone of my caliber to love someone like you?” Lilian lashed out at him.

Damien leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as he looked Silas up and down. “You know, Lilian told me about you,” he said with a chuckle. “About how clueless and boring you are. Honestly, I don’t know how she lasted this long.”

Damien smirked, and stood. His towering presence adding weight to the humiliation. “Honestly, Silas, you should thank her for putting up with you for this long.”

Silas ignored him, his eyes locked on Lilian. Slowly, he reached down and picked up the velvet box. His fingers shook as he opened it, revealing the glittering necklace. “I bought this for you, Lilian,” he said softly. “To show you how much you mean to me.”

Lilian’s eyes flicked to the necklace. For a moment, there was silence. Then she laughed—a loud, cruel sound.

“You think a shiny trinket will fix this?” She snatched the box from his hand and tossed it onto the table like it was trash. “Keep your cheap little gifts. They don’t mean anything to me, neither do you!”

Silas’s breath caught in his throat. “I did this for you,” he whispered, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion.

“For me?” Lilian’s voice dripped with mockery. “Everything you’ve ever done has been for yourself. For your pathetic attempt to cling to me, to my family, to our money.”

Damien stood, adjusting his cuffs as though preparing for an exit. “She’s right, Silas. A man like you should know when to let go. Maybe it’s time you accepted that you’re not good enough for her. You’ll never measure up.”

Silas looked at Damien, then back at Lilian. His chest ached, his vision blurred, but somewhere deep inside, something shifted.

“Fine,” he said at last, his voice low but resolute. “You’ve made your choice. But I promise you this, Lilian—you’ll regret it.”

Lilian laughed again, turning to Damien with a smirk. “Regret? Oh, please.” She placed her hand on Damien’s arm. “Let me show you out, Damien. We’ve had enough drama for one night.”

As they walked away, their laughter trailing behind them, Silas stood frozen, his heart shattered into pieces.

Slowly, he turned and walked toward the house, his steps heavy but his heart solidifying with every step.

For the first time, Silas wasn’t walking away in defeat. This wasn’t over—not by a long shot.

---

Later that night, Silas sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor, as much as he tried he couldn’t get out the scene of Lilian and Damien having the romantic dinner out of his head.

The door burst open, and his mother-in-law stormed in, her face twisted in irritation.

“There you are,” she barked. “The garden needs to be cleared. Now.”

Silas frowned. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“And? Do I look like I care? Go and do it!”

“No.”

The single word echoed in the room, startling her. The silence that followed could be heard from miles away.

“What did you say?” she demanded.

“I said no,” Silas repeated, standing up. For the first time, his voice held no fear.

Her face reddened. “How dare you? After everything my daughter and I have done for you—”

“Done for me?” Silas interrupted, his voice rising. “You’ve done nothing but humiliate me, abuse me, and treat me like garbage. I’m done.”

The argument grew louder, their voices clashing like thunder. The sound of heels clicking down the hallway cut through the noise, and Lilian appeared in the doorway, holding a stack of papers.

“What’s going on?” she asked sharply.

Her mother pointed at Silas. “This worthless man just refused to do his chores. He’s finally showing his true colors. I kept telling you and your father that he is of no good.”

Lilian rolled her eyes and stepped forward, holding out the papers. “Perfect timing. Silas, here are the divorce documents. Sign them and leave.”

Silas’s eyes dropped to the papers. His heart sank. This was it—the end of everything he had fought for.

Lilian thrust a pen into his hand. “Go on. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

Silas took the pen, his hand trembling. His mind flashed with memories—her smile on their wedding day. Looking back now he knew the smile was faked.

The times he had stayed up late just to make her favorite tea, the way he had loved her despite everything she had done to make him hate her instead.

He looked up at her, his voice barely a whisper. “I loved you, Lilian. I still do.”

Her expression didn’t soften. “Sign it, Silas.”

He scribbled his name on the dotted line and dropped the pen.

“Good,” Lilian said coldly. She snatched the papers and turned to her mother. “Make sure he doesn’t take anything. After all he didn’t pay for it.”

Mark’s shoulders slumped as they left the room. He walked out of the house, empty-handed and broken.

Standing on the street, he looked back at the mansion. The lights glowed warmly, mocking him. His fists clenched, his jaw tightening.

“You’ll regret this, Lilian,” he whispered. His voice held a quiet determination, a promise. “All of you will.”

He turned and walked away, the night swallowing him whole.