The Richardson’s heir

The Albert compound

The Albert estate shimmered under the soft glow of evening lights. Domestic staff moved briskly, attending to tasks with quiet precision. In the east wing, Danielle—Laura’s mother—hosted a lavish dinner for her affluent friends, their laughter ringing like bells over clinking wine glasses. Meanwhile, their children were gathered at the west pavilion, enjoying their own semi-formal gathering.

Lima nudged the woman beside her and subtly tilted her chin. “Look over there… Isn’t that Anna?”

Flora followed her gaze and rolled her eyes. “Ugh, yes. She’s literally everywhere these days.”

“She really is,” Lima said with a dry chuckle. “Word is, she’s been crawling around the social circuit, charming anyone she can.”

“So cheap,” Flora scoffed, taking a delicate sip from her flute. “You’d never catch Steph groveling for approval like that. She doesn’t need to.”

“Exactly. Steph doesn’t chase attention—it chases her. And everyone knows her son is the true heir.”

Flora nodded. “Ethan is a born Richardson. Liam? A surname-changed tag-along.”

They both laughed under their breath.

“I heard,” Flora leaned in conspiratorially, “after Anna’s husband died, she moved back into the Richardson estate immediately and erased his name from Liam’s. Changed the poor boy’s identity overnight.”

“She’s cunning,” Lima replied, eyes gleaming. “And somehow managed to convince Smith to let Liam compete with Ethan. Ridiculous.”

“Greedy woman,” Flora murmured with a smirk, as both women exchanged a knowing smile.

Anna, sensing their repeated glances, approached with a forced, polite smile.

“Ladies,” she began sweetly, “I hope you're enjoying the evening?”

Flora replied coolly, “The real question is—are you enjoying yours? You’ve been circling every guest like a hawk.”

Anna kept her smile, but the corners of her mouth twitched. “We don’t have a problem, do we, Flora? Why the tone?”

Flora widened her eyes in mock innocence. “Tone? Oh darling, this is how I talk.”

Lima burst out laughing beside her, and Anna stood there, frozen in momentary humiliation.

“Well, I should go check on—” she gestured vaguely.

“Yes, you should,” Lima cut in with a chuckle.

Anna turned on her heel, her fists clenched discreetly. She knew she couldn’t retaliate—not with two powerful Richardson shareholders behind those smiles.

Scene: The Youth Pavilion

“Hey!” Faye called out, practically bouncing toward Laura.

Laura turned with a warm hug. “I thought you weren’t coming!”

“Mom just got back from her trip. She’s outside, mingling with the other ‘high society moms.’” Faye giggled.

“Lucky you,” Laura said. “Adult parties are such a drag.”

They both laughed.

“Oh! Did you check the school notice board before we left yesterday?” Faye asked.

“No, I was rushing. Why?”

Faye smirked. “You’re not going to believe this—IVA applied for student president.”

Laura’s head snapped toward her. “What?! No way.”

“Yes way, Laura. She met all the criteria. Now it’s official—she’s running against you.”

Laura’s jaw tightened. “How...dare she?”

“Relax,” Faye said coolly. “We’ll handle it. She won’t know what hit her.”

“She needs to be reminded of her place,” Laura said, fire flashing in her eyes.

Faye scanned the party. “Is Ethan here?”

Laura scoffed. “You know how he is. His mother keeps him on a short leash.”

Faye sighed dramatically. “And here I was, dressed for him.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Laura said with a teasing smile.

Faye smirked. “Be honest—who are you in love with? Liam or Ethan?”

Laura smiled mysteriously. “Why do you care?”

Before Faye could respond, Liam strolled over. “Evening, ladies. Faye—you made it.”

“Obviously,” she replied with a wink. “And look at you—radiating party prince energy.”

Liam turned to Laura. “Dance?”

“I’m not in the mood,” she replied curtly.

Faye raised an eyebrow. “Wait, where’s Ethan?”

Liam scoffed. “Where else? Brooding at home,” he said, already pulling Laura toward the dance floor.

Scene: The Ballet Room

News of Iva’s candidacy spread like wildfire. The school hadn’t seen this much drama since the last prom scandal. Laura had long been the assumed winner—until the new girl dared to challenge her.

In the ballet room, students were warming up. Iva sat quietly in a corner, tying her pointe shoes.

Laura and Faye strutted in like they owned the place.

“Hey,” Faye said with a smug smile.

Iva looked up. “Hi…”

Laura crossed her arms. “I don’t think you understand how things work around here.”

Iva frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Oh look, she plays dumb too,” Faye said mockingly.

The tension thickened as more students subtly gathered around, some already texting updates to the school gossip group.

Laura’s voice was icy. “What made you think you could apply to compete against me for student president?”

Iva looked up calmly. “It’s an election, Laura. Anyone who qualifies can apply.”

“You will withdraw your application,” Laura said.

“I won’t,” Iva snapped. “I earned my spot. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’ll regret that,” Laura hissed.

“No, I won’t,” Iva replied, her voice steely. “But you might.”

“You little—” Faye raised a hand to strike—

But Ethan’s hand caught hers mid-air.

“Ethan?!” Faye gasped, startled.

The crowd erupted in murmurs.

“You forget the school policy, Faye?” Ethan said coolly.

“I—I wasn’t actually going to hit her—” she stammered.

“Oh really?” he said, eyes narrowing. “Because it looked pretty real to me.”

Laura tried to soften the moment. “We were just talking, Ethan. Nothing happened.”

“Yeah,” he said sarcastically. “Just your usual friendly threats.”

Without another word, Ethan took Iva’s hand and led her away through the crowd.

Liam stormed in, clearly late to the commotion. “Laura—are you okay?”

Laura pushed past him, fuming. “Whatever!”

Students watched in awe as the queen bee stormed out, and whispers turned to shouts.

“Did you see that?!”

“Ethan defended Iva!”

“Laura totally lost it!”

The room slowly emptied, the electric tension still buzzing in the air.

Scene: School Courtyard – The Day After

Posters of Laura and Iva now littered the school walls. Some had been vandalized—Laura’s with horns drawn in sharpie, Iva’s with the word “Imposter” scribbled across. The air buzzed with gossip. The ballet room drama had gone viral within the school’s private social groups.

In the courtyard, Iva walked quietly beside Ethan, her head lowered under the weight of sudden attention.

“You okay?” Ethan asked, offering her a bottle of water.

“I didn’t expect it to be this dramatic,” she admitted. “I just… wanted to make a difference.”

Ethan looked at her, impressed. “You already are.”

A group of students passed by, whispering and pointing.

“See? You’re famous now,” Ethan smirked.

“I’m not sure that’s a good thing,” Iva muttered.

“Don’t worry,” Ethan said firmly. “You’ve got me. And you're not alone anymore. I heard some students are ready to support you”

Iva gave him a small, grateful smile.

Scene: Laura’s Living Room – That Evening

Laura sat slouched on a velvet sofa, arms crossed, while her mother Danielle paced the room.

“You embarrassed yourself, Laura. Do you know how many parents called me today?”

“I don’t care,” Laura snapped.

“You don’t care? Ethan—Stephanie’s son—publicly sided with that girl. Do you know what that means for our reputation?”

“I can fix it. I just need to make sure Iva doesn’t last long in the race.”

Danielle paused, turning slowly. “Fix it? You’re not running a cheerleading club. You’re competing for leadership. And leadership isn’t about tantrums.”

Laura’s nostrils flared. “Iva is manipulating everyone.”

Danielle leaned in. “Then outsmart her. If you want to lead, earn it. Use what you know.”

Laura’s eyes narrowed. Her mother was right. Iva may have brains and Ethan on her side—but she had connections, power, and experience.

“Fine,” Laura said. “Let the games begin.”

The Richardson Estate – Private Study

Steph Richardson sat behind her massive desk, reviewing articles and screenshots from the ballet incident. Anna stood on the other side of the room, arms folded, lips pursed.

“You see?” Anna said. “This is what I meant. Your son is starting to tarnish the Richardson name.”

“Really?” Steph said calmly, eyes still on the screen. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like Ethan was the only one showing integrity.”

Anna bristled. “He humiliated Laura—and me, by extension. He’s always defending that girl, Iva.”

Steph raised her gaze. “Maybe because she deserves defending. Or maybe because he sees something real in her.”

“And what of Liam?” Anna pressed. “He’s being pushed aside.”

Steph's smile was thin. “Liam is playing a role. Ethan is becoming a leader.”

There was a pause. The unspoken truth hung heavy between them.

Anna stepped forward, coldly composed. “I hope you realize what this will cause.”

Steph looked her dead in the eye. “Oh, I do. And I welcome it.”