CHAP 6: THE BLACKWOOD HEIR TRIAL
CHAP 6: THE BLACKWOOD HEIR TRIAL
The next morning…
the world watched the Blackwood family.
Not because of money.
Not because of business.
But because of a question nobody expected to hear.
Which daughter will inherit the empire?
The news spread faster than any crisis Blackwood Corporation had ever faced.
Financial channels.
International newspapers.
Private investor groups.
Everyone wanted to know the truth.
Seven years ago, Ethan Blackwood lost his wife and newborn daughter in a hospital fire.
Now…
two daughters had appeared.
One raised with love.
One raised in darkness.
And between them stood a billion-dollar empire.
Inside the Blackwood Tower, the Eclipse Circle gathered.
The meeting room was unlike any normal shareholder meeting.
There were no reporters.
No cameras.
No public statements.
Only the most powerful people in the world.
Old families.
Ancient corporations.
People who controlled industries from behind closed doors.
Ethan walked into the room holding Lily’s hand.
Amelia followed beside him.
But Ava…
walked behind Alexander.
Like a shadow.
Like a soldier.
Ethan noticed every step.
Every movement.
Every expression.
Ava was not walking beside Alexander because she wanted to.
She was walking because she had been trained to.
At the center of the room sat an enormous black table.
Around it were twelve members of Eclipse Circle.
The oldest man among them spoke.
“Ethan Blackwood.”
His voice was calm.
“You have caused a disturbance.”
Ethan looked at him.
“A disturbance?”
The man nodded.
“The Blackwood succession was supposed to be resolved seven years ago.”
He glanced at Lily.
“Now there is uncertainty.”
Then at Ava.
“Two heirs.”
A pause.
“Two claims.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“There is no competition.”
Several people looked surprised.
“The Blackwood family is not choosing between children.”
The man frowned.
“Then what are you choosing?”
Ethan answered:
“I am choosing to protect them.”
A quiet murmur filled the room.
Because those words were unexpected.
Most people in that room understood power.
Control.
Inheritance.
But not love.
To them, children were names on documents.
Bloodlines.
Assets.
Ethan saw them differently.
They were his daughters.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Alexander smiled from the other side of the table.
“Beautiful speech.”
He slowly stood.
“But irrelevant.”
Ethan looked at him.
Alexander continued:
“You cannot protect both forever.”
“Why?”
“Because the world does not work that way.”
He pointed toward the documents on the table.
“An empire needs one leader.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
“You created this trial.”
“Yes.”
“And why?”
Alexander smiled.
“Because I wanted to see something.”
“What?”
“Which daughter truly belongs to the Blackwood family.”
Amelia immediately stepped forward.
“Both.”
Alexander ignored her.
“No.”
His eyes moved toward Ava.
“Blood alone does not make someone an heir.”
Then toward Lily.
“Neither does kindness.”
He placed two files on the table.
“The trial begins now.”
The first challenge was simple.
At least, that was what Alexander wanted everyone to believe.
Each daughter would be given a Blackwood family decision.
A business crisis.
A negotiation.
A test of leadership.
Lily looked confused.
Ava remained emotionless.
Ethan immediately objected.
“They are children.”
Alexander looked at him.
“Your daughter Ava has been trained since childhood.”
He glanced at Lily.
“And your other daughter grew up protected.”
A pause.
“This will reveal the difference.”
Ethan hated every word.
Because Alexander was right about one thing.
Ava had been forced to grow up too quickly.
The first test belonged to Ava.
A large screen turned on.
A company report appeared.
A Blackwood subsidiary was losing millions.
The board members watched her.
Waiting.
Ava studied the numbers.
No emotion.
No hesitation.
Then she spoke.
“Close the factories.”
Several people looked surprised.
Ethan frowned.
“There are thousands of workers.”
Ava looked at him.
“The company is dying.”
“Those people will lose their jobs.”
Ava answered calmly:
“Keeping them employed temporarily will destroy everyone later.”
The room became quiet.
Because her answer was logical.
Cold.
But logical.
Alexander smiled.
“Excellent.”
Then he looked at Lily.
“Your turn.”
The screen changed.
Another problem appeared.
A small family-owned supplier was about to collapse.
The company could either cancel the contract and save money…
or continue supporting them and lose profit.
Everyone expected Lily to fail.
She was just a child.
She looked at the numbers.
Then at Ethan.
Then at Amelia.
Finally, she spoke.
“Help them.”
One shareholder laughed.
“Why?”
Lily looked confused.
“Because they need help.”
“That is not business.”
The little girl thought.
Then answered:
“Maybe business is supposed to help people too.”
Silence.
The old man at the table looked at her.
“Your decision loses money.”
Lily nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then why choose it?”
“Because if everyone only helps themselves…”
She looked around.
“Then nobody helps anyone when they need it.”
Nobody spoke.
For the first time…
the room did not see her as a child.
They saw something else.
A different kind of strength.
Alexander watched both girls carefully.
Ava was intelligence.
Strategy.
Discipline.
Lily was compassion.
Trust.
Human connection.
Two different kinds of power.
Exactly what Alexander wanted.
Because he believed one had to destroy the other.
The second test began.
This time…
it was personal.
A video appeared.
A recording from seven years ago.
Ethan immediately recognized the hospital.
The fire.
The night everything changed.
Lily covered her ears.
Amelia closed her eyes.
Ava stared at the screen.
No emotion.
The voice from the video spoke:
“Choose.”
Everyone looked confused.
Alexander explained:
“The heir must understand sacrifice.”
The screen showed two doors.
Behind one door was a family member.
Behind another was the company’s future.
A fake simulation.
But designed to reveal character.
Ava stepped forward first.
“Choose the company.”
The room watched.
Alexander smiled.
“Why?”
“Because one person cannot outweigh thousands.”
Then it was Lily’s turn.
She looked at the doors.
Then quietly said:
“I choose neither.”
Everyone froze.
Alexander frowned.
“What?”
Lily looked at him.
“I would find another way.”
“There is no other way.”
“There is always another way.”
Alexander smiled.
“You are naive.”
Lily shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at Ava.
“You just don’t know because nobody showed you.”
For a moment…
Ava’s expression changed.
A tiny crack.
A memory.
A feeling.
Something buried deep inside her.
Then suddenly…
Ava grabbed her head.
She fell to her knees.
Everyone rushed forward.
“Ava!”
Alexander remained still.
Too still.
Ethan noticed.
“What did you do?”
Alexander smiled.
“She is remembering.”
“What?”
“She is remembering what she was made to forget.”
Ava screamed.
Not from pain.
From memories.
Images flashed through her mind.
A woman singing.
A baby crying.
A hospital room.
A small girl holding her hand.
A voice saying:
“You have a sister.”
Ava looked up.
Tears appeared.
For the first time.
And the first words she spoke were not to Alexander.
Not to Ethan.
Not to anyone.
She whispered:
“Lily…”
The little girl stepped forward.
“I’m here.”
Ava stared at her.
Then said:
“I remember you.”
The entire room froze.
Alexander’s expression changed.
Because this was not supposed to happen.
Ava was supposed to hate Lily.
Not remember loving her.
Not remember protecting her.
Not remember being her older sister.
Alexander stepped forward.
“No.”
Ava looked at him.
And for the first time…
there was anger in her eyes.
Real anger.
“You lied to me.”
The room became silent.
Alexander’s perfect creation…
had just started breaking.
Ethan moved beside his daughters.
Two girls.
Two survivors.
One family.
Alexander looked at them.
And slowly smiled.
But this time…
the smile carried no confidence.
Only warning.
“Good.”
Everyone looked at him.
He whispered:
“Now the real test begins.”
The lights suddenly turned red.
The doors locked.
A countdown appeared on every screen.
24:00:00
Alexander looked at Ethan.
“You wanted your daughters back.”
A pause.
“Now try to keep them alive.”
The countdown began.
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23:59:59
END OF CHAPTER 6
