Zara was miserable.
She didn't want to feel like this. This sense of dejection and betrayal. She hated it. She had felt it all her life from her sisters and step mom.
At least then, she had her dad to support her through everything.
But now, even Nathan Blake was nowhere to be found for his own blood-born daughter.
The dying rays of sunset streaked through her small window as the final hours of the day ran by. Zara hadn't spent up to a full day in the cell, but she somehow had a feeling that she would be here much longer.
She bowed her head in defeat. Her eyes had reddened uncontrollably as a tear streaked down her cheek, smacking the floor with a slight plop.
"Awww. Princesses don't cry, you know."
Zara didn't even need to look up.
She had had enough of that despicable voice.
Although this time, it seemed there were two.
"Daddy's little girl can't catch a break?"
Diana mused, her designer heels clacking over the concrete floor as she closed the distance between Zara's cell and her.
Ariana, who stood next to her, bore an expression laced with triumph.
"You see, Zara. This is what happens when you feel entitled. You thought you had it all, huh? A prestigious job in the family business, a big car and mansion, a rich fiancé…"
Ariana stepped closer, her face within a hair's breath from Zara's face as she whispered in her ears.
"A father's love…"
She responded with a giggle, obviously satisfied by the side on which she was standing on.
"Now, watch as I take all those things from you one by one. By the time I'm done, you'll be left with nothing."
Ariana spat, her voice laced with venom.
#"She's had enough, sis. Let her be."
Diana casually pulled Ariana away from the cell. Truthfully, she was more concerned for her than for Zara. Ariana had a huge bandage covered lump on her head after all.
"Anyway, while watching you suffer is a pleasure we cannot help but indulge we actually came here for something else."
Diana said. She was a foot taller than Ariana with an air of grace round about her. Unlike her sister—who suffocated her face with makeup to feel good about herself—Diana was actually beautiful. Unfortunately, her character was nothing but.
Zara had been quiet all this while, but the moment, Diana stepped closer, she shot at her.
"Come closer and I'll give you a matching lump with your sister over there."
Diana's eyes widened, feigning some form of shock.
"You wouldn't do that to your sister would you?"
"Why don't we find out?"
Diana stared at her for what seemed to be ages, before making the wise decision to step back.
"A wise choice."
Zara responded. Just like Ariana, Diana was actually very cunning. Only that she was ten times worse than her sister.
Where Ariana was just fake smiles and deceit, Diana was a master tactician, the brains behind most of the family's operations.
At Blake Bank Inc, she rose to the level of manager of her department, sharing the same level with Zara herself.
Unlike Ariana, she was intelligent, and overall more competent. That was exactly why she was dangerous.
And even as she presented the papers for her to sign, Zara knew that she had come up with her best plan yet.
A plan that would get rid of her entirely.
The document contained details about will proceedings, properties, investments, and the likes.
But Zara did not need to skim through the details to read their intention.
They wanted her to give up her will to the Blake inheritance.
Which would include the house, and all of Mr Blake's properties and shares, even the ones left by her late mother.
Zara chuckled.
She found their audacity amusing. Had they really expected her to sign it?
"You have an ultimatum, by the way."
Zara perked up.
"You see. We actually didn't bring this here for you to sign. It's more like a ticking time bomb."
And that means…"
Up until now, Zara wasn't following. Needless to say, she was intrigued as to where all this was going.
What had her step sisters cooked up this time?
"You see. Since you're the heiress, you're willed to own 70% of the company's assets by the specified time."
"That's in the will co-owned by mommy and daddy. Well, other mommy. You know, the one that's dead?"
Ariana chimed in from behind Diana. She decided to stay her distance, knowing that mentioning Zara's mother would've touched a nerve.
Zara glared daggers at her, but knew she had to maintain her cool. Assaulting someone from within a cell would only cause more problems for herself.
However, she had failed to see the point of this charade of theirs.
She rolled her eyes, beckoning at Diana to continue.
"Basically, there's a clause in Emily Blake's part of the will."
She opened up the document and shoved it in Zara's face."
"It says that in the event that any heir is criminally indicted, they must hand over temporary administrative control of their inheritance… or the state freezes everything under legal review."
"And sadly for you, that deadline is today."
Ariana smiled from where she was standing. Out of the duo, she enjoyed this the most.
This time it was she who spoke, continuing with their routine of both of them talking.
"Basically, if you don't give it up to the family to temporarily hold it for you, the state government will come and get it."
A small part of Zara tensed. Normally, she wouldn't have cared more or less about the properties at this point, so giving it up to be frozen would not have been an issue.
But a huge part of Emily was invested in those shares. It wasn't just figures and properties, it was the remaining part of her mum that she had left behind.
And what Diana said next confirmed her fears.
"You know how I said that there was an ultimatum. Well, guess what? That's today."