Fractured Legacy

Zero

―✧˖° ♛ °˖✧―

'Mori memorias, non somnia'
Die with memories, not dreams

―✧˖° ♛ °˖✧―

There had been a sombre mood hanging over the Kingston estate for the past month.

The Kingstons had faced their share of trials over the years, but nothing like this—nothing like the news that Vincent Kingston, the patriarch, had been diagnosed with cancer.

It had shaken the family to its core. For so long, they had felt untouchable, as though nothing could break them. They had lost six family members but gained a special little girl, and the four of them had learned to survive—building a life within the confines of their shared pain. They had found their rhythm, fallen into a routine, and for a while, they'd even managed to enjoy it.

Beckett had undergone his first heart surgery at just six months old, and despite the gruelling recovery, he had pulled through. But that period—juggling Beckett's surgery, Reese's sudden arrival on their doorstep, and the disappearance of the rest of the family—had been the hardest time of Vaughn and Vincent Kingston's lives.

Yet, life slowly began to rebuild itself. For the first few years of Beckett and Reese's lives, they were practically siblings, raised together in the same house. Vaughn and Vincent took turns watching the toddlers while the other attended to business. When Vaughn assumed the role of family head at just twenty, Reese was only three, but it marked a pivotal change. Vaughn decided it was time to move out of the family home, and together, father and daughter carved out a life of their own in the heart of New York City.

As Reese grew, Vaughn thrived alongside her. Days blurred into weeks, weeks into months, and soon, years had passed. The gaping hole left by Cordelia Kingston's departure gradually closed. Vaughn's world now revolved around his daughter, and Beckett was showered with enough love and attention and showed little interest in where his mother had gone, he was content with life with his father, older brother and niece.

But for Vincent, the absence of his wife and children was a void that never truly healed. He missed them all—his wife, his sons, his little girl. Though he never voiced it, there were moments when he watched Vaughn dote on Reese and felt a pang of longing for a different life. A life where he and Cordelia had stayed together, raising their children without betrayal or abandonment. A life without seventeen years of lost memories.

Maybe that's why, after receiving his diagnosis, one of the first things Vincent did was start searching for Cordelia. His wife or his ex-wife, rather—he wasn't sure which term fit after so many years of silence. He used every resource at his disposal, careful not to alert Vaughn, knowing his oldest son's complicated feelings toward his mother.

But Vincent found her.

It turns out, that when your children grow up and leave trails of accomplishments, they become easier to find. Cordelia had settled in a city in South Carolina, where she had raised the children he had lost.

Callan, his second-born, had become a cardiothoracic surgeon—fitting, considering all the doctors Beckett had seen over the years. Harley owned a martial arts gym, conjuring memories of ten-year-old Harley at taekwondo tournaments, practicing his moves on his brothers until Cordelia put a stop to it. Louis, who had been just seven when they left, was now twenty-three, finishing college, and had been a top swimmer on his team. Elian, who was barely a toddler the last time Vincent saw him, was now twenty and passionate about activism and environmental causes.

And then there was Bridget, his baby girl. Seventeen, the same age as Beckett and Reese. There wasn't much information about her, but Vincent couldn't help but wonder—would she fit in with the dynamic Beckett and Reese had, or would she be overwhelmed by the energy and chaos they seemed to always to hyperactive on.

These thoughts raced through Vincent's mind as he stood at Cordelia's door, his heart pounding in the silence. The few seconds between pressing the doorbell and hearing footsteps were some of the longest in his life.

And then there she was.

Cordelia stood before him, as beautiful as the day she left, like time hadn't touched her at all. But the smile she wore when she answered the door vanished the moment she recognized him. Her face went pale, eyes wide with shock.

"Vince?" she whispered.

"Hi, Del," he replied.

I have no idea why this app seems to not be showing when I post this story but I hope it sends out notifications today.

Welcome to the start of a new book, I'm starting to get better with planning out my books so lets hope you all enjoy it.

Ara <3