Lavish | on hold

13 | Killing Me Softly

Confusion wasn't exactly Claudia's favourite emotion and so when she faced an empty boardroom and her strangely put together brother, she was almost certain that this was another one of her traumatic nightmares – only she wasn't dressed head to toe in a paper bag or something that looked similar to it.

Christian sniggered at her confused facial expressions as if he had somehow succeeded to read her thoughts, shaking his head slowly as the slight tap of his Salvatore leather shoes echoed around the large and isolated room.

The boardroom was not your typical board room but one an executive or king of a large company would only dream of. The floor was a wooden floor recently painted white to add to the new modern theme that the company had been trying to reach. Claudia didn't spend much time in the boardroom but when she did she couldn't help but appreciate the beautiful aquarium that had taken a space on the wall and the very over the top décor obviously presented to wow business partners and tycoons. It would only be a matter of time until her ideas would be on the board and applauded at.

"So, I come back to my kingdom and I am ordered into a filthy board room to play with my Ken version of a brother." Claudia huffed dramatically, folding her arms before ending her sentence dripping with sarcasm. "Great."

"Must you always speak so Broadway?" Christian scoffed, shaking his head slowly as he criticized her.

Claudia smiled softly, fixing her hair whilst she spoke before tilting her head upwards. "Of course I must, I am a queen to all."

"Do you even remember what you did to get that spot?"

The double doors of the boardroom flew open, the low buzz of the entourage around their scorn faced father who appeared to be rudely ignoring them completely with his eyes kept on his two perfectly imperfect children. The entourage's buzz swiftly turned into a mute as they followed the hands of their boss and left the room without question.

"I came to tell you both that--"

Mr. Clermont cleared his throat, a sweat just escaping from his scalp before he spoke.

Claudia wasn't used to seeing her father looking anything but aggravated so to see him anxious and apprehensive made her unsure whether to be overjoyed or to be just as anxious as he is. Christian interrupted the moment, trying to reel in the impatience that was oozing out of his tone.

"What did you come to tell us?"

"I'm not getting any younger and I feel it's about time we've decided who will carry the Clermont name. I need one of you guys to take my position and it needs to be said right now." He said, his eyes completely focused on Christian.

Claudia knew that the question wasn't much of an option, her father had always looked to Christian as a version of himself – not that she was even sure was a compliment. She was the trophy child, to be seen and not heard, for the pictures and appearances until she was sold to be a trophy wife.

That's what her grandmother was, that's what her mom was. That is what created the Clermont name but it wouldn't be for long.

She was just about to break the cycle.

"I-"

"I'll take your position." Claudia terminated his sentence, giving her usual diplomatic smile before returning her attention to her father who still had not locked eye contact with her.

"That won't be necessary, Claudia." He dismissed.

"But it is." She argued, ignoring the shock he was trying to hide on his face at the fact she had spoken back. "I want to take your position and I will fight until I am on that chair."