Artemisia High

19 | Questions

Everyone at Blackburn Corporation knew what the click of her heels sounded like. The tacks the color of dried blood matched her auburn hair and red lips. That signature walk struck fear into every employee's heart. Well, all but one.

"Good morning, Sybil," Levana said to her assistant. Sybil Mira had been working alongside Levana for almost as long as Blackburn Corp. had been under her leadership. She was the only employee Levana could trust.

"Good morning, Ms. Blackburn. Your coffee is ready."

"Oh, stop it. You know you can call me Levana. And the coffee is...?"

"Black as ever."

"Perfect."

Levana took a sip of the coffee. Not one bit of lipstick smudged: She would never allow even such a small imperfection to be seen. See, her power was only as strong as her presentation, and any fault in her appearance would demonstrate her lack of care for all else in her control, including her title.

Being the CEO of Blackburn Corp. was a tall task that not everyone could accomplish. Take her sister, for instance. After the death of her parents, Channary Blackburn was much more interested in meeting new men every night than going over the books for the company. Eventually, her carelessness caught up to her: first she was afflicted with a child, and then a horrible disease soon after.

During her short stint as a mother, Channary's sole interest in her daughter was in prepping her to work for, and eventually lead, her mother's company. Channary had Selene's whole life planned out, down to the schools she would attend and the future eligible bachelors she might marry. She had left the company to Selene in her will, but Selene was a mere baby when her mother passed and could barely spell "corporation."

Naturally, Levana took over. Really, she felt it was meant to be this way. She had been the one to take an interest in the family business and answered to her parents' beck and call while Channary was off spending the riches the Blackburns were making. When Channary was suddenly thrust into the role of CEO after their untimely death, she mostly relied on the existing staff to keep the company afloat, and it was Levana that steered the ship far more than her sister ever did. Needless to say, she was more than ecstatic to be completely in charge for the first time.

But her situation was temporary. There was a ticking clock in her mind every day. With each turn around the sun, Selene got closer to having everything. That is, until the day she disappeared.

The presumed kidnapping of the young Selene was a tragic event indeed, but as the hope for her return or even being alive dwindled, Levana couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. After all, she never thought Selene deserved to lead the company, and now Levana could maintain control.

Perhaps it was cruel of her to care so little for her niece, but all with the Blackburn name had only inflicted pain onto Levana, and this little girl had almost taken everything good from Levana. There was one thing she could not take, though: Evret. Her late husband never fully comprehended the extent of her love for him or the business, but it didn't not make it any less true. Their short marriage was not the happiest, as Evret could never love Levana the way he loved his late wife or as much as he loved his daughter, though he certainly loved the protection that she gave them. But that protection wasn't enough.

She can still hear the gunshot ringing. A crazed stalker and former employee took Evret away from her, seeking vengeance for her rejections of him and destruction of his reputation. Without Evret, Levana had no one. Still, she made sure to keep her promise to him that was made on his deathbed, as he asked her to ensure his daughter would never want for anything in her life. Levana did not care for the girl one bit as she served as a reminder of Evret's first wife, but she was a woman of her word, and she kept Winter in comfort while burying herself in her work even more.