Ritah Dane was not content at all with how her life was progressing. Claire was gone, but her shadow was still present at the company. Employees whispered about her whenever a small problem cropped up. They compared her to Claire, and naturally, her enemy always came out on top.
Over dinner last night at Andrew’s home, his mother had asked if there was a possibility for Claire to join their hotel’s management team!
The woman seemed to have forgotten which of them was to be her daughter-in-law!
More than ever, Ritah was determined to bring Claire back and crush her like a worm. Her brothers were not open to the idea. Her mother was skeptical. Ritah was now determined to convince her father to take the lead in the mission.
She was sitting in her father’s office, tapping her fingers against her small bag nervously. Her smile was stretched thin, like a thread that could snap at any moment. Ritah leaned forward, her bracelets clinking like tiny bells.
"Dad," she began, "I have been thinking a lot about how things ended with Claire. We are still family, but she won’t have anything to do with us anymore because of how things ended. But at the end of the day, we will still see each other at different family functions. We have to find a way to get along again. There is that saying about bones or tendons being connected....I am not sure. All I know is that it means even if there is a disagreement among family members, we are still connected at the end of the day."
She paused and smiled proudly, patting herself on the back mentally for using what sounded like sound logic to her ears.
"Where are you going with this?" Alden asked impatiently with a frown.
Ritah replied in a syrupy voice. "We cannot let Claire drift away. She belongs here. You and mother raised her for over twenty years. That is not a bond that can be broken so easily after a few harsh words. Our family is not complete without her. Think of the business as well--her presence strengthens our brand."
Alden clenched his jaw. Does she think we can’t survive without Claire holding the reins? he asked himself.
"Think of it like doing charity." Ritah added. "We can also do interviews and magazine shoots after she returns. Imagine the headlines: Swapped at birth, two cousins now take on the business world. It’s practically free advertisement for the company. It would make us look magnanimous. Maybe we can even create a new dish or menu basing off the whole swapped thing."
Once again, Ritah applauded herself for being clever. A menu based on the swap! Maybe even events and books! This was an untapped revenue stream. What if they made a movie about it? She could play herself and launch an acting career from there.
When the fame and money came in, her social circle could be elevated. She would switch men and marry into a family worthy of her. A family like the Ashfords.
The more she thought about it, the harder her heart pounded in excitement.
Alden was also lost in his thoughts. Outwardly, he appeared to be considering her suggestion, but inside, a storm brewed. They said fathers couldn’t hate their own children, but he had always disliked Claire intensely. A clever child was great, but one whose cleverness put her father to shame was a sin.
Claire’s achievements in the business world had always outranked his own. Her ventures were sharper, her instincts keener. She had built alliances he could not, and her name carried weight in circles that once ignored him.
Some members of the board had even started supporting her out in the open, pushing for her to take over as CEO when she turned thirty. But if she took the position, what about him? What about his sons?
He was a firm believer in boys inheriting family legacies and daughters marrying into helpful wealthy families. Alden never planned to give his position to Claire. He had lucked out when she turned out to be his brother’s daughter. The plan had always been to use her for a while and then fake an accident that would lead to the truth about the swap.
Things had not worked out like he planned, but Claire was gone now and he could not be happier. To bring her back would mean placing her brilliance under his roof, where comparisons would be inevitable again--and humiliating.
Ritah pressed harder. "Dad, you see it too, right? Claire’s independence is dangerous. People admire her too much. She is now dating Apollo Ashford. Uncle’s family will soon become wealthier than ours if they go unchecked. Don’t you think they will want revenge for how we threw Claire out? Are you okay with allowing their family to eclipse ours?"
Alden clenched his fists. The thought of that did not sit well with him.
"But if we bring her back, we control the narrative." Ritah laughed. "We keep uncle’s family poor and dependent on us. We are not being selfish; we simply want to stand strong."
Her words struck home. Alden had experienced Claire’s eclipse and the same had gone for the rest of his family. It was even worse for Ritah. Bringing Claire back to control her would be a battle. She was stubborn, proud, and had connections in certain circles. The girl was much like Donna’s mother, with steel carved into her spine. She would not come quietly.
Furthermore, his brother and sister-in-law would not allow Claire to return.
Still, Ritah’s arguments piled up like weights on a scale. Business needs. Investors. Recipes. Business ideas. And yes, the press would adore a reconciliation. The swapped story was still hot to this day, with reporters calling daily for interviews. If they milked it right, they would make a lot of money,
Besides, bringing Claire back now, when she was not as confident as before could work in his favor. If she were under his roof, her victories would all be his victories. In the past, he could only claim a little bit. But now, he could claim everything.
Ritah saw the flicker in her father’s eyes and pressed her advantage. "Dad, investors will flock to us. Charities will praise us. Society will open doors for us. And Claire? Claire will be reminded of where she truly belongs."
Alden exhaled slowly, the weight of decision pressing down. His pride screamed against it, but his fear screamed against it. Fear of being the poor brother.
Finally, he nodded. "Very well."