“You say you helped your sister but she has one last piece to hand in for her final mark and you haven’t helped her with it,” Rachel spoke first.

April silently waited for her father’s response, her mind racing and she felt an ache in her heart. April hoped her father would stand up for her but her heart filled with sorrow upon seeing the blank look on his face.

“Of course you should get a job, you have helped out this family for the last few years and we all appreciate your time and care.”

He sounded so distant and indifferent. Right then April had wished she didn’t remember how it was before her mother passed. There was light in her father’s eyes and he was warm now she wouldn’t recognise his temperament.

She realised now that Rachel had a deep hold on her father because he was lost and indifferent from the grief from losing his wife. His office was like a shrine, her mother was everywhere in this room and this was where her father would be if he were home.

She had to be strong for both of them. She sat straight ignoring Rachel and spoke from her heart.

“Father I will get a job soon and make you and mum proud.”

At her saying ‘mum’ she saw a glint in her father’s eyes. She was about to speak her mind further when Rachel spoke interrupting their moment.

“April, as you said you promised to help. What’s one more painting? It’s for your sister, after all, she looks up to you so much.”

April couldn’t bare this woman much longer.

“Rachel, if she looks up to me then I must provide a good example for her to follow so she must submit her own paintings from now on. She will be proud of herself when she then gets her degree in the end.”

As soon as she finished speaking Rachel butted in again showing her true feelings.

“Wretched girl, how dare you be so uncooperative? Do you think this is the way you treat a family? I think that you think that all you have to consider is yourself. It’s one painting, not the Sistine Chapel.”

April smiled at Rachel.

“I have helped her this far giving her all my best artwork and she is still ungrateful. If it’s just one painting then she will have no problem painting it herself. Father said it is okay and I will start work soon so I have no time to help Lucy.”

Her expression as she spoke to Rachel reminded her of a snake was slithering up her clothes, and the coldness implanted panic in her.

Not wanting to say any more, April put away her smile and got up to leave.

“Good night father, I will be out tomorrow job hunting.”

“Good Night April.” Her father uttered and then he returned to his work.

“But… Dear Lucy, she can’t.”

“Enough… why don’t you go ahead and shower first.” Martin didn’t lift his head from his documents as he spoke.

Rachel gritted her teeth, she stood and then left the study. She went to her bedroom and sat on the bed. She cursed April and her mother Kathleen, they were both so talented and beautiful. She smirked as she thought that in the end didn’t she end up with everything while Kathleen lay in the damp, dark soil rotting away.

She sneered and promised herself that her daughter will soon have everything that belongs to April. If April won’t help paint one last time then she would take one of her mother’s paintings. Her daughter had to succeed.

Meanwhile, April had returned to her room and went straight to the shower. Once she was washed and dried she walked to her bed. Seeing the canvas lying on her thin duvet she picked it up and stared at those enticing eyes that she had drawn earlier who owns them she wondered, then she put the canvas on her chest of drawers.

She climbed into her single bed and went to sleep with those alluring eyes and sensual lips running through her dreams.

On the other side of the city, those alluring eyes were closed as the man rested in the back seat of his car. He was preparing to go back to the main house and like always it filled him with trepidation.

“Dean, we have arrived.”

Seeing him lazily open his onyx eyes and stare at the Mahogany double door to the main house Oliver wondered should he drive around the neighbourhood a while longer so his boss could rest longer.

“Wait here, I won’t be long.”

Dean got out of the car and fixed his suit as he walked into the main house, a butler bowed and led him inside. The house was classically decorated with elaborate furniture and paintings, an ornate chandelier hung in the middle of the room sparkling its rainbow beams of light on the high ceiling.

His grandfather, Joseph Davis sat on an exquisite armchair sipping herbal tea. He coughed and then slapped his knee upon seeing his grandson. He had two sons and one grandson and out of the three, he was most proud of Dean as he reminded him of himself when he was young. Dean was intelligent, savvy and ruthless. The one thing he lacked was warmth.

“So you know how to return home, why are you visiting so late?”

Dean smirked and sat on the sofa opposite his grandfather. The same butler brought him some coffee and set it down before leaving the living room and giving them some privacy.

“Good evening grandfather.” He took a sip of the warm, bitter coffee as he sat back.

“I’m ready.”

“Ready?” The confusion was written all over his grandfathers face.

“Hand it over to me, I’m ready to take over the family.”

His grandfather appraised his grandson and saw that he showed no sign of hesitation. He slapped his knee and laughed as he then smiled at his grandson.

“Well now isn’t this cause for a celebration, it’s yours. I always wanted you to take over, who else can I trust except you. I have taught you everything I know and you will certainly surpass me… One thing though I’m curious why now?”

Dean took another sip and thought of her gentleness as she took care of him in his past life, her eyelashes as she slept like butterfly’s wings resting on her soft cheek. The kiss on the forehead he gave her before their goodbye in that life. In this life he wanted to give her everything, he smiled as he replied.

“I met an angel.”

Deans grandfather was both shocked and overjoyed with the news, his tired and wrinkled face smiled at his grandson.

“Now you have something for me to be proud of, bring me, my granddaughter. I’m sick off you young men I need someone to spoil.”

“I need to earn her heart first.”

Dean thought of the long fight ahead with his family, he needed to have power in order to provide her with safety and protection in this life.

“Good man I wish you luck. Nothing worth having comes easy.”