The rise and fall of Marlena Brown, part 2

While Brian was going through the minor crisis of having to tell his new friend, he had slept with her brother's 'straight' best friend, Marlena was still sitting on the plane, with closed eyes; while she keeps on remembering her substantial rise to power.

Many years before:

The study goes utterly quiet for a few minutes.

The people inside were too shocked to react to the unforeseen development.

Their throats were dry, and their hands shook from a wave of intense anger.

Not only did they have to share their fortune with each other, but they had to give a portion to the gentry as well.

What a joke, at this rate, even the cows and horses were going to get something too!

The instant Marlena finished instructing her maid to fetch the young Alexander Basques, with the exception of Mr. Beauchamp, ugly faces instantaneously appear on each and every one of her guests.

And the second the door closes, Pandemonium strikes.

Fiona stands up from her chair. She points an accusatory finger at Mr. Beauchamp. And proceed to scream with an excessive fury in her voice at the poor lawyer, whose only fault in this was attempting to do a well job.

"No, this is ridiculous!

Orphan or not, he is only the son of a filthy maid.

How can he possibly be included in Alexander's testament?

You must be wrong!

Mr. Beauchamp, still calm in his seats, looks at the loud woman and smiles as if her accusatory words did not face him in the least.

The proud man takes a deep breath and calmly explains in his low soothing voice.

Ms. Sinclair, I can assure you that the boy known as Alexander Basques indeed forms part of the deceased's Will.

And nothing you may say can change this undeniable fact.

It will be best if you wait until hearing Mr. Alexander's last wishes before you accuse me of fraud.

With enough killing intent in his last sentence, Edgar forces the lady to take a step back.

She bites her lower lip in frustration and exclaims.

"How dare you!

The man only smiles.

"That is all I have to say, that said the old lawyer proceeds to ignore Fiona.

Marlena, who sat on her throne like a queen, hides an amusing smile at the expense of the woman's uncouth brutality.

Things were getting quite interesting.

To be honest, she also felt curious about why her husband had included the boy in his Will.

To her knowledge, her husband didn't have any type of relationship with the child.

Nevertheless, she wasn't worried because she had seen part of the Will, and it held her on a higher note than all the little rabbits before her.

Seeing his mother lose all decorum in front of so many people, Henry clenches his fists, gets up, and rapidly makes his way to his mother.

Fiona feels a stronghold on her right shoulder. She then looks back and finds her son standing right behind her with a firm look that said, stop embracing yourself.

She swallows her indignations, nods at him in understanding, and goes back to her seat.

Henry apologizes to Mr. Beauchamp for his mother's rude behavior and proceeds to sit back down.

Marlena expected Henry to chare his mother's stupidity, however, he surprised her today.

"How interesting."

While Fiona was doing her spectacle, there was only one individual who didn't react.

In fact, she was very calm and collected. This was, of course, Alexa Brown, Alexander's younger sister.

The inexplicably well dress lady couldn't be bothered with the woman's uncouth behavior. The air of superiorly surrounding her was something of legends.

She believes herself to be above everyone in this room.

Naturality, her brother, would make her his successor.

There was simply no one else better suited. Henry was too young and inexperienced, Fiona was useless, and his little tramp, well, she was a tramp, there was nothing else to say.

Alexa didn't care much for the maid's son.

The boy's inclusion in the Will had surprised her for a second, but that was all.

A knock on the door made the intense atmosphere in the room to go back to normal.

Marlena tells the person to come inside.

Everyone gets a look at the nervous boy who enters the room, wearing rags that match neither the occasion nor the elegance of the people around him.

They all try their best to ignore him. Whatever he was getting couldn't be much.

Marlena smiles at him and asks him to take a seat.

However, Alexander doesn't reciprocate her fake show of good Will and decides to stand quietly by the door instead.

The boy knew this was a mask, and it took all he had not to jump and rip it and her to pieces.

Alexander's cold attitude toward her confuses Marlena, but she doesn't have the time to dwell on his actions.

Everyone else in the room sees the boy's behavior and cant's help but sigh in displeasure at his lack of decency.

What else were they to expect from a maid's son?

"Cough, cough"

Mr. Beauchamp clears his throat, immediately getting everyone's attention.

'Verry well, now that everyone is accounted for, I will commence the reading of the Will.

At his word, everyone nods with anticipation.

Before the actual reading, the lawyer first proceeds to show everyone the untouched, red, waxed seal on the black envelope that is the Will.

He then shows them all the signatures as to confirm the integrity and authenticity of the document.

When they all give him their approval, Edgar begins to read.

[Absolutely everything own by the Brown family belongs to me, and me alone.]

Immediately after the first sentence, Fiona rolls her eyes with annoyance.

The bastard had always had a flair for the dramatics, even after death.

[My immense fortune was obtained, with my hard work and my strong perseverance in life. For this reason, it is my last wish to leave it all in the capable hands of my beloved wife, Marlena Brown.]

A pin-drop silence enveloped the small room.

The expressions on everyone present, especially that of Alexa, turns downright deadly.