Strategy

Since starting university, Ethan and Iva had gradually drifted apart. They rarely spoke anymore—each consumed by the demands of their personal lives and new environments. Though they reached out occasionally, their bond no longer held the closeness it once had in high school.

Meanwhile, Laura had managed to grow close to Ethan. Over time, they developed a genuine friendship. Seeing their connection deepen, Liam—though reluctant at first—decided to play along, realizing he didn't have much of a choice. The three of them became a familiar trio, though a subtle rivalry brewed beneath the surface. Ethan wasn't trying to compete, but Liam couldn't help viewing him as competition.

The grand foyer of the Richardson home echoed with elegance—gleaming marble floors, tall arched windows, and the ever-present scent of imported lilies Anna insisted on every week. It was mid-afternoon, and the estate was quiet, save for the soft click of Laura's designer heels approaching.

Anna Richardson, regal in her pale silk blouse and wine-colored lipstick, appeared at the top of the stairs, descending with practiced grace. She hadn't seen Laura in months, but she knew that face well. Laura had been fluttering in and out of their lives since prep school—especially around Liam.

During school breaks, Laura often visited Ethan at his home. The first time she did, Anna, assuming Laura had come for Liam—as she always had in the past—told her he was in his room

Anna with a warm but calculating smile

"Laura, darling! What a surprise. I wasn't expecting you today. Liam's upstairs in his room. I'll let him know you're here."

Laura ,pausing, clutching her handbag with a smile that didn't reach her eyes

"Actually, ma'am.… I'm here to see Ethan."

Anna's step faltered ever so slightly—so subtle only someone watching closely would've caught it. But her expression remained polite, curious now.

"Oh? Ethan?" She laughs lightly.

"You used to come by for Liam all the time. The two of you were always thick as thieves. Is this a new development?"

Laura smirk slightly

"Not exactly. I guess you could say it's been… evolving. Slowly."

Anna walked the rest of the way down and gestured toward the living room.

"Tea?"

"Sure. Thank you."

They sat. A maid appeared with a tray almost instantly—Anna never had to ask. She poured the tea herself, slow and deliberate.

"You know, dear, I always thought you and Liam made a beautiful pair. Same circles. Same… vision." Anna said softly

"We're still friends. Just not… aligned, I suppose." She replied coolly, lifts her teacup, then adds casually "Ethan and I just understand each other differently. He's more grounded. Not always trying to impress the room."

Anna's fingers stilled around the handle of her cup.

"Grounded. That's one way to put it."

She leans in slightly. "But Ethan was never one for heir. He prefers shadows over spotlights. Not exactly the kind of energy you used to gravitate toward."

Laura, raising an eyebrow, smiling

"People change. Or maybe I was looking in the wrong direction the whole time."

Anna's mask of poise thinned, just for a heartbeat. Then it returned, pristine and polished.

"Well. Whatever the case, you're always welcome here." She takes a sip. "Though I do hope this doesn't stir unnecessary confusion—for Liam, I mean. You know how much he used to care about your visits."

Laura ,setting her teacup down replied

"I know. But I'm not here to cause confusion. I'm just… finally being honest with myself."

A pause.

"Besides, I used to come by just to catch glimpses of Ethan when I said I was here for Liam. I think you suspected, even then."

Anna blinked. "I see."

Laura stood up, brushing an invisible speck from her coat. "I'll just go find him."

As Laura turned toward the hallway, Anna sat perfectly still, watching her go with a smile that no longer reached her eyes.

Once she was out of sight, Anna exhaled quietly.

"So the game changes."

In truth, Laura had always visited the Richardson estate partly in hopes of catching a glimpse of Ethan. Now, she didn't need an excuse.

After that day, Laura becomes a frequent presence at the Richardsons' sprawling estate. Her visits, once occasional and polite, take on a new rhythm—she's there almost every break at school, lounging in the family's sunroom with Ethan or walking the manicured gardens as if she belongs. The housekeepers learn her preferences—green tea, two sugars; never touches the house wine. She slips easily into their world, her silken charm and effortless elitism a mirror of what the Richardsons expect from a future daughter-in-law.

But Laura doesn't come alone for long.

Her mother, Danielle, begins to tag along, cloaked in soft diplomacy and designer scarves. Danielle is no fool; she knows power when she sees it. Stephanie Richardson is not just the matriarch of a powerful family—she is the brand. Warm, calculating, always three moves ahead. Danielle, with her society connections and curated smiles, imagines herself as a peer—a potential ally in a world where alliances matter more than affection.

So she tries.

She brings wine from her family's vineyard in France, the kind that's auctioned rather than sold. She compliments Stephanie's home, her philanthropic initiatives, even her controversial decisions in the company. She drops names like pearls in conversation, hoping to spark familiarity—perhaps even admiration.

But Stephanie? She sees right through it.

Stephanie listens with a tight smile, her sharp eyes flicking over Danielle like she's scanning a résumé. Politeness never falters, but the warmth never comes. In private, she calls Danielle's attempts what they are—networking in disguise. "She wants something," Steph once muttered to her husband, barely looking up from her notes. "They always do."

Danielle's smiles grow tighter with every visit, her laughter a bit too forced, her compliments increasingly hollow. She senses the ice beneath Stephanie's civility but doesn't know how to melt it. Unlike Laura, who blends into this world with innate confidence, Danielle stands at the gates—eager, ambitious, and unwelcome.

Meanwhile, Laura uses her growing closeness with Ethan to assert herself further in the Richardson social hierarchy. She drops hints about joint family vacations, casually speaks of "our future" in front of the staff, and increasingly takes on the role of Ethan's confidante. She's strategic, subtly implying her loyalty to the Richardson name. She'd joke with Henry, offering to help him out with some tasks, she gradually get Henry to like her for his son Ethan.

Liam, watching all this from the sidelines, grows warier by the day. He notices how Laura always arrives after a media article praises Ethan's rising image. He catches the way Danielle surveys the estate with thinly veiled hunger. And he sees how Stephanie never once asks Laura or her mother to stay for dinner—not out of forgetfulness, but pointed omission.

It was a golden afternoon on the Richardson estate, the sun slanting through the tall windows of the drawing room where delicate china clinked over muted conversation. Laura was out in the garden with Ethan—again—her laughter echoing faintly through the glass. Liam, nowhere to be seen, had retreated to his study hours ago.

Anna stood by the marble fireplace, posture perfect, manicured fingers wrapped around a crystal glass of white wine. Her eyes didn't leave the garden.

"I suppose your daughter's quite taken with Ethan these days," she said suddenly, her tone light but laced with frost.

Danielle, seated on the cream settee, blinked. "Oh?" she replied, adjusting her silk scarf. "They're just friends, Anna. Young people are always shifting, discovering... It's harmless."

Anna turned, her smile tight. "Is it? I remember when she used to follow Liam around like a lost puppy. Now she barely glances at him."

Danielle's lips curled into something polite. "Perhaps she's simply gravitating toward where she feels most… understood."

Anna set her glass down with a deliberate clink. "Let's not pretend this is some innocent detour, Danielle. Your daughter is smart—I'll give her that. But I know a climb when I see one."

Danielle didn't flinch. "And you think Ethan is the better ladder?"

"I think you've seen what Stephanie values lately," Anna replied, her eyes narrowing. "Ethan has been… publicly praised. Respected. He's not just the quiet grandson anymore—he's becoming visible. And your daughter, being the astute social reader she is, has switched loyalties. How convenient."

Danielle straightened, her voice smooth but firm. "Anna, with all due respect, your son seems more interested in headlines than heart. Laura may have sensed that. And frankly, if Ethan is gaining ground in the family, isn't it natural for her to align herself with the future?"

Anna's jaw clenched. "You're aligning yourself, don't pretend otherwise. Showing up here like clockwork, buttering Steph up with vineyard wine and flattery. What's the endgame, Danielle? A partnership? A seat on a board? A slice of the empire?"

Danielle gave a soft laugh, but there was steel beneath it. "I think it's wise for women like us to be where decisions are made, don't you? You were born into power, Anna. I built mine."

That hit its mark.

Anna stepped closer, lowering her voice. "You think Steph doesn't see through you? She tolerates you. She doesn't trust you. And believe me, she knows what Laura's little pivot means. She doesn't like opportunists."

Danielle's smile didn't falter. "Neither does she like chaos. And if Liam continues chasing image over integrity while Ethan plays the long game, you may find yourself clinging to a son who's lost the matriarch's favor. That's not my doing, Anna. That's yours."

Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken truths.

Anna picked up her wine glass again and stared out at the garden, where Ethan and Laura were still talking, too close, too comfortably. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "If your daughter thinks she can float between brothers without consequence, she's more naive than I thought."

Danielle stood, adjusting her purse, her posture regal. "Or maybe she's simply choosing the one with substance. Just like Steph might."

And with that, she walked out, leaving Anna alone in the drawing room—burning with quiet fury.

***********

Liam found Laura exactly where Ethan had left her—the east wing balcony, overlooking the tennis court. She stood poised against the railing, her hair catching the last of the sun, scrolling through her phone like nothing in the world was shifting beneath her feet.

"Comfortable?" Liam's voice cut through the quiet.

Laura turned, unfazed. "You sound like you're about to accuse me of theft."

"I might, if I knew what exactly you've taken." He stepped forward, eyes sharp. "Or should I say who."

Laura slid her phone into her clutch. "If this is about Ethan—"

"It is about Ethan," Liam snapped. "For a while now, you've barely said two full sentences to me unless the press was nearby. But Ethan? Suddenly he's your confidante, your tea partner, your little humanitarian project?"

Laura arched an eyebrow. "You think I'm using Ethan?"

"I think you're switching teams, and I want to know why."

Laura laughed softly, but there was no warmth in it. "You want to know why?"she smirked softly "don't stress me out Liam, you're not a kid."

"Oh I am" Liam shot back. "You used to understand that. You used to be in step with my vision—our future. Now you're giggling with Ethan in Steph's garden like you're applying for sainthood."

Laura's smile turned cool. "Maybe I'm just realizing the future I thought I wanted isn't the one I need."

He froze. "You've been playing this game with me since we were teenagers. Flirting. Posing. Making sure you were always seen. We made sense because we belonged together. I gave you space at my table, Laura. Don't pretend you didn't want it."

She stepped forward then, just enough for her voice to land with precision. "And maybe I realized I was just a guest, Liam—not a partner. You don't share space. You occupy it."

Liam's jaw tightened. "So this is about power?"

"It's about respect. Ethan sees people. You perform for them." Her voice softened just enough to be dangerous. "You're too obsessed with being seen by the world, always getting help from your mom but Ethan? He's paving his way himself. That's a true definition of a man."

That stung more than he'd admit.

He crossed his arms, trying to recover. "So what, you're falling for Ethan now? Is that it?"

Laura hesitated—just a beat too long.

And Liam, ever the showman, gave a short bitter laugh.

Her gaze didn't waver. "Pained, right?" She scoffs

For a moment, silence pressed between them like a third presence—angry, proud, unyielding.

Then Liam turned on his heel.

"Be careful, Laura," he said without looking back. "Steph sees everything. And unlike Ethan, she doesn't mistake sincerity for strategy."

He walked away, but the weight of her silence followed him like a shadow.