Chapter 20.

Gabrielle.
"My head hurts." I complained to Layla as soon as she walked into my office.
"Should I get you some pain killers?" She asked.
"You shouldn't be asking that you fool and while you're at it, get me something to eat as well. I haven't had anything to eat today and I'm starving." I said to her and she nodded calmly before attempting to leave and then stopping abruptly.
"What now?" I asked irritatedly.
"I'm sorry miss, it's just that I forgot to tell you that a man by the name Martin Deville is here to see you and he says it's important." She informed me and I frowned.
What exactly does that fool want now?
"Let him in." I tell her and she gives a quick bow before walking out.
The annoying figure of Gabriella's best friend graces my vision and I immediately had a bad feeling about his visit. Martin isn't the type to just go around paying unnecessary visits to people, most especially me, since he hates my guts so his sudden 'important' visit is pretty suspicious.
"What do you want, Martin?" I hissed the minute Martin walked into my office and sat comfortably like he owns that place.
" Oh, my apologies for barging in like this Elle but I couldn't help myself. I had to come deliver the good news to you myself. My question now is, can you guess what that is?" He asks and I frown.
"I doubt you have any news that I would find in any way interesting, much less refer to it as good news. So how about you just get straight to your reason for being here." I retorted irritatedly and he smirks.
"Well, it seems you're a little crankier than usual today and since I also don't have all day, I'll get straight to the purpose of my visit but I'd like to ask this. Do you perhaps know anyone by the name Richard Anderson?" He asks out of the blue and I deadpan.
A weird feeling of panic washes over me as soon as I hear Martin call out that name, a name I haven't thought of in a really long time.
Richard Anderson is none other than my late dad's personal lawyer and he happens to be the only one besides my mother and I who knows the real heir to Elite Fashion.
"H... how exactly do you know him and why in the world are you asking me such a question?" I asked, earning a curious stare from him.
"I'm sorry Elle, but did I scare you or something? Your face suddenly went pale and you don't look too well," he mocked and I immediately clenched both my fists.
"Don't you dare play with fire Deville or I swear, you'll get burnt." I warned him through gritted teeth and he breaks into a loud guffaw that irritates me to no end.
"I'm dead serious Martin! I don't know what game you're playing here and frankly, I don't care but if you go snooping around in other people's business, then be sure you're ready to face deadly consequences." I warned him again, this time raising my voice a little more than I intended.
"Look here Elle, I didn't walk in here on my own free will just to have you threaten me. I'm only here to let you know that I know everything you did and I'm happy to announce that your plan failed darling." He replied, and I frowned.
"What the hell are you talking about?" I hissed.
"Did you really think that I'd let you fool Gabriella into signing over her inheritance to you?" He taunted and my jaw dropped.
"W...what are you talking about you fool? What inheritance would I want to steal from Ella?" I asked nervously.
"Oh come on Elle, don't play dumb with me. I know for a fact that you're not the rightful heir to this company darling and I also happen to know that you made Ella sign a transfer of ownership to you. You see Elle, you and your mother may think you're wise but at the end of the day, you're both the biggest fools," he replied and Lord knew, I was losing it.
"You don't know what you're talking about Martin. I never made her sign anything like that because nothing here belongs to her. Everything here is mine Martin. It's all mine!" I yell back at him furiously.
"Really? It's yours? Well, why don't I believe you so much? Oh, maybe because I also happen to have a copy of the original will that your late father left behind!" he said and I froze.
"You made poor Gabriella believe that her father didn't love her and you cruelly took everything from her! You and your mother don't have complete rights over this business and you know it!" He roared loudly, shaking me out of my temporary daze.
"You are c...crazy Martin. You d... don't know what you're talking about. Dad left everything to me and there's nothing you can do to change that! I'd appreciate it if you take your useless speculation out of my office immediately!" I hissed back at him, trying my best to control my temper and keep my cool.
"Don't worry Elle, I'll be leaving soon but not before I let you know that it's over for you and your mother. You've both been here long enough and I think it's high time the rightful owner takes back what belongs to her."
"I only came here to let you know this so you can be prepared to resign but if you want to be thrown out like a thief, then be my guest darling. I don't mind kicking you out of here anyway, it'd be a dream come true for me." He said and with that, got up to leave but I stopped him.
"Listen carefully to me Martin, if you dare to try anything foolish at all, I'll make sure you never use those legs of yours ever again. So take my good advice and walk away while you still can cause the moment you decide to butt into my family business with your stupid accusations, I won't be very nice." I warned him strictly.
"Is that a threat Elle?" He asked me the obvious and I rolled my eyes.
"Since you claim to be so wise, then you should know better. Just be warned Deville." I replied to him snappily and he chuckled a bit before turning around and heading out.
****
"MOM! MOM! MOM!" I called out as soon as I walked into the house.
Throwing my bag and shoes off carelessly, I hurried towards her bedroom like a raging bull.
Why in the world are you yelling like that? Did something happen?" Mom asked as soon as I walked into her room.
She stares back at me with a confused expression and I realize that the reason she looked so confused is because of how rapidly I'm breathing. You can't blame me though cause right now, I'm furious.
"Mom, who else knows about dad's original will?" I asked, and she frowned.
"Why would you suddenly ask me that? Asides you and I, who else would I tell?" She retorted, I hissed.
"What about Richard? You told me that he has been taken care of and last I remember, he's the only one who knows about the original will…," I'm saying but she cuts me off.
"Tell me exactly why you're bringing all this up Gabrielle. You already got your sister to sign over the company to you so who cares about the previous will?" She hissed and I let out a frustrated groan.
"You're wrong mom, you're wrong! That idiot Martin knows everything and he came to my office earlier to threaten me mom." I informed her and I could tell she was just as confused as I was.
"What? Which one of the Martins?" She asked.
"Which other one would I be talking about mom? It's that idiot that keeps following Gabriella everywhere. He told me that he knows everything and that supposedly my plan to get Ella to transfer the property to me failed. He also had the effrontery to threaten me by asking me to resign if I didn't want to get thrown out. Can you believe that!" I yelled furiously and surprisingly, she started to chuckle.
"It's not funny mom!" I yelled at her but she didn't stop.
"I don't get what you find so funny mom but this is serious! If we don't do something about that idiot, he might do something about his threatening mom. I don't know about you but I'm not ready to get thrown out of my own company." I said to her and she frowned.
"So you think I actually want to get thrown out? Elite fashion has been my life for the last thirty years of my life Gabrielle. Your father and I founded that place together and I don't plan on handing it over to a slowpoke like your sister." She hisses sharply and I sigh.
"Well, we're talking mom and this isn't the time to be talking. We need to find out how Martin knows everything and what exactly he's planning on doing with whatever he has." I told her.
"I'll take care of him, Elle but first, I need to understand why in the world that young man thinks he has the right to actually threaten us." Mom says and a thought suddenly pops in my head.
"Mom, I think I have an idea as to why he's so confident." I muttered slowly as realization started to hit me hard and Lord knows, I'm panicking.
"What is it, Gabrielle? What's with that look on your face?" She asks.
"How many percent shares did dad leave to Gabriella?" I ask.
"Well, he owned thirty-five percent shares and he gave them all to her but how is that relevant in this conversation?" She replied and my heart dropped.
"How many percent belongs to you?" I asked and her frown deepens.
"Can I at least know why you're asking?" She snaps impatiently and I shakily start to explain.
"Well recently, I checked on our list of shareholders and I surprisingly found out that Martin had been buying shares from our company for a while now..." I'm explaining and she immediately cuts me off.
"Wait, what! You mean you found this out and you never told me? What the hell were you thinking Gabrielle?" She yelled angrily at me and I could feel myself visibly shaking. The dark look in mom's eyes completely scares the hell out of me.
"I...I'm so...sorry m...mom. I didn't think he would one day threaten me like this. I thought he only bought it because he wanted to screw Ella over something. I'm very sorry mom." I muttered shakily as tears started to roll down my cheeks profusely.
"Sorry, can't fix this Gabrielle. That young man has been planning whatever is going on in that head for a long time now and we have to stop him no matter what! How many percent shares belong to him?" She asked.
"T...twenty percent." I replied.
"Shit!" She cursed out of nowhere and I knew the minute she looked back at me, that I messed up.
"Listen carefully to me Elle, in this business, there's only one way to take care of this kind of mistake and the only way to do it is by making sure the people behind it don't see the light of day ever again. So, whatever happens my dear, be prepared for it. No one Gabrielle, absolutely no one can take what's ours. They can only die trying." She simply said and immediately walked out of her room to lord knows where.
I let out a shaky sigh of relief as soon as she was out of sight and a feeling of hate overwhelmed me as thoughts of Martin's smug look popped up in my head.
"You'll pay for this with your life Deville. I swear to God, you will." I muttered to myself slowly and I meant every word I said.