Mikal looked over his balcony at the house on the hill. It had been lifeless in the past years. Weeds had grown over some parts of the mansion, and the trees raged, uncontrolled on the land. The shine had vanished after a few years, and its rugged appearance became more than an aesthetical choice. Mikal had looked at that house for years, and it had been just that, a house.

Since he came back, it was unrecognizable. The trees that blocked the house view from his balcony were gone, the weeds removed from the walls, and the stones cleaned. The house was alive.

"Mikal!" Hallan wrestled with the curtains as he walked onto the balcony.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Clearing my head."

"A lot of working since you came back."

"Yeah. Maybe too much work."

As he stood watching the mansion, Mikal wondered why he was so bent on involving himself with what she wanted to do. He didn't want her to harm his family unnecessarily. But aside from buying shares, she had done nothing else against them. Yet, he filled his head with the prospects of what she might do. He found himself obsessing over her next move. The more he thought about it, the more he seemed to think about her.

"Mom and Dad are having a row downstairs."

Mikal frowned. "What happened?"

"Eh, Mom's upset because one of those girls," he jutted his chin towards the mansion. "Joined her club thing."

"Housewives club?" He asked incredulously, and Hallan nodded. "But she isn't married."

"Huh?"

"Keziah."

"Not Keziah. The second oldest, uh, Kamari."

"Right. Wait, still, what?"

"Apparently, she has her eyes set on the presidency."

That startled laugh out of Mikal. He shook his head. "Kamari is what twenty-something? Thirty? There is no way women in their forties and fifties are going to let her sit as president."

"Maybe not, but it's sending Mom into a spiral. So, there has to be a possibility."

"I don't get it."

"Get what?"

"Those women bought shares in our company, and for the past week, it's like our parents are unfazed. Then they join a club, and Mom's heated?"

"Mom was heated enough when she barged in on me and Grace. She would have torn Grace apart."

"Her anger at your blatant disregard for your shares was the main part of her anger." Hallan nodded and looked away. "She is still angry, but neither of them is angry enough to be worried. They are just...irritated."

"And why are you so worried?"

He immediately thought to say that he was trying to protect their family, but the response remained on his tongue. He couldn't say what made him worry, but a tightness settled at the centre of his chest whenever he thought of their situation. It was so potent sometimes he felt he could even call it... fear.

That was it.

Fear.

"I don't know." He replied with a shrug.

"Mom thinks they can't do anything to hurt us. Besides, the shares aren't free. That's basically their money invested into our company. I don't know anyone so bitter they would flush millions down the drain."

"Then you don't know how vengeful people can be."

"I know," Hallan replied defensively. "I know the lengths people could go to to get even, but they have more power owning our company than tearing it down. We are currently the biggest earners in this town. We should be more worried about them trying to take us out than trying to run us into the ground."

Mikal froze his brain processing Hallan's theory, and he immediately berated himself for never looking at that angle. He faced Hallan, and his brother smirked.

"Never thought about that, huh?" Hallan scoffed. "I thought so."

"It never crossed my mind."

"It was the only thing on mine. I told Mom, but she laughed me off. Everyone thinks it would be hard for them to buy enough shares to do this, but determination goes a long way."

Mikal nodded. "She kept saying it, you know. I just thought she was lying."

"She?"

"Keziah Pope."

"You've spoken to her."

"The night of the party."

"What did she say?"

"She kept repeating that she wasn't trying to bring our company down, that it wasn't the point of buying the shares. I never believed it. I was looking to spot the lie. I mean, why else would she buy shares, I'd think. Now..." Mikal shook his head in disbelief. "She was telling the truth."

"I mean, I am not sure."

"No. No. Don't do that. Don't second-guess yourself. You're right."

Mikal smiled weakly. "What makes you so sure."

"I just am."

"Then maybe you can convince our parents." Hallan stepped back and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's about to be time for dinner, just don't bring up the presidency thing. You know how they get at the table."

"Yeah. I'll be down soon."

As Hallan left, Mikal looked back at the house with wonder. Keziah made it a point to always answer his questions bluntly. No matter what he asked, she replied with a straight face. That was her strategy. And probably the strategy that she and her family returned to the town to execute. If everyone believed they wanted to take revenge by tearing things down, they wouldn't listen to anything else. Why would they think Keziah has her eyes set on owning the company? Why would they be worried about that? They were so sure she'd rather see it burned to the ground.

It also made him think. They were using his family as a smoke screen. Mikal was ready to bet that everyone had bets on what the girls might do with them. The Housewives Club was the only club his mother was a part of. It would be easy to believe they were only trying to irk his mother and their family by inserting themselves into every aspect of their lives. But there were two other women in that club, Beauty Mason and Vannessa Conway. Those two women also had a say in their father's trial.

The gate of the mansion opened, and Mikal turned. He saw the curls first and knew exactly who it was. He couldn't see her clearly from his balcony, but her long curls glowed in the warmth of the late-setting sun. She turned her head up to the sky and stood there. His breath shallowed, but he didn't look away.

When she started to move, he found himself leaning on the railings to watch her. He needed to stop his obsession with her plans and his rallying to turn the scope of her anger from his family. It was consuming in its own way. He hadn't had a thought to himself since he saw her at that party and in the office.

"Stop." He quietly scolded himself but faltered in surprise when Keziah stopped moving.

Her head snapped around, and she was staring straight at the house. Mikal didn't notice when he held his breath, wondering if she could see him from there. He saw her better as she drew closer but still couldn't make out her face. He couldn't tell if she was smiling or frowning. But knowing how she got whenever she had the chance to push his buttons, he was willing to bet that she would be smiling if she could see it was him on the balcony. She didn't move or turn away. She stood there watching him watch her.

The tension snapped when she lifted her hands in salute. Devin shook his head, unsurprised. She faced the road and walked away, and he bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling. He wanted to leave things be and allow his parents to handle the situation however they wanted. He suspected Keziah planned to get under his skin, but he couldn't let her win. If he backed down, he would be leaving the door open for her to play her best hand. His parents were refusing to see a threat. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't leave things to them. He shook his head and turned away from the balcony.

Mikal jogged downstairs and smiled at his family seated at the table.

"Evening, everyone."

"Thank goodness. We were about to send Hallan back up for you. What kept you?"

"I got lost in thought. Dinner smells delicious."

"Yes. The chef outdid herself. And you are serving tonight's dinner."

"With pleasure."

He took their plates and dished a healthy serving of food for everyone. Mikal kept himself from discussing anything work-related until after dinner. His parents excused themselves from the table and went into their study to talk. After a knowing look between him and Hallan, Mikal stood up to join them. He knocked on the door and waited for the conversation to quiet before he walked in.

"Everything okay?" His mother asked.

"Yes. May I sit?"

"Of course." His mother nodded, and he sat beside her, facing his dad.

"What's going on?"

"Hallan told me you had a problem at the club today."

"Psh, don't worry about that. It's nothing serious. Those girls are simply playing childish games that will get them nowhere."

"Right." He breezed, tucking his chin in the crook of his palm.

"They think they are at their father's level, but they will soon realise nothing has changed since they came back to town. Money can buy a lot, but it can't buy the respect of people."

"Right. I mean, with a title like "Daughters of the Demon." Who would want to align themselves with people like that."

His mother held his direct gaze before replying. "Is there something you want to say?"

"Why are you guys still acting like this?"

"Like?"

"Like nothing is going on?"

"Why are you so worried? Do you know something we don't?"

"No."

"Then trust us. Don't let their antics rattle you. They can't buy any more shares from our company without our knowledge. As soon as shares go on sale, we buy them. With the club, they are trying to push my buttons, that's all. After a couple of weeks with the group, Kamari would lose interest."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"Yes."

"Then you haven't gauged past your prejudices how far those girls are willing to go."

"They can't—"

"Say's who!" Mikal calmly exploded, cutting his dad off. "You? They can't. They can't. They can't. Can you both stop acting like they are still children? You called me here with urgency because Hallan sold his shares. Then I get here, and you act like it's suddenly under control."

"It is." His mother assured.

"So, you know what they want then? You've hired someone to look into them? Do you have your eyes on their business? Do you know their allies? Despite what you believe, there will be people who align with them. Do you know them?"

"Son, nothing is going to happen." His father responded.

Mikal found himself losing patience. There had to be something his parents were hiding. A hidden agreement between to two of them that gave them an upper hand he didn't know existed. His parents sometimes kept their plans between them because they didn't want to burden their children with it. It wouldn't be the first time. It would be the only explanation he could see for why they were behaving like he was the only one reading into their current situation.

"You asked me if there is something I know that is making me worried. Let me ask you the same thing. Do you know something that I don't? Something that is keeping you this calm because I would like to know."

His father shook his head. "We have dealt with their family before, son. We won then. Against a man more threatening and more deadly. These girls are nothing compared to their father. All their childish games will sum up to nothing."

"They hate us."

"That's not news. They hate everyone."

"I don't know if you remember, but your testimony was key to getting her father incarcerated. Then you went further to patronize the rest of their family, mother and daughters. They had to leave town because of you."

"Are you taking their side? We only spoke the truth. That family was a stain on our town, and we only brought to light was true."

"I am not taking anyone's side. I am reminding you why they are here. They are not here to shake your hand or let bygones be bygones. They are not here to make friends and own a share in our company. They are here for revenge. If anything we would suffer more than anyone else that took the stand. They see you as the enemy, and whether they have the funds or not, they want to see our family destroyed. And I need to see that you understand this. Because it's driving me insane how nonchalant you both are about this."

"What do you want us to do, son?" His mother asked.

"React!"

"React?"

"Do something. Say something. Or share with me what is keeping you so calm."

Mikal leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. He looked between his parents, understanding they were stuck at an impasse. They couldn't see why he was anxious, and he couldn't see why they weren't. With nothing left to say, he quietly made his final point.

"I am afraid." He finally confessed. "Not of them, but for us. I don't feel right, and I can't put my finger on what is causing that. I can't help it, and it doesn't help that you both behave like this. You don't have to be as anxious as I am. That's fine. But I would hate to think you are this calm, not because you have an ace in your hand, but because you are too busy underestimating the problem."