Chapter 2

 

"I believe you would love to confirm if your father did lend it a signature," he mumbled.

"No, it's alright, Mr. Lodoff. You can proceed."

Laying his eyes out of the pair of glasses gazing at me, he opened the second envelope. It was rather small but bumpy, leaving us all wondering what was really on the inside. As he tore it open, out fell a small piece of paper that he hurriedly picked up and loudly read:

"This be opened and read by my daughter, Tara Marinda Lyle. Privately it initiated."

As it ended, we all gazed at him, eager to peek at what was inside the envelope.

"Hand it over, sir," demanded Edward, the guild maid.

He then smoothly handed me the envelope. To my startle, on the inside was a black candle, a key, and a few more papers, prompting me to request to be left alone for the moment.

Inside my very own envelope was a long note that read:

"You might be a young child, but you're valuable. You are what our world needs. By now, as you read this letter, I may be dead or missing. I want you to trust and believe in whatever goes on with your life from now on. You are special, different, and extraordinary. That's why we had to take you away at birth.

I left you everything you need; it might not seem much, but from me, it's enough. Your father, though not good at expressing himself, accepted and loved us both. In all his wits, he managed to protect us, me, and you until the very last minute of his breath. They say he had heart problems, but to you, I will confess the truth. I killed him myself, with my own bare hands, and he wanted me to. He asked me to. And I did as he pleased.

I strangled him to his own death, and I couldn't help tears run down my uncensored eyes. Right now, I believe you're just old enough to take all this in. Your father was a warlock, a witch. But a good one, of course. He was a very kind and generous man, hardworking and loving. I fell in love with him one spring night, and two months later, on the tenth of September fifteen ninety-five, we were married, and I moved into his mansion the same night. We were happy and in love. Yes, until now. But it reached a time when all he wanted was an heir. He had not seen a woman except me and still wasn't willing to see one, despite the fact that I couldn't bear him a child for five years in a row.

He still believed we would make it. By this time, I had not the idea that he was a warlock. He was just so charming. He always made things happen, which was so amazing. And then, on one of his yearly tours, this time he had to take a year out in the wilderness. He loved hunting, so he would at times go round with his boys and spend all of the time in the jungle. In sixteen and two, is when he had his very last trip; he went and took a year out there, and to my surprise, after three months in my normal days as a woman, I realized that I was pregnant. I wouldn't believe it at first. It's not like I had cheated on my husband. I didn't see any other man except him, and only he had touched me and seen my nakedness.

I was terrified and didn't know what to explain to him. How could I be pregnant yet he had been away for three months? I made a decision to hide my belly from anyone. No one knew I was expecting a child. Locked myself on the inside for as long as the nine months would last, waiting for you to get to earth. It was a countdown for me, nine months down the road, and I wasn't getting any sign of giving birth. Two months, three months. When I started realizing his delay too. Back in the wilderness. On the fourth scary month, he surprisingly returned. Just on his way inside the mansion, all he demanded was to see me. I did ask Edward to keep him out but how could he. It was his boss. So just like that, he found me laying on the bed in terror with my big belly. As soon as he saw me, his eyes ran to you straight, and he muttered, 'You're finally pregnant love.' I was surprised; he didn't ask a word about it. He just knew, he was bearing a child and insisted that you were kept away from the world. Two days after his return, I gave birth to you, and as soon as he had you in his arms and named you. He asked his carriage be ready for he was taking you far away. He didn't let me touch you or feel you. He didn't let me get attached to you. He just rode you away, and when he returned. He explained his reasons. I was a bit terrified, for I didn't know what to say but still trusted him. Knowing the person you are is all up to you. I won't detail you words, but just letting you know that you are not as the rest.

Your mother.

Annette Lyle."

I did think I understood what she was trying to narrate to me in the letter but couldn't believe it. First, it was the killing, then the witch thing. I smirked and called Mr. Lodoff and the rest to continue with the declaration. I handed him his letter still sealed and settled into my chair.

"Proceed if you can," said I. Lodoff slowly opened his envelope that he at once started reading:

"As declared by my husband Flynn Lyle, in my possession is everything to my daughter Tara Lyle as at my very own death. She is at the very start the owner of the Lyle stock, premises, and businesses as publicly and privately known by the laws.

Down below laid her signature. And names. 'As the wills of the late Mr. and Mrs. Lyle.

Everything is declared to you, Miss Tara Marinda Lyle.' Deemed Edward, whose face I read to be at its most frown. I then went up to my feet, thanking all the gentlemen that stood in my presence. From that very night, I owned a hundred percent of the Lyle. I knew it. I was rich and didn't know what to do with everything at my hand."