Marriage & Shadows | K.TH ✔︎

54 | in on it

Before reading this chapter, I will suggest you skim over the last chapter to remember what happened.

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"What do you mean by you're giving me 5% of the shares at KM hotels and what do you mean Gabriel's actions, what did Gabriel do?"

"Drop by the hotel tomorrow and come see me," with that, Taesung hung up without waiting for her response. Electra tucked her phone back inside her pocket, staring at Antoinette who was indifferent to her surprised state and just went back to chopping vegetables.

"What just happened?" Electra questioned rhetorically.

"Miracle," Antoinette answered anyways, "Yes... I heard all what our 'father-in-law' said on the phone and I'm telling you, you shouldn't be so surprised. With all that Taehyung had put you through, you deserved more than 5% of KM hotel's shares. Darling, this is just the tip of the iceberg, many more will come and when it does, I want you to be the strongest version of yourself and show these people that you are not to be messed with."

Antoinette's words only made Electra more confused than she thought could be possible. The circumstances were weighing too much on her mental health that she was unable to refrain from burying her face into her palms and sobbing gut-wrenchingly.

"Why can't I just have a normal life like other people?" Electra let out muffled, in between her sobs.

"No one has a normal life. Everyone's rather faking it to others or lying to themselves," Antoinette said even though Electra sought no answer to her question.

"First, my family showed nothing but hostility towards me then suddenly, they pushed me into an arranged marriage with a despicable family who only wanted to exploit children from me, then you suddenly showed up after abandoning me all these years, telling me the man I looked up to all my life isn't my biological father. I feel like I'm a spawn in everyone's game."

Antoinette knew Electra would be baffled greatly when the real truth gets revealed to her but it broke her heart more than she thought it would to watch Electra break down mentally in front of her. As much as Antoinette hated seeing Electra in a state like that, she would still make the same decision if she was to go back in time.

"You're not a spawn in everyone's game, Electra. You're a factor that is able to build or destroy three big families. You're actually powerful than you think. You have more influence than you think and with enough planning, you will undoubtedly become the most powerful woman on this planet. Think of what you went through as a process to ruling the world," Antoinette words were able to pull Electra's interest and halted her sobs.

"What do you mean?" Electra asked.

"Before we start anything, I need you to be aware of everything that has happened since the beginning. You want to be the game master instead of the player, right?"

"Yes?" hesitantly, Electra answered but it came out as a question more.

"It was almost thirty years ago, mind you, I was a stripper surviving on scraps and being maltreated by the club I work for but thanks to my luck, I met two men from wealthy families, Jimmy Cunningham and Drake Devon. Of course, they both wanted me and I had to choose one of them but I was greedy and decided to go out with both of them. Things escalated and I got pregnant with you, Drake's child but I made a decision to give you to Jimmy instead because I thought he'd take better care of you. Ten years passed and Jimmy never reached my expectations because he was basically leaving at his wife's mercy, I had to live in hiding so his wife wouldn't find out about our existence and I thought I had enough and I needed to have my own money which led me to blackmailing Drake with you. He gave into the threats and gave me a large amount of money, under the condition of getting rid of you. Of course, I wasn't going to kill my own daughter so I sent you to Jimmy's home with a letter saying I died. I went out of the country for a few months and came back to start businesses under the name madam shadow and before I knew it, I had tons of successful business going, both legal and illegal. Simply put, I'm wealthy now. What I want to do now and what I've been planning for a long time is taking everything Drake cared about so much away from him; his wealth. He should never have given such ridiculous condition that costed me to be apart from my daughter, into Jimmy's evil hands at that. Jimmy too, his entire family maltreated you and even dared use you to get their businesses back, he will also be losing everything he owned... and the Kims, their only crime was giving life to the monster named Kim Taehyung."