𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓼 • 𝒜𝓇𝓇ℴ𝓌

0.4| 𝒮𝑒𝒸𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓁𝒾𝑒𝓈

-🌹-

'Chloé, thank you for coming.'

Walter thanked as he offered a light embrace, Chloé simply smiled tightly, taking a steady breath. Wearing a simple black blazer, rose red dress, flower pattern tights and black heels.

'It's no problem, Walter.' She responded, despite the fact it was most defiantly a problem and she was most uncomfortable in the presence of all the reports and press, and didn't truly know how exactly she'd wound up here.

Right, of course, Walter had asked her. Something about how she needed to 'Get out of the house'. So here she was, at the opening of the Queen Consolidated's new applied sciences building.

Though it was something Liliane took a great deal of interest in. Maybe she'd take Walter up on that tour he'd offered her and take a few pictures for her. In truth Chloé could only just keep up with what she was saying most of the time when it came to physics.

'What's this? I wasn't expecting to see you here.' John's smooth voice remarked from behind her, turning Chloé was greeted with a smile 'Aren't you supposed to be at the hospital right about now?'

'Nope, I work the night shift on Thursday's and I was invited. Walter's an old friend remember.' She answered, John giving a hum of understanding, Chloé glancing around, 'Ditched by Oliver again?' taking a long breath he gave a tense nod and though she laughed. Chloé couldn't help but feel it was for the best.

Walter's clear voice cut through the buzz on the crowd as he walked onto the stage, 'Good afternoon, and thank you all for coming. Welcome to the future site of the Robert Queen Memorial Applies Sciences Centre.' Walter began, igniting a round of applause, with a smile Walter continued. 'Now this is a building that will stand as a monument to the man whose company and vision are his greatest legacies.-'

A familiar voice sharply cut through the crowd, 'Whoa!' turning, Chloé saw Oliver approaching, grabbing a glass of champagne as he went, she glanced to John taking a breath the two sharing a knowing look,

'Oh, boy.' They mumbled, able to see where this was going already. And it was in no way good.

'What about me, right? I'm a legacy.' He declared, marching up to the stage, much to the total horror of his family 'Hey, thanks for warming em' up Walt.' He jumped up onto the stage next to Walter, his mother standing up to try and stop him, however he quickly shushed her, taking the gold shovel from Walter's hands, pretending to almost drop it, finally he turned to the podium 'Some of you may not know me. My name is Oliver Queen.' he paused, glancing over the crowd 'Uh, watch some television. Read a newspaper. I'm kind of famous right now. Mostly though, I'm famous because I'm Robert Queen's son. But as Walter, who's my new dad, huh?' He turned to Walter who looked well and truly unimpressed and Chloé couldn't blame him, 'Sorry. As Walter was saying, I'm not much of a legacy, per se, and-'

Walter stepped forward trying to cut Oliver off, 'Oliver, you don't have to do this.' He mumbled, but Oliver still resisted, placing the back of his hand on Walter's chest,

'No, sit, sit!' He said, Walter reluctantly backed away, sitting down on the edge of his seat, well and truly at his wits end. 'See, I was supposed to come here today. And I'm supposed to take my rightful place at the company. Prodigal son returns home and becomes the-the heir apparent. But I'm not my father, I'm not the man he was.' His smile dropped, his expression becoming cold and bitter. 'I'm not half the man he was. I never will be. So please, stop asking me to be.' With that Oliver turned, planting the shovel into the dirt and waltzed of the stage.

With a final glance to Chloé, John followed after him. Leaving the crowds murmuring and whispering in hushed tones. While Chloé could only sigh.

That was not how she had been expecting that to go at all. But then nothing in life ever really went according to her plan.