Haley Slater was the eldest of three siblings. After the death of their parents, she and her siblings had been taken in by their grandfather.
Going through something so traumatic while still so young, should have made the three of them closer. But instead it had served to do the opposite.
The three of them had grieved differently. Each shut away in their own little world, and when they had finally gotten out of that grief, it had seemed as though inadvertently they had built walls around themselves. Walls that prevented them from having a truly close sibling relationship.
And when Haley had decided to quit being the CEO of Slater Group. She had also played a hand, though an accidental one, in widening the gap between them. When she had left the second Slater sister, Emily, had stepped in to fill the space that Haley had created with her decision. And the youngest April had stayed on as the head of PR.
With both of her sisters still well entrenched in the company and Haley off doing her own thing.
Things between them were even more strained, but even so, the three of them often met up at their grandfather's place for dinner.
That particular Sunday happened to be one of the Sundays where they met up to see their grandfather, and catch up as much as they could with each other.
Such affairs were always strained( which was why Haley had skipped several weeks in a row), the three of them not really knowing what to say to each other. But they made a sure of at least trying to get along.
It was just always so very awkward and their grandfather was not helping at all.
"Have you changed your mind yet?" The old man asked.
He did not take his eyes off the giant projection in their home cinema, but Haley did not need to be looked at to know that her grandfather was talking to her.
It was a familiar conversation after all.
"No grandfather, I have not changed my mind, I still enjoy doing photography and I am certain that Emily enjoys being the CEO, she is very good at it," There was no denying anything that she had just said. But the old man just did not know when to let things be.
"Of course your sister is good at being the CEO, but you would have been better," Emily did not say anything, but from the corner of her eye Haley saw her flinch and she did not blame her.
Sometimes their grandfather seemed to forget that his words could hurt. Emily was doing her best, Haley was not lying about that and she really was good at it. But the old man only ever seemed to acknowledge it by comparing Emily and Haley. Something that Haley just knew did not sit right with her sister, because it most definitely did not sit right with her.
"For the last time grandfather, can we just enjoy our movie night? I am not going to change my mind, I enjoy being a photographer, leave it, "
'Not only that, I, the child that you are so set on making CEO again, happened to have actually gotten married without you knowing about it, not only that, I am married to Deacon Roth, the son of the Slater family's sworn enemies, so how is that?'
Haley did not say the last bit out loud, but it was very tempting to do. Instead of saying anything though, she simply reached for a handful of popcorn and stuffed all of them into her mouth, focusing on chewing. It was better to pay attention to that, than to say anything that could cause her grandfather to have a heart attack on the spot.
"You would never believe what happened that worked this week..." April bless her, tried to jump in. But their grandfather was not having it. If there was one thing that had become a favorite pastime for the old man. It was nagging Haley, especially since she had started doing things on her own, instead of following the path that he had mapped out for her.
"Fine then, your sister shall remain CEO," He said it as though his word was all that was needed for the decision and Haley could not help but roll her eyes. Her grandfather could be very old-fashioned sometimes.
Anyone else would have taken the words to mean that he was done, laying into her. But Haley knew better, so she braced herself.
But no matter how much mental bracing she did, there was no way to prepare for the words that left her grandfather's mouth next.
"You have left behind being the CEO, but have you at least reconsidered marriage. You know, I have it on very good authority that Prince Victor still holds quite the candle for you,"
The popcorn that she was chewing, soured in Haley's mouth, and she only swallowed it because it would have been rude to spit.
"Grandfather, stop bringing that man up. We were only together for a brief period of time and it ended. We are done, it's been years, you are the only one who still cares about it, let it go,"
But her grandfather did not, instead the old man gave her a smile, his eyes twinkling.
The wild hair that Haley herself had inherited, threatening to cover his eyes as he shook his head.
"That is where you are wrong. I am not the only one who still thinks that the two of you could have made a good match. Prince Victor still feels the same,"
The moment her grandfather finished speaking, the door to the home cinema opened and Haley's heart sank. Like the stuff of nightmares, a man walked through the door.
And that man was none other than Prince Victor.
He was handsome, no doubt about it, a sharp nose, well styled hair, his skin free of blemishes. His eyes constantly looking as though he were laughing at a joke only he could get.
But it was all a lie. The outward beauty was just a camouflage. Beneath the surface prince Victor was rotten to the core. A vile man that she had hoped never to see again. Yet he was in her grandfather's home, smiling at her like all was well.
Like Haley should be glad to see him.
Pushing back the sting of betrayal towards her family, and the shock of seeing her awful ex. Haley tried to center herself. Whatever was about to happen, she could not afford to show vulnerability.