Seeds of Revenge

The days that followed Malcolm's funeral were plunged into grief, anger, and smoldering tension in the Sebastian household. The pain of losing her father had begun to congeal inside Daniella, turning into something darker, more consuming. Every glance at Victoria, every reminder of a trial, and every mention of the sacrifices her father had made only fanned the flames that burned within. Daniella sat in her room, the blinds drawn, and what was once a tidy space was now cluttered with papers and photos strewn everywhere. She spent hours poring over old family albums, stopping at pictures of her father's proud smile, those moments shared so well. But those happy memories were tainted by this sharp sting of loss; every page turned into a harsh reminder of what she could never get back. She flung the album aside, growing increasingly frustrated. How could this have all gone so wrong? How had her family, once so tight and impenetrable, been broken up by the presence of one person? In Daniella's opinion, the answer was only too obvious. Victoria, she knew, was at the epicenter of it all, the prime catalyst to the chaos that had turned their lives upside down. As Daniella made her way back to the room, tonight's highlight seemed to replay in her mind like a record that refused to stop. And her words to Victoria continued ringing in her mind: a temporary feeling of relief from finally having expressed anger, yet it didn't feel enough. Not by a distant shot. Victoria's tearful apologies and promises were just words to her words from a woman who had brought heartache into their home. "No," Daniella whispered to herself, thinning her eyes at the photo of Victoria and Louis, beaming on their wedding day. Wrath boiled her blood. "She doesn't just get to walk away from this. She doesn't get to be happy." She pulled out her laptop and started to type, bringing up every article, every document relating to Victoria's trial and Malcolm's involvement in the events leading to his death. She went through all the details, like a jigsaw puzzle of events in chronological order. The more she read, the more her anger festered, turning into a vengeful determination. "She's going to pay," Daniella said in a low tone, cold as ice it was. "I'll see to it." She knew she had to be very careful around him. Louis was already feeling jittery, torn between his wife and his sister and brother, the family he grew up with. The slightest wrong move, and he would be pushed further away, and as much as Daniella resented Victoria, she did not want to lose her brother through that process. But she couldn't just sit by and let Victoria continue to weave her way deeper into their lives, pretending to be part of a family that she had helped to destroy. Daniella started making a list of contacts-people she knew from her father's business circles, associates who might still owe her family a favor. She wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for, but she knew there had to be some leverage, some way to expose Victoria for who she really was. Daniella wasn't naive enough to believe that she could overturn the court's decision, but she didn't need to. She just needed to ruin Victoria in the eyes of those who mattered most. She picked up her phone and began to scroll through contacts as her mind juggled possibilities. She stopped on the name of an old friend, one who had a knack for digging up dirt and making problems disappear. Daniella hesitated, thumb hovering over the call button. She couldn't turn back the hands of time, but the thought of Victoria continuing her life like nothing was wrong proved to be a disaster to bear. Daniella pressed the call button and waited as the line rang. She tapped her foot impatiently, each second an eternity, until finally, that ring was answered by a familiar voice at the other end. "Daniella? Long time," the voice greeted, and there was even a hint of surprise in his tone. "What's up?" "Hey, Sam," Daniella said, trying to catch her voice as emotions slid up and down her spine. "I need a favor. And it's... it's kind of a big one." Sam chuckled low in his throat. "Big favors are my specialty. What do you need? Daniella looked again at the photo of Victoria and Louis, her jaw setting. "I need information," she said, more resolute now. "On someone close to me. Someone who's been causing a lot of pain in my family." Sam's tone shifted, grave with seriousness. "Okay. I'm listening." Daniella took a deep breath in, her fingers tight over the phone. "Her name is Victoria Sebastian. She's married to my brother, and she is the reason my father is dead. I need anything you can find out: skeletons, secrets, anything that can bring her down. There was a moment of silence from the other end before the sound of fingers on the keyboard came across the line. "Victoria Sebastian," Sam repeated thoughtfully. "I've heard of her. She has been in the news a lot recently, right? The whole court case thing?" Exactly," Daniella said, her voice clipped. "She got off because of my father's intervention. But I know there's more to it. I want you to dig deeper. I want to make sure she pays for what she's done." Sam hesitated. "Are you sure about this, Daniella? This could get messy. And if she's married to your brother- "I don't care," Daniella snapped, her patience wearing thin. "I need this, Sam. I need to make her understand that she can't just walk away from what she's done to us." Sam sighed, but Daniella could hear the familiar click of keys in the background. "Alright. I'll see what I can do. But just know, this isn't going to be easy. Or cheap." "Money's not an issue," Daniella hastily reassured her. "Just do whatever it takes." They rang off, and Daniella hurled her phone onto the bed, as by now her mind was racing with the possibilities. She had just taken that first step and set the plan in motion, and there was no turning back from here. She was playing with fire, but she was prepared to risk anything if that was what it was going to take to make Victoria pay. Her door creaked open, and Daniella looked up to Louis standing in the doorway, the wear on his face real. He had been trying to hold the family together, but the obvious strain was beginning to show on his face and in his lackluster eyes. "Daniella," Louis said softly, stepping inside. "We need to talk." Daniella bristled, her guard immediately up. "What is it, Louis?" "I know you're angry," Louis began, soft but firm, while joining her. "I'm angry too. But this isn't the way. We need a way to move forward in this together." Daniella rolled her eyes as her patience finally thinned. "You always say that, Louis. But moving forward doesn't mean forgetting what happened. It doesn't mean letting her get away with it." Louis let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the back of his neck, fumbling for the right words. "I am asking you to forget. I am asking you to think about what Dad wanted; he wouldn't want us tearing each other apart like this. "Don't you dare tell me what Dad would have wanted," Daniella spat, her voice rising. "He's not here, Louis! He's gone and it's because of her. So don't stand there acting like all will be well if we just hold hands and sing Kumbaya." Louis winced, his shoulders sagging as he leaned against the doorframe. "I'm not saying it's going to be fine. I am just asking you to let go of this anger before it destroys you." Daniella's face hardened, her resolution unswerving. "I'm not the one who's going to be destroyed," she said softly. "Not anymore. Louis would have opened his mouth to reply, but the latter was dismissed by Daniella as she turned her back to him, as if waving her hand at him. "Just leave me alone, Louis. I need to figure this out on my own. Louis stood for a moment, his gaze fixed on his sister as an expression of sadness tinged with exasperation crossed his face. He knew that whatever she had planned wasn't going to go well, but once more, he knew it would only push her further away if he tried to stop her. "Okay," Louis said finally, his voice heavy with resignation. "But just remember Daniella, this isn't what Dad would have wanted, and it's not what I want either. Daniella didn't say a word. She was already back to her work at hand. While Louis left the room, she sat staring at her laptop screen, her fingers almost suspended over the keys. She was all in now, fueled by a hate that had festered into something unstoppable. Victoria would pay. One way or another, Daniella was sure to make it happen. And this time, she wouldn't be silenced.