Cassian's PoV
Mom paced around as she held a cup of wine in her hand. "That bastard! I can't believe he did that to us! How dare he?! And that stupid boy, Damien, bringing the bastards here. He's mocking us! To think we have to share the inheritance with those dirty bastards!"
I sighed and took a sip of my drink. She's been like this since the funeral. She was ranting and raving about how the old man had wronged her and how we should have been the ones to inherit everything.
"Mom, relax. I have a plan," I said, snickering.
"A plan? That head of yours thinks about more than just girls?" Isadora asked.
I rolled my eyes at the brat. "Of course, I do, sis. I'm not an idiot. And I've learned a few things from the old man."
Mom stopped pacing and looked at me. "What's the plan?"
I grinned. "I'm gonna seduce her. I'll get her to marry me, and then I'll get her to sign over her shares of the company."
Mom gasped and looked at me in shock. "You're going to seduce that bastard? Why?"
I grinned wider. "Why not? She's hot."
"She's our cousin," Isadora said.
I shrugged. "We're half-cousins. It's fine. And, it's not like I'm going to have sex with her. I'm just going to get her to marry me. Once I get her shares, I'll divorce her and dump her. No harm done."
Mom sighed and shook her head. "Cassian, you're a pig. But, I suppose it's better than nothing. Although, I don't like the idea of having such a low born girl become a part of our family, even temporarily. What if you can't divorce her?"
I laughed and waved my hand. "Of course, I'll be able to. She's a naive girl. She's an easy target."
Mom sighed again and looked at me. "Fine, do it. But, make sure you get her to give you her shares before you do. I don't want any accidents."
"Don't worry. I'll get her to give me her shares. I'll make her fall in love with me. And then I'll get her to give me everything she has."
Isadora huffed. "You're disgusting, just like grandpa."
I laughed. "Maybe I am. But, I'm also handsome, smart, and rich. And, I'm going to get even richer. Also, with that girl's backing maybe even I can become the next head."
Isadora rolled her eyes. "You? The head of the family? As if. That's not going to happen."
I glared at her. "What do you know? You're just a kid. You don't know anything about business or politics."
She scoffed. "I may be ten, but I'm a lot smarter than you and Damien combined. The latter is goofball, but he has a real shot at being the next head. You're too impulsive, and you're a womanizer. You're not fit to lead."
"I don't need you to tell me that," I said, rolling my eyes.
Isadora shrugged. "Just stating the facts. But, I have to admit that your plan is pretty good. It's the best plan you could come up with."
"See? I'm not as dumb as you think I am."
Isadora sighed. "But it has too many flaws. What makes you think that girl will fall for you? And what if she finds out what you're doing? What if she has a boyfriend? What if she's a lesbian? What if she's asexual? There are too many variables. You need to think this through more carefully."
"Have you seen this face?" I asked, gesturing at myself. "I'm a stud. Girls love me."
Isadora groaned. "You're a moron. Just because girls fall for your looks doesn't mean that girl will. Not all of us are so easily swayed by looks. And, even if she does fall for you, what makes you think you can get her to give you her shares?"
"Because I'm charming and persuasive," I said, grinning.
Sis rolled her eyes. "So simple-minded. I can't believe you're even considered a contender for the position of the next head. If it's not Damien, then it should be Alexander. He's smart, and he's a businessman. He's not a playboy like you. And, unlike Damien, he's not a lunatic."
I huffed. "Don't compare me to those two. They're not in my league. I'm better than them."
"Keep telling yourself that," Isadora said, rolling her eyes again. "That said, if I can, I will try to become heir or make Mom the head. We deserve it more than either of you."
I rolled my eyes. "You're a little girl. You're too young to be the head. You don't know anything about business or politics. You're too young to understand the complexities of running a company."
She scoffed. "And you do? All you do is go out and party. You don't know anything about business or politics either."
I glared at her. "I do too. I've been to business school."
She rolled her eyes. "You dropped out. You're a drop out."
I rolled my eyes. "I didn't drop out. I just didn't feel like finishing."
Isadora sighed and shook her head. "Arguing with an idiot like you is just a waste of my time. I'm going to my room. Have fun seducing that girl and getting her to give you her shares. I'm sure you'll do a great job." She turned around and left.
Mom shook her head. "Cassian, Isadora is right. Your plan is full of holes. You need to think this through more carefully."
"Mom, it'll be fine. Trust me."
She sighed and took a sip of her wine. "I hope you're right. I don't want to lose everything we've worked for."
I folded my arms over my chest. "Don't worry. I've got this. Trust in me for once, Mom. I'm the future head of this family. I can handle this."
She sighed. "You will run this family into the ground."
I curled my hands into fists. "I'm not a child, Mom. I can handle myself."
She looked at me and shook her hesd. "You act more like one than Isadora does. She's right. She will be better suited to become the head. She has a level head on her shoulder."
My nails dug into my palms. There she went again, praising that brat. I did well in school when I tried, yet she never praised me, saying that I should have gotten a higher score. She was impossible to please. But she was always praising Isadora. It wasn't fair. Isadora was just a kid. She didn't know anything about business or politics. She was just a spoiled brat.
But I had a plan now—a real plan. Seduce the slum girl, Shelly, get her to marry me, and secure her shares of the inheritance. It was the perfect way to claw my way back into Mother's good graces, to show Isadora I wasn't the idiot she thought I was. And most importantly, to beat Damien, that eccentric bastard who thought he could reform the family with his cryptic schemes. He'd brought Shelly and her weird little brother here in the first place, probably to use their votes to become the new head. I wasn't about to let him win—not when I had a chance to claim the title for myself.