Disclaimer: All of the characters in this story belong to Warner Bros. Studios, except for Monty's family.

Chapter 3

Bedtime Schemes (Part 1)

25th Nov

Nighttime came quicker than it used to, its breath much colder and its gaze much darker, announcing every citizen in Acme Acres that it was time to go to sleep and rest for tomorrow's Thanksgiving. The Moon stared glacially, like a beautiful Queen on her throne watching her subjects, as the city calmed down from its daily turmoil and fell into a silent slumber. Her icy light engulfed everything, from the massive buildings to the small homes, quietly entering through the windows and painting the interior in silver.

Lydia Max's room was no exception to this. As she laid down on her bed, inside the Max Mansion, the blueish gleam crept in through a small gap between the thick scarlet curtains and slowly landed on her face, caressing it with cold fingers. She looked even older than during the day, as the sapphire glow highlighted her many wrinkles, so out of place at her rather young age. Her dark brown hair was scattered across the pillow, the white streak standing out like the first trails of snow on the muddy earth. She stared at the ceiling without seeing it, her face motionless and her dark eyes, with huge bags underneath them, expressionless.

The Moon, however, was used to such a sight, since she had watched Lydia being tortured by ambition and stress every night, for years. She had witnessed the woman rapidly age every night, when she squirmed and paced inside her room, desperate to find a solution to a certain problem concerning the family corporation, or as she sat quietly, like she was now, and tried to sort out her thoughts and plan her next move.

Neither of them could remember when this nightly routine had started. Truth was that Lydia had been very stressed ever since she was a student, because of school performances. But, if there was one event that had really triggered something in her and had made it impossible to not stay up until late, scheming and figuring things out, then that was the day her Father announced their positions within the company.

Lydia remembered how eager she was to find out what their Dad had in store for them. As hopeful and naive as teenagers came, she truly believed that he would appreciate all of the effort she always put into her studies and give her at least a decent role to fulfill. And still, despite that, Father gave her one of the lowest posts there, some secretary in a boring, insignificant department, proving that his opinion about her hadn't changed one bit. To him, she was just a girl, unable to do business, forever shadowed by her older brothers.

The disappointment and embarrassment had hit her like a truck, along with her brothers' laughter and cruel remarks.

"Too bad you don't have a mustache, sis! Good luck serving coffee and donuts to your superiors!"Nigel had shouted after her, as Richard chuckled and she ran out of the room.

That night, the Moon had watched her cry in the dark of her bedroom, her eyes cold and uncaring, as usual. The azure light played in her brown hair as she violently sobbed onto her sheets, all the humiliation and pain chocking and strangling her. And when all of her tears had been wasted, her eyes had became blood-red and exhaustion had taken over, she had passed out on the bed.

The next morning, she had woken up stiff and even more tired, but no longer overwhelmed by misery. The fiery sunrise had heard her that morning swear to herself that she will make it to the top, where her brothers were, no matter how much she had to work. And she had kept her promise.

Every night since then, the Moon had seen Lydia either at her desk, studying until morning, or resolving issues within the corporation and making plans on what she should do next. Of course, the results weren't visible right away. She had to work like that for many years and there were numerous times when she had wanted to give up. But that undying ambition she had always kept her going, telling her there wasn't much left to go, and the next day she would wake up even more determined that she had been before.

Lydia had created a reputation of a very hard-working and serious employee, someone that would die for the company's success, which had seriously made her grow in Richard's eyes. Not only that, but she was also very ruthless when needed and never questioned the task she was assigned by her brother, no matter how immoral it was. That morning, when she and Nigel had to get the documents for the land on Hilly Hill, was a very good example. It didn't matter who they had to bribe or how many people will lose their homes. If it helped the company, if it helped her, then it needed to be done.

And, after what seemed like an eternity she finally was standing near her brothers. Finally working beside Nigel, under Richard's command, and neither of them knew how she had gotten there; only the Moon knew. To be fair, they also didn't really care how she had done it. The only important part was that she was there, someone from the family, trustworthy and capable of doing what she was told, who would go to Hell and back so the Max Family Business could thrive.

Today, in the office, when Richard had, in a way, defended her from Nigel, when almost two decades ago he had been laughing along with him at her misery, she felt like she had obtained her biggest accomplishment: her oldest brother's respect. That made everything worthwhile. Her tears, her hard work, the loss of her youthful appearance in exchange for sleepless nights, everything was worth it for that moment of appreciation alone.

She knew that Nigel had never viewed her as his equal and probably never will, but she didn't care. Nigel didn't matter, he wasn't the one to please. Richard was. If Richard was satisfied of her (which it seemed he was), everything would be fine. And him praising her, giving her the same chances as he gave Nigel in becoming Monty's mentor and obtaining that money, was like all her dreams come true. It filled her with endless pride and the sight of "charming" Nigel being so furious was beyond entertaining. Finally, after everything she had went through, her stars were aligning! Her reward was here! Half of the fortune was hers. . .

But, after the euphoria of the moment passed, the realization dawned on her. That wealth wasn't hers. At least, not yet. Just like Richard said, she and Nigel had equal chances of wining, which meant that Lydia still had to make one last effort before true success was hers, at last. The question was, what will she do?

And so, Lydia laid on her bed, caressed by the moonlight, trying to find the answer. It was still hiding from her, as if it was a child playing hide and seek. She sometimes could hear it giggling from its hiding place and then she thought she had found it, she almost had it. But then, somehow, the solution would run away again, leaving her frustrated and desperate.

What could she do to get her hands on that money?! Work hard in the office? She was already doing that. She had been doing it since forever. Sabotage her brother? But how? There wasn't anything she could think of. Suck up to Richard? Again, she was already doing that. Plus, the man had a lot of experience with people who tried to flatter him in order to obtain something. If she overdid it, it would look fake and Richard wouldn't like it. Then what to do. . .

And suddenly, it hit hit her. Gasping loudly, she sat up. She had it! She finally had it!

"Monty." She said.

Getting up from her bed, she went over to her desk and picked up the phone. As she dialed a number, Richard's words echoed in her head. "If it's a tie, then I'll let Monty decide." That was it! Her nephew was the key to her success! If she made him like her more than Nigel, then he will choose her, assuming it was a tie.

Chuckling to herself, she pressed the phone to her ear.

"Good evening, Acme Corporation here, how can I help you?" A female voice asked.

"Yes, hello." Said Lydia. "I would like to order a gift for my fourteen-year old nephew and it has to be here by tomorrow morning."

"Oh, so would you like to access the option 'Fast Delivery'?"

"Exactly."

"Well, Ma'am, it is going to cost you a bit mo-"

"Doesn't matter. I'll take it." Lydia said curtly.

"Okay then. What would the present be?"

At this, Lydia fell into deep thought. She had absolutely no experience with children and, despite coming to this mansion at least three times a week to work with her brothers and even staying for a few days for a family reunion or a big party, like she was now, she hardly ever spent time with Monty. Sure, she was used to the boy, and he was also used to her and Nigel, but they had never got to know each other properly. She couldn't even remember if they had ever talked, just the two of them, no other family around.

"Ma'am? You still there?"

"Yes! I'm thinking!" Lydia snapped.

"If I may make a suggestion, Ma'am, today's teenage boys love video games. Especially the ones that contain violence. So, I recommend you buy your nephew the new game, "Death Lords", inspired by the movie. You are also very lucky, as we have one of them available now and ready to be delivered by tomorrow morning!"

After a bit of consideration, Lydia agreed to get it, since she figured there wasn't really anything else she could do.

"Okay, Ma'am. Address?"

"The Max Mansion, Acme Ac-" But she suddenly stopped, realizing something. If someone would show up with the present here, tomorrow morning, it will look suspicious. It had to seem as if she had bought it a long time ago or else, someone always attentive to details, like Angelina, might notice and tell Richard. Then, her brother might become curious of what she was doing.

"Actually, no. Scrap that." She told the woman. "Deliver it to Rich Avenue, apartment complex number 14, Acme Acres. Tell the delivery guy to give it to the receptionist and say it's for Lydia Max, apartment 222." Perfect. She thought. This way I can go home tomorrow and pick it up.

"Okay. Done! It's all ready, Ms. Max! Have a good night and thank you for ordering from Acme Corporation!"

"Of course. Goodbye." And with that, she hung up.

Feeling relieved, Lydia slipped under her blanket and stared again at the ceiling. The Moon was once again breathing Her silvery light upon her face and this time, Lydia was finally able to fall asleep under her gaze, with one beautiful thought cruising her mind.

At last, my chance is here. And I'm not going to let anyone take it from me.

XXX

Nigel Max paced around his dark room, overwhelmed by desperation. It was completely dark inside the Max Mansion and he was fairly convinced that everyone had already gone to sleep. The only one beside him still awake was the tireless Moon, who examined his every move through the golden-framed window. His black hair, always so neat and tidy, was now messy, his thin mustache looked as if it was going to fall off of his face at any second and his skin glistened in the cerulean moonlight with sweat.

"How is this possible?!" He thought, exasperated. "Why didn't he choose me immediately? Why did he give Lydia a chance as well? Why, why, WHY!"

The question invaded his mind, kept him awake and gave him spasms and shivers. Nigel simply couldn't comprehend the fact that his older brother viewed their younger sister worthy enough of such a prize. It just wasn't possible! He was supposed to be at the top of his brother's list. He was supposed to be Richard's favorite! That was what he had been trying to achieve for years!

Since they were children, Richard had always been their parents' favorite. His Father's especially. Not only because he was the firstborn, but because their Dad had somehow seen himself in his eldest son. The same passion, the same desire for money and success and also, they were both men. So, by the time Richard had reached his teen years, the man's mind was made up. He was going to leave Richard in charge of all their companies spread across North and South America.

Nigel had always tried to make his Father change his views, by showing him what he was made of, and it had worked. . . to an extent. His Dad had noticed his charm and negotiating skills and for that he considered him a great asset to the company. His appreciation felt nice to Nigel, yet he still couldn't be completely satisfied. How could he when, despite giving his best, he was only second best? Always in Richard's shadow, like a lonely silhouette wandering in the night, while his older brother shined as bright as the summer sun.

By the time he was around thirteen or fourteen, he gave up trying. It was as clear as a bell that their Dad's views hadn't changed and Richard was going to remain the favorite. So, he tried a new approach. If he was always going to be second rate, nothing more than his brother's sidekick, then he might as well act like it. And just like that, he and Richard started spending more and more time together. Wherever Richard went, Nigel followed. Whatever he did, the younger boy did as well.

Soon, they became partners in crime, the bullies that the whole school knew. Because, if there was something that Richard enjoyed more than money, that was asserting his dominance, not only on the timid students, but on their younger siblings as well. Taunting Gabriel because of his feminine aspect or pushing Lydia when walking past each other in the hallway was something he did on a daily basis, just because he could. And Nigel started doing it as well. He was never fond of their siblings, anyway, or of anyone in their school, for that matter, so it wasn't like he felt any remorse.

Still, he did it all more for Richard than for his own amusement. Although such past times could be very enjoyable, what Nigel was really looking for was his brother's approval. Since Richard was going to be the new owner of the company very soon, he figured that if he did every single thing he asked for, if he never complained, if he always did his best and won his appreciation, then maybe, someday, he will throw him a bone. Someday, his efforts will finally be paid off, he will get the reward he was looking for. . . and pleasing Richard was the key to that.

And so, it remained that way. Nothing in their relationship changed after school ended. Maybe there was the fact that now their priorities weren't bullying others and going to parties anymore. But, their main dynamic was still the same: Richard was the leader, the owner, and Nigel was his right-hand man, doing whatever he was asked to do.

Years passed and everything slowly turned into a routine. One that, with every passing day, was becoming more and more annoying to Nigel. Enough with Richard succeeding! Enough with him running the business and taking all the credit, while he worked like a slave and still laid in the shadows! Enough of him living in a glamorous mansion, swimming in money, while Nigel lived in a mere penthouse! When was it going to be Nigel's time to shine? When was his prize going to come?

And, today, it finally, finally came. After all this time of waiting and pleasing someone else, always being the second in command, the gratification was at last here!

When Nigel had heard Richard say that the best at doing their job at the company was going to receive half of the fortune, he had no doubt that he was going to be that one. After all, he spent all his life doing everything Richard demanded of him and even more. He was his favorite, there was no way he wasn't! The money had to be his. . .

But then, he had woken up from that beautiful dream, back to the cruel Reality, who had always been so harsh on him, as Richard said the most horrifying sentence ever. "Lydia is just as fit for the job as you are."

It had been like a punch in the stomach. Their sister, a woman who had started as nothing more than a banal secretary, just as good as him, the one who carried the whole corporation on his back?! At first, he had thought Richard was joking, despite it being so out of character for him. But, after realizing his brother was being serious, he had felt like the whole ground was going to open up and swallow him.

All these years spent in the corporation, all this time and he hadn't noticed her slowly making her way to the top, where he and Richard were. Truth was that he hadn't even imagined that she would be capable of getting that far. And one day, he had woken up and Lydia was somehow standing beside the two of them. Suddenly, she was participating to important meetings, responded directly to Richard and he praised her, just like he praised him, and over all, they were working alongside each other. Despite his surprise at her outstanding performances, he still didn't think much of her and didn't view her as someone that could snatch an important opportunity from him. To him, she was and will always be his younger sister, incapable of successfully doing her job, whatever that was.

He had been an idiot. A massive idiot. And his stupidity had came to bite him back today, in Richard's office. He had underestimated Lydia and never stopped to consider that she might actually be a massive threat to him and his goals. And now, because of his absolute idiocy, it was a very big possibility that she might actually take the money, his money, away from him.

That arrogant look on her face after Richard had defended her, it had filled him with pure rage and still did. If the two of them had been alone, he was sure he would've strangled her. This fury hadn't been just because she was now his equal in Richard's eyes, but also because he had realized that his struggle had been in vain. His teenage years spent with his older brother, doing whatever he wanted and never what Nigel wanted, all his life basically bowing down to him, almost licking his feet, hoping that Richard will appreciate his efforts and give him something in return, all of that had been in vain. He still wasn't at the top of the list, because of Lydia. She was blocking the way.

Stopping his pacing, Nigel sat down in front of the window, exhausted. Turning his head to the dark-blue sky, he met the Moon's glacial stare still fixed upon him. It was as if she was telling him "What are you waiting for? Do something. Don't let your sister get away with it."

Nigel closed his eyes. His mind was made up. No matter what, he was going to succeed. He was going to get his hands on that wealth, even if he had to steal, lie or cheat. No more of being second in command, this was his time to shine! And he wasn't going to let Lydia take it all away.

XXX

"WHAT?!" Olympia shouted, in shock and anger. Beside her, Gabriel gaped at their butler, his mouth slightly opened in surprise, as if he were a fish on land.

"Are you absolutely sure you heard it right, Jeeves?" The woman hissed at him.

"Yes, Madam. That is exactly what they said, word by word." Jeeves answered her in a dry, obedient voice.

Cursing in Greek, Olympia started pacing around the guest room she and Gabriel were going to stay in for the following days. Her fiance continued to stare in space, unable to process what he had just been told.

"H-Half of the fortune. . ." He mumbled, trailing off in the middle of his thought.

Another minute passed, during which Olympia walked around the bedroom agitated, while Gabriel kept silent. The butler, seeing as his two employers were now completely ignoring him and didn't even praise him for overhearing such a crucial information, he simply bowed and said he was going to retreat to his own room. Neither of them paid him any attention.

"No, no, something like this is completely unacceptable." Olympia said, after Jeeves left. "Richard giving Nigel and Lydia half of his wealth, just because one of them is going to mentor his brat?! And what about us!" She bellowed.

"What do we get, the leftovers?! And why didn't he call you in as well?!" She now addressed her fiance. "Why didn't he give you the same chances as he gave the others?!"

Lifting his head so he was now facing her, Gabriel spoke in his usual soft voice, a note of sorrow in his tone. "My siblings never liked me much. You know that Olympia. I told you numerous times."

Olympia threw her hands in the air, exasperated, and continued to walk around the room. Meanwhile, Gabriel took his eyes off of his future wife and looked out the window. The Moon was looking over them, its surface smooth like the marble and its glow dazzling, like a diamond's.

Gabriel sighed sadly.

What he had just told Olympia wasn't a lie. He had always been excluded and ridiculed within his family, even by his Dad, sometimes by his Mom as well. His feminine facial features, along with his big, blue eyes, light brown curls and his soft way of speaking, apparently, were not what his Father had wanted for one of his sons. So many times he had heard him say that a business man should look ruthless and powerful or charming and elegant, not girly and fragile. But it wasn't as if he was trying to look or act that way! He simply couldn't help it. That was him, he had been like that ever since childhood and no matter how much he tried to change it, he couldn't make it happen.

Not only that, but Gabriel wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the drawer. He couldn't even count all the occasions when his relatives had told him that he was stupid, because he just couldn't figure out something that was so obvious for the others or find a solution to the simplest problems.

All of these things combined had led to him getting a position in one of the worst departments that existed. Since he didn't have the brains nor the looks to be what was considered a successful businessman, his Dad had decided that it was for the best to have it that way.

He remembered that, right after they had finished laughing at Lydia's misfortune and the girl had ran out of the room crying, they had turned their taunting towards him.

"Looks like the girly girl didn't get a good job either. Well, that's too bad." Richard had said sarcastically, while Nigel snickered behind him.

And so, he remained the laughing stock of the family for the rest of his teenage years and all of his adulthood, until now. Although their bullying had gotten more subtle, he could tell, just from their tone alone, that Nigel and Richard weren't taking him seriously when they talked to him and were somehow ridiculing him. Soon, Lydia had joined in as well, when she had became more accepted among their older brothers.

Gabriel never understood how that woman had advanced so much in the family hierarchy. It seemed as if one day she was a simple secretary, her situation just as bad as his, and the next she was one of Richard's most trusted people. It was as if she had super powers or something. He would lie if he said he wasn't envious of his sister. How did she even do it?! He couldn't have done that even in a hundred years! As a result, he was still in the same position that his Father assigned him so long ago.

His only luck in all of this had been that he was a Max family member and so he had received a bit of inheritance after his parents' death. And, although he was grateful even for that bit of money, it still couldn't compare to what his older siblings had and all the glamour that they lived in.

Lydia had a luxurious apartment, in the urbanized side of Acme Acres, with a marvelous view of the city and a set of maids that came there once a week to clean. Not to mention she had a personal driver, ate almost every weekend at a snooty French restaurant and was a faithful client of a shop that sold very expensive fur coats. Nigel lived in a penthouse, at the end of Acme Acres, by the beach. He had a swimming pool, a personal Italian cook that made him only the best foods, two cars with a personal driver each and a motorcycle he used for his weekend drives. Of course, there was also Richard, who had one of the grandest mansions in all America, a limousine made out of solid gold, rose gardens with statues and fountains, tennis courts, horse stables and everything he and his family could wish for.

And finally, there was him. Gabriel lived outside of Acme Acres, in rather isolated area. His residence was a two-story house, with a small flower garden and surrounded by trees. The only thing that connected the house and the outside world was a pathway, which stretched from the front stairs, beyond the trees and to the road.

If a normal person would have seen Gabriel's house, they would have thought it was very beautiful and appreciated its quietness and naturalness. Actually, if he was honest, deep inside him, he liked his home too. However, for his family it wasn't enough. In order to integrate in a family like his, one needed to have expensive clothes, servants and afford to throw money as if it grew out of the ground.

However, given his financial situation he couldn't exactly act like his siblings. Still he tried. That was why he had hired Jeeves in the first place, making the butler work as a cook, cleaner and gardener. That was why he always bought cheaper versions of clothes from expensive brands, hoping that his siblings wouldn't notice, though they always did. That was why he and Olympia had made unimaginable efforts to buy a limousine; small, that was true, but it passed as one.

Still, it all didn't matter. His family just would never accept him and the fact that Richard hadn't even considered him for the job of mentoring Monty, hadn't even given him a chance to compete for the money, only proved this even further.

Meanwhile, as Gabriel slumped on the armchair, drowning in his regret and misery, Olympia got dragged into her own tornado of thoughts, as well.

This wasn't what she had signed up for when she came to America! Here she was supposed to find happiness and wealth and satisfaction, yet it felt as though she was back in Greece, in the ruins of her once prosperous home.

Olympia had been born and raised in Crete, the largest Greek island out there, in a rather rural area. However, the fact that her family lived in the countryside didn't she had grown up poor; quite the contrary, in fact.

Her parents owned a large orange orchard, hundreds of hectares of land stretching to the horizon, and they made good money from selling the fruits. She remembered how, at dawn, she would open her bedroom drapes in order to reveal the beautiful sight of her family's fields bathed in the fiery morning sunlight. Or how she and her sister, Elena, would play there all day during summer, how they ran among the trees and how the citruses' pleasant fragrance invaded their noses, dizzying them.

She remembered their house, build in the typical Greek architecture design, with snowy-white stone walls and wooden doors painted in the same shade of blue as the sea that surrounded them. Inside, it was full of pictures and even sculptures depicting famous mythological scenes or characters. This peculiar, but breath-taking interior decor was mostly her Mom's choice, as she had always been a big lover of their culture and myths. And Olympia adored it too. It felt just so full of personality and like. . . home.

But soon, it all went downhill. Her parents started arguing more and more and, by the time she was a teenager, they filled in for a divorce. Her Mom left, taking Elena with her, and she remained with her Dad, thinking that she would help him with the oranges business and still continue making money. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

After the break up, her father sort of lost himself and started throwing big, glamorous parties, have affairs, spent nights out and only return in the mornings. Olympia had tried to make him stop and come back to his senses, even begging him once, when she had finally snapped. But it was as if her Dad had gone mad and wouldn't listen no matter what she said. And so, she was left to run the business on her own.

Of course, it didn't take long before they went bankrupt. After all, how much can a sixteen year-old, with barely any experience in marketing, last on her own? It gotten to the point where she had to start selling bits and bits of the orchard. Each time she signed those blasted papers and gave her land to someone else, it was as if she sold a part of her own soul. Soon, there was nothing left but the ruins of what once was a thriving business, and she only blamed her father for it. For all the misery, the poverty he had dragged them both in, she hated him and couldn't wait to leave. And she did.

When she turned eighteen, she went to University in London, using her last savings to pay the costs. There, she had improved her English and gained a bit of experience in the marketing field. After graduation, Olympia was unsuccessful in finding a job in England, so she left for USA, which, from what she had heard, was the land of opportunities and dreams come true. However, it proved to be a bit harder than that.

When she had gotten to the US, she hadn't found a job as fast as she had expected. For two years she even had to work as a waitress, for very little pay. During that time, her hate for poverty only increased and her desire for money gained contour, leaving her thirsty after a glamorous lifestyle.

And, finally, her wish came true. She got hired at the Max Corporation. In a kind of boring and unimportant department, true, but still she got hired in one of the biggest companies in the world! Olympia didn't even hesitate to accept the post and quit her horribly paid job, in order to start working there immediately. And that's when she met Gabriel.

They happened to work in the same department and, despite Gabriel's efforts to befriend her, Olympia didn't really pay attention to him. She was too focused on her job and did not want to let anything distract her from her priorities. However, everything changed when she found out who Gabriel really was.

For some unknown reason, Mr. Max had decided to randomly show up one day at their department to discuss something with Gabriel. Olympia had, by chance, been there witness their conversation and, suddenly, the dots connected. Why would the head of the whole corporation come into one of the most insignificant departments to talk to a seemingly insignificant employee if there wasn't something more? And how big was the coincidence that this insignificant employee had also the surname Max? It was all so plainly obvious now! They were related! Gabriel was one of the Max siblings!

She remembered continuing to look in their direction, without listening to what they were saying. At first, she had been shocked at their apparent blood relation. They were so different and so unalike in both appearance and demeanor. But, after the moment of bewilderment passed, an idea blossomed in her mind. Her current salary, although much, much better than her previous one and not even that bad in the first place, was still very far from making her filthy rich, like she wanted. Gabriel, on the other hand, despite getting paid approximately the same as her, had an edge: He was part of the Max family, which meant that, at some point, he had to get at least a bit of inheritance from his brother, just like he got from their Dad. Not to mention his availability. . .

Since then, Olympia started talking more to Gabriel, smiling to him and, on some occasions, even flirting with him. It was surprisingly easy to make him fall for her. The man was truly desperate for affection and touch starved. Soon, they started dating and, after not even six months, he made his proposal to her. She had accepted in a heartbeat, not hesitating to pack her bags and move with him in his two-story house. Soon, this place will be a palace! Had been Olympia's first thought when she had set foot inside. It was so wonderful! She might get to live in luxury again, to experience what true bliss felt like again. Her chances seemed to increase day by day and so was her hope.

But, this night, the news Jeeves had brought had shattered everything. All her fantasies, all her plans for a better life, shattered completely. Half of the fortune would be given to either Nigel or Lydia and the other half would probably go to Monty when he was old enough. As this thoughts came into her mind, anger took over.

"No!" She suddenly shouted, causing her fiance to jump in surprise. "None of them will get that money! I will! We will!"

Gabriel stared at her. There, with that look of rage on her face and her voice loud and clear, Olympia was more fierce than ever. The dim light of their room made her already tanned skin seem as if it was on fire, her almond-shaped eyes gleamed with determination and her cascade of black hair that fell on her shoulders only added to her frightening appearance. She looked like Athena ready to go to war. It scared him a bit, but at the same time, it also made him admire her even more.

"But how are we going to do it?" Gabriel asked. "Richard hasn't even considered telling me about all this."

"Well, then you'll just have to participate without an invitation, won't you? You have to demonstrate him that you are just as fit for the job as Nigel and Lydia!" She exclaimed, full of passion.

"But how?" Gabriel asked again, this time even more desperate. "I was never able to be as good as them, no matter how hard I tried!"

At this, Olympia smiled. "Baby, agapite mou (my dear)." She said, her tone full of sugar. "You're forgetting that this time you're not alone. You have me and I'm going to help you. Together we are unstoppable!"

And, with that, they both began to think and plan just how they were going to do it, completely unaware, however, that someone else, apart from the Moon, had listened to their entire conversation.