Chapter 7 WELCOME TO THE FAMILY.

CHAPTER 7: WELCOME TO THE FAMILY.

Michael could sense some negative energy coming from her, even though she seemed to be smiling at him.

"When I heard you were returning, I never thought you'd look this despicable, like some retard," the lady said laughing mockingly.

Michael looked at her confusedly. "Do I know you?"

"Oh! You haven't told him, have you?" she said to Vlad, and walked away, chuckling.

"Who is she?" Michael enquired, as she walked away.

"That is Katerina, your elder sister," he answered.

"My sister?" Michael wondered. "Why would she be like that to me, if we're siblings?"

"Don't bother yourself about that. She's always been that way, as though she has something stuck up her ass, for as far back as I can remember," Vlad replied, as he unlocked the door, ushering Michael in.

But Michael knew it was something to be bothered about.

Getting in, he saw that the room was magnificent. It seemed like a separate apartment of its own.

"We left the room just the way you left it," Vlad said, as Michael looked round the room.

He saw framed pictures of himself, and others with his father, as they smiled happily. It was further proof that he wasn't being lied to.

"I'll let you rest now. Your meal will be brought to you as soon as I leave. If you need anything, you just let the maids know via the telephone."

Michael nodded slightly, and Vlad left the room.

Michael walked to the king-size bed and sat down, sighing. He was still very much enraged with what his father revealed to him about his ex-wife. He finally understood why he found it hard to reconcile all that Clarice had said to him with how he felt within himself.

'Love isn't for people like us.'

Those words by his father re-echoed in his head, furnishing a terrible resolve within him, as he found himself still boiling with rage.

"What's the point of love then, if it can be dashed to the ground, as though it means nothing? And just for money?" Michael snorted.

After a little while of pondering, Michael spontaneously stood up from his bed and headed to his father's study. The guards at his door furrowed their brows, wondering why he paced with such haste, as they tried to catch up with him.

Arriving there, he pressed the button beside the door, making the same buzzing sound he heard earlier. A few seconds later, the door unlocked and he walked in.

He found his father seated on a couch, away from the desk, sipping a drink he couldn't identify, from a tall glass cup.

"Mikhail, what brings you here? You're supposed to be resting," Zelensky said, tilting his head to the right as he looked at Michael.

"You said something about channeling my rage towards an agreement. I'd like to know what the agreement is because I need something to take my mind off of what I just found out. I can't drink this away. Alcohol has never been a solution."

Zelensky looked intently at Michael, and sighed deeply, setting aside the glass cup he held.

"Are you sure you're ready to find out?" Zelensky asked, getting serious.

"We had an agreement, didn't we? Even though I may not have my memories, I do know that I wouldn't go back on my word."

Zelensky smiled, nodding his head in pride. He stood up and walked over to the wall beside his desk. Pressing his hand against the wall, a hidden keypad was unveiled from within the wall.

Michael was astounded at that level of secrecy.

Zelensky typed in a combination of numbers and had a retinal scan. Then, a little door unlocked, making Michael realize it was safe. His father reached into the safe and brought out an antique golden box.

He walked over to his desk placed the box on the desk, went over to his chair, and stood behind his desk.

Michael looked with all sense of curiosity, realizing that this was something serious.

"Get over here son."

Michael gulped, and calmly walked over to the desk.

"Before you is your heritage. The moment I open that box, and you behold its contents, there is no going back. So, are you sure you're ready?" Zelensky asked.

Michael could tell how serious Zelensky got. He mused for a while, due to the mysticism surrounding what he was being offered. Making up his mind, he sighed and looked at his father. "Yes, I am ready. As long as it helps me get over the pain of betrayal."

"Oh, it'll do way more than that, Mikhail," Zelensky smirked.

He then went ahead to open the box and pushed it closer to Michael. Michael looked at its contents and his eyes widened in surprise. He gulped and looked at his father.

"Welcome to the family, Mikhail Volkov," Zelensky declared, smiling.

***Two years later***

The alarm clock rang, startling a lady out of sleep. She lazily and carelessly extended her left hand to her bedside table, almost knocking down the reading lamp on it.

She managed to stop the alarm clock from ringing. As she sat up on her bed, she yawned and checked the time on her mobile phone.

"Holy shit!" she yelled, and threw aside her duvet, scampering into her bathroom.

"I shouldn't have gone out last night. Now I may miss this interview. Shit!"

She hurriedly brushed, showered, and got ready in less than ten minutes, and hurried downstairs.

"Morning Dad," she said as she saw her dad already seated in the living room.

"Morning Ivana. No breakfast?" he replied.

"I'm already late Dad! See you later."

"I love you!" he said, but Ivana didn't respond. She had already exited the door. He just smiled and continued watching TV.

While in transit in a taxi, Ivana felt uneasy.

"Could you please go a little bit faster? Thank you," she requested. The driver obliged her.

Not too long after, Ivana arrived at the premises of the headquarters of Horus Tech, in New York. She looked at her phone and saw that she was left with about three minutes to the interview. So she paid the driver and didn't worry about the change, running straight into the building.

She saw some folks being led away from the lobby to an elevator a few meters away, by a woman she recognized. So, she rushed over to her.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Ivana said drawing her attention, as she gasped for air, trying to catch her breath.

The woman looked at her, furrowing her brow.

"If you're here for the interview, I'd suggest you turn back and leave."

Ivana's eyes widened upon hearing that. Terror gripped her.