Gemotions

From the high-backed chair, Charles could feel the faint tremor in his hands as he waited, his gaze fixated on the ornate ceiling. His sister, Eleanor, sat beside him, her posture impeccable, her voice steady. The lawyer began. “The estate, including the family fortune, will be divided… however…” Charles found it difficult to breathe. The solicitor’s voice seemed to take on a strange echo.

"The controlling share of the company assets… will go to Miss Eleanor. Mr. Charles… will receive the family's collection of rare butterflies.” Charles felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple. Butterflies. He loved them, yes, but… controlling share meant everything. Eleanor looked at him with gentle, but cold, eyes.

He thought of the boardroom meetings, the deals, the power. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the silence of the room amplifying the pounding in his ears. The solicitor's voice, distant now, continued to drone on about the preservation of the butterfly collection.