Chapter 40. A true heart

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(A/N) Copyright © TURTUREL, 2021.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from me, the only legal owner of this book.

Please keep in mind, that "The convenient marriage" is only lawfully published on Wattpad. If you are reading this book on any other site it is illegally published on that particular site.

Please also note that I will take legal actions against any infringement of my copyrights.

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As opposed to Victoria, Eliza Langdon had found it difficult to accept the shackles her father wanted to place on her, the presidential seat of the Langdon company.

Born as the only daughter of the old master Langdon, to take over the inheritance... it was only to be expected. On her own side, Victoria had accepted her family's burden, working sincerely towards this goal. 

Eliza, on the other hand, had felt that it would have been better for her family's company to be handled by an experienced man who was to become her husband.

This was Eliza's belief, one she would affirm with certainty towards Victoria Black. A belief that Victoria was a hundred per cent  sure it did not actually come from Eliza herself.

Victoria had grown up with Eliza. How would the Blacks' future master, an intelligent and keen woman, not know her best friend's feeling?

Although Eliza had a bright cheery personality, and seemed for the most part not that interested in her family's company, showing an inclination for  the piano and for painting, she had still given her best in learning the business world's ropes.

Eliza Langdon had studied alongside her for years, both working towards the same goal. If Eliza had changed her view for the future, it was only because of a new presence in her life. It was only because of a man who was slowly but strongly manipulating her into thinking in the way she currently was. This was what Victoria's instincts were telling her, and as she was briefly introduced to Eliza's lover and had talked to him directly, it became a certainty.

The smart lover had started small at first, building up his influence over Eliza's mind. He expressed his support for her endeavors thoughtfully, then worked his way up by telling her they should work alongside each other. Until a while later, it had become a belief for Eliza that a woman should be safeguarded inside a comfortable home, away from all the working troubles, leaving such matters to a protective husband. 

If she was inclined to study the piano and painting, she should follow her heart, while he, her husband, would carry on his shoulder the family's company. Such thoughts in reality wouldn't have been that bad, if the man's intentions would have been pure, and not littered with ulterior motives. 

By the time Victoria had noticed such changes in her friend, it was already too late. The stubborn fool was too enveloped in her "true love" to notice the negative effects that man had on her.

Neither old master Langdon, who had been too immersed in handling the company, nor Victoria, a busy presumptive heiress who was caught up in too many classes that she had to undertake in preparation for assuming her own presidential post, noticed the changes until it was too late... they hadn't realized how much influence that man was capable of having over her.

Explanations, words, threats, pleadings, none of them worked, as Eliza believed only that man. At the end she even ran away with him for fear of being separated, when she felt they would never accept him in her life.

By only using cash and by staying in the remotest of places, coupled with the fact that the old master was too angered at his foolish daughter, and stubbornly refused to contact Eliza, unless the brat would return herself, Eliza's location remained completely unknown. There were no news of the Langdon heiress for the following years.

Perhaps, old master Langdon had wanted to leave Eliza hit rock-bottom before searching her out, in this way she would learn her lesson and would return to her home. No one expected that Eliza would never return, at least not alive.

Instead of a beautiful and lively girl, what came back were news of her untimely death. The star crossed lover was long gone by this point, with no information of his whereabouts. He had deserted her in the worst way possible.

They could only bring back a coffin to bury in the family's mausoleum.

From that point onwards the old master had closed himself off from the world completely, even more than when his daughter had ran away.

The only one who could safely visit him at times remained Victoria, considering the older man as half a father, with the other also considering her half a daughter. Other people were refused entry for other reasons than work.

More time passed as the old master's health was starting to deteriorate with each passing day. He worked for the sake of working, increasing its revenues, but there would be no one to receive the company when he would have died, no one to continue the main family's legacy. Naturally, with a poor mental state, how could the body be healthy and strong?

The situation continued to worsen until fifteen years ago when Victoria and the old master both received letters from the person they least expected to hear from, Eliza's lover.

After abandoning the heiress of the Langdon fortune, perhaps due to  karma, the lover himself had become severely ill and wanted money from them to treat his illness.

The audacity of the man baffled both Victoria and the old master. Why would they ever want to give money to a man they wished to see dead? Why would they ever help a person who managed to escape their wrath only because they still had not found him?

As they read their letters, the basis for the arrogance of the man and his belief he would be helped by them became as crystal clear as water. No matter how much they hated the man, because of the reason he so eloquently wrote of in his letter, or better said because of the person he spoke of... they had no choice but to.

Before Eliza had died, she had given birth to a girl she had named Aria. Because the birth had taken place in their own home, and so there existed no official record of the baby, the man had easily hidden her existence, preferring to place her in an unknown orphanage.

The only way he would inform them of her location would be after he was given enough money to be treated. Until such a time, her current location would remain hidden like before.

Both Victoria and the old master wouldn't be so easily convinced by the man, if it weren't for the photograph of a very frail Eliza holding protectively a small baby in her arms.

It appalled them even more then the shrewdness of the man. He had most likely intended to keep the child hidden until he could extort money from the Langdon family. Perhaps he had even wanted to bring the girl back only to have her inherit the company, but with his health declining, he was compelled to move forward with such thoughts.

A man who barely had months to live was capable of anything to ensure his survival, even using his own daughter as a bargaining chip. He was leaving no choice for the two but to help him live, if they wished to bring back Eliza's daughter with them.

But he was missing one very important point, the fact that no amount of money they had could help keep a person alive, if he was past the point of no return. His greed had made him wait until the very last moment to ask for help, so naturally even with the best doctors available, the disease of the man still prevailed. 

Before dying, the man firmly kept his mouth shut in regards to Aria's location, and because of the lack of proper identification documents that she should have been issued at birth, the search for the small girl was akin to finding a needle in a hay stack. Numerous people were set in motion, but there was not even one proper photo of the growing up girl, other than the baby photo the man had first shown them.

They could only try their best to keep the man alive and perhaps at least give him the illusion of a healthy body, while they concomitantly also searched for the girl.

A month later, the man still remained silent as his precarious state took a turn for the worst. Victoria had even let go of her pride and openly pleaded to the man for the small girl's address, only to be met with a sarcastic laugh from the dying man, who was perhaps hell bent on taking revenge on them.

'Aria died shortly at birth... this is your retribution for not accepting me in the family, this was only a revenge for that old man not passing over his company.' He cried out before dying. Not even in death at least, did he care about the hopeless soul he was leaving alone in a foreign land.

With his heart already torn to pieces, old master Langdon ceased all search procedures he had started and decided to adopt another girl in Aria's stead. It wasn't an easy decision, for his heart that could no longer stand any disappointments.

Victoria on the surface agreed to old master Langdon's wish, and had even accepted to receive in her family the young girl who he was getting fond of, the one who was slowly filling the void  that both Eliza and Aria had left behind in his lonely heart.

But regardless of the dying man's words, and far from the eyes of the old master, she had begun another extensive search for Aria's whereabouts. Dead or alive, she vowed she would never stop until she would find the true Aria.

It would be of no concern to Victoria, if Jillian was now the inheritor of the Langdon's fortune. The Black family had enough money to feed another mouth and assure for the girl whatever she had lacked in her previous life.

It would not matter to Zane's mother if Aria would no longer marry Zane, she could just raise the girl as a daughter, giving her everything she wished for.

Countless hopes and plans for the future Victoria placed in a corner of her heart for Eliza's daughter.

But fate played a cruel joke...

A grey inked sky with ash painted clouds had been on the morning she had found out about Eliza's death. 

A rain stained nature with muddied grounds had been in the afternoon they had transferred Eliza's coffin to the family mausoleum.

But both of those days could not compare to the hopeless grim day a private investigator led Victoria on a small rocky path to the most desolate of places.

Walking slowly, while her white exhaled breath blended easily with the ever-present fog, Victoria's heart felt like it was about to stop any second now, as her heavy steps took her until she reached the front of a large almost leafless weeping willow tree, seemingly the only presence that kept company to the small plaque by its side.

'This is it Madame.' The burly man affirmed as he bent down and swept with his hand the already brown and yellow leaves obstructing the freshly written name. It had been just several days since the burial, but nature had already made this little patch of carved stone blend in its own image.

Aria, was simply written above the year of birth and the one of death. No quote wishing her a final rest, no words of regret at her death, no phrase informing those reading her plaque that she will be remembered... just a name and two numbers.

There in a corner of the grim grey cemetery, on an equally grey solitary day,  Victoria felt her heart torn to pieces as her feet finally gave up under her weight and she shakily slumped on the cold ground.

'I am sorry little one.' Were the only words that exited her mouth as she gently reached the small tablet.

 Aria had died just days before Victoria managed to find her. 


Present time

'So you're telling me that Aria, my wife is not the real granddaughter of old master Langdon?' Zane asked pensively, after a few moments of silence. His mother's emotions were a bit too disturbed so he had let her calm down, before continuing.

'Yes.' Victoria replied as she wiped her tears. Perhaps because she had told someone else what she had kept inside her heart, her emotions after seeing Jillian's face and the memories of the last few months had eased up somewhat, making her become slightly more calm and at peace with the situation.

'Alright.' Zane nodded without his expression changing in the slightest, he was as stone faced as always.

If he was to think about it now, it really had been strange that his mother hadn't cared much about Aria as his wife, even though Eliza had been her best friend. So this was the reason... it was because the current Aria was not really her daughter.

'Do you mind it? I made you get married to a woman who is not the real granddaughter...' Victoria asked her son, while she focused her attention on his expression. 

Perhaps just like old master Langdon, she had also approved of Jillian becoming the new Aria and getting married to Zane, because she had felt the likeness of the two girls, though she hadn't expected a physical resemblance also. After all even if Aria and Jillian were related, they were not that close of a kin. So Victoria had only felt an empathy as Jillian was also an orphan. She had just felt pity for the girl who was used by Darren Langdon to showcase his superior character.

If Aileen Langdon had become the adopted granddaughter, she wouldn't have allowed the marriage between Zane and that girl, no matter how much she respected the old master. Darren was too much of a snake to have him lurking around her home.

Though unfortunately Jillian still kept a connection with the branch family, because of her unchanging naivety. At least, she hadn't brought them inside their home, or tried to forge a closer connection between Victoria, Zane and that family.

'Do I mind it?' Zane repeated the question and appeared to seriously reflect on it for a few seconds.

'Yes, I mind it...' He finally affirmed honestly. 

To choose a partner for a political marriage, in detriment to any personal attachments and feelings of love, implied he would have picked someone with a perfect background to compensate for the love the marriage would lack. To marry someone you do not love, and might never fall in love with, that person should at least be the best in terms of social status and conduct, for Zane to obtain some benefits from the marriage.

'Zane, I...' His mother wanted to reason with him. No matter what, Jillian was still about to give birth to his children.

'... this would have been my answer a few months ago.' He continued speaking as though he was at the same time inspecting his own mind for the answers, not letting his mother finish her words.

'For a convenient political marriage a suitable person is best. But for me right now... I do not care about Aria's background, I love the her that woke up from the coma and gingerly smiled at me, while sharing with me the joy of feeling the twins move in her belly. If she is the real Aria Langdon or not, this has already become insignificant.' 

For a political marriage, Zane thought he wanted the best, but since Aria had woken up, he had no longer considered the marriage a convenient one. So naturally, as a pragmatic type of person, the stone expressionless man felt he already had the best benefits in his marriage, and it was in the form of a petite frail beauty he dearly loved.

'If you really think like this, I couldn't be happier. I also think Jillian is different from her old self. Perhaps you could become a real happy family. I really hope for this.' His mother honestly expressed her wishes for the future.

Hearing his mother's sincere words, Zane realized there was no longer any need to warn his mother about Aria, and how she should act around her. Aria had also assured him before tucking her to bed that Victoria had been nothing but polite with her. As such, he only slightly smiled and nodded his head.

'What, I only said a few good words, and you're already not thinking of warning me about your wife anymore?'

'You realized it, what I wanted to talk to you about?' He observed calmly, with a low chuckle.

'You brat. You might have changed, but I am still your mother. You don't even think to comfort me, you only care about protecting her. Leave me alone already, go find your wife.' Victoria sarcastically teased, and shooed away her son.

Zane's chuckle got a bit louder, as his mother spoke childish words he would have never expected her to say.

'Mom, you tried your best. I am sure your friend already must know it too. I am not a religious person... but we each have our own direction in life, this was how things were meant to be. Perhaps the girl is in a better place now.' He spoke sincerely from his heart, then really left Victoria's office.

At his words, his mother sighed a bit from nostalgia and also a bit from feeling finally at peace with the situation. Although her son had bewildered her again with his view on the matter, as she couldn't have pictured him ever speaking about fate, he had a point... she really had tried her best.

Pulling out an old and wrinkled photo from under her documents, she stroked the figure of a frail girl, then turned it around to look at the inscription on its back.

"Aria singing Twinkle, Twinkle little star!" 

Remembering the director's description of the girl who had eagerly wished to play the piano, but hadn't gotten the chance to, Victoria exhaled again deeply, then rose on her feet and took out from a shelf packed with books a vintage like photo album.

She turned its pages filled with countless photos of two adolescent girls, until she reached the last page where there was one single girl, similar to the one from the wrinkled old photo.

As one last tear fell from her eyes, she placed the photo from the orphanage next to the one in the album, before closing it, and placing the album back in its place.

***

'Aria?' Zane called slowly, not wanting to disturb the small beauty in case she was still asleep.

After the discussion with his mother, he had not returned for another hour to the room he had specifically informed the butler to prepare for the both of them, the bedroom he had let Aria rest in, as he was afraid the noise might wake her up. But for some reason, he just couldn't feel at ease if he was not near her, so he finally decided to return to the room.

By the small bundle in the sheets and the even breathing, it appeared she was still sleeping.

Well it was still early for dinner, so he might as well also rest with her, he thought, as he approached the bed and lowered himself on it. Just like how he accustomed himself, he immediately embraced the small beauty and closed his eyes to sleep.

'Don't!' A small frail voice was heard in the silence of the dark room.

'I am also real. Don't...' Aria whispered again, a bit louder than the last time, a desperate undertone shadowing her shaky voice.

'...leave me.' She continued as small weeping sounds littered her voice.

Because of the tremor in his arms, and the sounds of Aria's pleadings, Zane hazily woke up, confused at first because of the lightless room. The sun had already set for quite some time it seemed. As always, when he slept with Aria in his arms, he had the most restful sleeps, even dinner time might have passed by

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