Mr. Blackwood's gaze was glued to the endless ribbon of asphalt as his car glided through the gates of the Forbes Mansion. Thirteen years. It had been thirteen long years since he last set foot on this opulent estate, a monument to old money carved into the heart of Las Vegas.
He remembered the imposing iron gates, now adorned with gleaming biometric scanners that whirred to life and let them pass without a fuss. But he didn't need fancy technology to recognize or enter his childhood home.
Even from afar, the mansion held a powerful presence. Nestled amidst sprawling lawns dotted with ancient oaks, it loomed like a grand old king, its white facade gleaming under the desert sun.
Tall, arched windows peeked out from ivy-covered walls, whispering secrets of past parties and laughter. The driveway stretched on for what felt like an eternity, each twist and turn etched into his memory with the vibrant colors of childhood summers.
Tall pines, silent sentinels, lined the path, their scent filling the air with a familiar, woodsy fragrance. It triggered a color-wheel of memories - lazy afternoons spent climbing these very trees, building forts in their shade, chasing fireflies as dusk painted the sky in fiery hues. A bittersweet pang of nostalgia stabbed at his heart. This place, once a symbol of carefree joy, now held the weight of a fractured relationship, a battle against a stubborn old man who measured success in dollar signs and obedience.
As the car continued its slow climb, the mental tug-of-war inside him got stronger with each second that went by. Anxiety and excitement were at odds with each other, and anger was building up behind a mask of fake calm.
But somewhere in the chaos there was a spark of hope: maybe this visit would finally heal the wounds and close the gap that had been there for too long. It was still difficult to believe that he had not been together with his complete family in one room for the past thirteen years, thanks to his cruel old man. He had run from this long enough; it was time to face it head on.
Arriving in front of the mansion, Maxwell was surprised to not meet a ton of security approaching his car to identify him, it seems like his old man had loosened the security a bit. His father was a paranoid old man who lived with the fear of getting attacked every day of his life, but MB guessed this wasn’t the 19’s anymore.
As he came down from the car and headed for the building, an aged lady began to walk towards him and it took him a while to remember her. “Nounou?” he muttered, a French word for Nanny.
Agnes smiled. “No one had called me that in decades, Master David, I always knew I would live to see you return. Welcome home, young Sir.”
Maxwell smiled, his eyes beaming with emotions. How did she get so old? Has it been that long already? He hugged her immediately, happiness written all over his face.
“I am glad you are still kicking, Nounou. You look good,” he complimented as he broke the hug.
“Don’t kid me, boy. You are a man now, I still remember having to force you to wear clothes like it was yesterday, how much time flies.” She gave him a warm slime, exposing her two missing teeth.
“How have you been, Nounou? I didn’t think you would stick around this long.” He said honestly.
She gave that beautiful smile again. “Well what do you think boy? I was not going to leave before my favorite Forbes returned home. Didn’t you say you would invite me to your wedding in Paris?” she asked teasingly.
Maxwell broke into a grin, memories that he had long forgotten rushing back through his mind. He had always fantasized of having a luxurious wedding in Paris when he was much younger and he would not stop talking about it to Nounou.
“How has life been treating you, my boy?’ she asked as she caressed his face.
There was a little hesitation in his eyes before he spoke. “I survived, Nounou, isn’t that what matters?”
She nodded with tears in her eyes which she quickly wiped away. “Yes… Survive.” She muttered, a rush of emotions swirling through her. Dave Forbes was like the child she never had.
“So… are you back now? You are back home, right?” she asked with doubt in her eyes, as if she knew that this wasn’t the big return she awaited.
“Um… Nounou, I…” he didn’t get the chance to complete his statement as his father strolled out of the mansion accompanied by two servants carrying sports equipment.
Max’s expression changed immediately and he frowned. Agnes, knowing better, stepped out of the way for the father and son. From the way Peter Forbes was dressed, Maxwell could tell that he was going to the golf field.
Just like other old school millionaires, his father played golf in his free time. It was mostly a place wealthy men gathered to discuss their dirty secrets without being overheard in the vast green space. The walls might have ears, but the trees hear nothing.
“So who is this uninvited and unexpected guest?” his father asked with a grin as he approached him. Max immediately caught sight of the gray hair; his old man was getting older, not even his money could save him from aging.
“Well maybe I wouldn’t come barging into your house uninvited if you didn’t go messing with my business.” He blurted.
“While that is no way to greet your father, especially in his own house, I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Don’t play that game with me, Pete. The hospital shares, I was in talk with them already, then you decided to get involved just to get petty with me. What do you want from me?” he queried, anger in his eyes.
“Oh! You mean that? Well next time, if you want something, then don’t just talk, you should act like a real man. I don’t see the problem here, I heard about the deal, I was interested so I put in my quota. You want it more than I do? Then prove it, increase your bid.” He smirked.
“Of course, old dying billionaire, you wouldn’t mind tossing off a bunch of cash just to score a point against your son. Your bargain was outrageous and you know it.” Maxwell argued.
“First rule in business, no price is outrageous boy, what matters is how passionate you are about it. But you wouldn’t know that because you didn’t have a father to teach you now, did you?” he mocked.
Maxwell growled and clenched his fist. “I don’t want to do this with you, Pete. Trust me, I also know how to play dirty.”
“Then perhaps we are more alike than I thought, that is the second thing you need to learn about business. You don’t hesitate to get your hands dirty when the need for it arises, so how low can you go boy? Or are you just going to chicken out like a little girl, I want to see what potential you have, I want to see if you can stand competition. I checked your company’s record, you have been doing quite well except you have not had any major oppositions, well you have one now, boy.” He smirked
Maxwell gritted his teeth, fighting the rage within him. “You want to play dirty? Okay, I will show you what this man can do. Let's play dirty, Pete.”
“That is the spirit, boy.” Mr. Forbes smiled and patted him on the shoulders, “Now if you don’t mind, I have a wonderful evening to get back to, you are free to tag along, after all, two make a party.” He laughed
Max stood there and watched him leave with the servants, Agnes who had been standing in the distance walked up to him. “You sure you don’t want to catch up with him, he can be difficult but all he wants is for you to appease his ego.”
“That is something I will never do, I hate him.” Maxwell spat.
Agnes took his hand and he turned to face her, she stared at him with those gentle eyes. “David, this family needs you, now more than ever. I know this is difficult for you, but don’t do it for him, do it for your mother and your siblings, come home and fix things.” She begged.
Max was about to give a response when a car sped into the compound, it was a Lamborghini Aventador.
“Wooohhh!!” The guy screamed in ecstasy as he pulled over and jumped down from the car. “What’s up Mamie!” he called out to Agnes in delight as he staggered past her.
Maxwell stood there in shock, he immediately turned to Agnes. “Is that…”
“Yeah, your other brother, Simon.” Agnes replied, completing his words.
“What? He didn’t even recognize me, what is wrong with him?” Maxwell asked with worry etched all over his face
Agnes sighed before responding. “He was just a boy when you left, Dave. A lot of things have changed since then. After your immediately younger brother, Jake ran off, it was just Simon and Abigail, your sister. Your father was broken about losing two sons and so he stopped paying attention to Simon, it wasn’t long before he took to this lifestyle, he is twenty-two now but he has only gotten worse, drinking, clubbing, racing.”
“And father hasn’t tried locking him down in the dungeon yet?” Max asked with surprise all over his face. That didn’t sound like the father he knew.
“Like I told you, a lot of things have changed. His pride is all he has left, he has managed to protect the family wealth but he fears what would be of it when he is no more, that is why he is meddling in your affairs, trying to get you back. This family needs you, Master David.”
Maxwell sighed and rubbed his forehead. “What about Abigail? I didn’t remember to ask Mom the last time I saw her.”
Once again the aged woman sighed. “Abigail… Well, with Jake on the run, Simon out of control, there was just Abigail. She just turned eighteen and the first thing she does is talk about moving out, she feels like she is being suffocated by your mother. Your father doesn’t seem to care but your mother is not willing to let her go, she is all that Maria has left. So now you see the trouble that this family is facing? The once powerful Forbes family is about to crumble, your father hides it well but he is depressed, I have known him for years, he has never been this broken.” Agnes lamented.
Maxwell sighed, he had no idea what to do or say. This family truly needed a turn around, but he wasn’t that guy, he had sworn never to return or have anything to do with the last name, Forbes.
“I need to go now, Nounou. If mom returns, please help me tell her to speak to her husband, he should not mess with my business deals or I will make his life a living nightmare.” He threatened.
Agnes sighed in disappointment, her dream of reuniting this family seemed far from being accomplished.
TBC!!