True Tycoon Her Empire, Her Rules

At the Henderson family. 

It all began the night Barton, in a fit of madness, destroyed a collection of family heirlooms worth millions. Reality hit him hard, and he fell ill. 

The situation worsened when that night, Clifford publicly disowned the family, leading to several businesses severing ties with Henderson Group. Overwhelmed by stress and despair, Barton collapsed. And Suzan had already been bedridden since the night of the incident. 

With both parents incapacitated, Quincy stepped up to manage the family business, his days a blur of endless tasks. Then, as if the fates conspired against them, Quincy met with an accident just outside the office, fracturing his arm. 

Kathryn’s situation was worse. She was tormented by the same nightmare for consecutive nights; a dark sky, an abandoned school rooftop, a girl’s lower body soaked in blood, her eyes pleading for help. Kathryn would wake up screaming, convinced the bloodied girl was sitting at the edge of her bed, staring with tear–filled eyes. 

One night, her screams echoed through the Henderson mansion, piercing the silence. Suzan, frail from her own ailments, rushed to her daughter’s side. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Kathryn, what’s wrong, honey? Another nightmare?” 

Kathryn, sobbing uncontrollably, could only nod. 

Suzan gently pushed her back, her voice soft, “Did you dream about me, darling?” 

Kathryn looked up, and she saw not her mother’s caring face but the ghostly visage of the bloodied girl. Screaming, she jolted awake once more. Her father, Barton, entered the room to console her, but in het delirium, he too morphed into the haunted figure. 

Kathryn’s grip on reality was slipping. For two days, she lived trapped in a waking nightmare, unable to discern dream from reality. In a moment of raw panic, she lashed out at her mother 

with whatever was at hand. 

Unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere of the Henderson mansion, Kathryn fled into the early morning. 

Unseen by her, a shadow seemed to loom over the villa behind her, as if under a shroud of dark clouds. The brilliant summer sunshine bathed every corner, except for the Henderson mansion. As she left, the darkness enshrouding her began to seep out bit by bit, leaving a trail of grim energy wherever she had been. 

Meanwhile, Parker, having faced rejection from Winnie, returned home with a scowl etched on his face. No sooner had he stepped out of his car than a disheveled figure lunged at him. With red–rimmed eyes, sallow skin, and a ghastly demeanor, the figure appeared more ghost than human. 

Instinctively pushing the apparition away, Parker soon recognized the distraught Kathryn. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days, her usual grace and polse nowhere to be found. 

“What in the world happened to you?” Parker asked, his tone laced with concern and a hint of irritation. 

Kathryn, her spirits battered, burst into tears and clung to him. “Parker, I’ve been haunted by these awful dreams. I just can’t take it anymore,” she wept. 

Parker, while initially impatient, felt a stab of annoyance. The thought solidified his resolve that the delicate princess was not the right match for him. 

As he contemplated his next move, Parker realized that his old feelings for Winnie were clouding his judgment. He knew he had to make a clear break from Kathryn to prove his commitment to winning Winnie back. 

Unaware of Parker’s Inner turmoil, Kathryn continued to pour out her fears. Her words were jumbled, her fears illogical. Parker struggled to follow, increasingly convinced of her fragility. 

Deciding it was time to end their relationship, he gently but firmly pulled away. “Let’s not do this here. Get in the car, and we’ll talk somewhere else.” 

Under the pretense of seeking privacy, Parker led Kathryn to his car. She followed, still clinging to his arm, seeking solace in her time of need. Parker felt a twinge of guilt for what he was about to do, but he steeled himself for the necessary confrontation. 

As they drove off. Parker braced himself to break the news gently, to part ways with dignity. But in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder how breaking the heart of someone so devoted to him would haunt him in his dreams. 

“Kathryn, you know, even if you hadn’t come to me, I was planning on coming to find you.” 

Kathryn looked up and quipped, “Parker, I knew you have been thinking about me.” 

Parker, catching sight of the bruise–like shadows beneath her eyes, felt a pang of discomfort. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he attempted to retract his arm from her grip. 

vto 

“I need to talk to you.” he said. 

As they stood there, the dark shadow around Kathryn had already snaked its way up Parker’s arm in sync with her touch, like tendrils of smoke. Even as he pulled away, it felt as if invisible threads lingered between them. 

Finally sensing something amiss, Kathryn approached the subject cautiously, “Parker, what is i 

that you want to tell me?” 

Parker let out a weary sigh, saying, “Kathryn, I think we’re Just not right for each other.” 

Before Kathryn could react, the driver ahead of them let out a startled cry. 

Instinctively, they both turned, only to see another car barreling straight towards them… 

The next second, the two vehicles collided with a bone–jarring impact. The sound of the crash 

echoed down the street, reverberating through the air like a thunderclap.