Silent Daughter 1: Taken by Linnea May, Stella Noir Page B

tailored suit. Everything about him is black, his hair, his suit, his tie, even his eyes, as far as I can tell from here.
    I try to avert my eyes, as I would usually do. But I can't.
    I turn away for just a moment before I find myself searching for him again.
    He looks rough. His angular jawline is studded with a three-day stubble, something that is rarely seen in these circles. I am sure that he is only a few years older than me, but he radiates a maturity that is well beyond that.
    I wonder who he is. Not only have I never seen him before, but I also cannot assign him to any of the stories my parents have shared about some of the unfamiliar guests that are to be expected tonight.
    I cannot place him at all.
    It takes more effort than I'd like to admit to finally avert my eyes from him. I exchange my empty glass with a new one and find myself turning towards him again as I make my way back to the terrace.
    He is still talking to my parents, now standing with his back to me. The way he stands feels unnatural to me. So straight, with his shoulders back, chest out, legs slightly apart. He is taller than my dad to begin with, but the way he is standing only emphasizes the difference. The tailored suit hugs his impressive frame in just the right places.
    They are joined by my sister's future father-in-law now, and the way the two men greet one another suggests that they know each other well.
    Is he a family member of my sister’s fiancé? If so, why have I never heard of him before?
    If he was indeed related to William Bishop, I am sure I would have heard about him or at least any man whose description he would fit.
    My eyes are drawn to his neck as he leans forward to greet Mr. Bishop. Something catches my eyes. A black line of ink, running along his neck on the left side. A tattoo. It is barely visible, peeking up just above his collar. A sharp black line that must be connected to a bigger picture underneath.
    Well, now he certainly has my attention.

Chapter 2

    LEONARD
     
    The things you have to do once you become part of a new world...
    A world that doesn't want you, but a world you need.
    It has always been my ambition to make it, to become part of this. Growing up in a world divided into us and them , I have always wanted to be one of them .
    This is who I am, where I belong. On top, above the mediocre masses that struggle to wander through life with a degree of dignity.
    I grew up among them. Among the weak and poor. Uneducated people who worry about paying the rent, paying off their self-imposed debts and even about the next meal for the numerous children they should never have had. I lived among them, but I never belonged.
    I fought my way out of that miserable life, and I am proud of it. Yet, I know that there are places where I will never be seen as one of them, despite my success.
    This is one of those places. Most of the people who gather at this house for the ridiculous event of tonight never had to fight their way up. They have been born into this world. They are just as weak and pathetic as those I grew up with, maybe worse.
    They are content, saturated and proud. Proud for no reason, I might add. It was not their efforts that brought them here, but just a lucky draw in the lottery of life.
    But I have to play along. It comes with my success, and I might need these people sooner or later. They have connections. They are connections.
    Will has been a reliable partner for quite some time now. When his spoiled, dull joke of a son gets engaged and I am asked to attend the social event associated with it, I have to show up.
    I will smile, I will be nice, I will shake hands and conduct small talk as much as I have to. I won't let anyone know how much I despise being here, and I will use my insights into human nature to find those that might be of value to me.
    After all, many of the guests are owners and leading figures of companies in the new technology sector that I am exploring. They know the market, and they know