An Heir for the Duke

It was 10 p.m. and like most nights, Amber were escaping in front of her window. The spectacle of the moonlight glowing over the courtyard fountain was perfect as the moon danced in perfect symphony with every drop of water. The sweltering heat of the day had given way to a relaxing, shivering cold. The flowers shone and bloomed under the magic of the beautiful moon. It was a night like any other... But Amber felt that something special was going to happen... Or at least, she desperately needed something special to happen like a miracle.

Amber sighed as a fine rain began to fall. She closed the window not wanting to get wet. While she was preparing her bed to finally rest, there was a knock on her door. She frowned and went to open the door. She saw two little red manes and scolded them as she let them in:

- The children? but what are you doing here? I just put you to bed, not half an hour ago...

- We have something to tell you, Amber. Amanda began.

- Yes and it's very important... Amanda continued.

She looked at her two twin sisters, confused. She invited them to sit on her bed each on one side.

- I'm listening... What do you have to tell me and who couldn't wait until tomorrow?

They looked at each other and Amanda spoke, the first...

- Well, we want to apologize. We shouldn't have been swimming in the rain...

- Because of us, you had to stay home for 3 days when you should be going to work... Continued Amandine. T

The young woman felt her heart warm up...

- And we want you to go to work tomorrow morning. Miss Valentia, our nanny will take care of us.

- And we promise never to disobey you again... - Oh! My darlings!

The young woman replied, taking them in her arms.

If only... If only, they knew that wasn't what she was home for. She sighed in despair. She didn't want her sisters to notice that she was sad so she continued...

- And if we slept together, all three on my bed? Propose the young woman.

- Yesssssssss! Cried the twins in heart.

She got up and added extra blankets and a few minutes later all three of them were steaming nicely under the sheets. The twins soon fell asleep while the young woman could not sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about her current life...

The real reason why she stayed home was because she was unemployed. Her boss made advances to her once more except this time he tried to touch her. The young woman had to slap him and he sent her away. Luckily she could count on the handsome sum he would have to give her... However, that wouldn't be enough for her.

In the coming days she will have to pay money for her mother's treatment and the start of the school year is in two weeks. She will have to pay at least part of the school fees. Amber sighs and remembers her life before. His parents were neither rich nor poor. They had a nice little house, a few cars, and a fancy little cottage. She was studying international law and was in her final year. Her father had a terrible accident and died in hospital after spending more than 2 weeks in a coma. Her father borrowed a large sum from a dealer and the young woman had to sell the cottage to repay the money and as if that were not enough, her mother was diagnosed with leukemia. She had to sell 3/4 of the cars to pay for the first year of treatment. She had taken out a loan from the bank to finish her studies and had pledged the house. She had her diploma but she still had the debt from the bank and she would have to think about it seriously if she didn't want her childhood home to be seized.

It's been a year since she juggled between 2 jobs to make ends meet. The price of her mother's treatment was going to increase for the second year and God only knows if she could meet that sum. She remembers her last visit. The state were great but his face was pale and his eyes were losing their sparkle. Guerta often told her daughter that she didn't have to sacrifice herself for her. She always added that anyway, she was going to die soon. She hated when her mother spoke to her on her terms. Amber didn't want to lose her mother, she had a hard time living without her father, even if the latter was a perfect idiot. She needed the money so badly right now. She didn't want to sell the house because she didn't want to deprive her sisters of the house that had seen them grow up, of the memories that were imprinted in every wall and every corner. They should already be living without their father, Amber didn't want to inflict any more pain on them. She was ready to do anything to solve all her problems. She knew that making a large sum would not be easy but she had some urgently. She was tired of working so much for a pittance.

At 23, she already looked like a 50-year-old woman. She sometimes resented her father for not taking care of her family properly. She was angry with him for leaving all his heavy responsibilities on her little shoulders and she was angry with him for dying so soon. She was not prepared to become the man-woman of the family. She glanced at Amandine who had just turned around, She holds her in time before she lands on the ground. The bed was small, far too small for the three of them. The young woman got up cautiously and let her sisters sleep on her bed. She made sure they couldn't hurt themselves if they fell from turning over during the night, then went to bed on her mini sofa. She was already imagining the neck pain she will have when she wakes up. She turned on the night lamp and put on some blankets. Soon,she sighed and closed her eyes...

She needed a miracle. Of an immense miracle...

Charles looked out of his office window and saw his lawyer's car parked in the large courtyard of his mansion. He took the last sip of his whisky glass and looked at the time on the big clock at the top of his room. Viccencio was late and he hated being late... He put his glass on a small tray and sat behind his desk waiting impatiently for his lawyer to arrive. He heard two knocks on the door...

- Come in," he answered.

The door opened to reveal his lawyer, one of the best in town, Viccencio, a Japanese.

- Good evening...

- You're late, Viccencio... Sit down, sit down.

The sooner he settles this case, the better he'll feel.

- Here are the papers... I've made everything official, just need the signatures.

- Well, good. It's time to call him...

- Yes... And I'll do it tomorrow morning?

- Why not now, Viccencio?

- Well, it's late... 7 o'clock at night, this is no time to talk busin