Tommy's life had been unexpectedly fulfilling lately. During the day, he roamed the city with Thea; at night, he engaged in... strenuous physical exertion with Laurel. Between the workouts and the emotional acrobatics, he had neither the time nor the energy to hit bars or nightclubs.
Laurel might've been acting out of revenge. After all, Oliver had slept with her sister while they were dating. So when Tommy said a few comforting words, she took it as a green light.
There was no cultural barrier stopping them. In this world, there was no sacred code about not getting involved with your friend's ex. Need proof? In the original storyline, even Diggle—Oliver's loyal war-brother—came dangerously close to marrying his dead brother's wife. The nephew almost ended up calling him dad. And Oliver? He'd cheered them on.
So although Tommy still grieved Oliver's death, he had no psychological burden about embracing Laurel. She was the future Black Canary, after all. Her strength came with intensity, and after a few days of "emotional healing," Tommy had visibly slimmed down.
Thea had pieced it all together. And frankly, she was disgusted. Crying in front of your dead best friend's photo while hugging that friend's girlfriend? Tasteless. Since Tommy wasn't on the brink of death, Thea kept dragging him across the city, ensuring that every corner, camera, and whisper network would report back to Malcolm Merlyn.
...
[ Queen Mansion, Star City ]
Today, Thea traded her usual business suit for a sleeveless vest. The weather was too hot to tolerate anything else. She stared at the curve of her chest with resignation.
There was no denying it now: she could never be a man again. Fortunately, this body wasn't overly endowed—solidly a B-cup. Manageable. She might even grow a bit more, but she'd stay within the functional range. No nosebleeds during sparring. No bouncing distractions. No need to give up on martial arts just yet.
A knock broke her train of thought.
Knock knock knock.
She opened the door without thinking—and there he was.
Malcolm Merlyn. The big boss himself.
"Hey, Thea, looks like you've recovered well," he said. His voice was warm, even casual, but his eyes gleamed with the calculation of a man used to winning.
Thea nearly dropped the imaginary sword she'd been gripping in her mind all week. Finally! After days of dragging Tommy around like bait, Malcolm had taken it. She'd rehearsed this moment too many times to count.
"Morning, Uncle Merlyn," she replied smoothly, stepping aside to let him in.
Perfectly polite. Just as the history between the Queen and Merlyn families would expect. Malcolm said nothing, just nodded and walked in.
Thea pretended to watch TV but kept one eye on the hallway. She saw Malcolm vanish into her mother's room. Time to move.
She immediately picked up a teacup and slipped off her shoes as she don't how good Malcolm hearing is as he was trained by Ra's al Ghul and crept closer.
"Moira, you're so beautiful," Malcolm said warmly. His tone gave away his mood—rarely was he so casual. The death of his wife had dulled his joy years ago. This cheerfulness was strange.
"Mr. Merlyn, what are you doing here?" Moira Queen's voice was cold. They'd always met discreetly before—up hills, on empty roads. An open visit was unusual.
"Haha." Malcolm poured himself a drink, then smiled. "You know, Moira? Besides my wife, you're the only woman who ever stirred my heart. I once thought of marrying you. But now, I've found something... interesting."
Moira didn't even react to the marriage bit. Her eyes were locked on him. "What is it? Our arrangement is over. You don't get to interfere in my life anymore."
"What do you think of Tommy and Thea? Funny coincidence, isn't it? You've got a daughter, I've got a son. No obstacles. Queen Consolidated and Merlyn Global could finally tie the knot—formally."
Outside the door, Thea nearly dropped her teacup.
So he doesn't know.
Moira had never told him. Her mother, was also an expert at deceiving and fooling people and had kept the truth buried. It was incredible. Malcolm—the man with eyes everywhere—was still in the dark. It seemed that men can be fooled in this regard, no matter how insidious a man was!
Inside, Moira's outrage exploded. "No. Absolutely not!"
Thea winced. Even through the door, that was loud.
Malcolm looked stunned. No one raised their voice to him—not since the League. Not since Ra's al Ghul made him wet himself. If this had been a decade earlier and he had a bow in his hand, things might have gone differently.
"I don't agree," Moira repeated, glaring.
"My requests aren't up for debate, Moira Queen," Malcolm said. The earlier romantic sentiment had vanished. He was back to being the predator.
Thea outside the door knew that the drama was about to begin, so she raised her teacup high. This is a classic scene in TV dramas, where a teacup is smashed outside the door when the truth is revealed! She wonder if people in this world have seen this kind of TV drama? Unfortunately, the floor is wooden, so the sound effect will be not as good as smashing the cup on marble floor. She can only hope that Malcolm can hear it when she smashed the cup on wooden floor.
"Let me explain," Moira was also frightened by Malcolm's serious look. She took a swig of wine bottle helplessly, thinking frantically in her mind about how to explain.
Seeing her abnormal behavior, Malcolm realized that something was wrong. He was able to survive under the command of a Ra's al Ghul who had lived for more than 700 years, and his ability to read people's expressions is very good. So he was no longer in a hurry and slowly sat down, ready to listen to her explanation.
Moira thought about it but couldn't come up with any good reason. If she blocked this proposal without reason, Malcolm would become suspicious—worse, he might act. Against her. Against Thea, which would be a tragedy.
After repeated thinking, this secret was known by two person before, and became her own secret after her husband's death. Now, if she tell Malcolm, it will changed from a secret of one person to a secret of two person again. She can accept it. As long as Thea herself doesn't know, everything will be fine!
There was no way to delay this anymore.
"Thea is your daughter," she said, barely above a whisper.
She slumped into the sofa, years of burden sliding off her shoulders in that one sentence.
Thea, who was outside the door, quickly threw the teacup to the ground with a dull "bang". There was no other way because the wooden floor affected the dramatic sound effect!
She couldn't see Malcolm's expression and was getting a little worried that he would be too stunned and not hear it because that floor muffled the teacup way too much..
Malcolm, however, had heard.
Even as his head spun, his body was already moving. As a graduate of Nanda Parbat, his ninja training kicked in. He flung the door open.
Thea stood there, busted.
For a long second, the great Malcolm Merlyn just stared at her, completely blank.
Even the villainous mastermind, the Black Arrow, the man who had survived Lazarus Pits and betrayals—he was stunned.
Dumbfounded.
Speechless.
Just a man, staring at his newly discovered daughter, with a teacup on the floor and a head full of questions.
To Be Continued...
---xxx---
[POWER STONES AND REVIEWS PLS]