Skyscrapers and Starlight – The Dragon’s Daughter
By Lea von Löwenstein
Chapter 6: Family Ties
Part 1: The Grandmother Gambit
The Drake penthouse’s morning light caught Alexandra’s diamond wedding band as she poured her second espresso. Marcus paced behind her, his phone buzzing with family messages.
“So,” he finally said, running a hand through his hair, “about tomorrow night…”
“Mmm?” She didn’t look up from her tablet, where Dubai market figures danced.
“It’s my grandmother’s birthday. Eleanor Drake’s 80th.” He loosened his tie. “I may have… forgotten to mention it.”
Alexandra’s head snapped up. “The Eleanor Drake? The art collector?”
“The very same.” He winced. “Look, with everything happening, I understand if you don’t want to—”
She was already typing on her phone. “Claire? Emergency protocol seven. We need the finest jade ceramic set from the Ming dynasty. The complete family collection, individual pieces. And…” She glanced at Marcus. “What’s her favourite art period?”
“Abstract expressionism,” he answered automatically. “But Alex, those sets are impossible to—”
“Add a Rothko,” she continued to Claire. “The red one from the Beijing vault. Original, not print. Wrap everything in cream silk, gold ribbons.” She paused. “Yes, the real gold ones.”
Marcus stared at her. “A Rothko? Alex, those cost—”
“Perfect timing for delivery? Excellent.” She ended the call, finally meeting his stunned expression. “What? I can’t show up to Eleanor Drake’s birthday empty-handed.”
“Most people bring wine.”
“Most people aren’t trying to impress the family matriarch.” She stood, straightening his tie. “Besides, I heard she cut off your parents’ art allowance last month. This should be… interesting.”
His laugh was shaky. “You’re either completely mad or…”
“Or?”
“Or I’m starting to wonder if I should have believed you about being Alexandra Chen from the beginning.”
She kissed him lightly. “Guess you’ll find out tomorrow night. Now, help me pick a dress that says ‘I might own half of Asia but I’m totally approachable.'”
The next evening, their Rolls Royce purred to a stop before the Drake family mansion. Through the windows, they could see Manhattan’s elite arriving, air-kissing and judging.
Alexandra adjusted her Cartier earrings, a convoy of white vans with Global Titan’s logo pulling up behind them.
“Ready to meet Grandmother?” she asked sweetly.
Marcus watched the delivery men unloading what looked like the contents of a museum.
“God help us all,” he whispered.
Part 2: The Jade Dragon’s Lair
The Drake mansion’s foyer glowed with old money warmth, crystal chandeliers casting honeyed light over gilt-framed masterpieces. Alexandra squeezed Marcus’s hand as they entered quietly, her midnight blue Dior whispering against marble.
“Grandmother always said real power enters softly,” he murmured, guiding her through clusters of Manhattan’s elite.
Eleanor Drake held court near the grand fireplace, her silver hair gleaming like a crown. Before they could reach her, the temperature dropped twenty degrees.
“Marcus.” Elizabeth Drake’s voice could’ve frozen champagne. “How… unexpected. And you brought your… situation.”
Harrison Drake materialized, Sophia Montgomery clutching his arm. “Son. This is a family gathering. Surely you understand—”
“I understand perfectly,” Marcus’s tone hardened. “I’m introducing my wife to her grandmother-in-law.”
“Wife?” Elizabeth laughed, crystal and ice. “Darling, temporary arrangements shouldn’t be at intimate family events.”
Sophia stepped forward, triumphant. “Speaking of family…” She gestured to waiting servants, who wheeled in an ornate jade ceramic set. “A small token, Eleanor dear. Ming dynasty, from Daddy’s private collection.”
The assembled guests cooed appropriately.
“How lovely,” Eleanor murmured, examining the pieces.
“It’s fake,” Alexandra said quietly.
The room stilled.
“Excuse me?” Sophia’s voice rose an octave.
“The glaze is wrong for the period.” Alexandra traced the air above a vase. “And the maker’s mark? It’s been artificially aged. Quite well, actually, but still fake.”
Elizabeth’s laugh was sharp. “And you’d know this how, dear?”
“Because,” Alexandra smiled serenely, “I own the original set.” She turned to the doorway. “Which I brought. For everyone.”
The Global Titan delivery team entered like a choreographed ballet, bearing silk-wrapped treasures. Each piece was nestled in cream silk, tied with ribbons of actual gold thread.
“One for each family member,” Alexandra continued as gasps filled the room. “And for you, Grandmother Drake…”
The final piece was wheeled in – a massive crate that made Eleanor’s eyes widen.
“Is that…?” the family matriarch whispered.
“The Red Rothko,” Alexandra confirmed. “The original. Happy birthday.”
Sophia’s fake jade set suddenly looked very small indeed.
Part 3: The Shattered Dynasty
The Drake mansion’s tension could’ve been cut with a diamond as Elizabeth Drake’s perfectly manicured hand wrapped around one of Alexandra’s gifted jade pieces.
“These cheap imitations,” she sneered, “are an insult to this family. Unlike Sophia’s authentic set.”
Alexandra’s voice remained calm. “I really wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“No?” Harrison Drake lifted another piece. “Perhaps we should show you how we deal with frauds in this family.”
“Last warning,” Alexandra said softly, as Marcus’s youngest cousin, Emma, clutched her piece protectively to her chest, eyes wide.
“Marcus,” Elizabeth’s voice dripped venom, “either divorce this con artist, or watch us destroy her pathetic attempt at belonging.”
The first piece shattered against Italian marble.
Then another.
And another.
The sound of breaking jade echoed like gunshots as the family systematically destroyed Alexandra’s gifts, their faces twisted with cruel satisfaction.
“Stop…” Emma whispered, backing away with her piece. “Uncle Richard collects—”
The main doors burst open.
Richard Drake, the family’s renowned art curator, stood frozen in the doorway, his face draining of all colour as he stared at the jade shards scattered across the floor.
“Is that…” his voice shook, “the Lost Emperor’s Set?”
Silence crashed through the room.
“The what?” Elizabeth’s voice wavered.
“The complete Ming dynasty Imperial Jade Collection,” Richard whispered, falling to his knees beside a broken piece. “Last seen in Beijing’s Forbidden City… worth…” He looked up, horror etched on his features. “Who did this?”
Emma, still holding her intact piece, pointed at her relatives. “They did, Uncle Richard. They wouldn’t listen when she warned them.”
Richard’s roar of fury shook the chandeliers. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’VE JUST DESTROYED?”
The family’s smug expressions crumbled as art history’s magnitude of their actions dawned.
