My hands had trembled as I put my signature on documents that transferred the complete control of this legacy to me. That day was the beginning of this new chapter of my life. That day I swore to myself I would do right by this huge responsibility that now sits on my shoulders. And now, two months later, I have accepted that I’m in charge and I can make a difference. This legacy passed down through generations was all supposed to be my brother David’s; it was never supposed to be mine. But now it is mine and I am going to put a stop to every evil deed they have ever done. I will take the greatest pleasure in undoing all the wrongs committed by them; may they roll in their graves.

Lydia Appleton and Peter Dighby, my father’s long-time business managers, knock on the door, interrupting my rather morose thoughts and enter my office.  They’ve been helping me get a rein on things. Both are in their late fifties, have worked with my father for decades and are instrumental in the smooth running of things here at Annette & Co. I’ve learnt much from them in the last two months and I’m indebted for their guidance.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” they say one after the other.

My lips quirk as I acknowledge them with a nod. No matter how many times I’ve told them to call me Damien, they don’t. They insist on the formality of addressing me by my title, so now I’ve stopped correcting them.

Over the course of the next few hours, we discuss many aspects of the business. One item on the agenda was the growth in all our international branches and the locations that my father was scouting for opening new stores. I’m surprised to learn that my father was considering opening a store in India and he had chosen Mumbai.

When I query Peter about it, he hands me a file before replying, “Although the projections indicate New Delhi as a more feasible option, the late Duke, your father, thought Mumbai would be the ideal location. It’s the center of India’s film fraternity and one of the biggest metropolitans.”

I frown. “But this makes the least business sense. Delhi would give us better revenue, both short term and long term. I know for a fact that getting government clearances would be faster and thus easier in Delhi and real estate is cheaper than Mumbai. Besides, being the political capital of the country, I know that the Delhi demographic has higher spending power than any other city in India.”