Royalty // Chuck Bass

Chapter 28

O Brother, Where Bart Thou?

More towers than Trump, more bucks than Bloomberg. Bart Bass and Andrew Hawthorne definitely made their mark on Manhattan. The passing of a public figure can shake a whole town, the passing of two can shake a city. But the real story is always the one happening in private. Away from the headlines. At home.

Anna walked downstairs to find her mother pacing through the hallways of their home with Uncle James and Noah eating breakfast at the dining room table.

"She really needs to calm down." Anna spoke as she picked up the card from yet another bunch of flowers that were sent to the penthouse so could people could send their condolences.

"It's your mother, Anna. Let her morn in her own way." James reminded his niece as she stole a grape from the dining table.

Both James and Noah made eye contact but neither of them acknowledged the action taken by the brunette girl. It was the first thing she had eaten since learning of her father's death a few days ago.

"I have to go and help Lily finish setting up." Diana said as she entered the dining room where her family were day.

"Mom I'm sure Lily has everything under control. Sit down and eat." Noah told his mother as they all watched her grab her bag.

"I promised I would help Noah." Diana replied as she put her glasses away. "Anna have you spoken to Charles?"

"He's still locked away in his suite. But I called the concierge and they're sending food up so there is something alive in that room." Anna answered her mother as she rubbed her tired eyes. The teenager knew she would need a lot of concealer to cover the bags under her eyes. But nothing could mask the hurt that her brown orbs held.

"I'll be back in a little bit." The older Hawthorne woman finished before leaving the penthouse and her family behind.

"Uncle James you have to talk to her. She's gonna hit a wall if she doesn't calm down." Anna remarked as she leant her arms against the chair where her father sat for the seldom times he would eat at home.

"You're one to talk. You haven't slept in days Anna." James replied referencing to the bags under his niece's eyes.

"I'm fine. I'm going to start getting ready." Anna spoke as she turned around and walked back upstairs to her room before the tears fell from eyes for millionth time in the last few days. She felt like she hadn't stopped crying since the night of the Snowflake Charity Ball.

She brushed the tears away as she grabbed her phone from her bed and tried calling Chuck one last time before she got ready.

It killed her to know he had locked himself away in his suite with no social interaction beside a pair of twins who had spent the last few days with him.

Although Anna felt completely alone in the whole situation, she knew she wasn't. She had her mother, Noah and James. And even though Chuck had his step family he chose to remove himself from the family home after learning of the news.

After reaching Chuck's voicemail for the hundredth time, Anna places her phone down on her dresser and started to get ready. She sat down in front of her mirror and looked at the black dressing hanging by her closet door in the reflection of the glass mirror.