2 Malcolm Merlyn

Thea ignored everyone who came over to comfort her, maintaining a cold expression. In reality, she didn't recognize many of them and had no memory at all, indicating that her original connection with these families was minimal. No one found it strange, after all, she was just a fifteen-year-old girl. It was normal for her to look unwell after losing her father and brother. It would be more concerning if she greeted everyone she saw.

"Thea, my condolences," a young man ignored her icy demeanor and patted her shoulder.

The young man was the only person Thea recognized at the moment, a close friend of her brother Oliver's, named Tommy, Tommy Merlyn. He was Malcolm Merlyn's son, his only son, and technically her half-brother on her father's side.

It was a bit amusing, Oliver and Tommy, her two brothers, one was a half-brother from her father's side, and the other from her mother's side. Their relationship was quite complicated.

Given their different relationships, Thea nodded slightly and whispered softly, "Thank you."

Tommy was deeply saddened; his grief was genuine. He was immersed in a painful state of mind. Having grown up in the Queen household, he felt towards Robert and Oliver as if they were his father and brother. Now, their deaths had left him devastated. Everyone present, over a hundred people, appeared mournful, but the truly grieving ones were just two and a half people – Tommy and Moira. Thea knew that Oliver was still alive, so she was only counted as half.

Giving Tommy a gentle hug, Thea didn't linger in the crowd; she walked back to the car alone.

Seeing her get into the car, Moira soon freed herself from the crowd, and the two of them returned to the luxurious Queen mansion in silence.

Declining Moira's suggestion to share a bed as mother and daughter, Thea returned to her room alone.

There were still five years before the plot began; she shouldn't waste this time. This world was too dangerous. Throughout the entire "Arrow" storyline, someone close to Oliver always got kidnapped, and then he would go on a rampage to rescue them. For every person he saved, the villains would kidnap another, and the cycle repeated for five seasons. It was really a ridiculous story.

Moreover, that was the story after Green Arrow returned home. But what about before he came back? There was a five-year gap. Thea was the sole heir of the Queen Consolidated now! There were plenty of kidnapping and ransom demands. The bodyguards employed by the Queen family were as useless as ever. The most formidable of them should be John Diggle, but even he was mocked by the League of Assassins as being at kindergarten level.

The crucial question was whether Malcolm, this master conspirator, would covet the huge fortune of the Queen family. In theory, if he married Moira and then eliminated her, this significant fortune would belong to him! Thea felt that if he didn't know she was his daughter, there was a seventy to eighty percent chance he would take action. It would be too tragic if she were killed by her unknowing biological father.

In the original plot, Thea became extremely corrupted after her father and brother's deaths. She might have given up on the idea of taking over the company because of the chaos, but she definitely wouldn't touch those things now, especially not promiscuity, as the influence of her past life's soul made her feel disgusted at the thought of men.

What would Malcolm think if he saw her confidently inheriting the Queen Consolidated? Putting oneself in his shoes, would he take action? Definitely!

Rubbing her temples, Thea became increasingly worried about her current situation. It was then that she realized Moira had been continuously networking at the funeral, perhaps trying to find a few protectors.

This is a great yet pitiful mother. She subconsciously fails to realize that Malcolm could harm his illegitimate daughter because she doesn't understand Malcolm's true nature. He is a wolf, a devouring beast. In his eyes, there are no friends, only living and dead enemies. Throughout the plot, Oliver has opposed him multiple times, yet Malcolm openly admitted that Oliver was like his own son. However, when this so-called son stood in his way, Malcolm showed no mercy.

His own blood daughter has been deceived time and time again. Fortunately, Malcolm is currently at the peak of his life. As long as she doesn't disrupt his plans, he won't harm her. Of course, the condition is that he knows she is his daughter.

Her current focus is not on martial arts training but on matters of life and death. Does he know the truth now? This question is driving Thea crazy.

After tossing and turning for half the night, she finally fell into a deep sleep, only to dream of a great battle between Superman, Batman, and the Justice League, where she died like an ant in the chaos.

She woke up drenched in cold sweat, unable to sleep anymore, lying in a daze until Moira called her for breakfast.

"Oh, Thea, you look so pale. Do you need to see a doctor?" Moira hugged Thea and asked worriedly.

"It's okay, Mom. I didn't sleep well last night. I'll lie down again later."

During breakfast, Tommy also joined them. He had spent more time at the Queen's mansion than at his own home. Watching him speak familiarly with her, Thea suddenly realized where her breakthrough lay – with Tommy!

Her mother had always known the truth without needing to probe further. All she had to do was see if Malcolm knew. By acting affectionately with Tommy in front of Malcolm, she believed he would intervene if he knew the truth.

Although being with men made her uncomfortable, it was her only option for now. Luckily, Tommy was familiar with her and not entirely repulsed. For the sake of her life, she had to endure it!

Actually, in the original plot, Thea was somewhat interested in Tommy. Thankfully, the writers had some integrity and didn't go for such a morally questionable setup. Unaware of the truth, Tommy firmly rejected Thea, insisting they were just like siblings – which they technically were – sparing them from a situation akin to a soap opera.

In the following days, Thea continued to act normal in front of Moira while growing closer to Tommy behind the scenes. This served two purposes: attracting the attention of the big boss and using Tommy as a shield to prevent the big boss from acting against her. Well, both were ultimately for Malcolm's benefit. There was no choice; in the current Starling City, he was the invisible emperor. If she wanted to survive and thrive, she needed his approval.

Fortunately, she was his daughter, an unchangeable reality. As long as she told the truth, she would be as solid as a rock!

Surprisingly, no one around her made a fuss about her neutral attire of suits and pantsuits. They attributed it to her recent trauma and psychological imbalance, believing she would recover after a while. Actually, Thea had already buried all her skirts and heels deep in the closet. She didn't know about the future, but at least for now, she had no intention of wearing them again!

Tommy turned out to be a good friend, not growing tired of Thea's constant presence. Thinking she was deeply traumatized, he kept trying various ways to cheer her up, even neglecting his girlfriend, Laurel Lance.