The day Ellington Bravo grabbed his bootstraps and launched his new company into the world of political lobbying, he did so with fearless confidence, relentless, and sometimes ruthless means. Bravo Consulting Limited went from a one-man band to fortune five hundred, with an equivalent client list, in a very short time.

His world was no place for second thoughts or weak knees; once engaged, Ellington moved mountains to achieve, and as a result was a must on every socialite's guest list, which he also exploited at each and every opportunity.

Over time, when new players entered the scene, he was gradually pushed to the sidelines. In order to uphold his own social standing, Ellington searched for a suitable partner who was familiar with the elite social circles.

Audrey Haslett who was the divorced wife of his very first client, and a prominent figure of her own in the world of political hobnobbing, became the perfect acquisition for Ellington. Polished in the ways of their A-list circle, and a handsome woman as well, carrying just the right touch of scandal from a tainted first marriage.

Their first and only child, Lawrence Dade Bravo, was born a year later, and his birth quickly took the shine off of their union. The boy was only important to Ellington as the future heir to his business. Audrey was saddled with all the parenting responsibilities; nannies and outside care programmes were vetoed, effectively ending any social life.

When Lawrence was old enough to start school, Audrey wrote an officially notarized statement, waiving any rights against the Bravo family, the business, and her son. According to reports, she left, finding the stress of her husband's world to be too much to bear, and sought therapy outside the country. Ellington was furious upon discovering the note informing him of her decision

After purchasing a ticket to South America, Audrey left and did not come back. Ellington resented the hassle it caused, more than the loss, and Lawrence was hurriedly enrolled at a private school - out of sight and mind.

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Ellington was in his mid-sixties when Lawrence returned home with his schooling done, and a bevy of honours from academics for his sharp business sense. A tense reunion, which began as both parties, venting their complaints in a series of loud, accusatory exchanges, turned into corporate rapacity and mutual hatred.

Despite the shared bitterness, opportunity was too great to ignore, and Ellington installed his son as the company's new public face, while he manoeuvred in the background. The arrangement progressed satisfactorily until, without notice or consultation, Lawrence suddenly married.

In light of his son's careless behaviour, Ellington was forced to call in almost every favour, and use every trick, to keep the new, four months pregnant blushing bride, from becoming the breakfast topic of the town.

The media covered the re-staged wedding with frenzy, and Lawrence's previously privileged life, became public gossip. For the business, and family reputations, a honeymoon was prepared by Ellington and Carleton Smithee, the company's attorney, along with the paid silence of the bride's father.

It took place halfway around the world and lasted long enough to allow the day counting pundits time to ignore the natal term, and focus instead on the arrival of the next generation of Bravos - Cynthia Rose.

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Cynthia's baby years graced society pages and celebrity magazines across the country. She was the flavour of the day, and for none more so than her doting grandfather, who savoured each burp, smile, blink and tear. Lawrence was no longer favoured as Ellington's heir.

As Cynthia grew, her parent's social inclusion waned, creating ugly rows between Faye and Lawrence over her own decline, with the recognition their publicity touchstone daughter was enjoying. Increasingly forgotten by her peers, they fought even more, until the marriage finally wilted and died.

Finding herself in the same social backwater as her mother-in-law had been, Faye made a brave decision, and confronted Ellington with a proposal that gave her a private company pension, a secret divorce, and a promise to leave and never return.

The public face was, that Faye Bravo suffered a breakdown from delayed, post-natal stress, and needed a lot of specialized care that meant long convalescence abroad. Her departure created little concern from Lawrence, happy to let his father make history repeating arrangements for Cynthia, at a private boarding school in Switzerland.

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Free of both wife and daughter, Lawrence adopted a more liberal lifestyle, engaging with the new crop of hungry competitors, more often socially than through business. The competition proved far more difficult than he was used to, and more and more money was required to keep the pathways to opportunity clear. Lawrence was amassing large, company debt.

When several business failures occurred all at once, Ellington cursed his son for putting his own personal finances at risk. With the company lawyer's advice, Ellington found a solution to protect his wealth from the sticky hands of government.

A family trust was created, financed by a complex transfer of funds to a cut-out shell company, and registered in his granddaughter's name. Included was a thirty-five percent share in Bravo Consulting. This relieved Ellington from the heavy tax burden that was looming, and satisfied the obsessive plans he had for his granddaughter.

When Cynthia returned from school, Ellington called her aside and described the trust he'd established, how he had wanted to provide for her future, and explained its rigid terms.

The day Cynthia married, she would receive the papers to the trust. Until that time she would be allowed a handsome monthly stipend from the company, and he would handle the legitimacy of the expense. Unfortunately, at the same time, the business, under the stewardship of Lawrence, went into serious decline.