A Billion Dollar Bequest to A Stranger - An Inheritance Games Fanfic

Chapter 3: A Bequeath Of... Love?

Silence filled the massive space in the limousine-style car as I sat as far away as I could from Grayson.
So much for an escort.
Truth be told though, if my pride hadn't risen to the point that it had up to this point in my life, I would have sat maybe a metre or so less from him.
If.
"Uh," I tried to say, but Grayson said it at the same time as me.
"You go first," we both muttered in unison again.
Damn this ex-lovers unison.
No, I don't want to talk about it.
Damn it, now I'm talking to myself out of nervousness.
Shut up.
No, you shut up.
Argh, I internally groaned.
"How have you been, Miss Prairie?"
"How has your life been, Hawthorne?"
"..."
"..."
"It's fine," was the immediate and united response.
Silence blanketed the car again and was layered with awkward tension.

Minutes later, we arrived at Hawthorne House. Grayson got out first on his side and stayed beside the door as a doorman. As I reached the entrance, he held out his hand for my to hold as I got out, but I ignored it and jumped from the car by myself. Grayson gave a small scoff from behind me and silently slammed the door behind us.
We entered Hawthorne House and into the foyer.
"Lacey!" came the voice of the curly haired Alexander Blackwood Hawthorne.
"Xander," I replied as the boy rushed over to me and tackled me with a hug.
"It's been so long since I last saw you, Lace!" the youngest Hawthorne laughed as he released me from a winding crush. "Why haven't you visited in so long?"
I gave him a small smile before he realised that he had said something over the line. His eyes suddenly turned to stare at his brother behind me, at which the said brother looked away and nervously examined the flooring.
"I moved to McArthur, remember?" I answered, cautiously without tripping too many secrets.
"Xander!" came the familiar voice of Carson.
"Carson," Xander and I said at the same time, both regarding my brother who blushed at Xander's regard towards him.
What a cute, fucking bisexual my brother was.
Xander ran towards my brother and gave him a hug, causing Carson to become even more red than before, if that was even possible.
"It's been way too long, man," the Hawthorne mumbled into the Prairie's shoulder.
"Hey, Xan," came Kirk as he strolled in behind the two as they pulled apart.
"Kirk Oleander Hawthorne!" boomed the thick, Texan accent of Nash Westbrook Hawthorne. "Been way too long, brother."
"Nash," my eldest brother sighed as said Nash Hawthorne strolled into the Great Room.
Damn, were my brothers smitten with these Hawthornes.
Couldn't say I wasn't though.

Ahem.

"Should we go into the Great Room now?" Grayson suddenly said, pulling all attention to him.
"I've gotta go do something first," Xander said, giving Kirk a wink before striding off towards a coat closet.
Ah yes, the legendary secret rooms and tunnels of Hawthorne House.
Oh, what a legend Tobias Tattersall Hawthorne was.
"The other stranger girl will be here soon," Grayson announced as the rest of us walked into the Great Room. "She's all we need to wait for now."

A girl with long and straight brown hair and green eyes strolled into the Great Room. Her eyes wandered around her before they landed on Grayson who sat in the sofa chair next to me.
I side eyed the boy next to me and I saw his eyes narrow at the sight of the girl.
He stood up and walked over to the girl and Alisa Ortega, the daughter of Mr. Ortega who was part of McNamara, Ortega and Jones; Mr Tobias Hawthorne's lawyers.
I watched silently as Grayson spoke with the girl before she turned to speak with Nash and then Xander who came out of the coat closet.
A girl with blue hair in a short ponytail followed behind the girl before dropping into a seat beside me.
"Uh, hi, my name's Libby Grambs, " the girl said, her eyes popping from the dark makeup and eyeliner that she wore.
"Malacey Prairie, nice to meet you, Miss Grambs," I responded with my hand outstretched for her to shake. "I take it that you are that girl's sister?"
Libby nodded at my statement. "My half-sister; Avery Grambs. We share the same father."
I nodded along, listening intently.
"Carson Prairie," announced my brother as he walked up to Libby, took her hand and gave it a kiss, to which a blush dusted her cheek.
"O-Oh, Libby Grambs," she replied, stammering, to which I smirked at my brother and his boyish charm.
"Oh, Hemlock, do get over yourself," I snickered at my older brother. "Please excuse my brother."
Suddenly, the Avery girl walked out of the room and into the backyard of Hawthorne House; well, if you could call a whole pavilion a backyard.
"What's going on with her?" the blue haired girl next to me mumbled as Carson took a seat next to her.
"She's probably just confused and overwhelmed with all this 'richness,'" Kirk said as he walked over and sat next to my on the couch I sat on. "No offence, Miss Grambs."
"Please call me Libby," she smiled at our Prairie politeness.

Minutes later, Avery came back in, a disheveled and obviously drunk Jameson Winchester Hawthorne following behind her. A flowy Skye Hawthorne and strictly clothed Zara and Constantine Calligaris entered the Great Room and sat down in designated seats and McNamara. Ortega and Jones took their labelled seats as lawyers, paper displayed in from of them.
"You are here to hear the last will and testament of Tobias Tattersall Hawthorne. Per Mr. Hawthorne's instructions, my colleagues will now distribute letters he has left for each of you," Mr Ortega announced as. Mr Jones and Mr McNamara handed out letters to each of us; well, the more important ones, which meant the exception of Libby. My brothers got one letter between the two of them while I got one for myself.
Mr Ortega went on to say that we weren't allowed to open the letters until the conclusion of the will reading but my fingers itched to break open the wax seal. The lawyer continued, stating those who were required to be at the reading; of course, I was included.
Next, the disposal of Tobias Hawthorne's former possessions.
To the Laughlin's, the elderly couple who maintained Hawthorne House, one thousand dollars was bequeathed to each of them and tenancy to Wayback Cottage.
To John Oren, Hawthorne's former security, the contents of a tool box and three hundred thousand dollars.
To Pearl O'Day, 'Nan,' Hawthorne's mother-in-law, annuity one hundred thousand dollar, a trust for medical expenses and all remaining jewelry of his wife.
To Zara and Skye, funds necessary to pay his debts and funeral. A compass to Skye and his wedding ring to Zara. To both, fifty thousand dollars.
Much less than the security detail.
To Grayson, Jameson, Nash and Xander, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to each.
Shock filled the room. This couldn't be right. There was still billions of dollars in Tobias Hawthorne's inheritance. Something didn't add up.
As words quickly filled the room, Mr Ortega stepped forward to silence everyone.

"To Malacey Belladonna Prairie, I grant her entrance to Hawthorne House whenever she pleases, a entitlement to a lawyer from McNamara, Ortega and Jones and an arrangement of marriage between said recipient and my grandson, Grayson Davenport Hawthorne, upon their twenty-fifth birthdays. "
What? What? My eyes immediately turned to look at Grayson and his eyes burned into mine as we met gazes. What was going on?

"The remainder of my estate, including all properties, monetary assets, and worldly possessions not otherwise specified, I leave to be equally split between Malacey Belladonna Prairie and Avery Kylie Grambs."

Tobias Tattersall Hawthorne, what the fucking hell have you done?

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Author's Note:
Hello readers! I hope that you liked this chapter and I apologise for the length of it 😅. Also, the song isn't really related to the chapter but I love the song and Darren Criss is a beautiful singer. STAN GLEE.
Thank you for reading!
- Reika