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

Chapter 10: Paparazzi

I sat by myself on Nash's bed, my mind blank as I tried to solve the unsettling mystery of Tobias Tattersall Hawthorne's Death and his 'Inheritance Game' as I had started to think of it as.
A whole game created by Mr Hawthorne to mess with the lives of his family and those around him.
"Lacey?" Nash's voice called as he opened the door, pulling me from my thoughts. "Malacey?"
"I'm here," I replied, standing as he opened the door. "Is there something wrong?"
"Oh, good you're here," he huffed as he closed the door behind him. "Don't go near the windows by the way."
Nash quickly shuffled over to the windows and snapped the shutters closed, leaving the room in darkness. I turned on the lights to I could see where he was. 
"Nash, what's going on?" I asked, worried. 
"Goddamn, why are they always around?" the older boy scoffed as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. 
"Nash," I repeated louder to get his attention. 
He finally looked up at me with an anxious and worried expression painted on his furrowed eyebrows and creased forehead. 
"Who's here?" I asked again. 
"Fucking paparazzi," he sneered, looking down at his phone again. 
"Nash?" Grayson's voice suddenly yelled through the door as he banged on it. "Malacey? Are you guys in there?"
I went over to the door and unlocked it to let a fuming Grayson into the room, locking it behind him. 
"The stupid paparazzi got a hold of the information again and they're pretty much holding us 'hostage' inside the house," the silver-eyed Hawthorne growled as he paced around the room. "Miss Grambs, her sister and Alisa were able to leave, but I don't think we're going to be as lucky." 
I sneaked over to the shutters and pulled one down, only to see a whole crowd flocked at the front of Hawthorne House. Never in my life had I seen a crowd of paparazzi that big.
"Malacey!" Grayson shouted out of nowhere as he realised what I was doing. 
Out of fright, I accidentally stepped back and fell, pressing the button to release the shutters and open them on my way down. Strong arms cushioned my fall but me falling wasn't the biggest of anyone's problems. 
Cameras flashed left and right as the paparazzi saw that the window was open. 
"There they are!"
"Oh my god, is that Malacey Prairie and Grayson Hawthorne?"
"Quick, take a photo!"
I looked up to see who had caught me and saw Grayson's silver eyes glinting angrily as if they were on fire. 
Quickly, Nash came over and closed the shutters once again. 
"Oh my god," I gasped as I pushed myself away from Grayson. "Oh my god, what just happened?"
"What just fucking happened is that you let the paparazzi see us!" the younger Hawthorne yelled in my face as he dusted off his tux sleeves. "Oh my god, you're so stupid, Malacey!"
"Grayson," Nash shouted, his tone warning. "She didn't mean to."
"Of course she meant it!" he screamed back, outraged. "This little beggar has never seen the flash of a camera before because she's as broke as shit and wanted a picture with me because we all know she's still in love with me like a sore fucking loser!"
"Grayson!" the older boy yelled, pushing his brother back and standing between us. "That's enough!"
I stood, shocked. 
"I thought you were different now, Gray," I whispered, feeling tears starting to build in my eyes. "I thought you'd changed."
"Malacey," Nash said, turning to me. "He didn't mean any of that-"
"But, no," I shouted, cutting him off. "You haven't changed one fucking bit!"
It was Grayson's turn to be surprised now, stepping back, realising what he had said. 
"Malacey, I-" he tried to say but I stopped him. 
"No, Grayson," I yelled. "You don't get to apologise. You're just the like the shit paparazzi, you change the story and only show what you want to show because you're an arrogant piece of shit who I regret loving!"
I turned away from the two and ran out of the door. 
"Malacey!" the brothers shouted but I ran downstairs and down to the Great Room. 
I suddenly ran into a strong figure and landed on top of them on the floor. I quickly got up before I looked at who I had ran into.
"Lacey?"
"Jamie?"
"Lace, have you been crying?" Jameson Hawthorne asked me as he got up and brushed himself off. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"
Tears streamed down my face as I fell onto the Hawthorne boy again, this time into his embrace. 
"It's alright, you don't have to tell me," he cooed, stroking my hair as I cried into his chest. 
"Thank you, Jamie," I sobbed into his chest as we stood there for what felt like an eternity. 

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Author's Note:

I'm so so sorry for not updating this story for so long! I've had a lot of school work to do and a lot of procrastination to go with that. I hope that you liked this chapter and the previous ones. Thank you for reading! 

- Reika