Becoming a Scott

Chapter 33

They were at the race tracks. It was a dark afternoon with low hanging clouds and uncle Joel couldn't help to complain about the impending rain. Isabela and Christina on the other hand were letting themselves get lost in the race, they betted between themselves with five dollars bills for every round.

"Ha!" Isabela yelled, "You're going to run out of your new money soon enough if keep picking horses like that!"

Christina rolled her head back, "How are all of your horses winning? I'd expect at least one to fall to second place but-"

"I was raised around horses, if you look at the form and the temperament of the horse, it's easy to call it." She explained as she grabbed the five dollar bill from Christina's hand. "All of these rich people are lucky their tickets cost so much because I came around more often I'd be living lavishly."

Uncle Joel spoke for the first time in a while, "I'll make sure to bring you along next time Isabela, we can split the money."

"As if you need any money from gambling," Christina teased.

Her uncle glanced down at her, the look on his face telling her that he was in no desire to laugh. "You mind coming with me for a second? I want a drink from the bar."

She blinked, "Sure, we'll be back Isabela."

"Ah, don't leave when it's just getting good." Isabela complained happily but didn't say anything else as they left.

Christina followed through the stands behind her uncle. He was stalking heavily, each footstep seemed big and menacing and she wondered what she had done to upset him. When they reached the hall he hesitated and waited for her to stand beside him. "Christina, I think there's something I need to discuss with you before you keep handing out money."

"I'm not handing it out," she shrugged, "I just happen to suck at this. Plus, I'm celebrating in my own little way."

He let out a breath, and looked towards the end of the hall where the crowd was cheering loudly for the next race. "I'm sorry be the one to tell you this but... you shouldn't be celebrating. As far as the will is concerned your situation hasn't changed."

Christina raised her brows, unable to understand what he was saying.

"That last bit of the will your grandmother spoke of, how the overseeing of the company is going to be left up to voting-"

"But that doesn't matter to me," Christina frowned. "I was never looking to run the family businesses. I'll be perfectly fine with what she's guaranteed to me."

"That the thing, Christina. The estate, the property, the stocks, the funds, it's all tied together with your grandmother's position as head of the company. If you, or someone who wants you to keep everything, isn't president then it'll be taken away from you legally or..." her uncle held her glare, "or you'll inherent nothing but debt."

"What? How is that even possible?"

"It's been that way for a couple generations now. Our family ties it's wealth to the business dealings and vice versa, it's a very risky game but it's never failed us. Whoever has control of the company has the ability to control the life of every family member."

Christina looked away, suddenly feeling nauseous. "She never told me any of this."

"Me and Joel assumed that if she was leaving you everything else than she would definitively place you as head of the company, but it seems this was her plan all along."

Her mouth went dry, "So, I didn't do anything. I have nothing."

Her uncle shook his head. "Your one step closer, you have a chance. Your grandmother is just allowing you to play the game a little longer."

"The game?" She repeated, "I barely won the will in the charade she had me playing this week. How am I supposed to compete for another couple of years until this all comes to pass?"

"You do everything she tells you, she already has it all planned out. You ace all your classes, get your degree, work closely with her, listen to every drop of advice that she gives you, and try your hardest to build your relationship with the board of trustees. Richard won't vote in favor of you no matter how much time has passed, so your key to winning is the board."

"What a mess," she let out with a laugh though she was sick to her stomach.

"Keep you grandmother in good graces from now on. And whatever you do, do not give her the idea that you wouldn't kill to become the inheritor. She is more than capable of editing the will again and stripping you of everything if she sees you lack the drive."

"I thought that if I won I would have it easy," she admitted, more to herself that to her uncle. "I thought that I would finally live like the rest of you."

Her uncle placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "You are like the rest of us, Christina. We've all been living under the discretion of my mother. If there's one thing that you did today it's officially stand as equal in potential to every member of this family. You've become a Scott."

Christina pressed her eyes closed, the screams and yells of the crowd outside echoing through the hall, and she wondered if Ander had taken any of this into consideration before proposing to her.