The Fifth Hawthorne

Chapter Three

(Ashley's POV)

I managed to enter the Great Room before Jameson. Everyone looked over at me. I just took my place in the shadows of a corner. Jameson then entered, wearing a shirt. Avery was last to enter. Jamie gave her a little salute when she looked over at him. Such a flirt, I thought to myself. Gray stiffened next to him. 

"Now that everyone is here," Ortega said," let's get started."

The three lawyers stood in a triangle. 
"You are here," Mr. Ortega said, projecting his voice," 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." 

Letters were handed around one by one. 

"You may open these letters when the reading is concluded. Mr. Hawthorne stipulated that all of the following individuals must be physically present for the reading of this will: Skye Hawthorne, Zara Hawthorne- Calligaris, Nash Hawthorne, Grayson Hawthorne, Jameson Hawthorne, Ashley Hawthorne, Alexander Hawthorne, and Ms. Avery Kylie Grambs of New Castle, Connecticut. Since you are all here, we may begin."

My breath hitched. This was really happening. I felt Xander's hand slip into mine and give a comforting squeeze. 
"I, Tobias Tattersall Hawthorne, being of sound body and mind, decree that my worldly possessions, including all monetary and physical assets, be disposed as follows.

"To Andrew and Lottie Laughlin, for years of loyal service, I bequeath a sum of one hundred thousand dollars apiece, with life long, rent-free tenancy granted in Wayback Cottage, located on the western border of my Texas estate.
"To John Oren, head of my security detail, who has saved my life more times than I can count, I leave the contents of my toolbox, held currently in the offices of McNamara, Ortega, and Jones, as well as a sum of three hundred thousand dollars. 

"To my mother-in-law Pearl O'Day-"
I started to zone out. I was tired of hearing about my grandfather's death. My brothers have all dealt with it pretty well, but they didn't know him as well as I did. While the boys were arguing, I was with him in his office. Once a week, he would set up a mystery for me, not like the one we do during the weekends, this was my own. The only competition I had was the clock. I would have twenty four hours to slobs the mystery. I wasn't allowed to Google anything or talk to anyone about it, I could only use my brain and books. As I got older, they would get harder. I very rarely lost. 

I was kicked out of my thoughts by Zara and my mother arguing.

"You got it into his head, didn't you, Skye,? Told him to bypass us and leave everything to your-"

"Children." Mother's voice was crisp. "The word you're looking for is children."
"The word she's looking for is bastards." Nash said." Not like we haven't heard it before."

I'd had enough, I zoned out again only to be interrupted again by my name being called out.

"To my grandchildren, Nadh Westbrook Hawthorne, Grayson Davenport Hawthorne, Jameson Winchester Hawthorne, Ashley Skye Hawthorne, and Alexander Blackwood Hawthorne, I leave..."

"Everything," Zara muttered bitterly.
Mr. Ortega spoke over her. "Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars apiece, payable on their twenty-fifth birthdays, until such time to be managed by Alisa Ortega, trustee."

"What?" Alisa sounded shocked. "I mean...what?"

"The hell," Nash told his ex pleasantly. "The phrase you're looking for, darlin', is what the hell?"

"To Ashley Skye Hawthorne," Mr. Ortega continued," I also leave to her my private library and the entire contents inside of it."

That meant that the rest of the estate, my home, was going to Avery. It was all going to the random girl that I had never even heard of before today. 

"The remainder of my estate," he continues," including all properties, monetary assets, and worldly possessions not otherwise specified, I leave to Avery Kylie Grambs."

The room went silent.

"He left everything to her?" My mother's voice was shrill. "Why?"
"Who the hell is she?" Zara's voice was sharp as a knife. 

"There must be some mistake." Grayson was angry, I could tell. He was the 'heir apparent' and that had all been taken away from him. 

"He's right." Now it was Avery's turn to speak. "Grayson's right." Her voice came out louder this time. "There must be a mistake."

I started to walk forward, wanting to leave before everything broke into chaos. 

"Avery," a girl with dyed blue hair said. 
"You see?" Mother latched on. "Even Ava agrees that this is ridiculous."
Now was my time to leave. I swept out of the room before anyone could stop me and broke into a run. Heading for the only place I could think of. 

(Avery's POV)

I watched as Ashley left the room. No one tried to stop her. No one even noticed. 

"I assure, there is no mistake." Mr. Ortega met my gaze, then turned back to the others. "And I assure you, Tobias Hawthorne's last will and testament is utterly unbreakable. Since the majority of the remaining details concern only Avery, we'll cease the dramatics. But let me make one thing clear: Per the terms of the will, any heir who challenges Avery's inheritance will forfeit their share of the estate entirely."

Avery's inheritance. I felt dizzy, almost nauseous. It was like someone hads napped their fingers and rewritten the laws of physics, like the coefficient of gravity had changed, and my body was ill-suited to coping. The world was spinning off its axis.

“No will is that ironclad,” Zara’s husband said, his voice acidic. “Not when there’s this kind of money at stake.”

“Spoken,” Nash Hawthorne interjected, “like someone who didn’t really know the old man.”

“Traps upon traps,” Jameson murmured. “And riddles upon riddles.” I could feel his dark green eyes on mine.

“I think you should leave,” Grayson told me curtly. Not a request. An order.
“Technically…” Alisa Ortega sounded like she’d just swallowed arsenic.
“It’s her house.”

Clearly, she really hadn’t known what was in the will. She’d been kept in the dark, just like the family. How could Tobias Hawthorne blindside them like this.

What kind of person does that to their own flesh and blood?

“I don’t understand,” I said out loud, dizzy and numb, because none of this made any kind of sense.

“My daughter is correct.” Mr. Ortega kept his tone neutral. “You own it all, Ms. Grambs. Not just the fortune, but all of Mr. Hawthorne’s properties, including Hawthorne House. Per the terms of your inheritance, which I will gladly go over with you, the current occupants have been granted tenancy unless—and until—they give you cause for removal.” He let those words hang in the air. “Under no circumstances,” he continued gravely, his words rife with warning, “can those tenants attempt to remove you.”

The room was suddenly silent and still. They’re going to kill me. Someone in this room is actually going to kill me. The man I’d pegged as former military strode to stand between me and Tobias Hawthorne’s family. He said nothing, crossing his arms over his chest, keeping me behind him and the rest of them in his sight. 

“Oren!” Zara sounded shocked. “You work for this family.”

“I worked for Mr. Hawthorne.” John Oren paused and held up a piece of paper. It took me a moment to realize that it was his letter. “It was his last request that I continue in the employment of Ms. Avery Kylie Grambs.” He glanced at me. “Security. You’ll need it.”

“And not just to protect you from us!” Xander added to my left.

“Take a step back, please,” Oren ordered.

Xander held his hands up. “Peace,” he declared. “I make dire predictions in peace!”

“Xan’s right.” Jameson smiled, like this was all a game. “The entire world’s going to want a piece of you, Mystery Girl. This has story of the century written all over it.”

Story of the century. My brain kicked back into gear because there was every indication that this wasn’t a joke. I wasn’t delusional. I wasn’t dreaming.