𝐏𝐔𝐙𝐙𝐋𝐄𝐒 🝮 𝒳𝒶𝓃𝒹ℯ𝓇 ℋ𝒶𝓌𝓉𝒽ℴ𝓇𝓃ℯ

FIVE

[y/n]
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"He left everything to her?" Skye's voice was shrill, grabbing everybody's attention. "Why?"

"Who the hell is she?" Zara asked, her voice clear and as sharp as a blade.

"There must be some mistake," Grayson said.

"I don't believe there is," I spoke softly, but just loud enough for the others to be able to hear me.

Grayson's eyes flashed with suspicion as his gaze rested on me briefly before flicking back to Avery. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Xander tilt his head slightly, watching me.

"He's right," Avery said in a whisper. She tried again in a hoarse voice, this time louder. "There must be some mistake."

"Avery." Libby nudged her in the ribs, shutting her up.

Avery looked stunned. I mean, of course she was. She had just inherited upward of 40 billion dollars from someone she (probably) didn't even know.

"You see?" Skye added, incredulous. "Even Ava agrees this is ridiculous."

Ava. I doubted that Skye had butchered her name on accident.

She definitely knew Avery's name, now. They all

"I assure you, there is no mistake." Mr. Ortega looked at Avery, then turned his attention to the others. "And I assure the rest of 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 very cleae: Per the terms of the will, any heir who challenges Avery's inheritance will forfeit their share of the estate entirely.

"No will is that ironclad," Zara's husband said, his voice sour. "Not when there's this kind of money at stake."

"Spoken," Nash Hawethorne interjected, "like someone who didn't really know the old man."

"Traps upon traps," Jameson murmured.

"And riddles upon riddles," I whispered, barely audible. But I know Jameson heard. His eyes bored into mine, and he looked at me like I was some impossible, unsolved puzzle.

It was something the old man would always say during our games.

"I think you should leave," Grayson told Avery curtly.

"Technically..." Alisa Ortega sounded bewildered. "It's her house."

"I don't understand," Avery said.

"It's your house now, dumbass," I sassed quietly, but Avery was still too aghast at the situation to even respond.

"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 the words sink in. "Under no circumstances," he continued, his voice laced with warning, "can those tenants attempt to remove you."

Mr. Hawthorne's security guard- John Oren, as he had been named in the will reading- strode across the room, standing between Avery and the Hawthorne family with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Oren!" Zara sounded shocked. "You work for this family."

"I worked for Mr. Hawthorne." John Oren paused, holding up a piece of paper. His letter. "It was his last request that I continue in the employment of Ms. Avery Kylie Grambs." He glanced at Avery. "Security. You'll need it."

"And not just to protect you from us!" Xander added. I couldn't tell if that was a joke or a warning.

"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. "The entire world's going to want a piece of you, Mystery Girl. This has story of a century written all over it."

𖦷⁂𖦷

Avery asked Oren to take us to a motel.

He ended up driving us to the fanciest-looking hotel i've seen in my entire freaking life. Alisa Ortega was waiting for us in the lobby.

"I've had a chance to look over the will in full. I brought a copy for you. I suggest we retire to your rooms and go over the details."

"Our rooms?" Avery repeated. Good lord. Avery was an intelligent, but she was acting clueless. "We can't afford rooms here."

"Oh, honey," Alisa said. "You own this hotel."

Of course she did. Which was ironic, since Libby, Avery, and I were getting so many dirty looks from surrounding patrons in the lobby.

"Besides which," Alisa continued, "the will is now in probate. It may be some time before the money and properties are out of escrow, but in the meantime, McNamara, Ortega, and Jones will be picking up the tab for anything you need."

Libby frowned, crinkling her brow. "Is that a thing that law firms do?"

"You have probably gathered that Mr. Hawthorne was one of our most important clients," Alisa said delicately. "It would be more precise to say he was our only client. And now..."

"Now," Avery said, "that client is me."

𖦷⁂𖦷

As Avery talked with Alisa, I sat on the cushioned bench at the window of the suite, the white curtains billowing around me as I slid it open, letting the cold breeze wash over my face.

Avery would only inherit the fortune if she lived in the Hawthorne House for a year. Which meant Libby and I had to live there with her, too.

If I hadn't known Mr. Hawthorne, that this was all just a game he had left for us, I would probably be upset. I would have to give up my entire life just because my sister was the heir of some random rich guy.

I knew this was a lot to process for Avery. She didn't know why she had been chosen my Tobias Hawthorne. And I hadn't, either, because it was supposed to be me. But as I sat there, I pieced it all together.

Avery inherited the fortune because she was disposable.

Mr. Hawthorne never cared about her, really. He isn't related to her. He never really spoke to her. But I mattered to him, and making me his heir would have painted a huge target on my back: it would have made me vulnerable.

So, it would be Avery instead.

𖦷⁂𖦷

Hope you liked it! <3