Eleanor's heart pounded as she stepped onto the deck of the Ember of the Sea, the salty breeze swirling around her. A member of the ship's crew greeted her with a warm smile. "Welcome aboard, Miss Eleanor. Mr. Dinesh is waiting for you."
She followed him through the labyrinth of corridors until they reached the ship's bustling bar. Behind the counter stood Sam, the charming bartender with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "What can I get you, beautiful?" he asked with a grin.
Eleanor blushed, mistaking his friendly demeanor for flirtation. "Just a glass of water, please," she stammered, feeling a bit flustered.
As Sam poured her drink, they exchanged pleasantries. "So, what brings you aboard the Ember of the Sea?" he inquired, leaning against the bar.
"I'm here to meet with my grandmother's lawyer," Eleanor explained, trying to mask her nerves with a casual smile.
Sam nodded understandingly. "Well, whatever it is, I hope it all works out for you," he said, flashing her a small wink before turning his attention to the next customer.
Before Eleanor could process the encounter, her younger sister, Jess, bounded up behind her. "Hey, sis! Ready for some fun on the sea?" she exclaimed, her excitement palpable.
Eleanor forced a smile, her mind still consumed by thoughts of the impending meeting with Mr. Dinesh. "I'm not sure I'm in the mood for partying," she admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
Jess frowned, sensing her sister's unease. "What's wrong, Ellie? You seem distracted," she observed, concern etched in her features.
"It's just... I have a lot on my mind," Eleanor confessed, her gaze drifting toward the shimmering expanse of the pool.
"Is everything okay with you and Trent?" she asked tentatively, searching Eleanor's eyes for answers and noticed the slight shift in her expression when she mentioned her fiancé, Trent.
Eleanor hesitated, her thoughts swirling with conflicting emotions. "I... Don't want to talk about this now," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a sharply dressed man in a suit. "Good afternoon, ladies. I'm Mr. Dinesh Singh, your grandmother's lawyer," he introduced himself, extending a hand.
Eleanor and Jess exchanged a puzzled glance before accepting the proffered handshake. Mr. Dinesh wasted no time in getting down to business, producing a stack of papers from his briefcase.
"As you may know, your grandmother left behind a sizable inheritance for her grandchildren," he began, his tone businesslike.
As Mr. Dinesh laid out the details of their grandmother's inheritance, Eleanor and Jess listened intently, their eyes widening in disbelief as they absorbed the staggering sum their grandmother had left behind.
"$500 million?" Jess exclaimed, her voice tinged with incredulity. "That's... that's incredible!"
Eleanor's mind raced with the possibilities, but Mr. Dinesh's next words brought her crashing back to reality.
"But there's a catch," he explained, his tone somber. "In order to receive your share of the inheritance, each of you must fulfill a specific task."
Eleanor and Jess exchanged a wary glance, their excitement tempered by Mr. Dinesh's revelation. They knew there had to be more to this inheritance than just a simple windfall.
"What kind of tasks?" Eleanor asked, her voice tinged with apprehension.
Mr. Dinesh produced a stack of five letters with names on it from his briefcase and handed one to each of the girls. "Your grandmother left behind letters for each of her grandchildren, outlining the tasks they must complete to receive their inheritance," he explained.
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Rules 💍f Engagement
Teen FictionEleanor's Nana passed away, leaving her inheritance to Eleanor, her siblings, and their cousin. However, they can only receive it if they complete a task she assigned to them, which the lawyer will take care of.
