The Barmaid's Contract

5.

I stayed pouting in the lawyers office.

I wanted no part of this. "Just give me the paperwork to sign the company over." I finally snapped.

It was only Avery and I here, not including the fossil on the other side of the desk.

"It's more complicated than that, Miss Foster."

I cringed at the name. It is my legal name, but I decided I wanted my mother's name, Murphy. She is an Irishwoman. Well, was. She moved to Australia from Ireland a couple years before I was born. She wanted to return back to Ireland with me when she left my father, but we didn't have a cent to our name.

"Uncomplicate it. I wish to leave." I glared at Avery who had remained calm.

"Just ignore her." Avery groaned. "She is only here as to Dom's request."

"It's amazing he was more of a father figure to you than to his own blood." I spat out. I knew my father didn't exactly dote on me like most fathers did. I was a disappointment to him. First because I was a girl. Second was because my mother had a rough time delivering me that she had to have a hysterectomy, so she couldn't give him any sons. The third, a heiress shouldn't have unruly, unmanageable red hair. The fourth because I had the fiery Irish attitude, even without the accent. The list goes on.

But I knew the biggest disappointment about me was why my mother did what she did. My father wanted to marry me off to some rich man, who would be in his late thirties right now. My mother didn't want me used as a business deal. So she scooped me up and we left.

I left everything behind. But after a while, I came to realise that I didn't need materialistic items. I had my health, a roof and food. I don't care if my daily wardrobe adds to $40 instead of the extra zero.

"Alexandra." Avery warned me. I shot him a look and stared back at the old man.

"Right. As I was saying, Alexandra Josephine Marie Foster has inherited everything from her late father."

So a multi billion dollar company, millions in the bank, a mansion, staff, whatever I want to buy, no eating hand to mouth, no stressing over bills, no more working.

"I don't want it." I snarled at them both.

Avery groaned. "As you can see, Paul, Alexandra doesn't want any of this."

"Give it all to him." I nodded my head to Avery. "This is getting beyond annoying."

"You're getting annoying." Avery muttered to me.

"And you annoy me when you breathe." I shot back.

"Miss Foster. It's more complicated than that." Paul said to me. Paul, pffft, I don't like it. It don't suit him.

"So I keep hearing." I rolled my eyes. "You know legal terms. Make it easier for it to be done."

"Do you understand, you will be throwing away eighty one point six billion dollars in assets, business, properties?"

That is a lot of zeros.

"Yep." I popped out the P.

"If in any case Miss Foster refuses her claim, all assets will be liquidated and every cent given to charity." Paul read from a page of a long novel like will.

"No!" Avery snapped. His hands slapping on the desk. "I've worked too hard. I've been running this company since he became ill."

Trust the old idiot to screw me up even more. I want no ties to that company.

"Can't Alexandra take over and hire me as a partner or something?"

I sat back. Now I was the one with the smug look on my face.