Inheritance Hunting

Chapter 3

I hate you, Carter told Kate.
I know, Kate replied.
Now, as twins, they have some kind of connection where they could tell what the other is thinking when they look at each other especially when the thought is meant for the other. It isn't really like telepathy or anything, but something similar.
I hate myself too, Carter thought, For letting you make me burn TWO MILLION DOLLARS!
"Now that you've made up your minds, you can't get the million dollars back." McConnor said.
With that said, the room tensed. Only Jay Sterling, with dark brown hair and light toffee skin, and Melanie Sterling, with slick and straight brown hair and also light toffee skin, seemed undazed; They're too rich, anyway, Carter thought. The buffed and fit Luna family stared at their father, Drake Luna, with blaming eyes; though he stared back at them with scolding and slightly guilty eyes. Andrew Hatten, who has graying hair and slightly frail-looking, glanced at the young Anne Drew, whose blond hair was tied to a ponytail with a fair complexion, who stared startlingly with all seriousness at McConnor. Aunt Aileen, who had a her dark amber hair with blond tips at shoulder-length, looked concerned at Carter, who was still pouting, and Kate, who studied the different contestants and McConnor.
"Now, in this contest, you may back out if ever you find yourself in danger and give up the clues you collected. You may form teams but, in the case you win, you must divide the inheritance equally among yourselves." McConnor said, he then help up an envelope, "Here is your first clue."
Everyone inched closer to McConnor as he opened the envelope.

"A code?" Melanie Sterling said.
A small paper that was found inside the envelope had a code written on the front: 05 04 02 07.
"There's more!" Kate said, flipping the paper.
The lead to find the first clue is here where there are more stories than the tallest building. -Daisy
Everyone reread it over and over again, flipping the paper front and back.
"How is it possible?" Paula Luna said, slightly aggravated.
"She's playing in riddles!" Pala Luna said, annoyed.
"Library." A voice behind them said.
Everyone looked back to see Anne Drew with the paper in her hands.
"What did you say dear?" Andrew Hatten asked.
"The first clue is in the library." She said with a blank expression on her face.
"The library here?" Kate asked.
Kate's mind was filled the old memories she had with Daisy, the long long hours she spent in the library of this very mansion alone was one of the best especially those where Daisy was there.
"Thank you girls," McConnor said, "You are both right, indeed you will find the lead to the first clue in this very mansion."
Most of them gasped and turned to go, readying to sprint up the library and throw every book to the floor until they find the clue.
"But," McConnor said, and everyone freezed to hear him, "Everyone is forbidden to go up to the third floor, anyone who does will be disqualified. Tilly, the maid, is waiting for all of you outside to escort you to your rooms as you will be staying here for the night; going to the rooms of other contestants is strictly prohibited. I shall see you all tomorrow at the breakfast room. Good day!"
McConnor hurriedly kept the papers and exited the room before anyone could make a reply, complaint, or just say anything.

~•~

After going to their rooms, everyone went down to the dining room.
"Let's go, Mel." Jay Sterling said as he neared the entrance.
"Where are you two going?" Carter asked suspiciously.
"To the yacht. Of course we won't be eating the food you'll be eating! Mummy made sure we shan't have to eat any of these disgusting stuff so she brought the yacht with a Michelin chef." Melanie bragged.
"Will you guys at least be coming back?" Kate asked.
"No." Melanie said.
"Yes." Jay said.
Jay looked at his sister sternly and looked back at the twins.
"Yes." He said once again, flashing a small smile at Kate.
With that, he and Melanie walked out to get in their limousine that would take them to the 'incredible' yacht Melanie was talking about.
"They shouldn't go." Kate said.
"Huh?" Carter said, a little mad.
"They are just giving themselves a disadvantage by reducing the amount of time they can have to look around the mansion."
"Who cares? Let them have this disadvantage, now let's go!"
Everyone stared at each other tensely as they sat down in the dining room and served with caldereta, dinuguan, rice, and a few other dishes.
Carter got a small spoon of dinuguan which looked chunky, gooey, and black. He paired it with up with rice and hesitantly placed it in his mouth. After chewing, making odd faces, and swallowing, he called Tilly, the maid.
"Umm... Tilly? What is this? It actually tastes kinda good." Carter asked.
"Master Carter," she said with a small laugh, "In the Philippines, we call this dish dinuguan and also known as 'chocolate meat'."
"What would be English for dinuguan?" Paula asked.
Tilly turned to Paula with a smile, "Pork Blood Stew!"

~•~

"Mum?" Jay said as he and Melanie stepped into the yacht.
Their mother was lounging on a chair with a martini on one hand and her smartphone in the other. Their father, on the other hand, was no where to be found.
"You're late." She said, taking a sip of her martini and texting away on her phone.
"Where's dad?" Melanie asked.
"On his way to San Francisco, he was called urgently to work."
Natalia pocketed her phone and looked at her children.
"So," She said, "What happened?"
"We 'borrowed' the first clue." Jay said, reaching into his pocket to bring out the note that was found in the envelope and handed it over to their mother.
Natalia took the note proudly from her son, she examined it front and back.
"'Where there are more stories than the tallest building'?" She read.
"That would be the library, mum." Melanie said.
Natalia smiled proudly at her daughter, "How smart of you, dear! We shall have another shopping spree tomorrow."
Natalia another sip of her martini.
"Well, go inside darlings. Dinner is waiting, we have a few things to discuss..."

~•~

"Bleeeeeeeeh!"
Carter, who was in the bathroom, sticked out his tongue and washing it with water.
"Over-reacting, much?" Kate rolled her eyes.
"Ips pigsh bluuuuud!" Carter complained, his tongue sticking out while talking.
"Whatever. We have to go, now." Kate said.
"Where?" Carter asked.
"To the library, of course!"
"But why? I thought the library was in the third floor where we could get DISQUALIFIED?"
"Burj Khalifa, which is currently the tallest building in the world, has around 163 to 165 levels."
"So?"
"The grand library may be in the third floor but we do have another library here, on the second floor! It has around 400 to 500 books."
"So you're saying..."
"I'm saying that the library Daisy was talking about might be the library on the second floor."