Black Thorns - Book 1

Chapter 3

"Mr Stone?"

"Sorry, I'm listening." I quietly whisper, while sitting across from the older gentleman on the other side of his desk.

His beard was starting to turn grey, same as his hair. He gave me a sad smile, while his brown eyes glanced upon me, causing wrinkles to show on his face. Mr Smith has been our family Lawyer, for the past twenty years now. However, I never once thought I would come to see him, under such circumstances.

"I was informed you wish your younger Sister, not to be involved in any part of this?" His voice was low, and spoke cautiously.

"Silvia has no need of getting herself involved in this. I want to keep her as far from all of this, as much as I can." My voice was a whisper as I met Mr Smith's brown eyes, with my own green ones.

"Understood, as it is the will is..." He paused himself for a moment, he glanced down to the folder before him on his desk. "Well the will is addressed fully to you alone." He met my gaze once more with his warm brown ones.

"What?" I had to have heard him wrong. That couldn't be correct.

"It appears..." He slid the folder across his desk top to me, which I instantly picked up with shaking hands. My green eyes grew wider as I read the contents inside the folder. "Your parents left you everything they owned, down to their last penny and possession."

This couldn't be correct, mom and dad wouldn't cut out Silvia like this. My eyes scanned the paper, and at the bottom was both my parents signatures. "They left Silvia absolutely nothing?"

"I am afraid not."

"My sister can never learn this!" Slamming the file folder shut, I stare at it silently for a mere moment before whispering quietly. "It would break her heart." Taking a deep breath, I ask the question that has been haunting my mind all evening. "Did you find out how my parents were killed?"

The soft smile faded from Mr Smith's face, he parted his lips lightly, letting out an exhausted sigh. "That i am unsure of Mr Stone. No one in the town's talking about their untimely deaths. No one seems to want to step up, or say anything that might have caused it."

My green eyes close, and I take yet another deep breath. "So the town is covering up what happened to them?"

Mr Smith rested his elbows on his desk. His hands clasped together, while his chin rested upon them. "It appears someone, somewhere may be concealing that truth. After all, it is a very small town. I would find it odd, that two citizens living there would get murdered. And not a single soul would know what happened to them."

My hands turn into fists as I slam both of them down roughly upon Mr Smith's wooden aged desk. "I will find out what happened to them. Just promise me, you will never tell Silvia the truth."

"What should I say, if she asks me?" He asked timidly, his eyes scanning my features.

This time a sigh escapes my parted lips as, as I look him in the eyes. "Tell her this, that she got half of everything that our parents owned. If she asks to see the will itself, simply say it is already in my possession. That I will let her have the first pick of anything she wishes, and I will make sure she receives half of the fortune left to us both." A harsh cold look crosses my face. "Do not under any circumstances, speak to her about how they died. She will be in enough pain over this as it is. She doesn't need to know that others killed our parents. Is that understood?"

The man nearly nodded his head to me. "If that is your wish Mr Stone. You are the eldest heir to the Stone family name. Meaning, I now work directly for you."