Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 104239 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104239 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
I nod, picking at my bagel. What does any of this have to do with me?
“In the end, there’s a substantial amount of money due to the sale of those businesses.” When I lift an eyebrow, he raises a shoulder. “Millions of dollars.”
“Wow.”
“And it’s yours.”
His timing couldn’t have been worse. A piece of bagel lodges in my throat, and I struggle with it for a second, coughing hard. Lucas pushes a bottle of water my way, and I drink deeply while my brain spins.
Millions. He said millions, didn’t he? And it’s mine.
“I don’t understand,” I choke out. “Why is it mine? Where do I fall in any of this?”
“You’re the last living Valentine. As such, the estate is yours. The money from the businesses, along with the family home.”
My head snaps back. Millions of dollars? That’s theoretical, something so huge I can’t wrap my head around it. But the family home? I’ve been there and walked through the rooms. It’s a real place.
And it’s mine?
“Have you known about this all along?” It’s a question for Lucas, who might be speaking to me but is still holding himself back. Like he’s reading from a prepared speech or something like that.
“I’ve been working on it,” Nic explains. “Lucas knew it had to be done—someone needed to take control of Valentine’s interests. But the behind-the-scenes work was handled without him.”
There’s something heavy in Nic’s voice. I always get the feeling there’s hidden subtext between them, which is unnerving.
Lucas rises from the table, and I follow his progress as he goes to the counter and picks up a manila envelope which he brings back and places in front of me. “There you go. Everything you need to get you started.”
I stare at the envelope before touching it with shaking hands while my brain practically does backflips, trying to process all of this. How many bombshells can a girl take? The envelope is heavy, and I soon find out why once I manage to make my trembling fingers work.
There’s a stack of cash inside, for one thing. I don’t know how much, but I thumb through and see the twenties and fifties. Along with that is a bank card which I pull out. My name is imprinted on it.
One more item sits at the bottom. A key. “That’s the master key to the house,” Nic explains. “As for the bank card, you can set the PIN and login information through the bank’s website. The cash in the envelope is yours and should be enough to cover your expenses for a while.”
“Everything in the house is yours to do with as you wish,” Lucas adds. “You can always sell it or remodel it. Whatever you want.”
I should be overjoyed, right? I know I should. I just had the whole world handed to me. I should be screaming and crying and laughing. All my troubles are gone all at once.
“This is all so much,” I whisper, looking at the money. So much of it, but only a fraction of what I’m supposedly worth. It doesn’t feel real.
“You’ll get used to it. It’ll take time, but eventually, you won’t be able to remember a time when all of it wasn’t yours.” Nic sounds pretty sure of himself.
I have my doubts. It’s not like I could ever forget the trailer. My mom. Those awful visits to what is now my house. How awful my family treated me.
Now everything that used to be theirs is mine. I can sell all their furniture and everything else if I feel like it. It’s a satisfying thought, but what’s the point if they aren’t here to know I’m erasing them from the world?
“I don’t know if I want any of this.” I look up from the money to find Lucas watching me. “I mean, it’s amazing, and I’m grateful, but I didn’t ask for it, and I don’t want it. I don’t want to live in that house.”
“Sell it,” Nic suggests. “More money for you. More security.”
“For now, there’s a car waiting for you.” Lucas holds my gaze, unflinching. Is he really saying this? I stare at him, waiting for the punchline, but there isn’t one.
“Lucas. Is this what you want?”
He avoids the question, pushing his chair back from the table. “You never unpacked, so you can take your bag at the door. The car will take you home.” With that, he walks away. He just straight-up walks away without another word. He threw me out of his life with a bunch of money and a big house, and that’s supposed to make me happy. I’m supposed to be grateful for that.
Nic stands but hovers, waiting for me. “Like Lucas said, the car is outside whenever you’re ready.” What he means is, move your ass. Go explore your new home I made sure you’d inherit.