Shock speared through Genevieve as she couldn't believe what she just heard. She wasn't the only one because a lot of mutterings came from the other occupants in the room.
"Mr Hayes, can you repeat the last line? Perhaps, I didn't hear it properly." Her uncle, Silas Harrington laughed nervously, asking the lawyer to reread the last bits of the will.
Today was the grand reading of Tobias Harrington, her late grandfather's will. Tobias Harrington was a very wealthy man before he died. At one point in his life, he had been the richest man in his state.
Now all his relatives both close and distant were seated in the boardroom of The Harrington Empire listening to the details of his will.
"In the words of my deceased client," The lawyer cleared his throat, "I, Tobias Harrington, hereby devise and bequeath eighty percent of everything I own to Nicholas Blackwood. I further direct that this decision shall be final and binding, and no relative or third party shall contest, dispute or interfere with the execution of this will."
The lawyer adjusted his spectacles after reading that section again. He was not at ease with this, a very uncomfortable situation to be in where he could be attacked by a hoard of fuming relatives who thought they have been played by his now deceased client. He was just the messenger.
"Impossible. I can't believe this." Aunt Gigi, the only daughter of Tobias Harrington shook her head in disbelief.
Each and every relative present was in shock. For sure, they knew someone was going to be granted a larger share of the properties but not at that percentage.
"I refuse to believe that old bastard would be so heartless and stupid to do this to his own family. Giving a whole portion of his wealth to an outsider, a stranger that married his granddaughter?" Maurice, the son of the only surviving sibling of Tobias Harrington countered in annoyance.
He was irked that his uncle hadn't considered him a worthy candidate for the heir position.
"Don't disrespect the dead, Maurice." His wife scolded him. Maurice had the decency to lower his gaze, as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Sorry, I meant to say my uncle. Uncle Tobias wouldn't do this to us. He promised me something."
"I'm not done with reading the will, Mr Adler." The lawyer hinted.
"Genevieve, you can't say anything?" Genevieve's cousin Devon taunted her, also pained with the reading of the will.
Everyone's attention turned to her. She looked like a deer stuck in the headlights. Her brain was blank, she couldn't think. Her grandfather had lied to her, he had deceived her. And she had been a fool to fall for his antics, just like everyone here had.
Her husband was sitting by her side, quiet and watching with a slight smirk on his face. But Genevieve didn't take note of it.
"I don't have anything to say. I stand with my husband." Nicholas made a show of interlocking his fingers with that of his wife's.
Genevieve was still confused but she told herself that she needed to be strong and not fall apart in front of her venomous family.
"I'm glad, you support me, Genevieve. I'm very lucky to have you as my wife." Nicholas patted his wife's hand, victorious that she was taking his side.
"Enough of this bullshit. I've had enough of it," Uncle Silas pushed out of his seat provoked, his face set in a mask of cold fury.
"Silas, sit down." Aunt Gigi chastised her younger brother.
"No, I won't Gigi. If you won't say anything, then I will." He shunned his sister and focused on the couple that he hated with very fibre of his being.
The other relatives watched the drama unfold, some in amusement, some with mixed feelings. Aunt Gigi was one of the few that watched with mixed feelings. If this will was legit, her father had played them all. She didn't particularly care about the inheritance, not that she had expected to inherit much from her father. What she was mainly interested in was the companies and stocks and shares ownership.
But she was very curious and wanted to know why her father had given eighty percent of the inheritance to her niece's husband. She vowed to get to the bottom of this as she watched her brother crash out as not being the heir.
"Please, let's not do this right now. I'm not done with reading the will." The lawyer tried to step in.
"No, Mr Carrington, stay out of this. This is family business and as for this usurper here," He pointed at Nicholas who watched all these with a cool bored expression on his face.
"I will not let you reap where you did not sow. You hear me? I won't take that. We will see in court." He delivered, walking his stout frame out of the boardroom in anger.
Nicholas merely watched amused at their theatrics. The paparazzi was going to have a feed day with this. They were already waiting outside the doors of The Harrington Empire like swooping hawks waiting to hear who will emerge as the heir to Tobias's inheritance.
He could imagine the headlines, Silas Harrington walks out of boardroom red faced. He chuckled quietly.
Genevieve was lost but held strong in her seat keeping a straight face.
"I agree with my cousin, not even a single member of the family got thirty percent of the inheritance. I will be joining my cousin in court." Maurice also took his leave, his wife at his back.
"Alright then. Does anyone have anything to say again?" The lawyer questioned, already annoyed and tired at the interruptions he had received since he had started this task.
"No, I guess then." He continued with the will reading.
After the lawyer left, some of the relatives left while others stayed behind to discuss their grievances. Nicholas had gone out to take a business call.
"Did you know about this, Genevieve?" Aunt Gigi approached Genevieve.
"No, did you?" She threw the question back at her aunt. The lawyer in charge of the will for the company shares was absent because he was sick.
"If I did, I wouldn't be asking you and I wouldn't have been shocked. Everyone was shocked except your husband, Nicholas."
Genevieve was at a loss for words.
"If you hear anything, do not hesitate to tell me." Aunt Gigi took her leave after discussing with the other relatives.
"So it seems after all, that grandfather's favourite granddaughter didn't get to inherit much, did she?" Devon sneered, sidling up to her cousin.
"I don't have time for this." She gritted her teeth, warning Devon.
She prided herself on control, but right now everything was crumbling like dust.
She and Devon had grown up being pitted against each other unintentionally by their grandfather, vying for his approval.
"Well it's a win for me since you didn't get it. It means no one is as special as they think." She left leaving Genevieve to wallow in self pity.
Genevieve didn't notice when everyone left, she was all alone. The only thoughts that roamed in her head were: All the training that he had drilled into her, prepping her to the untouchable business mogul, were they all in vain?
Did her grandfather not trust her enough to handle everything? And why had chosen her husband to be the main benefactor of his will?