RICHARD’S POV Jonathan and William were on their feet, shouting like lunatics. “What the hell are you talking about?” Jonathan yelled, his face red and contorted with rage. “You must be out of your mind! There’s no way Dad would leave everything to Richard!” William was right behind him, eyes blazing. “This is bullshit! You’re lying! There’s no way he’d do that. He’d never cut us out like this!” Mr. Harding raised his hands, trying to calm them down. “Gentlemen, please—” “No, we’re not calming down!” Jonathan screamed. “This is a joke! Richard’s just a—” “Don’t you fucking say it,” I warned, stepping toward him. “I dare you.” Jonathan glared at me, chest heaving with every angry breath. “You’re just a bastard! You don’t deserve any of this!” I clenched my fists, trying to keep my temper in check. “Say what you want, but Dad’s will is clear. He made his choice.” William shook his head, practically vibrating with fury. “No, he didn’t. There’s no way. You must have done
I stepped closer, my voice low and icy. “Watch your mouth. I’m not asking for your respect, but you will do as I say. Otherwise, you’ll find out exactly how serious I am.” William’s eyes narrowed. “You’re going to regret this.” “I doubt it,” I shot back. “Now, get your stuff and get out. The clock’s ticking.” Mr. Harding watched with a resigned expression. “I suggest you listen to him. It’s not worth the fight.” Jonathan’s and William’s faces twisted with rage. Jonathan lunged forward, his hand gripping a knife with a crazed look in his eyes. I barely had time to react. The lawyer jumped in front of me, trying to wrestle the knife out of Jonathan’s hand. I joined in, pushing and shoving, the adrenaline pumping through me like a freight train. “Stay the hell away from me!” Jonathan screamed, trying to slash at us. “You can’t do this!” “Shut up and drop the knife!” I shouted, my voice tight with anger. After a tense struggle, the lawyer managed to knock the knife from Jonathan
RICHARD’S POVThe moment I pulled up to my mother’s house, I saw them—reporters. They swarmed the entrance like vultures, cameras flashing, microphones shoved forward, desperate to catch a piece of my misery. I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. The last thing I needed right now was to face a barrage of questions, but there was no way around it.“Mr. Richard! Any comments on your father’s passing?” one shouted as soon as I stepped out of the car.“Mr. Richard, what’s next for the family business?” another called out.“Can you give us a statement?”I pushed through them, barely acknowledging their existence. I wasn’t in the mood to entertain their relentless probing. They didn’t care about me, about my father—they just wanted a headline. I felt a headache starting to pound behind my eyes as I finally reached the door, slamming it shut behind me.Inside, the house was quieter, but only slightly. I immediately noticed Amelia standing near the window, her face soft wit
RICHARD’S POVI couldn’t believe them. Standing there, both Amelia and Cathy, acting like the world revolved around their petty bullshit while I was trying to wrap my head around losing my father. The audacity. My blood was boiling, and I could feel the tension mounting in the room.I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself before speaking, but it didn’t help. The anger still bubbled beneath the surface.“Go home,” I finally said, my voice cold, staring at both of them. “Just… go.”Cathy, of course, had to be dramatic. She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing at me like I’d just insulted her entire family. “I’m going to tell my father to strip you of any respect or position you have, Richard. If you don’t come to a conclusion about our relationship, you’ll lose everything. You’ll regret it.”I snorted. I actually *snorted*. “Do your worst, Cathy. Honestly, go ahead. Threaten me all you want, but we both know this whole act of yours is just because you’re pissed that no one’s put a r
RICHARD’S POVI was sitting at my father’s old mahogany desk, flipping through some documents—more paperwork than I thought I’d ever have to deal with in my life. Legal stuff, property deeds, board meeting minutes. I could feel a headache coming on, just looking at it all.“Mr. Richard,” Billingsworth’s familiar, polished voice broke the silence. I glanced up, rubbing my temples. “There’s a lawyer here to see you.”A lawyer? Great, just what I needed—more legal talk. I sighed, pushing the stack of papers aside. “Let him in, Billingsworth.”Within a minute, the butler returned with the lawyer trailing behind him. The guy looked as stiff as a board, dressed in a charcoal suit that probably cost more than the car I drove last year. His face was as serious as a heart attack. “Good evening, Mr. Richard,” the lawyer greeted me, but there was no warmth behind his words. “I’m here on behalf of your brothers.”Of course. I leaned back in the chair, folding my arms. “Let me guess—they’re not h
RICHARD'S POVI slammed the drawer shut, a bit harder than I meant to. I’d spent the last two hours digging through my father’s files, searching for anything related to my brothers’ finances. Finally, I found what I was looking for—bank details. All their accounts, tied to the family business.I dialed my lawyer’s number and waited, pacing the length of my father’s study. When he finally picked up, I didn’t waste time with pleasantries.“I need to know if I have the right to freeze my brothers’ accounts,” I said, voice sharp.There was a brief pause. “That depends, Mr. Richard. Are these accounts tied to your father’s estate?”“They are. Every penny in those accounts came from the company.”“Then, according to the will, you have the authority to take control of those assets. Freezing the accounts would be within your legal rights.”I smiled, feeling a rush of satisfaction. “Good. I want those accounts frozen. Today.”“I’ll get on it right away.”“Thanks,” I muttered, hanging up. I wa
RICHARD'S POVThe phone rang just as I was fastening my cufflinks. It was my lawyer, Carter. “Richard,” he started, the tone in his voice already giving away the bad news, “you can’t freeze Jonathan and William’s accounts. Not until after the court hearing. We need the judge’s approval first.”I sighed, a bit of frustration creeping in, but I kept my voice steady. “Yeah, I figured. Fine, we’ll wait.” This wasn’t the first roadblock, and it definitely wouldn’t be the last. But that didn’t change the fact that I was going to win this.I hung up, finished getting dressed, and took one last look in the mirror. Black suit, white shirt—sharp. I’d need to look every bit as confident as I felt. After all, today wasn’t just about legalities. It was about showing my brothers that I wasn’t some pushover they could walk over.As I arrived at the courthouse, the scene was as chaotic as I expected. Reporters everywhere, their cameras flashing like they were trying to burn a hole through my soul.
RICHARD'S POVI pulled up outside Amelia’s house, my nerves humming under my skin. The last time I was there, things had gotten heated with Cathy, and honestly, I wasn’t sure how Amelia felt about that. But I had to deal with that mess, and now… now, I needed to fix what I could.As I knocked on the door, I heard light footsteps, and the door swung open. Amelia stood there, a soft smile on her face. She looked genuinely happy to see me."Richard," she said, her voice light. "I’m really glad you came. I wanted to apologize for… well, the other day. Cathy was completely out of line.""Don’t worry about it," I waved it off like it was nothing, even though the memory of Cathy’s little outburst still grated on my nerves. "Water under the bridge."She stepped aside, letting me in. The house smelled like vanilla and something freshly baked. Classic Amelia. Always with the homey vibes."Look, I actually came by for something else," I said, trying to keep my tone light but serious enough to ge