The Return of Forsaken Heir

Chapter 3. Inheritance Rights

The furniture inside the Kingsley residence was much more luxurious than it looked outside. Ethan walked in with Astrid, while Sara and the rest of the family entered earlier than Ethan.

Ethan, who had never seen such luxury, was silent, pensive, and amazed. He still didn't expect to live in a place like this, different from his small apartment.

They led Ethan into the living room, between rows of long, soft sofas. Sara was seen sitting on one of the single sofas there. Not only her but four people were sitting on the long sofa, two boys and two girls.

"Astrid," Sara called, her voice soft.

"Yes, Madame?" said Astrid, walking over politely.

"Bring Finnley here," Sara requested.

Astrid nodded. The woman who had been accompanying Ethan was now seen walking away from him toward the second floor of this residence. Ethan continued to stare at the woman from a distance.

"Astrid is calling Mr. Finnley. He's Mr. Kingsley's lawyer," Sara replied.

Ethan smiled awkwardly. He was nervous about being among them dressed fashionably, while he was not. Occasionally Ethan glanced towards the right side, precisely at the two women sitting on the long sofa with two men.

"Finnley will explain why you're here because I'm not willing to tell you directly," Sara said.

She did throw Ethan a smile, but her words were irrelevant to her friendly demeanor. Ethan's first impression of Sara was that she was a woman who didn't want to be rivaled.

Sara realized that Ethan had been glancing at the four people to her left. He had no idea who the four were; even if he did, Sara couldn't imagine how he would react.

Not long after, Astrid arrived down the stairs with a young man wearing a black suit and vest. The man appeared to be carrying a black suitcase in his hand.

"Madam Sara. Mr. Finnley is here," Astrid said softly.

The 180cm tall man with a firm jaw, neatly combed black hair, and blue pupils bowed his head as if showing respect to Sara.

"Mr. Finnley. This is Ethan, the man you've been looking for," Sara said, showing Ethan to him.

"I see. I got it," Finnley said.

The elegantly dressed man seemed to walk over to one of the empty seats on the couch right next to Ethan. Not only Astrid but Ethan also sensed that the atmosphere in this place was tense, different from before.

Finnley opened his black suitcase and took out a letter still sealed with the same seal as Ethan's earlier letter. Finnley showed the letter, confirming that Kingsley's last order had not been opened.

"Before I open this letter. I'll explain why you're here, Ethan," Finnley said, turning his body to face the young man.

"Is it true that your mother's name is Jesellyn?" asked Finnley. Ethan was suddenly surprised that he could know his mother's name.

Ethan nodded slowly without making a sound. Finnley smiled, indicating that he was the Ethan Mr. Kingsley was referring to before the old man passed away.

"Mrs. Sara is Mr. Kingsley's wife, and the four people here are her children," Finnley said, explaining from the beginning of their introduction to the identities of the four fashionably dressed people.

Finnley began to introduce each of Sara's children to Ethan, as Ethan would be interacting a lot with the four of them in the future, especially in advancing the company held by the Kingsley family.

Mrs. Sara's first child was Theodore, the second was Luke, the third was Katherine, and the last was Hannah. Theodore and Luke were only two years apart, Luke and Katherine were one year apart, and Katherine and Hannah were twins.

"How old are you now, Ethan?" asked Finnley.

"I'm 24," Ethan replied.

"That means you're the oldest of the four Sara children. You're only a year older than Theodore," Finnley said.

Finnley began to shift his gaze to Sara. Sara realized that Ethan would be the first heir to the Kingsley wealth if he was older.

The woman's heart did not accept Ethan, considering he was born from the womb of a woman Kingsley was not married to. However, Kingsley's words and orders to his lawyer were already legally binding.

"Before he married you, Mr. Kingsley was in love with a girl who worked at one of the restaurants. She is Jesellyn, Ethan's mother," Finnley said.

Finnley reopened his briefcase, pulling out several files that Kingsley had signed. Written on the file was a statement about the truth of the child named Ethan Dean.

"Through the statement he made and signed, it can be said that Ethan is the official son of Kingsley from a different mother," Finnley continued.

"It's a shame, but you can't dispute Kingsley's statement. It's legally binding," Finnley said, no longer able to be dictated to by Sara about the inheritance rights.

Ethan's presence in this place made it clear for Finnley to carry out Kingsley's last order.

"I understand about that. Why don't you explain the inheritance rights to the five of them?" asked Sara, smiling wryly with her eyes closed as if she was maintaining her forced friendliness in Ethan's presence.

Finnley smiled broadly. He would gladly explain the allocation of inheritance rights according to Mr. Kingsley's wishes, all in a letter he placed on the table.

The lawyer opened the letter, witnessed by Sara, the five people, and the Kingsley family servants and bodyguards. There were two letters in the envelope, and Finnley read them slowly.

The first letter contained Mr. Kingsley's wishes and hoped for the next heirs. He wanted them to run the company that the Kingsley family held well. Ethan and Sara's four children listened carefully.

"Next is Mr. Kingsley's wish regarding the allocation of the inheritance. His first child, Ethan Dean, will get 50% of the total inheritance, while the second child will get 20%, then the third child will get 15%, and the fourth and fifth children will get 10% and 5%," Finnley explained, explaining the percentage of inheritance rights obtained by Mr. Kingsley's five children.

"And what about my mom?" asked Luke.

"She won't get anything," Finnley replied.

"That's not fair! She's my father's legal wife. She should get that part and more from that bastard son," Luke snapped, not accepting that his mother didn't get a share of the Kingsley wealth.

"Mr. Kingsley's orders are absolute. I cannot change them now," Finnley replied, stuffing the papers into his black briefcase.

"From now onwards, Ethan Dean will live here with you. He will manage everything here," Finnley explained.

"He will also officially have the Kingsley surname after his name," Finnley said emphatically that he was glad the inheritance issue in this wealthy Lancaster family had been resolved smoothly.

Finnley was seen taking out a cigarette and smoking it slowly. Carrying out the task as mandated to him relieved the lawyer's heart.

"I'm not living with that bastard!" snapped Luke, standing up angrily as he glared angrily at Ethan.

The 179cm tall, grayish-white haired man, dressed in a suit and shirt, with thin lips, a sharp nose, and brown pupils, did not accept that his family was insulted in the inheritance arrangement.

"Luke, be quiet!" pleaded Sara, staring at her second son, her eyebrows raised and eyes piercing.

"20% of my father's total wealth. Can I share it with my mother?" asked Theodore, speaking in a cold voice to Finnley.

"That is your right. Whether you share it or not is up to you, as long as you don't take Ethan's part," Finnley explained, looking at Theodore, who was more mature and calm than Luke.

"You don't have to, Theo. I have several apartments and company holdings in this city. So, you don't have to give them to me," Sara said, looking sad that Theodore was about to share his inheritance with Sara.

"But I'm afraid that Ethan doesn't want you here," Theodore said softly to his mother.

Ethan was silent. Something this sudden made it difficult for his head to take in the information individually. The most important thing he understood was that he was already the master of this place, a wealth Ethan had long wanted.

"You don't have to worry about that, Theo," Ethan said.

Theodore began to turn his face away, staring at Ethan, who spoke. Not only he, but Sara, Luke, Katherine, and Hannah did the same. They were curious about what Ethan would say next.

"I won't throw her out. How could I throw out the mother of my brothers?" Ethan asked.

Sara should have been happy to hear she wouldn't be kicked out of this residence, but her heart felt hot, her mind whirling as if she had been insulted by a bastard like Ethan.

"Are you sure, Ethan?" asked Finnley, surprised.

"Yes. She'll be here no matter what."