Yours, Until Needed
Chapter 126: Will

Chapter 126: Will

ELIANA

Hearing about Ingrid’s trip to the SCC headquarters should have made me recoil by now.

But hearing how Lucian almost wiped the floor with her face gave a different kind of tingling sensation.

"She went there confident that you’d throw me out if my existence caused a scene."

Because that was something that Chairman Thornhill would do. Unless, of course, it was Alexa who, even after so many years, was still the poor girl who suffered and should be tolerated.

She got away with everything because she allegedly missed out on the best education during her youth.

I don’t know why they keep on associating manners with education. Even uneducated people wouldn’t be as vile and as unhinged as that girl.

So, I’m sure she was imagining the same outcome if she made a fuss at the office.

"Alexa probably thought the same way. That’s why they keep on wanting to involve the public in their schemes."

"Are we that weak to succumb to public opinion?" Lucian asked as he lay down on my lap.

"No. But are you sure this is fine?"

I know they wouldn’t do me dirty like that, but the company isn’t something to take lightly. It’s the livelihood of so many people and should be kept safe from grubby hands.

"She said something about Grandma’s time capsule?"

If there was anything that caught her attention, it was that.

Apparently, it was scheduled to be opened, and the law office had asked to gather all the family members according to the list left by Grandma.

"That’s why she was confident about it. She didn’t need you to hear her wailing. She just needed someone to inform you." Lucian shrugged, his hair swept to the side in his sudden movement.

"And you just performed a task for her!" I teased him by flicking his exposed forehead.

"Like you wouldn’t want to hear about it when it’s about your Grandma." Lucian just gave me a side-eye, knowing he was right.

"Fine, thanks. That was information I would’ve wanted to know."

"So you’re planning on going to that trap?"

"Probably."

I don’t really want to, but that’s Grandma we’re talking about. I couldn’t care less about everyone else.

And Dad would probably want to go, too.

"Want me to come with you?" Lucian asked.

"I’d like that, but I don’t think they’d allow that." She won’t be doing this just to inform me out of the goodness of her heart.

That witch doesn’t even have a heart.

"Then bring all the precautions and don’t even eat or drink from there." His instruction was easily affirmed.

I planned on doing just that. I wouldn’t even dream of using the restroom. Who knows what’s waiting for me in there?

"I’ll wait for you outside then."

"Mn." I could only chuckle at his insistence on accompanying us.

Very sweet, actually.

This earned him a kiss on his forehead. And an overall nicer attitude.

I’ve long been used to looking out for myself, and it’s nice to know that someone planned to watch my back.

__

It was a given for us to go.

Even my parents understood that this was a trap, but a trap that was at least too obvious to anyone with a few brain cells.

This time capsule was to be opened at Grandma’s favorite rest house a week after Aunt Ingrid’s ’visit.’ It wasn’t far, but with the people in attendance, the estate felt very different.

Every corner of my grandmother’s once-pristine estate was tainted with the stench of greed.

And for an event that supposedly only allowed for the people on the list, it was funny how so many vultures roamed outside.

The people’s eyes were locked on us, and their calculating and scheming gaze couldn’t escape our notice.

For people who never actually cared about Grandma and her death anniversary, too many of them showed up to today’s gathering.

Dad didn’t even bother to look around, just walking straight into the main house without greeting anyone.

There was no need to do that now.

Whispers of people talking about how bold we were to show up were popping up here and there. There were even some who outright talked about how disrespectful we were being.

But we don’t care.

We’re only here for Grandma.

And we even ignored the Chairman’s pointed look as if he was expecting us to show our respects.

Then, there was Alexa and her mother, who looked positively excited to see us here. Clearly, whatever they were planning was just soon to come.

Thankfully, this was resolved when the simple ceremony began. I thought they were going to delay it, but I guess no one wanted to prolong the agony of waiting for their spoils.

This year, it was even hollower and meaningless. They probably thought that filling it with flowers would make everything look solemn.

So much for using Grandma, even in her death, to facilitate your crimes.

How laughable!

But if my guess was correct, they were probably waiting for the main event—the reading of my grandmother’s final will.

No wonder this wasn’t done sometime after her death. She apparently had a set time for it to be read.

When the lawyer finally settled down, the room fell silent. Even the air felt still as he unfolded the letter before us. His expression was unreadable, a mark of an experienced lawyer.

"To my beloved family, I hope this letter finds you well." the lawyer began, his voice steady and devoid of any indicators.

That’s Grandma, alright, taking a jab at everyone even now. Like us, she saw this family for what it really was and had always been sarcastic when dealing with them. That was why Grandma’s loss marked a big change in my life.

"I have made my decisions regarding my properties and belongings with great care." he continued. "It is my wish that these decisions be respected and honored."

The tension was palpable, and many of the so-called relatives, including Aunt Ingrid, leant forward now.

They certainly looked very hungry.

"20% of my estate would be given to a reputable charity of my choosing." The lawyer read out a list of organizations that Grandma was willing to donate to.

That made me smile because even at death’s door, Grandma was meticulous. She probably knew that not specifying organizations would allow these people to volunteer their own ’charity organizations’.

The lawyer then proceeded to read the division of the remaining assets, which was in accordance with our expectations.

The faces of the people around us were full of happiness. And you wonder if they even cared about the person at all.

But what we really came here for were the letters and the personal effects.

"The late Madam has left a personal letter for the immediate family members as well as a list of how her personal effects would be distributed."

I received an envelope with my name penned in Grandma’s handwriting.

That alone shook my heart. I thought I had long accepted her passing, but just seeing her letter silenced everything around me.

My daze was so intense that I almost missed the lawyer’s next words if not for my Dad alerting me.

"Now, let us move on to the next part of Madam’s will."

Huh?

Didn’t we just finish distributing everything?