Free Web NovelChapter 33: Father’s Will
Carmen’s POV
Yes, I’m a coward.
I avoided Nico like the plague after that. Like by simply glancing at him, I would catch a deadly disease that would send me to an early grave. Even working at the company, I refused to ride with him, giving excuses and taking a different car to ensure we were no longer in close contact.
Something he also allowed, to my relief. But I knew it couldn’t last, especially since we needed to find out who was behind the assassination attempts. Still, it gave me enough time to get my thoughts in order.
Moreover, by the third day, he went ahead and sent a letter delivered by the maid in the evening, stating that the next day was to be the reading of Father’s will. Something I immediately got ready for.
Choosing to wear black simply for the occasion. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
I had just tied the bow of the black gown I had on when I thought of my father, who I hadn’t thought about in a while. Was I sure that he would hand over his territory to me?
No.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled something nasty either. That was just the kind of person he was, and the truth was that I loved him, and I intended to get revenge on his killers.
With a blank expression on my face, I headed out of my room and towards the entrance of the mansion, schooling my face into a mask. Not surprised to see Nico already waiting, dressed in a completely black outfit, almost like we had planned it.
He had a black shirt on and black pants, and he stood with his hands in his pockets as he stared at me. I could feel his gaze on every one of my movements until I got closer to where he stood.
Instantly, he offered his arm for me to take, and I took it.
"You’re no longer avoiding me?" he asked, and I didn’t even think to respond. Together, we walked towards the car, and somehow he seemed to be in a more chatty mood.
"...I would have been more worried if you didn’t. At least now I know the feeling is mutual," he said, pulling the door open for me to enter, and I didn’t hesitate to get in since it was something he always did. Settling in the back seat, but still I didn’t respond. To me, he might as well have been talking to himself as I focused my gaze on the window.
But barely had the car started moving when I felt him grab my hand, and even then I refused to look at him, struggling against the instinct to pull my hand away from him as I heard him begin to speak.
"Bianca is going to be there, along with Kade, my brother. Going in, I need to make sure we’re on the same page," he said, and finally I turned to look at him as I heard him speak.
"If he names you heir to the territory, then of course I will have no claim to it, and if he names me?" he asked, meeting my gaze.
"I will have no claim to it," I replied, hating how ashy the words felt on the tip of my tongue as I said them.
"What if it’s Bianca and Kade?" he asked, referring to his stepmother and brother, but instead of answering, I had to ask him a question back.
"You would not contest the will? You would let it stand?" I asked him, shock on my face, as he responded with a shrug.
"Gordon is a dirtbag, but there’s a reason all the mafia dons trust him with their wills. He will not touch it as long as he’s in charge," Nico said with such conviction that I was tempted to believe him, but it was hard to believe that Gordon, being a man, didn’t have a weakness that could turn him.
"I might contest it," I told him directly. It depended on whatever resources I had left after paying Nico back the huge debt I owed. I expected him to say something about it, but he simply nodded his head and moved on.
"That works then," he continued, as I felt his fingers slide into mine as he continued to hold on to my hand without any sign he was going to let go. "It should take at most thirty minutes and it’ll be done," he added, and I simply turned my gaze back to the window, trying to distract myself from the fact that he still held my hand.
Hating how aware of him I was, and how I knew that was his goal and much more.
We didn’t speak after that, but neither did he let go of my hand, even after the car stopped and we got out. Even glaring at him didn’t work, as he held it firmly in case I felt the urge to jerk my hand away.
Leading me up the stairs that led into Gordon’s home, which was where the reading of the will was meant to take place.
We had just entered, with Gordon moving closer to greet us, when I felt a gaze land on me, one that felt like it would love nothing more than to tear me into pieces.
Bianca appeared a few feet behind Gordon, her gaze fixed on my hand, which Nico insisted on holding onto.
"What is this?" she spat. "...A united front?" she asked, and I simply shifted my gaze away from her to look around the room, where I spotted Kade.
He had familiar features to Bianca and Nico, with the Asian eyes and black hair, and his eyes were also blue.
He sat on the chair with a proud expression on his face as his gaze met mine, a sly expression I wanted nothing more than to punch away. I didn’t like him, and for some reason, the feeling was mutual.
Nico didn’t even spare him a glance as he led me over to the couch, draping his hand over my shoulders the moment I sat down, as he sat right beside me with a smile on his face, one I couldn’t bring myself to share.
Gordon, noting the tension in the air, saw no reason to dawdle as he went ahead and pulled open a folder he had kept in another folder. freewebnoveℓ.com
Tearing the sealed tip off in our presence, he pulled out a single paper, which was written on—something that didn’t bode well with me, since wills were meant to have multiple pages, right?
Still, Gordon didn’t even look surprised as he went ahead and stared at the piece of paper, and he began to read from it in a loud tone that we could all hear.
"My name is Nevarro Castillo, and if you’re reading this, then I guess I’m dead. Hopefully by disease, but somehow, in light of recent affairs, I think not," Gordon read, as I focused all my attention on him, forgetting Nico’s presence entirely as Gordon continued to read.
