Page 80 of Stolen Sun

I look at Chance, and he’s standing by the door. “I’ll be right here.”

I nod and walk into Cassidy’s office.

“I’ve reviewed the files Mr. Adams sent. Would you like for me to go over them with you or do you have specific questions about them?” She begins.

“To be honest, I’m not completely clear on what he sent you, and I’ve never seen any documents pertaining to my inheritance. I knew my parents were wealthy, but it wasn’t something they discussed with me.”

“Alright, well. Let’s start with that,” she says, handing me a thick packet of paper. “Your inheritance isn’t really yours. It’s meant to pass down to a male heir. If there’s no male heir by the time you turn thirty, the estate is to be dissolved and donated. This is a very outdated practice, but it’s essentially done to ensure the continuation of a family with a male as head of the family.”

“How can I opt out of the inheritance completely?” I ask.

“Your grandfather would have to change it,” she states.

“Well, that’s not possible,” I say.

“That’s usually why things were done this way. The only option would be to comply with the requirements, or the family loses everything. Another option would be to have the beneficiaries agree to amending it in court, but it’s not likely that these charities would be willing to do that.” She gives me a sad smile.

“What if I did have a male child before I was thirty?” I ask, trying to understand why my father would be against my being with Declan now.

“That is where your inheritance gets interesting. There are additional criteria outlined as to whose child would be considered legitimate. Your grandfather listed specific families.”

“You’re telling me that my grandfather decided which families I could marry into?” My heart twists in my chest. My parents would’ve known all of this my entire life but never said a word.

“I’m afraid so. I’m sorry, Noel. I don’t pretend to understand how you must feel,” she offers.

“I was only five years old when he died!” My stomach turns sour at the thought. She stays quiet while I process the information.

“What if I had been a man?” I ask.

“No marriage stipulations, but you would’ve had to have a male grandson by the time your youngest daughter reached age thirty if you did not have a son of your own,” she says calmly.

My mother always said that wealth came with its own set of responsibilities and sacrifices, usually when I’d point out how she had every reason to be happier than she was. I’m starting to glimpse her meaning, but I still have so manyquestions.

“I took the liberty of looking up the families listed because I expected you’d want to know. Only two families had a son around your age. Your late husband’s family and the Cantons,” she says.

The world stands still as it all falls into place. My parents want me to marry Isaiah, and they will lose everything if I don’t. Not only would I have to marry him but also have a son with him in less than three years.

Feeling the bile rise in my throat, I run out of her office. Not sure where the restroom is, my only option is to get outside. Chance is on my heels. Unfortunately, he witnesses my getting sick in the bushes.

“Noel, are you alright?” He asks from behind me.

I look at him and shake my head. Of course, I’m not alright.

Walking away from my parents is one thing. Single-handedly destroying their lives is going to be much harder to live with. Being in a room alone with Isaiah gives me the creeps. The last thing I’d do is marry him, much less have his children.

But more important than all of those things is Declan. He’s the missing piece of my soul, and I won’t live without him.

“Where’s Declan?” I ask Chance.

“He’s expecting you at Velocity when you finish up here. Are you alright to drive?” He asks, concerned.

“Yep. Let’s go.”

It’s time to see what Sport stands for on this new car. Pushing the pedal to the floor as soon as I merge onto the interstate, the Range Rover hits 100 in no time. I’m weaving in and out of traffic. Being in control of this much speed is just what I needed after learning how little control I’ve had over my life.

My head is spinning at the thought of what my parents have done. Realizing that Nate knew when he met me at school that I was going to be his wife makesme feel sick again. Did he know all of those things about me? Did my own father tell him exactly what to say to me to get me to like him? To fall in love with him? Who the fuck did I even marry?

According to Declan, Nate was trying to get other women pregnant because he didn’t want to believe he was the reason we hadn’t had a baby yet. Was my father pressuring him? Jaclyn thinks he was murdered, and Declan thinks this would be the motive. If my father killed Nate with time to spare, he’d absolutely try to kill Declan now.

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