Page 170 of G.O.D.S Omnibus

“Brenny, with how much these assholes will make from this, they can wait five minutes,” Davis says with a chuckle.

Laughn hands me a piece of his toast, and we all get up and go to the garage. I get in with Brennan; I think he needs me with him to ease his anxiety.

“Is Ziyon coming today?” I ask as we drive away from the property.

“Yes, the lawyers finally have everything sorted. Mr Z had a will and it’ll be read today.”

I don’t know why I’m nervous. I barely had a relationship with the man, but something deep down inside wishes I could have had normal parents.

The drive to the city isn’t long, and we all park in an underground parking garage. Ziyon is already waiting for us, with Melinda by his side. I suppose now that the biggest threat has been eliminated, it’s safe for her to leave their underground home.

“Jolie, it’s nice to see you again.”

“You too, Melinda. Now we might be able to get to know each other.”

“I would love that.”

The drugs Chester had been working on brought back my memories, and I plan to ask him if he will try them with Melinda. She deserves to have her memories back too. I don’t trust Ziyon yet; he can tell his side all he likes, but everyone knows there’s always three sides to a story. And in this case, my gut tells me that Mr Z wasn’t the only bad guy.

Boston shimmies up beside me and bumps my shoulder with his. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asks.

I shrug. “As ready as I will ever be.”

We make our way through the underground garage as a group, pass into the building, and go upstairs to the lawyer’s office. The receptionist leads us all into a large boardroom where an older man sits at the head of the table with stacks of papers lined up in front of him.

“Thank you all for coming. Please take a seat so we can go through everything. I won’t keep you long. His instructions are very clear.”

We all quickly sit down around the table.

“In the event of his death, Zacari informed me of his wishes. These are iron clad. You could try to fight them, but he has dotted his i’s and crossed his t’s.”

“He wishes that the majority of his estate be passed to his daughter, Zircon. Here is a list of properties and bank accounts.” He slides a folder my way and I hand it to Brennan.

“There is a list of items he wishes his brother to be bequeathed.” He slides another folder to Ziyon, and he opens it straight away.

“What the fuck is this?!” he bellows. “All of this was mine to begin with.”

“Actually, it wasn’t. When you parted ways, you signed a contract forgoing your rights.” The lawyer slides more papers across the table. “All of this belonged to your brother, but he graciously never took it back. Now it’s officially yours again.”

Ziyon mutters under his breath and glowers at the lawyer, who pointedly ignores him and carries on.

“Next is Melinda. Zacari has left you a letter. He has also set up a bank account, so in the event you’re, in his words, ‘smart enough to leave his brother,’ you will be financially stable.”

Melinda reaches out tentatively and takes the letter. She wouldn’t know much about Mr Z beyond what Ziyon has told her.

“A copy of this letter has been stored in the event that the letter ismisplacedand can be accessed by you at any time,” the lawyer adds.

I chance a quick look at Ziyon, but he has collected himself and his expression is unreadable.

Mr Z’s lawyer forges on, allowing no room for further outbursts. “I also have a letter to read to you all:‘My prodigies, each and every challenge you have faced, you have exceeded my expectations. I am leaving my daughter in your hands, and I hope you will continue to protect her and love her in ways that I never could. She is the one thing of which I am most proud. Brennan Myers, I want you to take charge, as I know you can manage this transition. Your brain is truly remarkable, and I have full faith in you.’”

Wow, this is a lot to take in.

“Here is all the information he wishes for you to read.”

“Thank you,” Brennan says, taking the folder held out to him.

“As for Olympia,” the lawyer continues, “here are his wishes:‘My company is to be left to my grandchildren. I have thought long and hard about this, and I could never trust my brother to run it. He is selfish and only looks out for himself. He proved that when it came down to our love for Melinda. If he is ever willing to reveal the truth about what he has done, he is welcome to be a part of Olympia again. I know what it is and have left an accurate account in the capable hands of my lawyer. Ziyon, if you want the truth to be set free, all you need to do is say the word. Until the day my grandchildren are old enough to take over, I leave Olympia to Zircon, now known as Jolie Smith, as sole director of the company. This cannot be contested or ceded to anyone else. I am fully aware Ziyon has been working against me to get his shares back. This company has the potential to be great, but it needed me to be ruthless first to advance the technology. Now it needs someone with compassion to lead it into the future.’”

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