The lawyer paused and took a sip of water from the glass that Neil had thoughtfully prepared for him before continuing. “For the sake of the Taylor family’s future development, I am leaving all of the decision-making rights concerning the Taylor family to my son, Holden Taylor. Holden will be the sole manager and distributor of the Taylor family’s enterprises and assets. This may not be a popular decision, but it was carefully made with the growth of the Taylor family in mind and must be strictly obeyed…”
Minute details regarding the distribution of property and details about the Taylor family’s enterprises comprised the rest of the will. Various expressions clouded the faces of those gathered in the room. Kate glowered at Holden, a mixture of hatred and resentment on her face.
The threat that Neil had issued on Archie’s behalf, however, was still fresh on everyone’s minds. Regardless of their dissatisfaction, none of the Taylor family members was willing to renounce the Taylor family name and the benefits that accompanied it.
I believed that Archie had wisely foreseen the numerous objections that Holden’s appointment would meet with. He’d thus instituted this clause in anticipation. However, the fact remained that Archie was no longer present to dictate things. The Taylor family might formally recognize Holden’s leadership, but there were sure to be ripples of displeasure beneath the surface. The path ahead of Holden looked set to be a bumpy ride.
After Ashton and I had said our goodbyes, we got ready to leave.
“Mr. Fuller, may I have a word?” Holden shouted, sprinting after us. He caught up, panting and obviously overwhelmed by the entire proceedings of the morning.
Ashton waited patiently for Holden to catch his breath before remarking icily, “Holden, we can always talk another day. I believe that you have more urgent matters to deal with than ours.”
As soon as Ashton said that, he grabbed my hand and stalked off, pulling me along. We left Holden standing there, looking after us rather dazedly.
The moment we got into the car, I turned to Ashton with interest. “Why did Archie select Holden to be his successor out of his numerous other family members?”
Ashton immediately retorted, “Why did you pick me out of all the men in this world?”
I was dumbfounded. What kind of question was this? What sort of answer was Ashton expecting me to give?
Fine! I thought, slightly miffed. Then I slumped down in my seat. I’ll stop asking questions.
Back at the hotel, the phone was ringing incessantly. When I answered, sobs poured through the line. “Mrs. Fuller, I know you’ve already helped me a tremendous amount. I shouldn’t be asking you for more, but I’m really at a loss now. You’re the only one I can turn to! I’m still short of forty thousand for Renee’s operation. Can you lend me that amount? I’m begging you, Mrs. Fuller. I know it’s utterly shameless of me to keep asking for your help, but there’s no one else I can turn to. Please help me.”
It was Mrs. Brooks – Sasha’s mother.
I frowned slightly. I wanted to refuse her, but my heart suddenly softened with a twinge of pity. “Mrs. Brooks, haven’t you raised enough funds for the operation? Why are you suddenly short of another forty thousand?”
She choked, “It’s all my fault! I shouldn’t have told my jerk of a son just before I was about to pay the remaining forty thousand! He stole the money and gambled it all away! Why wasn’t I the one who fell sick instead? What should I do now? Good Heavens!”
Sasha’s mother incoherently rambled on, clearly on the verge of a complete breakdown. Parker was a notorious gambler, as Joseph had once uncovered. However, I didn’t expect him to be quite so base as to steal money set aside for his sister’s lifesaving operation. He clearly cared about nothing else other than himself and satisfying his own lusts.
I replied slowly, “Mrs. Brooks, I can lend you the money, but this will be the last time. The money doesn’t concern me. I’m willing to give the money as long as it will save her life. However, I sincerely hope you won’t squander it, or always rely on others to bail you out.”
She thanked me profusely, her voice hoarse. My heart ached for her, but we each had our own tribulations after all.
When Ashton finally emerged from the bathroom, I had just hung up and phone and was busy transferring the money to the account that Mrs. Brooks had given me.
Ashton glanced at me, then asked in an unruffled manner, “Shall we go out together tomorrow?”
I considered, then shook my head. “Aren’t there a ton of things waiting for you back at Fuller Corporation? Now that we’ve paid our obligatory visit to Mr. Taylor, when are you planning on heading back to the office?”
Ashton tossed his towel aside, then replied gruffly, “We won’t be going back for a while. We have to attend Mr. Taylor’s funeral first.”
That had slipped my mind entirely. I lowered my eyes with a mix of resignation and frustration.
Looking at me, Ashton gently encircled me with his arms. In a gentler tone, he said, “Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”
I didn’t plan on concealing what had just transpired over the phone. With a few brief sentences, I outlined our conversation, then looked at him sheepishly. “I just transferred forty thousand to them. You won’t scold me for that, will you?”
A smile hovered on Ashton’s lips. “Why would I scold you? I’m pleased that my wife is a kind-hearted, charitable woman. If we can resolve an issue with money, it shouldn’t be an issue at all. Forty thousand isn’t too much to fork out for a good conscience!”
I leaned against Ashton’s warm body, stroking his toned arms. “Thank you,” I whispered gratefully. Whenever I counted my blessings in life, I made sure to count Ashton twice.
I didn’t think of myself as an exceptional individual. As a matter of fact, Ashton’s affection for me was a result of good fortune rather than any inherent merit of mine. Whether it was destiny or pure dumb luck, he was mine nonetheless, and I was thankful for that fact.
My mind wandered back to the events at the casino, and I abruptly probed, “Wasn’t Abe in A City? Why did he suddenly turn up in Moranta? Were you on the verge of signing a contract with him in that private room?”
Ashton looked at me, a smile playing on his lips. “When did my wife get to be quite so clever?”
