"It's a condition of your inheritance, Miss Kincaid. The heirs to both families are to wed each other at Harlan's direction and Karl Ackerley's on the day of your marriage."
Desmond Ackerley the heir of the Duncan family estate?
The Duncans were by far the richest family in Casier, and they actually ruled three powerful families. The inheritor of this very wealthy 1% family was Desmond.
The crowd gasped at Elara's response.
"No!" Elara replied, she didn't have to think about it one bit and wasn't phased at all by the amount of money.
Her response began as soon as Orin stepped onto the stage. He had never before witnessed a person so untouched by wealth of that magnitude.
And for the first time, he could see why Harlan would want to will this sequence into motion. What do you know? It turned out he was really WILL-ING it, not raving mad.
No one saw that coming and in reality she rejected Desmond!
How audacious a girl was she?
Desmond was in attendance that day of all days. Desmond, they all turned to look at him and as one, they closed their mouths threatening .
They couldn't help talking about the Duncans, even when it could cost them everything.
Seated on the first row, Desmond had a well tailored black suit on, with his collar lose revealing his tanned skin.
If there is anything that stood out about him, it would be his appearance. His beautifully chiseled face was enough to have every girl enchanted.
But despite his apparent indifference, his dark eyes were as cold as shards of ice and there was a danger in gazing directly at him.
Everyone in fact was bracing themselves for the scathing onslaught they were certain would come from the Duncan family's pitiless heir.
To their shock, Desmond did nothing but cast Elara a cursory glance and alter his demeanor.
Elara knew what he was the instant she locked eyes with him.
Desmond was attracted by her icy stare!
Alright. She had been the first one not to flinch when looking him directly in the eyes.
Interesting. What had that old bastard picked for the Kincaid heir, he wanted to know, that was so goddamn special?
Orin had found more stuff Harlan had left behind in his rush, but he'd had to reclaim it, what with the war on and all and public feeling at such a high pitch. I guess Harlan didn't remember this was down here, Miss Kincaid. He says he hopes you'll decide once you've listened!
Elara reached across the desk, took the phones in her fingers, pushed them carefully into her ears and activated the recorder.
Elara frowned at the tape and tossed it onto the passenger seat.
After a moment, she plucked out one earbud and muttered, "So damn annoying."
She signed her name on the will with the pen he had just given her.
Orin breathed inwardly again when he saw her signature.
Harlan had a real gift for seeing into the future.
One she'd signed her name, Orin led Elara away to offer up her final will and testament.
The expressions on the Kincaids' faces couldn't have been more disgusting as the crowd murmured amongst themselves. They were all dying to know more about this thing!
"How can a country girl alone even hope to be able to compete with the sly Kincaid clan members?" another man scoffed. It wouldn't matter anyway, since Elara would never get to keep the inheritance if she were awarded it!
Instantly he was issued a challenge by another man in the room, "I'm not so sure about that. She just might get to keep it…if you help her."
In his remarks, I saw all eyes turned to quietly look at the man, whose eyes no one had ever dared to look into and whose presence, even, was not always easy to bear.
Everything was evidently possible.
Elara returned to the living room once she had received the will.
The Kincaid were gathered in what amounted to the family living room.
Whatever you bumpkin had done, I don't care. But, it looks like your are dreaming and wanting to inherit the Kincaid wealth!
The youngest Kincaid son is the only one said it. He is Caius Kincaid which is Elara's younger brother.
He was the Kincaid's only son. Someday he would inherit it all. But for now, Elara possessed it all. How could he let that happen?
Truthfully, he hadn't thought much of Elara from the beginning; viewing her as nothing more than a naive country girl. Yet she was the one granted heir to the Kincaid fortune. How had he allowed this to happen?
"Mom, you can't let the jinx take over the family's money!" Caius groaned as he walked up to his mother Maris and grabbed her arm. "Force her to leave and go back to the country!"
Elara had been brought out to Larkspur when she was little by Harlan because everyone in the Kincaid knows she's a jinx."
Laura Kincaid died not long after Elara's accident. The priest at Gracefield Chapel had prophesied that her birth would bring them misfortune!
Maris, Elara's mother, had shown no concern for her daughter.
She raised her head, looked Elara straight in the eye and tell her, "Elara, you heard your brother. Call Orin and tell him you are renouncing the Kincaid fortune. You will give it to your father. I will ask your father to give you a financial settlement. In any case, you are leaving for island country in a few days."
"Okay!" Elara said in a calm and clear voice after Maris was done. Her pace was slow.
"If you can, take it."
How could she not worry at least a little?
But all they heard from Elara was, "Okay!" And then the cold, icy warning.
And what I presume are my Kincaid cousins," she said with faint amusement. Tamsin was the first to wake. At Elara's words, she was also the fullest of the Kincaid, beaming broadly and happily.
"I'm glad you realize that!" Tamsin had believed Elara no more than a primitive country girl, but Elara wouldn't be able to hang onto the Kincaid Corporation if she somehow managed to gain control of it. She might just as well hand the whole works over to Tamsin and her family this very minute so they wouldn't have to contrive some other scheme to get it away from her.
That being said, Tamsin kissed Maris. Did you think I was going to stay here and do nothing, Mother? We might as well go sign the handover agreement and get it over with so we don't have to concern ourselves with it later.
Jareth walked into the room before Maris could dial that number and replied, "No." The will is
unalterable!
The looks on Tamsin's and the others faces darkened at his comments. No longer caring about how she looked, Tamsin screamed angrily. "Why dad? Why, what's the reason for someone like her to inherit the Kincaid fortune?"