A murmur spread across the room. The other members of the Taylor family gradually rose up with one voice to oppose the appointment of Holden.
Neil, however, looked unfazed. Placidly, he announced, “I know that there may be some disagreement to Mr. Holden being in charge of the Taylor family. However, this is Mr. Taylor’s last wish. He has already transferred all of his belongings to Mr. Holden. If anyone opposes this arrangement, they’re free to leave the Taylor family and thereby cut off all ties with the household. If you wish to stay, you’ll remain under the head of the Taylor family. You’ll have to obey Mr. Holden then.”
Neil’s proclamation immediately quelled the Taylor family’s desire to revolt. Kate, however, remained looking rather vexed. She looked sourly at Holden.
Not long after, the lawyer arrived.
At the sight of his dark suit, the room seemed to light up in anticipation. Each one seemed eager to find out what Archie had bestowed upon them with his passing.
The lawyer seemed to be on familiar terms with the Taylors. After a respectful bow to Archie, he settled down, retrieving a set of documents from their briefcase. He then addressed the waiting room in a measured tone. “My condolences to all. Archie lived to a ripe old age and was able to get all of his affairs in order before he passed. I have here in hand Archie’s last will and testament. I will read it out to all of you shortly.”
A hush fell over the bedroom. After glancing at his audience, the lawyer continued, “Dear members of the Taylor family, if these words are being read to you, I would have already departed. Having been the head of the Taylor family for decades, I’m well aware that all my things must be in order before I leave. I won’t have any of our family members behaving disorderly in my passing and becoming a laughingstock to the media and other families.” The will opened briefly with these statements, emphasizing Archie’s responsibility and the Taylor family’s wellbeing without much emotion.
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 Anthony and I had said our goodbyes, we got ready to leave.
“Mr. Featherstone, may I have a word?” Holden shouted, sprinting after us. He caught up, panting and obviously overwhelmed by the entire proceedings of the morning.
Anthony 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 Anthony 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 Anthony with interest. “Why did Archie select Holden to be his successor out of his numerous other family members?”
Anthony 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 Anthony 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. Featherstone, 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. Featherstone. 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 Anthony 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.
Anthony 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 Featherstone Corporation? Now that we’ve paid our obligatory visit to Mr. Taylor, when are you planning on heading back to the office?”
Anthony 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, Anthony 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 Anthony’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 Anthony’s warm body, stroking his toned arms. “Thank you,” I whispered gratefully. Whenever I counted my blessings in life, I made sure to count Anthony twice.
I didn’t think of myself as an exceptional individual. As a matter of fact, Anthony’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?”
Anthony looked at me, a smile playing on his lips. “When did my wife get to be quite so clever?”
I looked at him and waited for an answer.
He smiled and said, “Mr. Taylor has already passed both the Kingston area and foreign trade area of Moranta over to me. Abe has no way of staying in Venria anymore since the country has become too strict, so all he can do is escape into Moranta. Logically speaking, his father was friends with Mr. Taylor. Since he wanted to help his old friend, he sent me to deal with Abe but still ended up choosing me in the end.”
That was why Holden had seemed so unsure in the private room just now. He wasn’t completely sure whether he was on Anthony’s side yet. Instead, he was checking out Anthony’s abilities. If he hadn’t used my father as a trump card, Holden might not have ended up helping Anthony.
Before the contract was signed, what Holden said to Archie had been the deciding factor. Archie choosing Anthony over Abe was probably because Holden knew that the person who could help him the most after Archie’s death was his true ally.
Anthony alone wouldn’t have seemed so useful to Holden. However, if the Moore family was included, it was an automatic win. My father no longer joined in a lot of events, but he definitely still played a prestigious role in our society.
Anthony looked at me calmly. “Aren’t you mad that I used your father’s name in my case?”
I shook my head with a smile. “I’m happy as long as I can help. It’s one of the ways I can come to terms with having someone as talented as you.”
He smiled back and kissed me on the cheek. “Silly girl. You’re more talented than any woman could ever become. I’d choose you over anything and anyone.”
The man was simply flirting, but all of his words found their way into my heart.
Everyone should avoid saving their compliments toward the ones they love. After all, if it makes them happy, it will be worth it in the end.
It wasn’t exactly cold in Moranta, but due to the high population, the sky was almost always grey and cloudy.
Anthony had to leave the hotel rather early. After Holden took over the Taylor family, he was working together with Anthony since he needed his help quite often.
I was rather bored since I was simply lying on the bed. After a while, I got up and left the hotel. Since I was in Moranta, I naturally had to visit the attractions.
The streets were flooded with people hurrying here and there. On the contrary, my languid, relaxed stride seemed out of place.
Some people would occasionally look my way, clearly confused.
Nonetheless, I pressed my lips together and simply ignored their stares.
Suddenly, a beggar on the roadside caught my attention. It wasn’t as if I had never seen a beggar before, but that one beggar looked a bit familiar to me.
The beggar returned my stare with a slightly furrowed brow. His stare was originally careless, but once he met my eyes, he jolted slightly in shock before smiling at me.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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