Chapter 2 The Inheritance Saga

• It was a quiet ride back to the Beaumont Estate, She'd insisted on coming, against Alexander’s wish and she couldn't help but feel helpless when the tears didn't stop flowing from her eyes. She knew she had to stay calm and quiet, she needed to offer comforting words to Alexander, but she was without comfort herself. What would she be able to do in a situation like that?
• Her head was pounding, it wasn't just about her personal feelings. The workers in the CEO's office would be having a hard time with reporters and investors if the news of Vincent's death was already out.
• Alexander, on the other hand, hadn't said a word to her. His face looked set in his usual expressionless demeanor, but there was something in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. She wiped the tears again immediately and it fell off her face.
• Alexander closed his eyes, a little bit annoyed at her whimpering sound. He reached out to his pocket and brought out his handkerchief, he took her hands and placed it in them.
• “You're not helping matters here Lily, if you're going to cry, then cry, and if you won't, just be quiet” his face was stern when she looked at him. But there was a softness in his eyes hidden beneath the hard exterior. She nodded and wiped her tears immediately with the handkerchief, his scent filling her nostrils as she did so.
• They both came down from the car when they reached the estate, he turned to her and stopped her from moving forward.
• “His body is still in there, stay here” he said with a tone of finality.
• Lily shook her head in a protest.
• “No..I have to…”
• “Lily” he cut in sharply. Then walked back to the car.
• “Take her back home” he said to the driver who nodded.
• “No I can't Mr Beaumont” she said and he looked at her his anger clear in his eyes.
• “Stop being a burden and just go, nobody is going to shed a tear when we get in there, but you've already shed dozens” he said and walked away from her, disappearing behind the golden giant doors of the mansion.
• Lily stood there for some minutes, still not able to hold back her tears, she turned away and started walking towards the gate of the estate which was a long way. The driver honked at her from within the car but she ignored him continuing her commute.
• The hours passed by and she lay in her bed under the covers, unable to snap out of the fact that Vincent Beaumont was dead. The door to the apartment where she stayed opened and she knew that Alexia, her roommate, was back from work.
• “You're home early” Alexia said, roughly pulling the covers away from Lily. Lily groaned in annoyance and flung her a pillow at her which she dodged with a smile on her face. Her friend's blue eyes were the most comforting thing to come home to after a day with her grumpy boss, but it wasn't so comforting today, her friend looked like a model, tall and slender with blonde curly hair. She was an eye candy.
• “Why are you staring at me like that?” Alexia asked and she shook her head.
• “That reminds me, what's with your boss? He couldn't have dinner with my boss and it made him a little angry,” she added. They were best friends, working for the two top members in the Beaumont companies, and they stayed in the quarters reserved for Beaumont employees.
• Lily sighed out, she didn't have enough energy to get involved in chitchat.
• “I guess you haven't heard” she muttered rolling over from the bed.
• “Heard what? And if something came up, he could have at least called” she said. Lily massaged her templates with her index finger.
• “You will find out later”
• And she did, they all did. The news spread like wide fire on the net. It was a great loss to the public, the cause of his death was a heart attack and it came as a shock to everyone. They had just finished his funeral, and Lily was standing on the balcony looking down below at the green grasses. She had loved Vincent Beaumont like she would her father, and she knew his grandchildren weren't so fond of him. She also knew that beneath the sad faces was a question of his will and the inheritance.
• She didn't want to have anything to do with the sickening power play in the family. She'd overheard that his lawyer was coming to read his will and she wanted to be out of that place, as fast as she could.
• She went in search of her boss to tell him she was leaving. There were few distant relatives and reporters at the mansion, all clouded in black to give their last respect to the patriarch. She also wore a black suit trousers and black stilettos. Her short bob hair added a layer of professionalism even in that moment.
• She finally found Alexander amongst the crowd, she saw her coming towards him and asked to be excused. She stopped when he started walking to her. His hair tied to the back, he looked handsome as always but with dark circles around his ever piercing dark eyes. They hadn't seen each other in three days.
• “I'll be leaving now,” she said, clutching her bag to her side. Since she started walking with Alexander, that period was the longest she'd been away from him, she even had to work on weekends with him most times.
• “You just came” he said in a careless manner that made her think she heard wrong.
• “We resume work fully tomorrow, I need to rest up” she said.
• “Stay a while longer, I'll drop you off” he said and without waiting for her response, he went away to attend to other business. Lily wanted to stone him with her heels. But she looked away instead, she hadn't seen his brother or his sister during the funeral, and she wondered what they were up to.
• She stayed until everyone left the estate except the workers and Vincent's grandchildren. She'd finally sighted Eric and Emilia.
• “Hi beauty” Eric said to her and she turned to him, he had his ever charming smile plastered on his face.
• “Hello, Mr Eric” she said politely. The lawyer walked in that moment and Lily knew it was the time they all had been waiting for.
• Alexander came to her then, “let's leave” he said and she stared at him with furrowed brows. What was he talking about? Leave at that moment?
• “Miss Anderson, please stay. You play an important role hear” The lawyer said, his face grim.
• They all turned to her with confused glances, she was surprised at his comment.
• The lawyer started by reading through Vincent's last wishes and messages to his grandchildren, her chest felt heavy and she began to tear up. It was time to read the will and there was a sudden change in mood,tension arose as the obvious question was who would inherit the company as the two brothers had always been in constant battle with each other.
• “I leave the mansion in the hands of my beloved daughter Emilia…” the lawyer read out. Of course no one cared about the house. They had their own mansions. It was the company that was the issue. Emilia sighed as she seemed to resign to her fate.
• “And the company, subsidiary group, shares and international businesses, including all my money and valuable possessions….” It was at that moment, the tension worsened. Lily held her breath and crossed her fingers not sure who he would pick. Eric was his first born son and always close to him, on the other hand Alexander was grumpy and rude but was the driving force behind his company.
• “...I leave them all in the hands of Lily Anderson” Time stopped, the world seemed to spin and her eyes widened, she shook her head not sure she heard right.
• “I'm sorry, who?” It was Eric's voice, it cameout strangled.
• “Lily Anderson,” The lawyer repeated.