Chapter 210

Liam’s POV

I took my own car to Mr. Peters’ office. Several times on the route, I nearly turned and drove home instead, desperate to talk to Aria. Once, I stopped so long at a red light that Joanna called me on the phone.

“Your father is dead, Liam. You have an obligation to him now. Aria will still be there when this is done.”

Joanna only cared about the money, while I cared more about Aria and my family.

Even so, she wasn’t done.

With her headlights in my rearview, she added, “If you go anywhere but the lawyer’s office, I will follow you. Try explaining that to Aria.”

That Aria would actually speak to me already seemed questionable. Bringing Joanna into it was certain to make everything worse.

“Fine,” I grumbled and continued on the rest of the way to the law office.

I parked in front of the building, then hurried inside before Joanna could get out of her car. At this point, the less I saw of her, the better.

Inside the building, other people were waiting in a large meeting room with a table and a few chairs. Several of Markus’s staff were there, including his butler.

I sat in an open seat at the table, one that had no other open seats around it. When Joanna walked into the room, she glared at the people to the right and left of me, but was forced to sit in a different chair across the table.

When we were all seated, Mr. Peters came into the room, accompanied by one of his legal staff. The staff member stayed standing while Mr. Peters sat down at the end of the long table.

“Thank you everyone for coming. It was Markus’s wish that this will be read as soon as possible upon his death, so I’m sure he appreciates everyone’s promptness. I know it is late, so I will attempt to make this brief.”

Mr. Peters was holding a few pages that he lifted now.

“To Charles,” Mr. Peters read, the name of the butler, “I leave the sum of $100,000 for his loyalty to me over the years.”

The butler closed his eyes and nodded.

The other staff leaned forward.

“To the rest of my staff, I leave the amount of $10,000 to be split equally among them.”

The staff leaned back. As there were about ten of them, that came to $1,000 a piece, which seemed a small pittance compared to the hassle of actually caring for my father. I hope they had been better compensated when he was alive, though I doubted it.

Even Charles’s amount didn’t seem like enough, given just how much Markus was worth, and how much the butler did for him on a daily basis.

“These amounts aside, the entirety of my fortune, which at the time of this writing is no less than $3 billion, I leave to my son Liam.”

All of the air seemed to suck out of the room. $3 billion? I knew my father was wealthy, but not billion dollar wealthy.

“However,” Mr. Peters continued. “There are conditions for him to receive these funds. These conditions must be met within three months of my death.”

I’d been expecting this. My father would never just hand over that kind of money. Of course he’d want to have stipulations attached. Even from beyond the grave, he sought to control me.

I attempted to brace myself for what I was sure would be impossible to meet stipulations.

“What about me?” Joanna snapped unkindly at Mr. Peters.

Mr. Peters looked up from the will. “What?”

“Where is my name? What has he left for me?” Joanna insisted.

“If you would let me finish, please,” Mr. Peters said.

“I better not be wasting my time here,” Joanna said. “This is supposed to be my engagement night. I have better things to do than spend tonight in this office.”

“Need I remind you that a man is dead,” Charles the butler said.

“He was a terrible person when he was alive,” Joanna said bluntly. “In death, he continues to try my patience.”

Some of the staff looked at her in shock. Mr. Peters only stared at her blandly. “If I may continue?”

Crossing her arms, she sighed and leaned back in her chair.

Mr. Peters cleared his throat and began to read again. “Within three months, Liam, you must: legally marry Joanna –”

That perked Joanna right back up.

“Also,” Mr. Peters continued, “You must quit your racing career and join the family business.” Setting the paper down, Mr. Peter’s said. “I can confirm, Liam, that a position is being held for you at the firm.”

“I’m not doing any of this,” I said at once.

Joanna jumped to her feet, her hands slapping the table. “3 billion dollars, Liam! Divorce me after, I don’t care. But $3 billion? You can’t just let that money get away.”

Ignoring her, I looked at Mr. Peters. “What happens to the money when I refuse?”

“If he refuses!” Joanna quickly added.

Mr. Peters looked back down at the will. “In the event that these conditions cannot or will not be met, this amount will be gifted to Liam’s biggest and most direct racing competitor.”

“All of it?” Joanna asked.

“All of it,” Mr. Peters replied.

“Liam,” Joanna said.

“No,” I said. That was a hefty sum of money, but the cost of it was simply too high. Besides, I’d done without it for this long, I could keep doing so.

“You have three months starting today to think it over,” Mr. Peters said. “I would use that time wisely. Consider what this money could do for you.”

I knew exactly what it could do. I’d lose Aria, my family, and my dream career. I’d be married to Joanna and work a job I hate. Was any amount of money worth that? What could I even spend it on to make myself happy if Aria and my family were gone?

A $3 billion gift to my competitors was no joke. With that kind of money, they’d be able to monopolize the industry for several years. Even then, though, the money would be going to a sport that I loved, and which I was sure my father hated.

“I don’t care about the money,” I said.

Joanna’s face paled, before it filled with an angry red. “How can you say such a stupid thing?! How can you not care about $3 billion? You’ve already lost Aria, Liam. What does this little combative show of yours matter? Don’t throw away the money!”

Only after an hour of arguing, during which Joanna insisted I change my mind and Mr. Peters eventually told me that, as the will stipulated three months, he would call in three months regardless of what I said now, I was finally free to drive home and try to find Aria.

Her car wasn’t in the driveway. A bad sign, since I knew she had taken a cab to the event.

The image of her leaving in it was burned forever in my mind’s eye.

However, Isabelle’s car was still parked there. Maybe she could have answers for me.

Opening the door, I walked inside. Isabelle stood in the kitchen. Her arms crossed, her back was to the counter, as if she’d been waiting for me.

“Where’s Aria?” I asked.

She glared at me openly and said, “You need to leave Aria alone.”