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?”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: When There Is Nothing Left But Love novel (Ashton and Scarlett )