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“I wish it were that easy. It's all in there. You can't give Alex anything.” Silence filled the room as Harold’s words hung in the air. “I did find one loophole, though," he said.

Harold opened his briefcase and began digging through a folder before he pulled out a spreadsheet. "This is the list of all your father's assets that aren’t related to the house, the business, or any bank accounts. I spoke with an attorney about this before meeting with you, and this is the only loophole we can find. You can give any or all of these things to Alex, and it wouldn’t be against the will.”

He passed the spreadsheet across the table to Alex, who was still standing. Alex turned back towards the table, took the spreadsheet, and began to look down the list. He stopped at one point and scoffed, then shook his head.

“Unbelievable," he says. “Figures he would forget about all these assets.”

He sets the spreadsheet down and slides it across to me with his finger pointing to one of the cells. "I'll take that."

I follow the line to where his finger is and then look up at Harold.

“You’re sure all of these are his assets, and I can do anything with them?"

"Yes, every single one of them."

I pushed the spreadsheet over to Alex.

"You should take them all. Every single one of them. This isn't right. We should be sharing everything 50/50, but since we can’t, take those. I don’t care what they are. Take them all."

Alex’s jaw is clenched, and his eyes are narrowed. He looked hurt and wounded, and I'm reminded of when he was a 10-year-old being blamed for our mother’s death.

"No. I don't want anything from him except for that one thing on the list. You know what it means to me."

Without looking, I knew exactly which item he was referring to. As I nodded, Alex pushed the spreadsheet back over to me. I turned to Harold.

"Put through the paperwork to make John's Bar and Grille Alex’s," I said.

Alex stood and then turned to me.

“Thank you, Ryan, I appreciate it. I guess I'll see you in five years. Unless you get married sooner.”

"No, wait, Alex. It doesn't have to be this way. You’re my brother."

"That’s exactly why it has to be this way. I guess Father is finally getting what he always wanted--one less son.”

Alex walked out of the office, and I stood to go after him.

“No, Ryan," Harold said. "You have to let him go. That's in here too.”

I hung my head, feeling sorry for my brother and the time we were losing together because of our father.

“I'll continue to look for loopholes, but so far, what your father has done is airtight. He does not want you to have a relationship with your brother. And unless you want to lose everything, I suggest you comply. Now, that also means monthly meetings here with me and the rest of our group as trustees to the will. I will be keeping tabs on you and making sure you are moving forward with getting married."

"This isn't how I want it to be. Not with my brother, not with being forced to get married, none of it."

“I know. I wish there were something I could do. But as of right now, this is how it has to be. So unless there's something in that envelope that changes things, both you and your brother have now lost what was left of your family.”

CHAPTER 25

Carina

PRESENT DAY

Iwake up the next day feeling positive and happy. I don’t need a man in my life. I am an independent woman, and if any man can’t be honest with me, then he doesn’t deserve my time.

If only I really believed that.

I hardly slept, even though I crawled into bed as soon as I got home.

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